2012 Birkie DVD on sale at http://store.birkie.com/store.php
Whether you raced, watched or weren’t able to attend the 2012 American Birkebeiner from Cable to Hayward, Wis., the Birkie DVD has all of the excitement on tape for a “super-skier friendly” price of $14.95.
According to the DVD description on Birkie.com, the video features “full, uncut coverage of the Elite Skate and Classic lead skiers tackling each section of the Birkie Trail to the Barnebirkie, Giant Ski, Barkie Birkie Ski-Jor, Family 5/10K Fun Ski, Elite Sprints, and more.”
Click here to view/buy the item at the Birkie Store
Cost: $14.95
Includes:
Great Birkie week highlights – Barnebirkie, Giant Ski, Barkie Birkie, etc.
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Concept2, makers of the SkiErg.
To this day, Luke Bodensteiner, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) vice president of athletics, said people don’t believe him when he talks about what happened at the 1988 American Birkebeiner.
Luke Bodensteiner (Photo: USSA)
Seventeen at the time and coming off a Kortelopet victory in ’87, Bodensteiner had registered for the 29 k in an attempt to defend his title. Everything seemed to be going extremely well for the teenager from West Bend, Wis., as he led even the Birkebeiner frontrunners for the first half of their race. Then he missed the turn for the Korte finish.
According to Bodensteiner, the elite coaches and support staff were standing on the cutover, blocking the Kortelopet turnoff as he sped by. He kept going, not realizing that was the turn.
“About two kilometers down the track, I was all alone,” Bodensteiner said over the phone on Wednesday. “I was like, ‘Oh God, I must’ve missed the finish because no one’s around here.’ ”
As he was debating what he should do — turn around and complete the race he registered for (and could legally do at 17) or keep going — Bodensteiner said about eight men caught him. He decided to hang on and finish the 55 k race with them, reasoning he wouldn’t have been able to beat his Kortelopet rival, John Bauer, if he backtracked.
Suffering for the last 10 kilometers without much food, drink or preparation for the marathon distance, Bodensteiner couldn’t remember exactly where he ended up — maybe sixth or seventh. It didn’t matter; a race official later told his dad he was disqualified.
Bodensteiner wasn’t too hard to pick out at the finish in his bright yellow Kortelopet bib.
“It was funny there because stuff like this gets way overblown,” he said. “Literally everyone I ran into asked me about it and no one believed my explaination. I got lost on the track.”
A few years later, Bodensteiner made the 1992 and ’94 Olympics as a member of the U.S. Ski Team. He won several national titles at the University of Utah, developed the USSA’s cross country SuperTour series, and came back to race the Birkie twice — legally.
Regarding the case of Joe Dubay, the College of Saint Scholastica freshman who was disqualified after winning Saturday’s classic Birkie in his teammate’s bib, Bodensteiner said it sounded like the race organizers made the right call.
“They have policies which prevent people from switching bibs; as a race organizer, that’s what you have to do,” Bodensteiner said. “That said the guy had a great race … At the end of the day it’s about performance. It’s not about medals or what’s written down on the results sheet. … You can make worse mistakes, for sure.”
He said Dubay will probably hear about this for years.
“As happened to me, I think he will probably get more attention out of this than he would for winning the Birkie,” Bodensteiner said.
Steve Clark riding to the start of the 2012 American Birkebeiner. Photo courtesy of Tom Held/Off The Couch: www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/140363353
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Concept2, makers of the SkiErg.
The reflective crossing-guard vest and orange hat peeking out beneath his helmet made him unmistakable. Steve Clark was that guy pedaling between Cable and Hayward, Wis., last week, looking like a vagabond out there weathering the elements on his bicycle.
Those that stopped to take his picture could have heard his story. A closer glance revealed he was toting a pair of original Fischer RCS skis and skate poles along his left side.
Clark, 54, completed his 10th American Birkebeiner 50-kilometer race on Saturday. He rode more than 100 miles from his farm in Cushing, Wis., and once in Cable on Friday, he camped near the start.
