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  • Tradition and Transformation: The Birkie Plans its 50th Anniversary

    Tradition and Transformation: The Birkie Plans its 50th Anniversary

    American Birkebeiner VI in 1979. The “Birkie” will celebrate its 50th anniversary next February. (Photo: Telemark Education Foundation).

    Tony Wise could see 10,000 years at once. The last ice age had sent a glacier down over Wisconsin, and then tore it back. In the process, the landscape and lilt of a place emerged. Deep-pocketed kettles, ridges, gentle and subtle rolling hills, all draped in the needly green of the pines. Gaze at it, and time didn’t seem like something that moved forward, but instead danced within the bounds of a whole epoch. A 400ft moraine that rose up from the Superior Upland outside of Cable, Wisconsin: the Ojibwe called it kawabaming—the place to look out from. Look out, and it kept going. Time stretched out and blurred, forward and back. Ten thousand years didn’t seem like much.

    Wise was a local boy who had just returned from serving as a tank commander overseas during World War II.  During his service in Europe, he’d found himself in the Bavarian Alps, where he’d been introduced to a way of moving across the Earth that filled the metaphysical space found on top of the local hill he now stood on. Skiing was an ancient way to front the winter, and a wholly new thrill in each and every turn. Hopes and histories were about to mix as Wise sought to purchase a piece of Wisconsin land to develop into a sking destination. Wise carved a number into one side of birch tree. Walt Kliszcz—a local railroad man who held the deed—carved a number into the other side. They met in the middle: $750.00. Wise renamed the hill Mt. Telemark, then built a ski hill, a lodge, a race, and a dream.

    Tony Wise in 1972 outside of the old Telemark Lodge in Cable, Wisconsin. (Photo: Telemark Education Foundation).

    Everything that successively unfurled was united by the understanding of time and place that Wise found at the top of Mt. Telemark. In transformation, there was always tradition. In 1973, when Wise set out to start a cross-country ski race, he simply adopted a Norwegian legend from 1206—the Birkebeiners—who saved the country by ushering the baby Prince Haakon to safety on skis. In its first year, the American Birkebeiner had 35 participants. In 2023, the “Birkie” was up to 13,000. In each ski stride over each glacial ridge and valley in the interim, the Birkie began to be interwound with the place Wise had set it in. The challenge was always there. Ski 50 kilometers. Like no other race out there though, people could find themselves having quickly done twenty or thirty Birkies over as many years. Soon, there were so many in that category they started a club for them all, the Birchleggers. It all added to the legend of Wise’s race, starting out there in the shadow of the place to look out from.

    Which all leads to the big irony for the American Birkebeiner in 2023. For a race in a place that has staked itself on blurring the very concept of time to match the place it exists in, there is one span that is all anyone around the Birkie can talk about these days: 50 years. The American Birkebeiner is starting out on its 50th anniversary year.

    Tony Wise himself now belongs to the realm of Paul Bunyan and the Birkebeiners—legends out there among the Northwoods. His careful balance of plotting out the new in the landscape is being heralded by a whole cadre of dedicated staff, volunteers, and skiers at the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF). At the helm is Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director since 2013. He’s another homegrown local who has inherited Wise’s ebullient energy and community-focused spirit.

    When FasterSkier caught up with Popp to talk all things Birkie, he put the passage of fifty years right back into Birkie terms. “It’s been on the horizon for fifty years,” he said. “And yet, it feels like it came up super-fast!” Which is to say that the Birkie remains comfortable dancing within multiple timelines. While shovels hit the ground in one place, the groundwork is being laid out for the race’s biggest milestone yet come February 2024.

    Popp’s way of directing all that energy follows what he calls a “three-step filter: 1) what is the history behind what we want to do? 2) Does what we’re doing build on that history in a way that’s good for what we define as the “Birkie” community, and 3) Can we do it sustainably?” What that has yielded during the first ten years of Popp’s tenure is a bolstered Birkie Trail system, including a new start area, increased participation in the Birkie’s now year-round event schedule, and a larger staff, presence, and place for the Birkie in the Hayward, the Northwoods, and the ski community writ large.

    The filter is starting to be reflexive in time. The two big projects ahead for the Birkie in its semicentennial include looking back and figuring out the right way to mark the occasion at next year’s American Birkebeiner event, while also transforming Mt. Telemark and the remnants of the former resort into a world-class ski facility.

    The ski trail affectionately dubbed “Tele-henge,” the ABSF’s ski trail through the old lobby, and future site of Mt. Telemark Village. (Photo: ABSF)
    Telemark Looks Out Again

    It was the “only place where the Lodge is bigger than the hill,” said Olympic gold medalist Alpine skier Billy Kidd at the opening of Tony Wise’s Telemark Lodge in 1970. With 400 rooms, the hotel offered more rooms than the ski hill outside had vertical feet. The Lodge was an outstretched behemoth that was demolished in 2021. All that now remains are towering old brutalist walls, deemed “Tele-henge” by the skiers down the hill at the new Birkie start line area. The meandering tale of how the Telemark Lodge got to Stonehenge status though, had left specters that still glowed with life. Mainly, the Birkebeiner, and the sport of cross-country skiing that it had helped build in the United States.

    Which has got the Birkie Foundation dreaming big. After years of unstable ownership, the lodge was acquired by ABSF in 2018. Once the Lodge was condemned and demolished two years ago, the creative energies started to flow.

    “For Telemark, there’ll be three big pieces: the ski trails, the mountain bike trails, and the Base Camp building” says Popp. A partnership with Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycles, along with a major grant from the One Track Mind Foundation promises to build an additional 17 miles of single-track mountain bike trail on top of the existing Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) trail network over the next three to four years. Rock Solid Trail Contracting, the builders behind the renowned trails in Copper Harbor, Michigan, are on the job. “Four miles are already done, and by the end of this summer, we’ll have nine miles added on,” says Popp.

    The new rollerski loop at the base of Mt. Telemark, outside of Cable, Wisconsin. (Photo: ABSF)

    Over at the Birkie start-line, the pavement of a new 5-kilometer rollerski loop—the first of its kind in the Midwest—is “just now starting to cure,” says Popp. The loop is laid through the old remnants of the Telemark base area and is giving skiers from everywhere access to Birkie terrain year-round for the first time. The loop is slated to host Central Cross-Country Skiing’s (CXC) Regional Elite Group (REG) camp later this summer, and just hosted its first Igor Legacy U14 camp this summer. The trail also become a favorite multi-use trail. “We get some older folks just strolling out there,” said Popp. “Hard place for a walk!”

    As for the winter ski trails themselves, the ABSF’s focus isn’t so much on building new trails, but rather restoration of trails. Down at the base of Mt. Telemark, in view of abandoned Alpine ski lift towers, are the cuts and juts of a trail designed by American ski pioneers Marty Hall, Sven Wiik, and John Caldwell. These trails once hosted the Gitchee Gami Games with fields that included not just the best American skiers of the era, Bill Koch, Martha Rockwell, Stan Dunklee, Tim Caldwell, but notable names from ski history like Oddvar Bra and Arto Koivisto. A contemporaneous Sports Illustrated article on the 1977 edition reported that it was part of a then “controversial series” put on by the International Ski Federation (FIS), what would become the World Cup. An aged wooden sign between two tall maples identifies these as “The Telemark World Cup Trails.” With some clearing and modifications for grooming, skiers will be able to take to them again. The World Cup trails have an outsized place in the purpose of the whole Telemark Village project. While not the most resource-intensive, the project drives, or rather, skis, to the heart of the sport the Birkie community ultimately comes together around, and also represents the unique dance of making, and re-making, the energy of Telemark and all it stood for.

    The resource-intensive side is there though, in the form of the planned “Telemark Base Camp Building,” an estimated $3.5 million nordic center that will come fully equipped to welcome World Cup athletes and first-timers alike. “I think the heart of what Telemark represented could be captured by the idea that on a given afternoon back in the day, you might have Bill Koch and a kid who’d never heard of the sport an hour before in the same place, and we want to get back to that,” says Popp on the essence driving the Base Camp’s purpose.

    The Telemark Village Base Camp building is the next priority in the Birkie’s major restoration of the former Telemark Lodge site. (Photo: ABSF)

    The plans call for a full-service nordic center—rentals, changing rooms, spaces for local business partners to sell coffee and food—while also acting as a jumping off point to experience the unique history of Telemark. Key to that is using the remnants of the Lodge to build a park-like plaza, where a collaborative project with the local Cable history museum will lay out Birkie history back to when Tony Wise carved his number into an old Birch tree.

    The final piece of the project is up at the top of Mt. Telemark where an observation tower is being built out of recycled lift towers from Wise’s original alpine ski operation. The tower will act as a capstone on the Telemark project that Popp says tells Birkie they’re doing things right, “There’s a throughline in that project that really reiterates how there really is a rootedness in the values of honoring our history, and the history of this place. There were two people down in Spooner, Wisconsin who donated to make the tower possible, which included the naming rights, and they asked that it honor the original Ojibwe name of the area. So how do we make that happen? Well, the person to naturally ask is an Ojibwe Tribal Historian, and it just so happens that the only guy to do all fifty Birkie races, Ernie St. Germaine, is the preeminent Ojibwe historian.”

    The former Telemark Lodge stadium hosts CXC’s U14 Igor Legacy Camp last weekend. (Photo: Ted Theyerl)

    In other words, the drive of this version Telemark is to keep all that was contained in the old Telemark going. The ABSF capital campaign around it totals $10.5 million, with Popp saying, “we’re about half-way there on fundraising, and we feel like have about half of what we want to build done.” The purpose though, remains clear, “ultimately, that money isn’t ours. It’s an amalgamation of a whole lot of people and communities that value what the Birkie is. When you think about all 250,000 people that have completed the race since 1973, plus many more who touch our trails, or volunteer, or touch us in some other way, it’s a lot of angles that we want to make sure we’re covering in any single project. It’s pretty cool to have that presence, and to have that responsibility.”

    “Celebrate in the Right Way” at the 50th Birkie

    Just how expansive the Birkie community has become in 50 years makes for a big proposition come next February: “With the 50th, we really want to do justice to the countless people that have taken part in anything we have done over the past half century” says Popp, “The guiding question is what is a meaningful way to make sure that we represent what this thing, the Birkie, really means?”

    The Birkie start line area in Spring 2023. (Photo: ABSF)

    For the Birkie Foundation, those preparations started well in advance of the coming anniversary year, and included, at least at first, a kind of disappointment. In keeping with the kind of full circle nature that the Birkie paints with time, plans were underway to make the 50th Birkie the first World Cup ski race in Cable since Wise’s Gitchi Gami Games in 1977. A joint bid was underway with the Loppet Foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota to make the World Cup’s 2023 North American tour one that covered city style racing in the Twin Cities, paired with the US’ most prominent international ski event. “At some point though,” says Popp, “we had to make a decision that was best for the Birkie organization, and we decided we couldn’t take on that financial risk without it potentially leading to us not being able to do the community-oriented projects that are already underway.”

    The Loppet’s World Cup bid was accepted, which means the World Cup will visit the Midwest Friday February 17th to Monday, February 19th, one week before the 50th running of the American Birkebeiner on Saturday, February 27th. “It’s going to create an unbelievable atmosphere within the Midwest,” says Popp, “for ten days, no matter how you engage with cross-country skiing, all roads will lead here.” The Loppet Foundation, on its part, has also alluded that while the official World Cup joint bid may have passed, the spirit of the World Cup’s return to the United States will be bonded to the celebration of the Birkie’s 50th anniversary.

    If registrations are any indication, the roads leading to the Midwest will be busy come February. “The pace has been incredible, we’ve had Birkie start wave after wave fill so far,” says Popp. In planning out what those registrants will experience, there’s been an approach to plot out change carefully. After all, says Popp, “if what the Birkie is has gotten us to fifty years, we want to make sure that we’re not messing with it!” The overall approach to race planning then, is one that is looking to accentuate the best aspects of the Birkie, rather than change them wholesale.

    While no official announcement is expected until August, Popp says that the Birkie has “secured some agreements to keep some of the best World Cup athletes in the Midwest to do the Birkie.” It’s a step taken to help honor the marked competitiveness that has been set the race apart in American skiing throughout its history. “We’ve had Bjorn Daehlie, Vegard Ulvang, and what I’m willing to bet is the majority of American Olympic cross-country skiers, do the race, and we want to build on that legacy next year,” says Popp.

    The Men’s elite field starts at the American Birkebeiner in 2023. (Photo: ABSF)

    The Birkie is also looking to honor the kinds of characters and legends who have all added to the races lore. “One of the first groups we always go to plotting our next steps is the Birchleggers—those who have done 20+ races— because that really represents the beating heart of what we do” says Popp. In initial outreach, the Birchleggers returned a clear essence that the Birkie will key in on in the year approaching the 50th anniversary race. “What stuck out is that there was two paradoxical ideas which really play well together: they were saying, 1) My experience with the Birkie is unique to me, and that’s why I keep doing it, and 2) I want new people to be able to come to the race and form their own unique experience too.”

    What does that look like in practice? Popp finds anecdotal evidence in the king of the Birchleggers, Ernie St. Germaine. The only active “Birkie founder,” one of the original 35 racers in 1973, St. Germaine plans on being the only skier to complete all 50 races come next February. St. Germaine has dutifully made the fifty-kilometer trek every February, but in recent years, has done so sans the crowded field on race day as part of the Birkie’s “open track” option. “It was something that fell into our laps with COVID, right?” says Popp, “but we realized was one way to allow some of our most dedicated skiers to continue being part of the race. Yes, most are going to want to be part of Saturday, but for some, the time, the space, and the camaraderie afforded doing so on the Wednesday before opens up a whole new way to engage.”

    St. Germaine has continued on the spirit of inclusivity beyond just his racing as well. He has been a key part of the ABSF’s “Birkie One” initiative to “to reduce barriers and increase participation in skiing, running, and biking for marginalized groups in communities near and far.” An active member of the Ojibwe tribe, St. Germaine has helped bridge the Birkie with the local Anishinabeg people, including initiatives to restore trails on the Lac Courte Oreilles College campus outside of Hayward. The initiative has also helped the Birkie see where the existing infrastructure around the race, and the places people use to train for the race, can be more accessible. The paved rollerski loop at Telemark, for example, was officially designated mixed-use when it opened, to allow trail access to those who otherwise might not be able to access unpaved roads.

    And finally, there are plans for the 50th Birkie to be a Birkie. For thousands to front the powerlines, then climb to the high point, flow through “OO,” over and with the terrain. For each individual to take on climbing “B**** Hill,” and over Fish Hatchery, and the Lake, and the International Bridge onto Main St., Hayward, Wisconsin, before swapping the thousands of stories that form in the ridges and creases of the land between.

    It’s out there where the Birkie still dances within the bounds of some kind of glacial time, surrounded by glacial terrain. A new fixture of the place that Tony Wise once dreamed of among the tamaracks and pines. Over 50 years, the stories have multiplied, the time blurred and stretched, the particular feeling becoming something ever more complicated. Best not break its power into pieces. It’s all got coined under one tent, one community, this thing called the “Birkie.”  Best to keep it there, and say what has been said on Main St. Hayward, Wisconsin at the end of February a thousand times before: “Can’t wait for next year!”

    Birkie finishers celebrate in 1991. True to Birkie form, all three are still involved in the race in 2023. (Photo: Ted Theyerl)
  • American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Announces Plans for 2021 Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet & Prince Haakon Races (Press Release)

    American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Announces Plans for 2021 Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet & Prince Haakon Races (Press Release)

    Press Release from ABSF:

     

    Birkie Week 2021 Slated for February 24–28, 2021

    Hayward, WI (October 14, 2020) – After months of planning, and with the guidance of public health officials, today the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) is pleased to announce the planned format for their annual February ski races. Registration for the 2021 Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon races opened on May 1, 2020 with the promise of hosting the events and the caveat that the races would undoubtedly look differently than in a typical year given the world’s public health crisis.

    Over the past few months, the ABSF has safely hosted three in-person events – Birkie Lumberjack Run (July), Birkie Trail Run (September), and Birkie Telemark Ascent (October) – introducing a variety of innovative and enhanced safety protocols for athletes, volunteers and staff at each event. Now, with months of learning and applied safety practices in place, the 47th Annual Slumberland American Birkebeiner (Birkie), Kortelopet (Korte) and Prince Haakon races, combined, will be spread out over five-days, February 24-28, with limited and staged start waves each morning to reduce congestion and close-contact in the start, on-trail, and finish areas.

    “Providing inspiring healthy, active, outdoor lifestyle experiences is at the heart of what we do at the ABSF,” said Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director. “The safety of participants, volunteers, staff, and the greater community continues to be our No.1 priority. I am confident in our practices, in our team, and in our ability to deliver a safe and fun Birkie experience to remember for all participants.”

    To accommodate specific ski techniques, Birkie skate skiers will race on Feb 24, 25, and 27, with classic skiers on February 26 and 28. Skiers will be required to drive their own vehicles to the start area at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead , Cable, WI, where they will ski a 46-kilometer looped course, returning to a separate finish area adjoining the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. Skiers will need to be more self-reliant by carrying their own on on-course energy or food and will use their vehicles as their pre- and post-race warm space. Hydration will be provided at on-course aid stations. Spectators will not be allowed at the start and finish of the races. Removing all major gathering points, congested indoor spaces, and shared busing will enable the ABSF to adhere to all public health guidelines and safety protocols while providing a great race experience on the wide, open-air ski trails.

    Birkie, Korte and Prince Haakon participants will have the opportunity to choose their February race date sometime in early November. Registered skiers will receive an email allowing them to choose from available dates; once maximum capacity in each pre-qualified wave and date has been reached, that date and time will no longer be available. Any registered skier may also choose to switch to the virtual race option to be skied during the same time window as in-person races.

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    Bib pick-up, other Birkie week events, and greater event details will be announced at a later date. The ABSF continues to work very closely with both Bayfield and Sawyer County Public Health officials to ensure all Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local public health guidelines are in place for all upcoming events. Event plans are subject to change should public health mandates, guidelines or laws be amended.

    The annual Birkie Week of events requires the collaboration of cities, towns, villages, public officials, state and county agencies, local businesses, volunteers, churches, and so many more. With a race finish in downtown Hayward removed from the race format, the ABSF has been in contact with officials and Chambers of Commerce to begin the process of formulating plans to ensure a positive Birkie week experience for all constituencies.

    Registration for Birkie, Korte, and Prince Haakon 2021 remains open with many waves already filled. Skiers interested in participating in this unique Birkie week experience are encouraged to register at www.Birkie.com. All future event updates and news will be posted on Birkie.com under the Birkie Event Updates tile on the website’s home page. Additional details are available by watching this video. In addition, on Monday, October 19th, 6pm CDT, Ben Popp, Executive Director, and Kristy Maki, Event Director, will host a virtual “live” meeting to provide additional event information and answer submitted questions. Check the Birkie Event Update page at Birkie.com for additional information.

  • A Conversation with Ben Popp of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

    A Conversation with Ben Popp of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

    Start of the men’s elite 50 k skate wave at the 46th Annual American Birkebeiner. (Photo: ©2020 American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation)

    Last week, FasterSkier connected with Ben Popp, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) based in Hayward, Wisconsin. It’s mid-July and needless to say, some of our readers are already thinking about the 2021 Birkie. Amongst the topics we discussed were the possible modifications for that marquee race and how the organization is preparing for several possible scenarios. We also touch upon the ABSF’s agreement to purchase and develop Telemark Lodge.   

     

    FasterSkier: Can you describe how dependent the rural communities are in your region on cross-country ski events?  

    Ben Popp, Executive Director of the ABSF. (Photo: ABSF)

    Ben Popp: Talking in general, there was an economic study done back in 2014, and cross country skiing and mountain biking, in our two counties was estimated between 15 and 20 million dollars a year as the economic impact. That includes the Birkie and that week’s events. But during the winter there is a ski event here almost every weekend, literally every weekend. And then in the summer many mountain bike events as well. 

    Events are so critical to our area because it brings in those day travelers. And it has now created a second home buyer experience here in Hayward, especially people from the Twin Cities, Chicago, Milwaukee — for people that like to ski and bike this is like waterfront property.

    It has really driven a second home buyer market in the area that continues to evolve. So when you are not bringing people here to mountain bike and ski, it is not only just that daily traffic, that weekend traffic, then also there is the residual effect you get from second home buyers saying, ‘hey that was a really cool weekend trip we should buy a lot on the Birkie trail,’ or something like that. I think we are going to see a rippling effect here. 

     

    FasterSkier: Can you explain how you are trying to organize some small scale events and learn how to bring people together while still meeting standard protocols for Covid-19 avoidance?  

    BP: Now that all the events of course to this point have been cancelled, we are going to try to hold our first in-person event coming up on August 1st. It is a little 5 k run that we do every year as part of another festival in town, the Lumberjack World Championships. We have worked really closely with the state and a public health officer here on how we can create a safe experience.

    This is not something huge, this is 200 to 300 hundred runners and it is not drawing people from all over like a big Birkie event would. So it is very much a more local event. It is not maybe apples to apples, but still we learn how to create an event that people are going to come to and be safe, and volunteers, if you have any, are safe. 

    We created an event health-readiness document that race director Kristy Maki put together in collaboration with the public health officer here for the county. We are going to spread out the start, we’ll have a touch-less check in, and we are not going to have aid stations. There is no award ceremony. 

    The timers will have the wire set up, there will be a board there so you can see your time, and the time will upload and you will see live results online. 

    Athletes basically show up and run. 

    It is a lot of the things you technically would always do for a running event, but for all intensive purposes, really it is not nearly what a typical experience would be when you are running a 5 k or any event where you are hanging out and talking to people shoulder to shoulder, or going to bib pick up shooting the breeze. 

    Even though it is sort of a quote-unquote live event, it really will be much more of a skeleton of a live event. You have to start somewhere — baby steps as I like to say. We will see how it goes. 

     

    FasterSkier: That brings up the American Birkie of course, your marquee event. In a fast moving environment where the spread of the virus changes daily, how are you envisioning that event and preparing for several possible looks?

    BP: I think one of the really hard parts and I think everybody is realizing this, is that it is really really hard to plan into the future right now. Things are so dynamic and changing so quickly. I mean no joke, I bet we have 25 different scenarios that we have come up with for February, and then we kind of look at each and are like ‘well, ah who knows?’  

    The thing that is going to drive our hand are time lags. When we are ordering 11,000 or 12,000 bibs, when you are ordering 12,000 hats, when you are ordering all these things in volume, they do not get produced over night. And so for us, we are going to have to make some pretty serious decisions realistically just after Labor Day. We can push some stuff off to say November 1st, but by then we are going to have to start ruling out things simply because we won’t have time to react past that date. 

    So there will certainly be a lot of educated guessing going on, but it will be in some degree maybe helpful, because we can take certain options off the table at that point. And like a lot of events are trying to do, we are going to have this big long list of things that we can try knowing but eventually we are going to have to start ruling some out. 

    It will be interesting to say the least.

     

    FasterSkier: A few follow ups on that. First, you are a non-profit, and you rely on Birkie registrations to sustain your foundation. Have you discussed how you might motivate skiers to register despite the unknowns so that the foundation remains viable? And without perhaps running through all the options, which might include maybe only an elite wave with the top-30 ranked SuperTour skiers to a traditional look Birkie — I could imagine a spectrum of what the race might look like. What is your vision now, knowing that it will most likely change? 

    BP: We have been talking a lot about all of this, and even publicly saying, ‘listen your registration is what allows us to function year round and ultimately whether it is the funds that help groom the Birkie trail or help keeps the lights on in the nordic center, or make sure that you have staff to answer your call, that all comes from the events and the sponsors and registering. And  a lot of those expenses happen whether we do an event or not. 

    I think it is really important and an important part of what we are telling people is to say ‘listen, when you register for the event this year, there will be a Birkie of some kind.’ In other words, you will get your hat or your schwag, you will get a bib, and you will get credit for the race. We have even gone as far to say you are going to get credit for Birkie 2021.

    Now, the question is what does the Birkie 2021 look like? It might be that to your point, there is a normal Birkie on one end of the spectrum and on the other end of the spectrum is a sort of virtual Birkie in that you might have to ski it in Bend, Oregon or Milwaukee or Chicago or even Oslo Norway. We are in the process of developing some tools and an app type based thing so that you are not skiing the same 50 k, but the 50 k that you ski and record in West Yellowstone is going to be your Birkie – that could be the on the far end of the spectrum. 

    These are some of those bookends of the spectrum. But we really have to look at everything in between from aid stations, and all the possible hot spots in terms of person-to person contact. Those are going to have to be looked at first? Things like public transportation and aid stations. We obviously cannot have 11,000 people all touch the same things. 

    So, like I said, those are the variables in between, like doing a loop, or racing over multiple days, doing it with less support; those are all viable options that will be based on what the climate looks like as we get closer to the first of the year. 