The manager for Transit for Livable Communities, a $25 million dollar walking and bicycling program in the Twin Cities, Clark has an apartment in Minneapolis. He rides his bike or runs most days to work – eight miles each way.
He doesn’t need to manpower a 65-pound commuter bike to get to the Birkie or any of the other races he does in Minnesota and Wisconsin. But he does, partially because his wife teased him about not doing so a few years ago.
“It’s not like she has a thing against cars,” Clark said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “She’s like, ‘You’re kind of going against your values when you’re [driving] to all these places to race.’ … It was more like, ‘Maybe you should stop racing. Maybe you need different priorities.’ ”
Clark spun her words into motivation. For the last three years, he has biked to most sporting events, which inevitably led to more time away from the family, he said. But he carried a message and lived up to his ideals in remaining 99 percent car-free.
This year marked his first trip to the Birkie by bike. Because of a late start two days before, Clark wasn’t able to wax his skis and opted to leave the iron at home to avoid extra weight. He figured he could buy one at a thrift store somewhere along the way.
A few miles south of Hayward on Thursday, he rode around for three hours trying to find his friends’ cabin. When he finally rolled in around 9 p.m., Clark took advantage of running water and a shower. The next day, he hopped back on his bike and headed 30 miles north to Cable. He stopped slightly over halfway to get his skis waxed at the RiverBrook Bike & Ski shop in Seeley.
Clark figured he saved enough in gas money to justify doing so. (Note: Upon hearing about Clark’s journey, RiverBrook recently offered Clark a complimentary World Championship Wax Service for next year’s Birkie.)
He proceeded approximately 10 miles north toward the Cable Union Airport at Telemark Lodge, where he set up a tent nearby and bunkered down with a couple of sleeping bags and pads. It was a ritual he had done for years, and he said the fresh air gave him a good night’s rest.
Despite consuming lots of fruit and omega-3 fatty acids before the race, Clark said he felt the wear of the 100-plus mile ride on Saturday. Go figure.
He wasn’t overly pleased with his time, just shy of 3 hours and 20 minutes, and hoped to break three hours in the future – maybe next year.
“The Birkie sort of is a culmination of the skiing season for me,” Clark said. “You really want to have your best time, and the biking did seem like it would compromise the race, and it did. There’s no doubt about it that I was pretty tired at the start line.”
He and his son Danny had biked about 70 miles to Minnesota’s 58 k Mora Vasaloppet in the past, which didn’t seem too bad, Clark said. But the Birkie involved a longer and hillier trek across state highways with massive logging trucks occasionally giving Clark a jolt.
Other than their alarming speed and draft, Clark said his ride was pretty smooth as he rotated an easier gear to power a Dynohub generator. That illuminated lights on his bike throughout the day, making him more visible to surprised drivers.
“I’m kind of an unusual sight,” Clark said. “I can’t believe how many people stopped their car further up and took pictures. I had more people taking pictures of me biking to the Birkie than when I was in my wedding.”
He laughed.
“They weren’t just people that were going to the Birkebeiner, they were people who were clearly not skiers,” he added. “So that was cool.”
Almost as soon as he’d finished the Birkie, Clark kept moving and hopped on a bus back to Cable. There, he loaded up his bike and rode down to Hayward, where he ate a hearty meal of blueberry soup. Around 6 p.m., he hit the road once more and finally arrived at his cabin in Cushing at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Before leaving town, Clark talked to some people about his journey and began to toy with the idea of making and selling ski racks for bikes.
“The guy said, ‘Steve, I hate to break it to you but there’s not going to be too many people that want to do it and there’s not going to be a market for it,’ ” Clark said.
He didn’t give up, reasoning he could tweak the rack to hold a gun for hunting or even a shovel for work. People didn’t need to live in cities to commute by bike, and Clark already met a few he inspired to ride their bikes to nearby races. If nothing else, it was a good way to warm up.
Pedaling to the Birkie was particularly fun, he said.
“I hope it will be a tradition,” Clark said. “Maybe next year people will join me.”
Life-Changing Moment
Upon arriving back in Cushing, he immediately cleaned his cabin and prepared for his next trip. He was scheduled to fly to Mexico later that morning.