    The other part that is interesting, that goes to the other part of that question, is we have anywhere from 11,000 to 13,000 skiers every year during those four days when we have the Birkie weekend. I would say half or three quarters are die-hards, they come back every year they do it, they love it, it is part of their lifestyle. So there are far more people that want to be part of something they do year after year, and they know it may not be a traditional race, but that has happened before where they had open track versions of the race or they shortened it down to 20 k. The die-hards understand that change. On the flip side, the other 30 percent, or whatever, and it is maybe their first Birkie, they might do it on and off, they are far less likely to say they are in no matter what.

    That also leads to a bunch of the financial uncertainty of moving into the future, or thinking about the appetite for people wanting to be part of an event. Do they feel safe? 

    Do people think it is not an event unless it is totally normal? You know, they finish in downtown eating brats, drinking beer, hanging out on main street. That experience could be different this year and that is one thing we want to convey to people: While Birkie 2021 will happen, how it is going to happen is really an unknown. 

    We are fortunate that unlike the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, the Twin Cities Marathon, events that have cancelled, a big part of that is because you cannot close down New York for two weeks to try and run an event and shut down traffic for two weeks. That is one of the beauties of the ski trail here and a lot of the infrastructure we have been able to put in place over the past five years, with bridges over roads and trail head buildings. From a safety standpoint we have some flexibility in how we run the event and when we run the event and the timeline in which we run it. 

    Some of these infrastructure pieces that we have been fortunate enough to put in place through the generosity of our entire community through fundraising, now it is going to give us a little leniency on saying we can only run the Birkie from 7:30 in the morning until 4 PM on this one day and that is it. We are really lucky in that regard. That might really save us this year in being able to have a few other options. 

     

    FasterSkier: I was going to ask a bit about the major marathons, Boston and New York etc., and what you have learned. They have all been cancelled. Can you learn from their organizational structure in terms of what might make your organizational more flexible and keep it safe? 

    BP: We learned a lot of medical information. Our medical director is amazing, but we are isolated here — we are this weird thing up here in Northern Wisconsin. But we were able to connect with those events and ask about their concerns from a medical standpoint. We could ask what were the things you were concerned about? We connected with the IIRM, the International Institute for Running Medicine. 

    The guy that started the IIRM is also the medical director for the Boston Marathon and he has been a huge wealth of knowledge for a lot of events. He could explain this is what we learned in Boston, this is what we are trying to do. He created a coalition through that institute to discuss best practices, and ask what can we do to help volunteers be safe and what can we do to look at modifications?

    There is a silver lining: it might really help all of the events big or small around the world to create some really good protocols for what are best practices and what are some resources that can be created whether you are a big event or scaling down into a 200 person 5 k. We will see, that is the goal or the hope. 

    The other part that I think could be helpful, might be the World Loppet. We just had our meeting, virtually like everybody else, and there was a lot of talk about OK, we are all going to be very different, they have cancelled the races, the summer races in Argentina, and New Zealand, and  Australia. But, maybe we can learn what is going to happen at the Birken in Norway or Vasaloppet in Sweden, to determine if there is anything we can do as a family of races to start creating best practices for ski events. Because if we can help out in any way, and the sooner we can get ski events back online, the better it is for the whole ski community. 

    Whether that goes somewhere or not I am not 100 percent sure. But again, trying to create some togetherness might really help us out. 

     

    FasterSkier: Let’s pivot away from the big race. Your foundation has been involved with the purchase and revitalization of Telemark Lodge. Can you fill us in on some of those details and what may be the long term vision for the property? 

    BP: The lodge has been closed since 2013, and it obviously has been a really integral part of our history. Tony Wise, the person who helped get Telemark going, also started the Birkie in 1973. He started the World Loppet in 1978. So there is a historical component there. 

    Fast forward to now and the American Birkebeiner start line is adjacent to the Telemark property. We actually bought that property from the current owners of Telemark. And the Telemark property houses all of the original World Cup trails, I don’t think a lot of people realize that the very first World Cup ever was in 1978, at Telemark. 

    And so, the trails, the history and now all of our snow making trails are on a lot of that property. It really became that this property is really important to our future. And over the last seven years, since it has been closed, a bunch of entities have come and gone saying we are going to buy and we are going to put in a huge hotel and hey Birkie we want to partner with you.

    Everyone of them has come and gone. They promised huge things and nothing has happened. Eventually our organization decided we are going to take the lead on this and get it done because we know we can. 

    We signed an option back in 2019, a two year lease with an option to buy with the intent of buying it and redoing all of the trails and building out a new competition stadium, redoing a bunch of the snow-making loops. That was our goal. We also knew that other investors and developers would want to come in and put in a little burger joint, or a little brew pub, or a boutique hotel or a campground. That is not us, we want to stay in our lane, we want to do skiing and mountain biking and running events, 

    We dove into it and said we need to see if this is feasible and then, we had the fortune from our fundraising past and some donors come forward. A donor said we will guarantee the purchase price of this opportunity but you have to figure out what to do with the building. We know the building needs to come down. 

    That gave us the confidence to say, ‘alright, we are going to move forward with this.’ So now we are in the process of moving forward on closing on the property hopefully this fall. It is really a difficult title and convoluted because it has gone through bankruptcy so many times. But, we are hoping to close on the property this fall. 

     

    FasterSkier: You are talking about the entire 700 plus acre property, correct?

    BP: Yup, it is about 725 acres it will end up being the entire property. Working with the state of Wisconsin, we just submitted what is called an idle site grant that the state has from their economic development corporation. They have grants to help mitigate what they call idle sites — something that has been idle for five years or more. The money is meant to prepare the site for development. Basically this old lodge is completely decrepit and falling apart, it is full of mold. We can utilize that money to remove a majority of the lodge so it is attractive to developers.

    We have already had seven different developers come forward and say, ‘consider this idea, consider this idea.’ We do not want to put the cart before the horse here. We’ll finish the purchase, remove the lodge and then we’ll be excited to discuss the different opportunities. 

    We are excited. We have talked with US Ski & Snowboard a little bit about the concept of trying to bid for a 2024 World Cup. It would be our 50th anniversary and it would be bringing the World Cup back to where the first World Cup was. And again, that is obviously well, well, well down the road. But, there really could be this revitalization of that property from our community standpoint and from a skiing standpoint. 

    We have been working closely with Alan Serrano, he will be here tomorrow, on building out a new competition stadium, the snow making loops, the sprint course, a 2.5 k to 3.3 k loop. Building them so we can host not just the Birkie, and obviously we have been hosting JNQs here and those sorts of things, but the highest level of competition as well. 

    And I think it is really important not only for our organization and our future, but I think it could be really an important part of the ski community within the entire US.

    Right now in the Midwest we only have a couple of venues that can host big competitions. Whether it is at Michigan Tech, or the Loppet in Minneapolis, we just need more venues here that are really good and can host quality competitions. But also it can be a place on the weekends people can go with the family and they can tour around and have fun. 

    That is the goal and what’s in the pipeline. Stay tuned.

     

    FasterSkier: Your organization is set to host, as part of a larger trail running festival, the USA Track and Field 2020 Half Marathon Trail Championship on September 25 and 26. What is the current status of that event? 

    BP: Right now it is still a go. That is partly why we are doing this 5 k as well —  to test some of these protocols that the health officials have put in place. For us and our race director to determine if this works or not on a small scale. The trail running series of races is still not huge, it is about 1200-1500 runners. But it is bigger than 200 people on a 5 k course. We are already starting to look at modifications for that. We have been working closely with USATF and asking what do you want and what are your protocols? Things like separating it out so it is smaller waves of runners, 30-50 runners that are starting versus 350 in a half-marathon or something like that. 

    We are fortunate that there are bunch of events on that weekend, the 5k, the half marathon, the ultra, the relay, those are already spread out into waves. We have the fortune of being able, because it is all on trails, we don’t t have to worry about roads or shutting them down. 

    And  it is on the Birkie trail, so it is 40 feet wide. We feel like once people are on course they are really safe because there is plenty of room for passing. 

    We still have to determine what an aid station looks like. Does it become that there are no aid stations and it is a modification to be self-sufficient as a runner? What does it look like for bib-pickup, or in common spaces? Do we mail everybody their race packet ahead of time and have no bib pick up?

    We will have no after party. Literally you are coming to run.

    We will not provide a big warm common space – your car is your common warm space. We have the fortune to park 1500 cars here – your car is your safety zone because that is private and it is not a common space. Mask wearing will be required in all common areas.

    We are hopeful and confident in a lot of the modifications that we are looking to install, but there is still this huge unknown as we are seeing these hot spots and hiccups in different places. 

    If hot spots are boiling up everywhere, the likelihood of wanting to open up a bunch of travel and bring in 1500 people gets pretty low. Then we have to decide if it turns into just an elite race so you can have the national championships. That is a really small field, maybe 25 men and 25 women or something like that.

    The other thing that the public health officer looks at is how much time is spent here by the runners. For our trail run, there is a lot of day tripping versus the Birkie where people are often coming from a long way away and staying here. 

    They look at things like people that drive up for the day and leave are likely not going to a hotel, maybe not buying meals. So their touch points might be a whole lot less in the community. At the end of the day, we only have 15,000 residents here in the county. The whole county is 15,000 and we have not a single ICU bed in our hospital. 

    So the health of officials are conscious of that. We are really low right now for COVID, a low rate, which is great. We cannot afford high rates because we have no way to take care of them. 

    They, the health officials, are going to direct us, and if they give us the most conservative guidelines we will go with that. We can make that work great. We understand we may have to go to more of that quote unquote virtual option where people are having to run it from a distance. Or again, we can possibly do the elite race, and for the larger trail runs we can mark the trail run course and have it marked for a 10 day period and say come run the course over this 10 day period. Like I said before, we are developing a new app that will be utilized for timing. 

    I think there are going to be some fun things out of that weekend. It is really advantageous that we can set a course out for 10 days and not have to worry about shutting down cars or traffic because it is out on a ski trail and we are pretty darn lucky in that regard.

     

  • ABSF Announces Groundbreaking of New Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center

    Rendering of the new Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center at the halfway point of the Birkie Trail near Seeley, Wis. (Photo: ABSF)

    (Press release)

    2500 Donors from 37 states & Canada Help ABSF to Reach Capital Campaign Goals

    Hayward, WI (May 25, 2018) — The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has been enhancing the quality of lives for nearly half a century. For generations, ABSF events and the award-winning Birkie Trail system have been motivating adventurous spirits to embrace an active, outdoor lifestyle. In support of providing the infrastructure, spaces, and places to keep that spirit alive, the ABSF is pleased to announce completion of the second and final phase of their Honoring the Legacy – Ensuring the Future capital campaign.The resulting initiatives will change the face of the Birkie Trail for participants, volunteers, visitors, and surrounding communities for years to come.

    At the heart of phase two of the capital campaign is the creation of the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center. The new 4,000 square foot facility will be located at the halfway point of the Birkie trail at the WI County Highway OO Trailhead near Seeley, WI. With an estimated 100,000+ Birkie Trail users each year, the Samuel C. Johnson Outdoor Center will provide a gateway and year-round hub for people to access and utilize the world-class trail for hiking, biking, running, skiing, and year-round events. Facility amenities will include a gathering hall, heated restrooms, changing rooms, and a waxing and bike repair room. Named in memory and honor of Samuel C. Johnson, the Johnson family from Racine and Cable, WI, respectively, provided the lead gift for the structure through the Johnson Family Foundation. This is not the first philanthropic support the ABSF has received from the Johnson family over the years (SC Johnson Wax, Johnson Financial Group, Johnson Family Foundation). Johnson Financial Group (Johnson Bank) is the longest-standing Birkie event sponsor through their ongoing support of the Barnebirkie youth ski tour, while the Johnson Family Foundation and Johnson Financial Group supported the creation of the Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner, and the family was personally instrumental in assisting the ABSF with procurement of the land for the American Birkebeiner Trailhead, along with other philanthropic efforts.

    “We are extremely grateful to the Samuel C. Johnson Family and the many generous donors who helped us to reach our capital campaign goals,” said Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director. “We’re humbled by the supportof the Birkie community, by their sustained belief in what we do, and are thankful we can continue to make theBirkie lifestyle dreams a reality for generations to come.”

    The groundbreaking ceremony for the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center is slated for June 9, at 2:00pm, 3.3 miles East of Seeley, WI, at the County Highway OO Trailhead. The public is invited to attend.

    In addition to support from the Samuel C. Johnson Family, a grant for development of the trailhead was approved through Sawyer County and with the help of County Administrator, Tom Hoff. Funding will come from the Stewardship Acquisition and Development of Local Parks Grants program and the Recreational Trails program of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In addition, grant funding was made possible through the Huelsmann Foundation and the Judd Alexander Foundation. Funds will be received from the Johnson Family over three years, with DNR funds acquired throughout the construction process. In addition, over 2500 individual donors from 37 states and Canada supported the second phase of the Honoring the Legacy –Ensuring the Future capital campaign. Other donors playing an integral role in the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center and associated Birkie Trail infrastructure enhancements include:

    • Brent Carlson, M.D. Great Room, Classroom, and Entry foyer – Supported by Brent Carlson, M.D., the rooms will provide gathering spaces for groups, clubs, families, and schools, before and after they embark on outdoor adventures on the Birkie Trail.
    • New Moon Ski & Bike Shop Ski Waxing & Bike Repair Room – Supported by New Moon Ski & Bike Shop of Hayward, WI, this tech room will enable skiers and bikers to prepare and repair their equipment for their Birkie Trail experiences.
    • Virkus Workout Room — Supported by Gus and Julie Virkus, this room will provide a year-round space for outdoor Birkie Trail users to learn and practice skills to encourage an active, outdoor lifestyle.
    • GymRage Outdoor Circuit Course — Supported by Thom and Utina Malnourie, this outdoor, multi-station fitness course will adjoin the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center.
    • Key Log Rolling Crossing — Supported by Jay and Judy Hoeschler and located near the new Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center, this Birkie Trail connecting bridge will allow safe passage over WI County Highway OO for all users of the Trail system.
    • Becker Law Link — Supported by Becker Law Firm, this recreational tunnel will enable Birke Trail users to travel beneath WI County Highway 77, on race day and every day.

    Plans for all projects are underway with completion dates ranging from fall 2018 to spring 2019; final approvals, permitting, and plan revisions are currently in progress.

    Previously completed phase two capital campaign projects include an initial investment in snowmaking infrastructure for low snow years; procurement of a new dump truck, snowplow, skid steer, snow bucket, and Arctic Cat snowmobile; construction or renovation of trailside cabins including the addition of running water and solar-powered generators at each. Trailside cabin benefactors include Timber Trail Cabin (Anonymous Family, Cable, WI); Franzen Firetower Trail Cabin (Greg & Marilyn Franzen); Strand-Johnson Gravel Pit Trail Cabin (William Johnson); and Mandli Boedecker Trail Cabin (Mike & Jane Mandli). These gifts are in addition to thousands of donors who made the initial phase of the capital campaign a smashing success.

    The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to promote and conduct the finest international cross-country ski competition and healthy, active lifestyle events; to serve as good stewards of the American Birkebeiner Trail; and to support healthy and active lifestyles among people of all ages and abilities. As the sole steward of the over 100-kilometer Birkie Trail system, the ABSF spends an estimated $350,000 annually on ongoing trail maintenance, mowing, and grooming.

    About the American Birkebeiner® Ski Foundation and Birkie® Events

    Located in Hayward, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), a 501(c)(3) organization, is known for its signature American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon held each February. Today, the Birkie has grown to encompass a variety of year-round, silent sport events that promote a healthy, active lifestyle for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts. The ABSF also acts as steward of the legendary Birkie Trail, providing year- round grooming, mowing and maintenance to all 100+ kilometers. From the iconic American Birkebeiner ski race, to the Birkie Trail Run Festival, and Fat Bike Birkie, the ABSF and the Birkie Trail attract skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from around the world. Learn more at www.birkie.com.

  • Birkie Tour Price Increase Fast Approaching

    (Press release)

    Skiers Encouraged to Register by Thursday at 11:59pm!

    HAYWARD, Wis. (January 3, 2018) – With flurries in the air and Birkie week festivities a mere 49 days away, skiers are more excited than ever to get some training time in on their skis. The Birkie Tour, hosted by the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), is slated for January 14, 2018. The Birkie Tour is an untimed, non-competitive, “open-track” event where skiers choose their own distance while touring the world-class Birkie trail system. Friday, January 12, 2018, marks the next Birkie Tour price increase; skiers are encouraged to register by Thursday, January 11, at 11:59pm at www.Birkie.com.

    The Birkie Tour is a fun and casual event with a morning start time window, a variety of looped courses, warm trailside cabins, and aid stations along the legendary Birkie Trail course. Tour skiers are often skiers looking for a supported training day before February races; skiers thinking about the Birkie event, but unsure about being ready; skiers who simply love to ski with family and friends yet haven’t an interest in racing, or anyone interested in experiencing healthy, active, outdoor, winter activities. With 47, 27, or 16 kilometer looped course options available, skiers of all abilities will find a course to suit their needs. Skiers will park, start, and finish in the same location at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead, Cable, WI. The Après ski celebration in the heated Great Hall will include a Greek chicken pita meal, Birkie Brew-Ski, or soft drink for Tour participants. The first 700 Birkie Tour skiers will also receive a Birkie Dry Bag with their registration.

    Tour skiers can choose to ski either classic or skate techniques on one of the best cross-country ski trail systems in the World. As a Worldloppet event, skiers can also get credit and a stamp in their Worldloppet passport.

    Other Upcoming American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Events

    February 22, 2018 – February 25, 2018: Birkie week festivities begin on Thursday, February 22, 2018 with the Birkie Adaptive Ski, Barkie Birkie Skijor, Barnebirkie, Junior Birkie, and Birkie Giant Ski events, all on Hayward’s snow-covered Main Street. Registration for Friday’s Prince Haakon (15K) race is still open, however, Slumberland American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet registration is closed. Registration for all other Birkie week events is open and available at www.Birkie.com.

    March 10, 2018 marks the Fat Bike Birkie, the world’s largest fat bike race, where riders choose between a 47K (The Big Fat) & 21K (The Chico) ride through the north woods on perfectly groomed trails. Now in its 6th year, the race has grown from fewer than 200 riders in 2013 to a capped registration of 1200 riders in 2018. www.Birkie.com.

    Registration for all ABSF events is available at www.Birkie.com.

  • Birkie, Kortelopet & Prince Haakon Race Registration Price Increase Fast Approaching

    (Press release)

    Last Chance to Guarantee Birkie Gear Bag for 2018 Races

    Hayward, Wis. (June 26, 2017) – Registration for the 2018 American Birkebeiner schedule of ski events opened in May and included North America’s largest cross-country ski race, the Slumberland American Birkebeiner (Birkie), the Kortelopet, (Korte) and Prince Haakon races. This Friday, June 30, 2017, registration prices for 2018 ski events will increase.

    There is a 10,500-participant race cap for the combined three races. Registration will close when this cap is reached. Wave Placement is based on a first registered, first seeded basis. Once a wave has filled, participants will be placed in the next available wave. All three races sold out in 2017. Registration for all events is available at www.Birkie.com.

    Friday, February 23, 2018

    • 10:45am – Kortelopet 29K Classic & Skate Ski Race
      • North America’s second largest ski race will journey from the Highway “OO” Trailhead east of Seeley, WI, to the finish line on Hayward’s Main Street.
    • 1:15pm – Prince Haakon 15K Classic & Skate Ski Race
      • A race which honors the eventual Norwegian King, rescued and skied to safety by Birkebeiner warriors in 1206, the Prince Haakon Race will begin near Mosquito Brook, outside of Hayward, WI, and will finish in downtown Hayward.

    Saturday, February 24, 2018

    • 8:30am – 44th Annual Slumberland American Birkebeiner 50K Skate & 55K Classic Ski Race
      • 2018 Slumberland American Birkebeiner skiers will embark on an over 50K journey (50K skate/55K classic) to their destination in Hayward, WI. North America’s largest cross-country ski race finds thousands of skiers recreating the journey that Norwegian Birkebeiner warriors traveled to save Prince Haakon – the very legacy of the American Birkebeiner race.

    Going Green with Birkie Gear Bag

    During the registration process for the 2018 Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, or Prince Haakon races, registrants have an opportunity to help the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) to go greener by donating $35 to the ABSF toward a reusable Birkie gear bag. This reusable backpack or duffle style bag will be used in lieu of the large plastic bags skiers normally receive as part of their race packet at bib pick-up. The Birkie gear bag is designed to hold skiers warm clothes and personal belongings needed at the race finish.

    The durable backpack style bag is 26.5 x 10.5 x 12.5, with zippers, clip closures, a special clear sleeve for bib numbers, and sturdy backpack straps. The $125 value exclusive Birkie gear bag is available only while supplies last and only guaranteed before the June 30, 2017 registration price increase. It is the hope of the ABSF that participants will choose this option which will ultimately assist in reducing the overall amount of waste generated by use of plastic bags during the annual ski events. Only the official Birkie gear bag or the provided yellow or white plastic bags will be accepted at bag drop-off on race day 2018; no other bags or packs will be accepted for bag transport. The Birkie gear bag is a slightly larger version of that used by the US Ski Team athletes. Details are available at www.Birkie.com.

  • Little Bellas Launches Birkie Weekend Camp

    (Press release)

    Little Bellas, a national organization dedicated to helping young women realize their potential through cycling, announces the Birkie Weekend Camp in Hayward, WI, Saturday, August 12th at the Highway 00 Trailhead.

    The Birkie Weekend Camp is an all-girls adventure  program designed to get girls hooked on the sport of mountain biking. The one-day program will focus on improving skills and having fun.

    “We’re so excited to be bringing the Little Bellas program to even more girls this year,” said Little Bellas executive director Sabra Davison. “Over the last ten years we’ve seen how learning to ride, and working with mentors and other girls can change girls’ lives. We can’t wait to get back on the bikes this summer. To be connected with the Birkie is a big deal and, as a nordic skier myself, I know the cultural weight anything around this trail bears. We can’t wait to bring more girls on bikes to such a well loved place.”

    Kristy Maki, American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Operations Manager added, “The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is excited to partner with Little Bellas to bring the Saturday BirkieCamp to Hayward, WI.  The ABSF encourages everyone to live a healthy, active lifestyle and this program is a great step to getting more girls out on the trail.  We hope girls come from all over to learn from great female mentors what is possible and how much fun being active on bikes can be!”

    Registration for the weekend program is now open. More information can be found at LittleBellas.com.

    More info about Little Bellas: Little Bellas was founded by professional cyclist Lea and Sabra Davison in 2007, and is going strong into its tenth year. The program started in Middlebury, Vermont with the goal to help young women realize their potential through cycling. They aim to create a community that will empower girls through the sport, emphasize the importance of goal-setting, promote healthy lifestyles and recognize the benefits of strong female bonds. In the ten years since they have expanded to be a national organization with programs running in twelve states, ranging from Arkansas to California to Wisconsin. Throughout their ten years, their mentors have worked with over 2000 girls.

    About the American Birkebeiner Foundation: The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated, as reflected in the Birkie Mission Statement, to hosting one of the world’s best cross country ski events, the American Birkebeiner, maintaining one of the nation’s premier recreation trails, and promoting healthy lifestyles for people of all ages. The American Birkebeiner is made up of several events in addition to the 51K and 55K Birkie marathon races and the 24K Kortelopet race (the second largest ski race in North America).

  • 2017 American Birkie: An Experience I’ll Never Forget

    2017 American Birkie: An Experience I’ll Never Forget

    The scene at 2017 BirkieFest on Feb. 25 at the American Birkibeiner trailhead near Cable, Wis. The iconic race was canceled this year due to a lack of snow and a casual ski on a 5 k loop and festival at the trailhead was held in its place. (Photo: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation)

    The following firsthand account was written by FasterSkier intern Ian Tovell, who attended this year’s American Birkebeiner in February, which was canceled due to lack of snow. Instead, the 2017 BirkieFest was held on Feb. 25 at the new Birkie trailhead and start area near Cable, Wis., with an estimated 10,000 people coming out for a casual ski on a 5-kilometer loop, on-snow demos, live music, food and a beer garden. Photos from Ian, FasterSkier contributor Vince Rosetta, and the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation.

    ***

    The 2017 American Birkebeiner will be a race that no one will ever forget. It will be remembered for a tremendous amount of effort from Ben Popp and his hard-working staff. Even though there was no race, it was a great event with 10,000 of likeminded friends and a lot of great food, live music, and the ability to check out the latest-and-greatest gear.

    I was very excited to race in my third Birkie after missing the race in 2016. Heading into Birkie week, I was obviously worried, like most racers were, as the weather did not look like it was going to corporate. With high optimism, I left Boston to head to Hayward, Wis., with my two travel companions in hopes the race would still happen.

    On Friday we headed to the OO trailhead to see if we could get some skiing in. As we were headed to the trail, we got the news the race was going to be canceled and turned into a non-competitive ski in Cable at the start. After traveling all that way, that wasn’t going to stop us from getting in some skiing.