Due at the airport by 9 a.m., Clark decided to forgo sleep at 4:30 a.m. and kept himself awake for the 1 ½ hour drive south. Alone in his pickup truck, he fell asleep at the wheel and opened his eyes to witness one of the most terrifying moments of his life.
Flying off the road, he soared through and somehow avoided several trees. He emerged unhurt and caused no other accidents, but totaled his truck and missed his flight.
Shaken and grateful to avoid injury and harming others, Clark collected his thoughts on Monday during a 30-mile ride back to Minneapolis. He had planned to compete in the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon in Urique, Mexico, on Sunday, just a week after the Birkie.
It was to be his first ultra after completing his first marathon last year. Clark anticipated running nearly 50 miles through North America’s deepest canyon in Vibram FiveFingers, barefoot sports shoes.
He considered flying out Wednesday.
“After the going off the road I felt awful knowing that I could have died or worse, killed someone else,” Clark wrote in an email. “I made a decision not to do the race in Mexico … Family members were very concerned about my state of mind and it was hard to argue with them that I had made sound judgments, because clearly getting into a truck being that tired was very poor judgment.”
He remembered the tow-truck driver shaking his head in disbelief as he looked at the various trees, posts and railings that Clark avoided.
“I walked away with no harm to my body… none whatsoever,” Clark wrote. “So my epiphany was it was truly getting in the truck that was the problem. I felt good skiing. I felt good biking. And I continued to feel good as I was biking back to my apartment.”
He realized it wasn’t the excessive exercise that led to the crash, but rather a poor decision to drive without rest. The body has its limitations, especially after riding more than 100 miles each way to the Birkie and sandwiching a 31-mile ski race in between.
Not keen on an unhappy ending, Clark said he was in good condition after the race.
He had lost about three pounds over the trip, which was reasonable. The homemade gorp, goo and maple syrup plus some muffins and cookies along the way helped power him along.
He also claimed to be healthier than ever. A biker since his days as a paperboy, Clark downplayed his athletic background.
“I do feel that I’m not a great athlete,” he said. “I wasn’t a great athlete in high school, but I truly believe that today I’m in better shape that I ever have in my life. I feel like I will continue to get in better shape and it’s kind of a nice feeling. … Clean living.”
Norway's Vegard Ulvang (r) holds up the arm of Joe Dubay, who was originally proclaimed the winner of the 2012 American Birkebeiner men's classic race before being disqualified for not registering and racing in his college teammate's bib. Dave Chamberlain (l) moved from second to first, and Ulvang ultimately placed second.
Note: This story has been updated to include thoughts from David Chamberlain, who was later proclaimed the 2012 American Birkebeiner classic champion.
***
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Concept2, makers of the SkiErg.
Before and during the American Birkebeiner 54 k classic race on Saturday, the thought of being disqualified never crossed Joe Dubay’s mind.
The 21-year-old said he didn’t think twice when his College of Saint Scholastica teammate Chris Parr gave him his bib, or when he started with Wave 1 and the elites in Cable, Wis., or as he contended for the win with seasoned veterans Vegard Ulvang of Norway and David Chamberlain of Boulder Nordic Sport.
The look on Parr’s face at the finish told him something was wrong, Dubay said in a phone interview on Monday.
As the college freshman sprinted to the line and narrowly beat Chamberlain followed by Ulvang for the victory in his first Birkie, Dubay realized there might be a very big problem. Living only a couple of hours away in Minneapolis, he had been announced as the winner as he came through, but that was only because someone recognized him.
According to the entry list, he was Chris Parr.
Dubay said he contacted some race officials immediately after the race.
“I told them, ‘I’m not Chris Parr. My name’s Joe Dubay. What do you want me to do about this?’ ” he said. “I was pretty sure I would get immediately disqualified.”
Instead, Dubay said the officials told him to sit tight while they sorted things out. The said he should go to the podium ceremony and press conference in the meantime, he said.
“I felt like was in a difficult spot because I made a mistake,” Dubay said. “It should have been somebody else up there not me.”