    However, my friend forgot his boots that day. Knowing the skiing was not going to be that great, I offered to run the trail so he could ski. We were able to do about 10 k worth of skiing on icy and grassy trails, but it was great just to be out on the Birkie Trail. We were not the only ones that had the same idea as we saw a bunch of other hopeful skiers getting some kilometers in as well.

    On Saturday, we headed to Cable to join some 10,000 skiers that wanted to check out the 5 k loop and get some more skiing in. All things considered, the loop was in great shape. As the day went on and more people joined in, the trail became crowded to the point that it was difficult to ski with much speed.

    The famous 39K Club Shot Ski trailside at 2017 BirkieFest near Cable, Wis. (Photo: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation)

    The highlight of the course was at 4.8 k, where the 39K Club was there with its shot ski, making sure that the Birkie spirit was alive and well and getting everyone excited just to be at BirkieFest.

    After a quick two-lap ski we were off to the food tent to get the famous on-course cookies and chicken-noodle soup. We were fortunate to test out some fat bikes at the demo, which was a ton of fun because we were able to ride them on the Fat Bike Birkie race trail. After listening to some live music, collecting our fair share of free ski ties and other goodies, we headed back to our hotel to start planning our trip for Birkie 2018.

    Though my 2017 Birkie experience was not the one I was hoping for, just being on the Birkie trail with 10,000 other people felt like any other Birkie. The atmosphere and camaraderie at this race is unmatched in my experience, and being a part of it is truly special. This year was such a great time even without skiing that I know that it will be the most memorable Birkie of my career. I am looking forward to returning to Cable and Hayward in 2018.

    ***

    Editor’s note: 2018 Birkie registration opened May 1. The 2017 event marked the second official cancellation in the Birkie’s 44-year history. An article in the Birch Scroll 2017 spring edition (page 15) confirmed that 2017 race fees will not be refunded and presented numbers to explain why. The total cost of organizing the 2017 Birkie Week amounted to more than $854,000 dollars. Read the article here.

  • 2018 Birkie Registration Opens May 1

    Participants at the start of the 2012 American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wis. Registration for 2018 Birkie events opens Monday, May 1. (Photo courtesy of Darlene Prois/ABSF)

    (Press release)

    Birkie, Korte, Prince Haakon, BirkieTour & Fat Bike Birkie

    Hayward, Wis. (April 25, 2017) – The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) board of directors today announced that registration will open for the 2018 American Birkebeiner schedule of events on May 1, 2017. North America’s largest cross-country ski race, the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, is scheduled for Saturday, February 24, 2018, with the Kortelopet and Prince Haakon races slated for Friday, February 23, 2018. Additionally, Fat Bike Birkie, the world’s largest fat bike race, is March 10, 2018, with the BirkieTour hosted on January 14, 2018.

    Friday, February 23, 2018

    • 10:45am – Kortelopet 29K Classic & Skate Ski Race
      – North America’s second largest ski race will journey from the Highway “OO” Trailhead east of Seeley, WI, to the finish line on Hayward’s Main Street. 
    • 1:15pm – Prince Haakon 15K Classic & Skate Ski Race
      – A race which honors the eventual Norwegian King, rescued and skied to safety by Birkebeiner warriors in 1206, the Prince Haakon Race will begin near Mosquito Brook, outside of Hayward, WI, and will finish in downtown Hayward.

    Saturday, February 24, 2018 

    • 8:30am – 44th Annual Slumberland American Birkebeiner 50K Skate & 55K Classic Ski Race
      – 2018 Slumberland AmericanBirkebeiner skiers will embark on an over 50K journey (50K skate/55K classic) to their destination in Hayward, WI. North America’s largest cross-country ski race finds thousands of skiers recreating the journey that Norwegian Birkebeiner warriors traveled to save Prince Haakon – the very legacy of the American Birkebeiner race.

    There is a 10,500-participant race cap for the combined three races. Registration will close when this cap is reached. Wave Placement is based on a first registered, first seeded basis. Once a wave has filled, participants will be placed in the next available wave.

    As part of registration, 2018 Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, or Prince Haakon registrants have an opportunity to help the ABSF go greener by donating $35 to the ABSF toward a reusable Birkie gear bag. This reusable backpack or duffle style bag will be used in lieu of the large plastic bags skiers normally receive as part of their packet at bib pick-up. The $125 value exclusive Birkie gear bag is available only while supplies last and only during the registration process. It is the hope of the ABSF that participants will choose this option which will ultimately assist in reducing the overall amount of waste generated by use of plastic bags during the annual ski events. The Birkie gear bag is a slightly larger version of that used by the US Ski Team athletes. Details are available at www.Birkie.com.

    Saturday, March 10, 2018 

    • 45NRTH Fat Bike Birkie
      – The Fat Bike Birkie is the world’s largest fat bike race and offers both 47K (The Big Fat) & 23K (The Chico) race options for riders of all skill levels. In its sixth year, the Fat Bike Birkie has grown from fewer than 200 riders in 2013 to an estimated 1200 riders from 19 states and two countries in 2017. In addition, a criterium obstacle course and fat bike expo round out the event weekend.

    Sunday, January 14, 2018

    • BirkieTour
      – The BirkieTour, an untimed, aid station supported tour of the Birkie Trail provides skiers with
      experience on the trail before February races, allows skiers who are not interested in racing an opportunity to experience a supported event, and extends skiers a fun and camaraderie filled atmosphere, with family and friends, at their leisure, on the legendary Birkie Trail.

    Registration for all events is available at www.Birkie.com.

  • Birkie Canceled; ‘BirkieStock 2017’ Offered as an Alternative

    Birkie Canceled; ‘BirkieStock 2017’ Offered as an Alternative

    The new Birkie trailhead as seen on Friday afternoon in Cable, Wis. The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation announced Friday that it was canceling Saturday’s race due to a lack of snow. (Photo: Birkie webcam)

    (Press release)

    Hayward, WI (February 24, 2017) – After days of unseasonable weather, rain, and a predicted snow storm front missing the Hayward and Cable areas, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation regretfully announces the cancellation of the 2017 American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, and Prince Haakon cross-country ski races.

    The American Birkebeiner is North America’s largest cross-country ski race which runs from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin, finishing on the snow-covered Main Street of Hayward. After record high temperatures and over 1.5 inches of rain, race officials closed the Birkie Trail from Cable to Hayward 8-days ago to preserve the trail for this week’s originally planned races. Shortly thereafter, Lake Hayward was deemed unsafe for use in the ski-race which caused race officials to focus contingency plans on the Birkie Trail from the American Birkebeiner Trailhead, east of Cable, WI, to the OO Trailhead, east of Seeley, WI.

    After discussion with a wide constituency of key stakeholders including emergency and medical officials, trail crew, and others, the ABSF board determined the greater ski course was unsafe for a timed race. Areas of the Birkie Trail were lacking snow, icy, or simply unsuitable for use. As always, the safety of event participants is first and foremost in the minds of ABSF officials, followed by a goal of creating the best possible participant experience for all. Both things are weighed and considered with each and every decision the ABSF makes.

    “While we know Birkie, Korte, and Prince Haakon skiers are disappointed with this announcement, I am confident that the ABSF staff did everything within their power to preserve the trail for a safe race,” said Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director. “We know that the Birkie is so much more than a race to so many. Birkie skiers are passionate about the overall experience. It is in that Birkie Fever spirit that we’re excited to celebrate the love of Nordic sports with skiers and spectators alike at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. It’ll be a Birkie celebration like none-other!”

    In lieu of the annual iconic ski race, the ABSF looks forward to celebrating the inaugural use of the American Birkebeiner Trailhead and start area with BirkieStock 2017 – a Birkie celebration unlike any other!

    Skiers, spectators, friends, and the general public are invited! Beginning at 9:30am on Saturday, February 25, 2017, buses will begin transporting riders from the Como Parking Lot, off of Highway 63 and south of Cable, WI, to the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. For those anxious to get some time on their skis, the trail crew is creating an estimated 5K loop for skiers to ski once, twice or as many times as they’d like! Live music begins at 11:45am and plays to 5:00pm. Festival goers can visit the Birkie soup tent, try a Birkie Brew-ski, watch the Nordic World Championships on the jumbo screen, grab a brat, visit the Birkie Store, and more! Plus, we’ve moved the On Snow Ski & Bike Demo from Sunday, February 26, to Saturday, February 25, so guests can try out the latest ski gear and fat bikes!

    More details will be announced on www.Birkie.com at 1:00pm today.

  • Birkie Announces Weather-Related Course Change

    Birkie Announces Weather-Related Course Change

    The 44th annual 2017 American Birkebeiner events won’t be finishing in downtown Hayward this year after a warm-weather spell and rain in the forecast have made for unstable conditions on Lake Hayward in Wisconsin. The Birkie will likely be held on a modified course this coming Saturday, Feb. 26. (Photo: ABSF)

    On Monday, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) announced via a press release it will be adjusting the race course for Birkie events, set to take place this week in Hayward, Wis., due to “recent above average temperatures, along with continued warm weather conditions and rain forecast for today.”

    “After this weekend’s warm weather, Lake Hayward is no longer a viable option for race week,” the press release stated. “As part of a normal race, skiers would ski across Lake Hayward before entering downtown Hayward. Without Lake Hayward, there is no longer a possibility of finishing races in downtown Hayward. Given this decision, the International Bridge that normally spans Highway 63, will not be installed for Birkie week events this year. While snow is in the forecast for later this week, a downtown finish is no longer a feasible option for 2017 events.

    Birkie Weather Impact History:

    1981 – Elites only race 6 laps around 8K track around Mt. Telemark due to weather
    1981 – Snow arrives two weeks late, citizen skiers complete Birkie race on March 7th
    1983 – Open water on Lake Hayward, race is started on Duffy’s Field (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
    1984 – Due to lack of snow, race is started on Duffy’s Field (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
    1985 – Due to lack of snow, race is started at Rosie’s Field (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
    1991 – Due to Lack of snow, race is started at Rosie’s Field, ironically, 8” of snow fell the morning of the race (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
    1998 – The race finished at “OO”, Barnebirkie was a foot race.
    2000 – Birkie race canceled for lack of snow
    2002 – Race finished in Duffy’s Field after rain on both Friday and Saturday
    2007 – With temps of 52o and rain, the Birkie race was shortened to 25K for lack of snow; only elite skiers were timed, open ski for citizen skiers

    “As always, the safety of participants is first and foremost in mind for the entire ABSF staff and board, followed by their goal of creating the best possible participant experience for all,” the release continued. “Both things are weighed and considered with each and every decision the ABSF makes.”

    On the whole, the Birkie Trail’s base has remained “quite stable” despite the February thaw. Trails north of the OO halfway point have a four-inch base and south of it “remain mostly intact,” the release stated.

    “As of today, the possibility of finishing at Duffy Field in Hayward remains an option for Birkie Week races. That being said, the ABSF is very realistic with contingency planning and are focusing on the increasing likelihood of staging Birkie week events on the trail north of OO.”

    The locations of Thursday’s events will be made and announced on Tuesday, and the ABSF planned to wait 24 hours “to see what Mother Nature has in store for Cable and Hayward” before making decisions regarding Friday’s and Saturday’s events. The Kortelopet (half Birkie) is scheduled for Friday and full Birkie on Saturday.

    The ABSF will provide updates on its official website Birkie.com, Facebook, Twitter, direct emails and through local media (as well as here on FasterSkier).

  • Birkie Development Grant Contest: Video Challenge Now Open

    The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) is excited to offer a $2500 youth racing development grant for junior ski clubs or teams (kids 13-18 years of age).  To enter the grant contest, teams must submit a video that expresses what a healthy, active Birkie lifestyle means to them.  The word BIRKIE must be spelled out with each letter representing one aspect of what the Birkie lifestyle means to the team.  The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is teaming up with the Yellowstone Ski Festival to promote the grant and junior racing.  To learn more about the 2015 Birkie Video Challenge Grant, visit:http://www.birkie.com/live/philanthropy/skier-development-fund/.

    Birkie ambassador Annie Hart explains more in her own blog post and video.

  • American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Seeks Development Director

    American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Seeks Development Director

     

    ABSF American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

    Have a background in Development and interested in joining the Birkie Team?

    Job Title: A.B.S.F. Development Director

    Organization Summary:  The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated, as reflected in the Birkie Mission Statement, to hosting one of the world’s best cross country ski events, the American Birkebeiner, maintaining one of the nation’s premier recreation trails, and promoting healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.

    Attributes: This position is responsible for facets of fundraising, membership, outreach, sustainer programs, honor wall, and grant submissions. The DD must be self-motivated, outgoing, organized and structured. A passion for sport and a strong team player is critical.

    Position Activities:

    • Create, oversee and execute ABSF fundraising initiatives and campaigns
    • Create, oversee and execute ABSF membership programs and related components
    • Create, oversee and execute Trail Friends and Birkie Honor Wall programs
    • Build, grow and further develop ABSF endowment and planned giving programs
    • Work with Executive Director to develop key organization messages for stakeholder audiences
    • Research, complete and submit grants that offer alternative funding sources to Birkie capital projects
    • Work with employment team on survey development and feedback mechanisms for foundation
    • General Foundation duties including taking notes at all ABSF Board of Directors meetings, acting as the primary point of contact for all Foundation related questions and coordinating all aspects of ABSF Board annual elections
    • Promote collaboration with other events and organizations, community stakeholders and foundations
    • Work with staff on integration of Foundation into all aspects of ABSF activities, events and programs
    • Data Management – Manage data of Foundation and fundraising audiences and messages
    • Content Distribution – Develop, manage and operate innovative content for foundation members and fundraising outreach
    • Work closely with Operations Team

    Required Skills: The following skills are required for the position, with a strong, proven work background in all areas.

    • Strong writing ability with a focus on message-oriented communications, including ability to both write and edit
    • Strong public speaking ability
    • Outreach and partnership building experience with a strong emphasis on audience and message management
    • Self-sufficient, with ability to develop long-term strategies and manage projects to completion
    • Business computer skills (Word, Excel, email, Web, etc.) with at least basic understanding of Web and graphic management applications (Basic HTML, WordPress, Photoshop, etc.)
    • Background in use of Web as communications tool including understanding of social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), media distribution (YouTube, etc.) and blogging
    • Positive, upbeat presence with others, including both co-workers and outside contacts

    Compensation: Position will be salaried (based on experience) with a health insurance reimbursement, retirement benefits and paid vacation/holiday days available.

    Responsible to: The position reports directly to the Executive Director, but will have strong interaction with other team members.

    This job description outlines the primary roles and responsibilities of the position. Other duties may be assigned.

    Interested candidates should direct cover letter, resume, list of three references and at least one work example to:

    ben.popp@birkie.com

    Or mail to: 

    Ben Popp, Executive Director

    American Birkebeiner
    P.O. Box 911
    Hayward, WI 54843

    Complete applications are due by October 16, 2015, 4:00 p.m.

    Complete job description (PDF version)

  • 14th Birkie Trail Run & Trek on Sept. 26

    Birkie Trail Run & Trek Kicks off this Saturday

    on the Legendary Birkie Trail

    One day. Eight events. Introducing NEW Ultra 100K Marathon!

    Hayward, WI (September 22) — The 14th annual American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation®
    (ABSF) Birkie Trail Run & Trek, Presented by Salomon, will be held on the iconic Birkie Trail this
    Saturday, September 26th. From the challenge and intensity of a new 100K Ultra Marathon to
    the fun of a 5k run/walk, an estimated 1000 runners and trekkers from around the Midwest will
    take to the trails.

    The Birkie Trail Run & Trek events start and finish at Birkie Ridge Trailhead, 12.5 miles north of
    Hayward, Wisconsin, and 5 miles south of Cable, Wisconsin. The eight Birkie Trail Run & Trek
    events place runners and trekkers on some of the most scenic stretches of the famous Birkie
    Trail and single-track sections of the CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike
    Association) trail system. With eight events on the roster – including a marathon, marathon
    relay, half marathon, Nordic Trek, 5K run/walk, youth 5K (12 and under) and 1K (free for ages 9
    and under), and this year’s new 100K Ultra Marathon – there is a north woods trail experience
    available for every ability level. This year’s new Ultra 100K marathon utilizes all of the marathon
    course plus two additional loops, with aid stations and support teams along the course route.
    Full race course information is available at www.Birkie.com.

    “The Birkie Trail Run & Trek event is ideal for runners looking to break free from traditional road
    running and provides an ideal crossover race experience and introduction to trail running,” said
    Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director. “Our event is continually evolving and we are excited to
    offer the new Ultra 100K marathon to the mix of existing running and trekking events.”
    The Birkie Trail Run & Trek welcomes new elite athletes to the marathon, including: Jeff
    Quednow, Ogema WI; and Marco Sturm, Neuötting-Bavaria, Germany. Additionally, the 2014
    Birkie Trail Run & Trek male marathon champion, Craig Cardinal, Northfield, MN, is back to
    defend his title, while 2014 women’s half-marathon champ, Tiffany Karl, Duluth, MN, is returning
    and running the full marathon.

    “The trail is in great shape, volunteers are ready and we are excited to welcome runners,
    trekkers and their families to this weekend’s events,” said Allan Serrano, ABSF Event Director.
    “The wide, grass covered, level surface and challenging profile of the groomed Birkie Trail,
    along with the smooth and fast CAMBA single-track will give runners of all abilities everything
    they’re looking for this weekend.”

    The weekend kicks off on Friday with bib pick-up at the Cabin Stop, Hayward, WI, with cheese,
    craft beer and wine samples, and exciting door prizes. The new Ultra 100K event starts
    Saturday, bright and early, with rolling starting times for all other running and trekking events
    (see schedule below). Festivities continue with awards ceremonies, food, craft beer and wine,
    vendor displays, and live music by Duck for the Oyster under the big tent. Later that evening,
    the celebration moves to Rivers Eatery, Cable, Wisconsin, with live music by Molly and the
    Danger Band. This year, participants have the opportunity to camp near the start/finish area at
    Birkie Ridge Trailhead.

    With a focus on youth development, Annie Hart – Birkie Ambassador, 5-time All-American and
    professional cross-country skier – will lead the kids warm-up games and race activities. There
    will also be an obstacle course for kids and treats following the youth events, hosted by the
    Central Cross Country Ski Association (CXC).

    “We are very pleased to be the presenting sponsor of the Birkie Trail Run & Trek,” said Josh
    Korn, Regional Marketing Manager, Salomon Soft Goods. “The Birkie trail is truly a gem of a
    course for both running and Nordic trekking alike!”

    Over the years, the Birkie has grown its programming into an exciting array of fitness and
    recreational opportunities. The 107-kilometer Birkie Trail system attracts skiers, runners, bikers,
    trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite superstars.
    Follow us on Twitter #BirkieRun15

    Birkie Trail Run & Trek - Things to Know FINAL

    ###

    About the American Birkebeiner® Ski Foundation and Birkie® Events
    Located near Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, a
    501(c)(3) organization, is known for its signature American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon held each
    February. Today, the Birkie brand has grown to encompass a year round lifestyle that provides
    healthy, active events for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts of all levels. Birkie. Ski. Run.
    Bike. Live! Visit www.Birkie.com to learn more.

    About Salomon – Designed for Freedom – For more information about Salomon, visit www.Salomon.com

    Birkie Trail Run & Trek, Presented by Salomon
    Schedule of Events

    #BirkieRun15

    Friday, September 25

    •  10:00am – 8:00pm – Bib Pick-Up (The Cabin Stop, Hayward, WI)
      •  Final Birkie Trail Run & Trek registration. There is no relay team registration
        after 4pm on Wednesday, 9/23. There is no registration for all other Birkie Trail
        Run & Trek events after Friday, 9/25
    • 6:00pm – Ultra marathon pre-race briefing (American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Office)

    Saturday, September 26th

    •  5:30am – Ultra Marathon Start – (Birkie Ridge Trailhead Start/Finish)
    •  6:30am – Bib Pick-Up Opens (Birkie Ridge Trailhead Start/Finish Big Tent)
    •  8:00am -12:00pm – Refer-a Friend FITS Socks pick-up (FITS Sock Company)
    •  8:00am – Marathon Start (Marathon Presented by Brent Carlson, M.D.)
    •  8:30am – Marathon Relay Start (Marathon Relay Presented by FITS Sock Company)
    •  9:00am – Nordic Trek Start (Nordic Trek Presented by Out There)
    •  10:00am – Half Marathon Start (Half Marathon Presented by Salomon)
    •  10:30am – 5K Run/Walk Start (Presented by The Cabin Stop)
    •  11:00am – Post-Race Party Begins (Presented by The Cabin Stop)
    •  11:30am – Kid’s Warm Up Games & 1K Race (Hosted by CXC)
    •  12:00pm – Overall Marathon, Relay, Half-Marathon, and 5K Awards Ceremony
    •  1:00pm – Age-group awards for Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5K
    •  3:00pm – Final Marathon Finisher (Cut-Off)
    •  8:00pm – Ultra Overall Awards at Rivers Eatery, Cable, Wisconsin
    •  11:00pm – Final Ultra Finishers (Cut-off)

    Additional Details:

    Finish Line Medical Provider – Marshfield Clinic
    Official Energy – Gu Energy
    Official Hydration – Nuun Hydration

  • Birkie Completes Phase I of First-Ever Capital Campaign

    (Press release)

    American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Crosses the Finish Line in Phase I of First Ever Capital Campaign

    Phase I Capital Campaign Secures Start & Improves Finish Experience

    HAYWARD, Wis. (June 16, 2015) In just 7-months, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has reached the $650,000 fundraising goal for Phase I of its first-ever major fundraising capital campaign.

    In November 2014, the ABSF announced a 5-year strategic plan to help “Honor the Legacy and Ensure the Future” of the American Birkebeiner ski marathon and to guarantee stewardship and protection of the iconic Birkie trail. “A huge thank you goes out to everyone who donated to this major effort. Your passion and spirit for the Birkie and our mission are evident through your generosity,” remarked John Garrett, ABSF Board President.

    The multi-year strategic plan includes:

    • Phase I – To secure a permanent trailhead and race start area in Cable, WI, near the old Telemark Lodge, as well as to improve safety, traffic flow, and participant experience at the finish line area in Hayward, WI (2014-2015/Completed)
    • Phase II – To implement comprehensive and sustainable trail improvements to the 107km American Birkebeiner trail system, a network of trails from Cable to Hayward, WI (2017)
    • Phase III – To develop an outdoor recreation center designed to support silent sports recreation activities (2019)

    “The support we’ve received from the Birkie family – skiers, bikers, and runners near and far, along with support from the surrounding communities – is unbelievable. Having a permanent start line near Telemark, as well as an enhanced finish venue, is critical to the participant experience, to our future as an event, and to our ability to promote a year-round active lifestyle,” said Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director. “You made it happen! Now our team will get to work to complete it!” Many of the finish line improvements, such as the International Birkie Bridge over Wisconsin Highway 63, were in place for the 2015 February Birkie events and work is now underway on the new trailhead and start area.

    Last year alone, an estimated 15,000+ skiers, runners, trekkers, hikers and bikers, of all ages, participated in ABSF races and activities along the Birkie Trail. This does not include the thousands of recreational silent sports enthusiasts who utilize the Birkie Trail system each year.

    Birkie fever reaches far beyond Cable, Seeley and Hayward, WI with capital campaign fundraising events held in Eau Claire, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Iola, WI; Dousman, WI; and Fox River Grove, IL. “Each of these events was unique thanks to the diverse group of people who live and support the Birkie lifestyle. It was really great getting to meet so many Birkie participants in their own communities and on a more intimate level than during our ABSF events. Birkie Fever is definitely a family affair and a year-round affliction!” mused Amy Rowley, ABSF Development Director.

    While originally created to support a ski marathon, the ABSF has grown into much more than a singular ski race and now encompasses a series of year-round seasonal silent sports activities and events including skiing, biking, running, trekking and hiking. Throughout the year, the ABSF maintains the 107km Birkie Trail through ongoing maintenance, mowing and grooming, along with the upkeep of 5 trailside shelters. Perhaps most importantly, the ABSF inspires a healthy active lifestyle for all ages, promotes conservation, and aids in driving economic development throughout Northern Wisconsin.

    The ABSF, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, encourages continued donations to support the overall 5-year capital campaign. “While we have hit our Phase I $650,000* goal, projects like this inevitably have some cost over-runs, so please keep the donations coming! Donations can be made at www.birkie.com/future,” Rowley continued. Any funds received and unused during Phase 1 will automatically be transferred to Phase II which is focused exclusively on shoring up trail access and erosion, protecting and nurturing the corridor, as well as maintaining the sustainability of the trail infrastructure.

    Silent sports continue to positively impact the northern Wisconsin economy. In a 2014 University of Wisconsin – Madison/Extension, Department of Urban and Regional Planning case study, utilizing data gathered in 2012, results suggest that roughly $14.7MM in private sector stimulus was infused directly within Ashland, Bayfield and/or Sawyer counties by nonresident (visitor) silent sports enthusiasts1, supporting more than 222 jobs within the three counties2, in that year alone. This, does not include revenues generated through skiers, hikers, bikers, trekkers, and primary and secondary home owners in and around northern Wisconsin.