About an hour after the press conference, the results reflected Dubay’s disqualification. He didn’t hear back from race officials, but discovered the DQ upon checking the results later in the day. While there was no money at stake in the 54 k classic race, the mixup caused a podium shift with Chamberlain moving to first and Ulvang placing second. Murray Carter of Manitoba was third.
According to American Birkebeiner Executive Director Ned Zuelsdorff, Dubay was disqualified for not registering for the 2012 classic race and skiing in another racer’s bib. That violated rules set by the International Federation of Skiing and the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, he explained in an email.
Zuelsdorff quoted a statement from the Birkie website:
“Do not allow another skier to use your bib. If this does occur, the skier and finish time will be disqualified from the race, and both you and the person using your bib will each be required to pay a $150 penalty before being allowed to enter a future event. You and the skier may also prohibited from entering a future event for a period of time.”
The statement explained that skiing in someone else’s bib can cause issues with age class and overall standings. For safety purposes, it was important for a racer to be identified in case of a problem out on the course.
Zuelsdorff wrote the problem wasn’t new — they had a similar situation with a Kortelopet 23 k “winner” and age-class discrepancies in the past — but this was the first with a Birkie winner.
Dubay said he was working with his college coach, Chad Salmela, to right his wrong.
“Basically, I’d just like to express to them that I definitely regret that and apologize for causing a bit of a mess for them for the other athletes that had to deal with the confusion,” Dubay said. “Racing under Chris’s bib was not the right thing to do in the first place.”
Nearly a month ago, Parr offered Dubay his bib upon qualifying for Junior Nationals. Parr decided to skip the Birkie in preparation for the races March 3-10, but came to cheer on Dubay.
He picked up his bib — registered for Wave 1 of the classic race — and gave it to Dubay. In the classic race, the elites and Wave 1 start together, so Dubay jumped in and contended with six-time Olympic medalist Ulvang and Chamberlain, the race service director at BNS.
Dubay, who won a 30 k Finnish Junior Championship in 2009, said he felt good throughout Saturday’s race, but regretted how things turned out.
“I didn’t really understand how big the race was, which also probably led to me not putting two and two together there,” he said. “I went to the start and did my thing. I was in shock the whole time; I was like, ‘Holy smokes, I really didn’t know this was going to be this big.’ ”
The American Birkebeiner and its associated races reached an all-time high with more than 9,000 participants and an estimated 20,000 spectators this year.
The man who was retroactively dubbed the classic champion, Chamberlain didn’t have any hard feelings.
“I have to hand it to Joe Dubay, he skied a great race, smart tactics and a good sprint at the end,” Chamberlain wrote in an email. “When it came down to the finish straight none of us could follow him. Nobody can take away his effort on Saturday, and the number he had on his back certainly didn’t affect his performance.”
On his end, Chamberlain was pleased with how the pack racing played out. He felt good and his skis were fast, making the 54 k more enjoyable. However, nothing topped skiing alongside one of Norway’s greatest racers of all time.
“The best part of my day on Saturday was the chance to compete with my childhood hero, Vegard Ulvang,” Chamberlain wrote. “I always have admired him, and getting the chance to exchange a few words with him during the race and have a talk with him at the podium ceremony afterwards was really special for me. I can say after skiing behind him during the race that he still has a lot to teach about classic technique, every kick and pole is in the right place with no wasted effort.”
Holly Brooks (APU) celebrates winning the 2012 American Birkebeiner, just ahead of her close friend Caitlin Gregg (CXC) at right on Saturday in Hayward, Wis. (Photo: Darlene Prois/American Birkebeiner)
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Concept2, makers of the SkiErg.
HAYWARD, Wis. – Rounding one of last corners in the American Birkebeiner 50-kilometer skate race, Holly Brooks felt a pang of familiarity.
Stronger than déjà vu, the 29-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, knew she had been in a similar position in the same race before. From Brooks’ standpoint, finishing second in the 2009 Birkie by one-tenth of a second to Rebecca Dussault of Central Cross Country (CXC) left something to be desired.