    About the American Birkebeiner® Ski Foundation and Birkie® Events

    Located near Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is known for its signature American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon held each February. Today, the Birkie brand has grown to encompass a year round lifestyle that provides healthy, active events for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts of all levels. From the iconic Birkie ski race to the Birkie Trail Run & Trek, and Fat Bike Birkie race, the ABSF and the Birkie Trail attract skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite superstars. The Birkie embodies a healthy active lifestyle, is a fitness destination and mecca for outdoor sports enthusiasts, and offers a series of best-in-class race opportunities. Ski. Run. Bike. Live! Visit www.Birkie.com to learn more.

    -1 University of Wisconsin, – Madison/Extension, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, “The Economic Impacts of Active Silent Sports Enthusiasts: A Case Study From Northern Wisconsin,” January 2014
    -2 University of Wisconsin, – Madison/Extension, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, “The Economic Impacts of Active Silent Sports Enthusiasts: A Case Study From Northern Wisconsin,” January 2014

    ###

    Birkie Capital Campaign*

    Phase I – Estimated Budget

    Work at the Start

    • Purchase Portion of Telemark Land: $115,000
    • Building Start “Stadium” & Connector Trail:  $110,000
    • Permanent/Year-Round Trail Head:  $ 45,000
    • Power/Water:  $ 25,000
    • Storage & Race Morning Building:  $180,000

    Work at the Finish

    • Construction of International Ski Bridge: $175,000

    Estimated Campaign Total: $650,000

  • Slumberland Furniture Becomes Title Sponsor of the American Birkebeiner Ski Race

    (Press release)

    HAYWARD, Wisconsin (April 3, 2015) – The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation and Slumberland Furniture are thrilled to announce an extended partnership with the signing of a three-year agreement naming Slumberland as Overall Title Sponsor of the American Birkebeiner, which encompasses the American Birkebeiner ski race and the Birkie’s year-round lifestyle brand.

    The grand opening of Slumberland’s new store in Hayward, WI, was underway last May when talks began in earnest about taking the existing relationship between Slumberland and American Birkebeiner to another level. How does the leading furniture retailer in the Midwest come to partner with the premier Nordic ski race in the United States?

    “The connection between the two brands is a natural fit,” says Kenny Larson, President of Slumberland. “Both organizations play a positive role in the health and lifestyle of their customers, and both emphasize giving back to the community.”

    Slumberland is more than just a place to buy a new mattress or sofa. Slumberland’s mission is to improve people’s lives by helping customers achieve the health and happiness benefits of a better night’s sleep, or find more enjoyment connecting with family and friends in a special space at home. Along with furniture sales comes a strong commitment to the community. Slumberland donates ten percent of its profits to organizations that assist others at the local, national and global level. Many of these organizations focus on the needs of youth and families.

    The Birkie has likewise evolved over time to become so much more than a ski race. Now under the umbrella of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, the logo says it well: Ski. Run. Bike. Live!

    “The Birkie is about a healthy, active lifestyle,” says Ben Popp, Executive Director of the ABSF. “365 days a year. Events, family, community – they’re all important to our mission.”

    No stranger to the Nordic world, Slumberland has been a strong supporter of Nordic skiing and an active lifestyle for many years. Slumberland participated in sponsoring the creation of the Birkie Classic race, a major development in the American Birkebeiner race series.

    Most visibly, Slumberland has been the gold-level sponsor of World Champion and Olympian Jessie Diggins, who states “without the support of my major sponsors like Slumberland it would not be possible to be competitive at the World Cup level. They are amazing.”

    Ken and Barb Larson, the founders of Slumberland, are cross-country ski fans who travelled to Sochi, Russia in February of 2014 to cheer Jessie on in the Olympic games.

    “Being there in person to see Jessie and the other athletes compete at that level was incredible. Watching athletes give it their all, whether on Main Street in Hayward or in the mountains of Sochi, is inspiring,” says Ken.

    Birkie skiers are spread over many states, and there is a strong overlap with the communities that Slumberland serves. The vast majority of Birkie skiers have a Slumberland store within 20 miles of their home, along with website access, so the geographical connection between the brands is very strong.

    Slumberland was founded in 1967; about the time that Tony Wise was beginning to dream about a ski race that would put Telemark Lodge on the map. From humble beginnings as a mattress specialty store in the Twin Cities, Slumberland has grown to become a full line furniture chain carrying major brands like Sealy Posturepedic, Tempur-pedic, Simmons Beautyrest, La-Z-Boy, and Broyhill. Today Slumberland has locations in 126 markets, covering twelve states across the snowbelt. The stores are a combination of independently owned franchise locations along with corporately owned stores. This combination gives Slumberland the buying power of one of the nation’s largest home furnishing retailers along with the advantage of a family business ethic. The corporation is privately held by the Larson family who has been part of the Hayward community for decades, enjoying a recreational home in the area.

    Slumberland is especially proud to support the current direction of the ABSF. Creating the opportunity for people of all ages to participate in a healthy, active lifestyle year round demonstrates a perfect alignment of values for both organizations. As Ben Popp states, “We couldn’t be happier to have an organization like Slumberland support the ski community and, more broadly, the year-round Birkie lifestyle. Our shared vision and values will create a strong partnership that will allow the American Birkebeiner Foundation to continue to grow and flourish. We’re very much looking forward to the next 3 years with Slumberland as our Overall Title Sponsor.”

    As the Birkie looks forward, its history will continue to be a vital component of its success. While the Birkie partners with Slumberland to add a whole new level of support and involvement as year-round Overall Title Sponsor, the Birkie’s partnership with Swix as a long-time partner of the Birkie, and title sponsor in 2014-2015, also remains strong. The spirit of the new arrangements is that the Birkie and all its major partners build on what is to move forward and grow greater together. Swix becomes presenting sponsor of the race, but its presence at the Birkie Expo and role as official wax, pole, and technical ski apparel remains the same, ensuring participants a world-class Nordic experience at the Slumberland American Birkebeiner.

    For more information about the American Birkebeiner, its year-round events and lifestyle, visit www.birkie.com. contact the Birkie office at birkie@birkie.com or 715-634-5025.

    Birkie Sponsors include Slumberland Furniture, new Title Sponsor of the American Birkebeiner ski race and year-round Birkie lifestyle; Swix, Presenting Sponsor of the American Birkebeiner ski race; Marshfield Clinic, Presenting Sponsor of the Kortelopet, and other major sponsors: FITS, New Moon Ski & Bike, Madshus, Advantage Emblem, Life Link lll, Gu Energy, Nuun Hydration, the Cabin Stop of Hayward, and dozens of other leading companies and professional services.

  • Birkie Trail Open for Early Season Skiing

    Birkie trail open for early season skiing (Photo: ABSF)
    The Birkie trail is open for early season skiing! (Photo: ABSF/Darlene Prois)

    (Press release)

    With early snowfall and consistently cold temps the Birkie Trail is groomed tip to tail to near mid-winter condition. With over 75km groomed on the skate and classic trails from the North End Cabin to Birkie Ridge and to Hatchery Park the skate deck and classic tracks are firm. For the latest trail reports and grooming conditions go to http://www.birkie.com/trail

    What exactly does it take for this trail system to be in tip top shape for the weekend crowds?

    It starts with a dedicated grooming crew. Chris Campbell, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation’s grooming manager, begins a typical winter work day after dark as the temperature drops.

    A round trip in the PistenBully south from Double O, where the equipment is stored, to the Fish Hatchery takes seven hours on average. North to the start line at Telemark and back requires around ten hours at the PistenBully’s 8-10 kilometers per hour. Campbell took over the lead grooming position last year and has been grooming the Birkie Trail for the past eight years.

    Campbell, charged with grooming and maintaining the ABSF’s 107 kilometers, oversees a staff of three part-time groomers and a fleet of three PistenBully snow cats, four Ski-Doo snowmobiles and a Polaris Ranger side-by-side. The PistenBully, which does an exceptional job leveling the snow deck and makes skate skiers smile, doesn’t come out until Campbell’s sure there will be at least a four-inch base intact after grooming.

    Besides Campbell, Gary Wright, Derec Strapon and John Fitzgerald work as part-time groomers. In a week of normal snowfall, Campbell estimates the grooming crew puts in roughly 100 hours of work. Much of this time is spent getting the trail ready for the weekends when the trail sees much more pressure. Last season, the groomers put in 780 hours of work, and the ABSF spent $111,342 on grooming.

    According to Campbell, he doesn’t groom to make the trail look better. “We don’t groom for aesthetics,” he said. “We groom when (the trail) doesn’t ski well.”

    To keep the conditions top notch stop at one of our local retailers to buy your daily or annual SkiPass before hitting the trail.  100% of ski pass revenue goes toward grooming and trail maintenance. See detailed information at http://www.birkie.com/trail/pass or stop in at New Moon Ski and Bike in Hayward, Riverbrook Bike and Ski in Hayward, and Redbery Books in Cable.

    In addition every trailhead now has brand new maps posted with color coded trails, kilometer markers, and common landmarks. The overall map you’re familiar with has been broken down into sections to show more detail. Keep your eyes peeled for the soon-to-be printed brochure with the new maps and history of the trail.

  • Advantage Emblem Named Official Merchandiser of American Birkebeiner

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    (Press release)

    HAYWARD, Wisconsin (November 11, 2014) – The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) is proud to announce its new relationship with Advantage Emblem as official merchandiser of Birkie apparel, gifts, gear, posters, and more, starting with its launch of the new online Birkie Store on November 11 at www.BirkieStore.com. The same great Birkie apparel and much more will then be available at the 2015 Birkie Expo and in downtown Hayward during Birkie Week, February 19-22. The company has also come on board as a Gold Level sponsor of the ABSF, to develop and produce new signage for the Birkie race course and finish-line festival areas, host to 13,000 cross country skiers and more than 25,000 spectators at this year’s 42nd annual event.

    “This is a fantastic move for the Birkie,” says Susan Kendrick, Sponsorship Director of the ABSF. “Advantage Emblem, headquartered in Duluth, MN, is creating our whole line of recreational Birkie apparel and also working closely with Swix, Title Sponsor of the American Birkebeiner ski race and official Birkie ski tech-apparel provider, to bring the Nordic ski community a one-of-a-kind collection. It’s been a great partnership right from the start—Advantage Emblem is quickly becoming a resource not only for us but also for our other sponsors, partners, and vendors as well.”

    Advantage Emblem has a national customer base for event apparel, signage of all kinds, and as the official provider of all badges for the Girl Scouts of America. One of its event accounts is the prestigious Grandma’s Marathon.

    According to Amy Rowley, Development Director of the ABSF, ”With the launch of Birkie-branded Swix ski apparel last year, Birkie Enterprises experienced a consumer demand that goes beyond the level of expertise and resources we have here at the ABSF. The team at Advantage Emblem has the capability and experience to expand our offering, handle online orders, and take the February Expo experience to the next level for our customers. We are excited to kick off our partnership with the launch of the all-new Birkie online store – www.BirkieStore.com.”

    For Nathan Bentley, National Sales Manager for Advantage Emblem, working with the Birkie and its partners fits well with its strong shift to partnering with more national events and name-brand apparel manufacturers.

    “This is something that is increasingly important to the events we work with, and the major brands are approaching us as well. Working with the Birkie is a tremendous opportunity to bring it all together and reach a uniquely active, outdoor, and year-round market.” says Bentley. “The start-up phase with the Birkie has been first-rate. We have a bright future together!”

    The new Birkie collection will be sold at the Birkie Expo on February 19-20 and, for the first time, right on Main Street, Hayward, at the Birkie Cabin every day of Birkie Week, from Thursday through Sunday, February 19-22. To shop online, go to www.BirkieStore.com.

    “We couldn’t be more pleased to work with Advantage Emblem and look forward to a long-term relationship,” said Ben Popp, Executive Director of the ABSF.

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    For more information about year-round Birkie events, training, lifestyle, and more, visit www.birkie.com, email birkie@birkie.com, or call 715-634-5025. Visit Advantage Emblem at www.advantageemblem.com or call 1-800-626-4948.

    Birkie Sponsors include SWIX, Title Sponsor of the Swix American Birkebeiner and Birkie ski events, Feb. 19-22, 2015, as well as Marshfield Clinic – Hayward Center, FITS, New Moon Ski & Bike, Madshus, Advantage Emblem, Gu Energy, Nuun Hydration, Cabin Stop, and dozens of other businesses, organizations, and professional services.