She didn’t want to miss out on another victory this time around.
While Brooks and Gregg had already dropped Dussault, after she hung with them in the top five for most of the race, they had each other to contend with. Olympic roommates and close friends, Brooks was in Gregg’s wedding last spring.
As they made their way south on the Birkie trail into Hayward on Saturday, both ditched the emotional ties. Brooks picked a smoother lane on the straightaway finish and edged Gregg, the race’s defending champion, by 0.4 seconds in 2:18.53.2.
Jennie Bender (CXC) was the third woman to cross the line, 2:53.1 minutes later.
For Brooks, the Birkie victory was her first. It was also her first non-World Cup race this season.
“I definitely had flashbacks of three years ago and just kind of kept my head up,” Brooks said.
She thought of what her Alaska Pacific University (APU) coach, Erik Flora, told her before she left Alaska for the event.
“His words went through my mind, and it was kind of like, ‘OK, if you’re going to do this and if it comes down to a sprint finish, relax before you start sprinting, take a deep breath and go for it,’ ” Brooks said. “That’s exactly what I did. I had a great lane and just went for the win.”
Shortly before the finish, she came off the 4-kilometer stretch of frozen lake just ahead of Gregg. From there, Brooks composed herself for the finish.
“I could feel her right behind me,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’ve turned that corner first before and I’m not gonna lose this.’ ”
Holly Brooks and her husband Rob Whitney (l), and Caitlin and Brian Gregg (r) after 2012 American Birkebeiner. (Photo: Darlene Prois/American Birkebeiner)
While Gregg had been excited about competing for her second-straight Birkie title, she said she couldn’t have picked a better person to beat her by a ski length.
“If there’s anyone out there that I would want to beat me, it would be Holly,” Gregg said. “Holly doesn’t realize this, but she’s kind of my hero. She’s younger than me, but it was such an honor to be out there with her.”
The 31-year-old was satisfied with her performance considering how bad she felt leading up to the race. Gregg was fighting a cold that kept her out of last weekend’s SuperTour races and Thursday’s elite sprints in Hayward.
She wasn’t completely recovered Saturday morning, but Gregg said her body held up and felt strong the whole way. She made sure not to start too hard, but with a big group hanging around the halfway point, she knew it was time to go.
Gregg sped ahead a few times and Brooks followed to break the group apart. By 38 k, they had nearly two minutes on their closest competitors.
“Holly came up to me and said, ‘Hey, you know what? We’ve got a gap,’ ” Gregg said. “Then it was kind of a tactical race. We switched off the leads and kind of put in little surges to see who was feeling good.”
They continued to take turns leading for the rest of the race. Lucky for them, they passed Eli Brown, the former Division I nordic coach at the University of Utah, and he made it his mission to help them to the finish.
Brooks said they ran into Brown in the second half and he called out track to clear the course for them.
“He just stayed with us the whole way, and we were like, ‘Dang, Eli,’ ” Gregg said. “He was yelling, ‘Guys, move over, ladies coming through, ladies coming through!’ ”
Behind them, Bender raced for a personal best against a competitive group with four other women: Dussault, Laura McCabe (Salomon), Evelyn Dong (Rossignol) and Hannah Dreissigacker (Craftsbury).
After winning the 54 k classic Birkie last year, Bender wanted prove to herself that she could skate the distance just as well. She stayed with the chase pack from 30 k on, working with McCabe and Dussault to try to catch the leaders.
As they skied single file along the lake while drafting one of the elite men, Bender planned her move. She would charge forward once they were back on land.
“Actually it was perfect because there was a guy that started his move to pass all of us so I jumped in behind him and he kind of led me out,” Bender said.
She finished nearly 7.6 seconds ahead of McCabe, who was fourth, and 7.7 seconds ahead of Dong in fifth.
“I didn’t really know how today would go so, I mean, hey, I’m celebrating my third because I’ve been working on my skate a lot,” Bender said. “I felt like my technique held together and that my endurance held together, which is big for me.”
She said all the race support, including feeds and fast skis, from CXC was key.
“They were out in these bright, bright pink sweaters and green hats,” she said. “They were running all over the place, and I know it was stressful for the support crew, but they were great.”
Dussault crossed the line in sixth, 0.6 seconds after Dong. Dreissigacker was seventh, and Nicole Deyong (Sun Valley), who was in the lead group for the first half of the race, finished eighth. Alexa Turzian (Sun Valley) was ninth and Kamila Borutova (Czech Republic) was 10th.
Women’s Classic Race
2012 American Birkebeiner women's 54 k classic podium (from left to right): Brandy Stewart (Montana State) in second, Carolyn Ocariz (CXC) in first, and HIlary Patzer (St. Paul, Minn.) in third.
In the women’s 54 k classic race, Carolyn Ocariz beat her competition by 2:09.2 minutes in her first Birkie, winning in 3:03.10.9.
Brandy Stewart of Montana State University was second after staying with Ocariz for nearly the first half of the race, and Hilary Patzer of St. Paul, Minn., was third (+2:39.0).
“There was a couple guys that were sticking with me so that was really helpful; I didn’t feel completely alone,” Ocariz said.
Many of them tucked behind her at first, and she had to prompt them to lead.
“I was just so excited with how I felt,” she said.
The Birkie wraps up the racing season for Carolyn and her husband Santi. The two will head to Charleston, S.C., in early March and embark on their three-month “Ski Across America” via rollerskis to raise money for Food For The Poor.
5 Reasons to Attend the Birkie Welcome and Torch Lighting
Press release — Get ready for some great new additions to the Official Welcome and Torch Lighting at Birkie 2012. The festivities start at a new time–5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 23, on Hayward’s Main Street, under the holiday lights. It all starts with the traditional parade of flags, presented by skiers from both Hayward and Drummond high school ski teams. Here’s what else is happening:
THE LANDGRAF FAMILY. You can help extend a warm Birkie welcome to Laurie Landgraf, who will be lighting the Birkie Torch. Laurie is the wife of Dave Landgraf, Birkie Founder and friend, coach, and skiing buddy to many, who passed away after a tragic bicycle accident in August.
SKI UNDER THE LIGHTS. New this year, you are invited to ski on Main Street under the holiday lights and start a new Birkie tradition with family and friends.
PRIZES! Five great prizes–One Way Ski poles, Rudy Project sunglasses, a Fischer ski bag, Mizuno jacket, and your choice four Salomon trail running shoes—will be given away in a random drawing. Prizes will be presented by Norway’s Vegard Ulvang.
TRY OUT GIANT SKIS. There will be two pair of the 25-foot-long Giant Skis to try. These are the same skis used the next day, Friday, at the Giant Ski event on Main Street. The skis have snowshoe bindings, so you can hop right on with family and friends.
MORE OF VEGARD ULVANG. The Welcome and Torch Lighting is held immediately following the presentation by Ulvang about his 2011 expedition to the South Pole, to be held at the Hayward High School from 4:00 to 5:00. Hayward High School is right next to the Hayward Middle School—site of the Birkie Expo—on Greenwood Lane.
For details call 715-634-5025. Email media@birkie.com. Visit www.birkie.com.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/04/Birkie-DVD2012-CaseWithSpine.jpg" "Birkie DVD 2012")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/35790787_tUX5X-L.jpg" "Luke Bodensteiner")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/birkie-biker-one-copy.jpg" "Steve Clark, 2012 American Birkebeiner")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/IMGP2976.jpg" "2012 American Birkebeiner men's classic podium: Dave Chamberlain, Joe Dubay, Vegard Ulvang")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/AB2012_Darlene_Prois_44210-.jpg" "Holly Brooks, Caitlin Gregg, 2012 American Birkebeiner")
![2012 American Birkebeiner](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/AB2012_Darlene_Prois_7110-.jpg" "Holly Brooks, Caitlin Gregg, Rob Whitney, Brian Gregg")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/ocariz.classic.podium.jpg" "2012 American Birkebeiner women's classic podium: Brandy Stewart, Carolyn Ocariz, HIlary Patzer")