  • New Birkie Ambassador, Brooks Going for FIS Marathon Cup Overall Podium (Updated)

    New Birkie Ambassador, Brooks Going for FIS Marathon Cup Overall Podium (Updated)

    Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile trail run. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com/http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570
    Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile race. (Photo: Holly Brooks/HollySkis.Blogspot.com)

     

    All spring, summer and fall, Holly Brooks has been training. For what? She wasn’t 100-percent sure until recently.

    Regardless of whether she started the coming winter in the U.S. or abroad, former U.S. Ski Team member had been working on her strengths: distance and endurance. Of course, Brooks, 32, knew she’d have to add in some speed here and there to learn how to respond to the pivotal moment in any race: the break.

    She’d done some traditional training with her team, Alaska Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage, but for the first time since she made the U.S. Ski Team (USST) in 2012, she didn’t join its annual October camp in Park City, Utah. Instead, she was enjoying more flexibility in her life, like mountain biking in the Yukon with her husband Rob Whitney, while balancing her workouts with schoolwork as a counseling psychology grad student (with an emphasis on sport psychology) at APU.

    Holly Brooks (l) and Switzerland's Bettina Gruber after placing third and first, respectively in the St. Moritz night sprints before last year's Engadin Marathon, in which Brooks placed fourth after a late crash. (Photo: http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/03/home-sweet-home.html)
    Holly Brooks (l) and Switzerland’s Bettina Gruber after placing third and first, respectively, in the St. Moritz night sprints before last year’s Engadin Marathon in Switzerland, where Brooks placed fourth after a late crash. (Photo: Hollyskis.blogspot.com)

    In late September, Brooks announced her race intentions for the 2014/2015 season on her blog, Taking on the FIS World Loppet Marathon Series – ALONE.

    “Typing the title of this blog solicits two very different responses from me,” she began. “The first excitement, the second terror.”

    In a follow-up email, Brooks explained she named her winter: “Holly’s Distance Racing Project — Exploring the world and its people one ski marathon at a time.”

    That made tackling the International Ski Federation (FIS) Marathon Cup series, with nine scored races between December and March, and her goal of landing in the overall top three, a little less intimidating.

    To do so, she’ll be the American Birkebeiner’s first elite ambassador, which should help out with race entries and accommodations at the seven FIS Marathon Cup/Worldloppet races she plans to do. The Birkebeiner, also known as the Birkie, is the largest ski marathon in North America and one of 20 international Worldloppets.

    “My goal is to increase awareness of ski marathons — to speak about the Birkie during my travels abroad as well as bring FIS Marathon stories back to North America,” she explained in an email.

    “There are definitely a good handful of Americans that had experience with Worldloppets, but I don’t feel like anyone committed fully to the whole series and was real vocal,” she explained on the phone from Anchorage. “One of my goals is to go over and write about it and blog about it and make it more accessible to North Americans and make it more tangible in people’s minds.”

    Announced Monday, Brooks became the Birkie’s first sponsored elite-athlete representative. In an email, American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) Executive Director Ben Popp wrote the foundation’s mission was to support the entire sport, and had previously done so in funding citizens races, youth and adult programs, and Wisconsin High School Nordic Ski Championships. Now, it was eager to sponsor Brooks and another elite ambassador Anne Hart, who grew up in Stillwater, Minn., skis for the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team and writes training tips on the Birkie website.

    Holly Brooks winning the 2012 American Birkebeiner, four-tenths of a second ahead of Caitlin Gregg (l), for her first Birkie title. (Photo: Darlene Prois/American Birkebeiner) http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-outsprints-gregg-for-birkie-victory/
    Holly Brooks winning the 2012 American Birkebeiner, four-tenths of a second ahead of Caitlin Gregg (l), for her first Birkie title. (Photo: Darlene Prois/ABSF)

    “I’m excited to support [them] and help them be great role models for our next generation of skiers,” Popp wrote. “Additionally, having Holly chase the [FIS Marathon Cup] and skiing the Worldloppets will create a great amount of stories/visibility. … There are some really cool races around the world that many have no idea about. When [Birkie founder] Tony Wise created the Worldloppet, it was to create a medium ‘to travel the world through skiing.’ ”

    While certain details of the partnership and its perks for Brooks weren’t immediately clear, she explained her goal is to increase interest and participation in the American Birkie, as well as promote the ABSF’s healthy lifestyle initiative during presentations in different countries.

    “Sometimes motivation can be low, but when you commit to a race or an event, the incentive is real,” she said in a press release.

    2014/2015 FIS Marathon Cup:
    – Dec. 12: La Sgambeda 42 k (Italy)
    – Jan. 18: Dolomitenlauf 60 k (Austria)
    – Jan. 25: Marcialonga 70 k (Italy)
    – Feb. 7: La Transjurassienne 56 k (France)
    – Feb. 15: Tartu Marathon 63 k (Estonia)*
    – Feb. 21: American Birkebeiner 50 k (Wisconsin)
    – Feb. 28: Bieg Piastow 50 k (Poland)
    – March 3: Engadin Skimarathon 42 k (Switzerland)
    – April 4: UgraSki marathon 50 k (Russia)*
    *
    *Brooks does not plan to race 

    The Birkie on Feb. 21 is on her list of races this season, after the 56-kilometer La Transjurassienne in France (Feb. 7) and the 50 k Bieg Piastów in Poland (March 1).

    That means FIS World Championships from Feb. 18 to March 1 are out for Brooks, who’s competed in the last two (in 2011 in Oslo, Norway, and 2013 in Val di Fiemme, Italy). She also represented the U.S. last winter at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

    “I think World Championships in Falun [Sweden] are going to be amazing and I’m actually part Swedish, too, so that’s going to be a bummer,” she said. “But at the same time, I’ve been to two World Championships, including Holmenkollen and I’m not sure Falun is going to be able to top Holmenkollen to be honest…”

    “I’m ready for new challenges,” she continued. “When it comes down to it, I’m a competitor and I want to be in races where I’m in contention for a podium … especially after having a difficult season last year …. I miss going for the win, I miss fighting for the podium and when you’re on full-time World Cup, you’re not really winning anything.”

    She laughed.

    At the same time, jumping into the unknown without any teammates, coaches or wax techs to fall back on made her somewhat anxious. That, and she didn’t have her season entirely mapped out in terms of how she’d pay for it — with flights from Alaska to Italy (for the La Sgambeda on Dec. 12), back home, then to Austria, Italy, France, then Wisconsin (for the Birkie). After that, it’s back to Europe to Poland, Switzerland (Engadin Skimarathon on March 8), and Norway (for potentially the Holmenkollen 30 k on March 15, if the U.S. Ski Team grants her a World Cup start, and the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet 54 k classic on March 21). Finally, she plans to finish the season at SuperTour Spring Series from March 20-26 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

    Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile trail run. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com/http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570
    Holly Brooks around mile 12 of the 28-mile Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com)

    In all, the traveling will amount to about one more trip to Europe than she’s used to (with an average plane ticket costing about $2,200), but on the bright side, she’ll spend Thanksgiving at home — possibly in Hope, where she and Whitney recently built a cabin with the help of their family.

    “I’m actually going to have my first holidays at home for the first time since I can remember,” Brooks said. “And not just at home, in the states and at home.”

    The unique marathon schedule requires her to start her season in early December in Italy, then fly home before her next race more than a month later. Considering her goal of a top three in the circuit and her decision to skip two of the nine scored races (the Tartu Marathon in Estonia and Ugra in Russia), she didn’t want to start the season having missed the first race.

    It would be tough enough to achieve an overall podium at the end of the season; she didn’t need that initial mental hurdle of having to play catchup.

    If all goes well, Brooks could make the Worldloppet’s selective red group with top results early on — as soon as after the first race. Much like on the World Cup, the red group comes with start rights and some support like room and board, although she’s not entirely sure how much, possibly two to three days of accommodation per race weekend.

    “I’m not super familiar with all the rules because it’s such a new scene for me,” she said.

    But with consistently competitive results, and the fringe benefits as an official Birkie ambassador, she hoped it would lighten the load and looming logistics of her season.

    In addition to where she’ll stay during races, Brooks was unsure where she’d spend the weeks before and after each race in Europe, and who would help her find housing. But that’s where her connections from several years of international travel and pro racing could come into play; she’s established relationships she’s confident will help her in the months to come.

    “I hope that word will get around that I’m … out there and I have this goal,” she said with a laugh. “I’m putting a lot of faith in strangers to help with logistics and the financial aspect.”

    Compared to the World Cup, which costs $140 dollars per athlete per day based on the FIS fixed rate, there is no flat rate for the marathon circuit.

    “Some of the countries are more expensive, some of them are a little bit cheaper,” she said. “It is really unclear how much this will cost. Part of me wants to have the whole season planned out in advance and know exactly where I’m staying and who’s going to be waxing my skis for every race, but I’ve come to the realization that I can’t take care of all those logistics ahead of time.

    “One of the most intimidating parts of this goal is, not only do I have the regular fundraising to figure out, but I have all the logistics. I’m on my own,” she said. “[U.S. Ski Team Head Coach] Chris Grover is so organized and so good with logistics … and the coaches are always looking out for you and figuring out how you’re going to get to your next meal and how you’re going to get to the airport, and now that’s all on me.”

    “While I’m dreading it, I’m excited for it.” — Holly Brooks, on her decision to go for an overall podium in the FIS Marathon Cup

    When it comes to waxing her racing fleet (downsized from her 30 pairs of World Cup skis because she simply can’t carry that many alone), Brooks said she’ll rely on her sponsors, like Swix, and industry partners at certain races, like Salomon in France, and possibly the Birkie for individual attention (i.e., a personal tech).

    “It’s scary because I know how hard I train and also how much money I’m spending,” she said. “To have skis that aren’t competitive could blow the whole thing, but that’s ski racing. I just have to do the best I can…”

    Payouts for the marathons range, but the overall Marathon Cup winners receive a small crystal globe and about $7,500 dollars — that same amount each male and female Birkie winner gets. Second place earns $4,500 and third place gets $3,000.

    “That goes to show I’m not doing it for the money,” Brooks said. “Winning is hard. I don’t know the exact level of competition, but I know what happened last year: [Finland’s] Riitta-Liisa Roponen won the overall and she won I think every Worldloppet race she entered.

    “You could stand to do all right financially if you have all your expenses covered and you get to pocket your earnings,” she added. “I’m hoping to at least break even and not go into the red, but we’ll see. I have a couple irons in the fire and I’m hoping I [can] get people excited about the challenge that’s behind it.”

    So far, her sponsors’ reactions have been favorable, although she said nothing was final yet.

    Without teammates, Brooks could be looking for roommates to share the high cost of living in Europe. She entertained the idea of rooming with Roponen, “but I don’t know, I think she might think of me as a little more of a competitor than a teammate,” she laughed.

    She considered racing for a professional European marathon team and had an offer from one, but Brooks declined the spot. “They wanted me to come over to Europe every month in the summer and fall, which is completely unrealistic when you think about it,” she said. “That wasn’t what I was looking for.”

    Come February and March, she figured there might be a good possibility other Americans — those who don’t end up making World Championships — joining her at marathons like the Engadin and Birkebeinerrennet. But time will tell, and she was prepared to do it on her own.

    Holly Brooks (c) with APU teammates and former U.S. Ski Team teammates Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Kikkan Randall at a recent Fast and Female event in Anchorage. (Photo: http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/taking-on-fis-world-loppet-marathon.html)
    Holly Brooks (c) with APU teammates and former U.S. Ski Team teammates Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Kikkan Randall at a recent Fast and Female event in Anchorage. (Photo: Hollyskis.blogspot.com)

    “That’s one of the biggest differences going from being on a really strong team that is the U.S. women’s team to being a little bit more of a lone wolf,” Brooks said. “But I think that’ll force me out of my comfort zone … While I’m dreading it, I’m excited for it.”

    Her decision to commit to the Worldloppet/Marathon Cup was a gradual one, starting with the idea that she might go to the SuperTour opener in West Yellowstone, then U.S. nationals, and potentially qualify for some World Cups.

    “I kind of got sick of the maybe in my life,” she recalled. “Instead of just training and having no idea where I was going to be racing … I’m really excited to commit to this and solidify it. It’s pretty much all races that I haven’t been to before.”

    In the meantime, she’s been taking classes three times a week, amounting to about nine to 10 hours of in-class time per week — not including the time she spends studying at home. On top of that, she typically trains 20-plus hours a week (and has another 10-15 hours of physical therapy) and stays involved with the community through events and presentations in her spare time.

    “I’ve had to be really diligent with my time and be more focused and organized,” she said.

    In early October, Brooks said she was thankful she didn’t have to rollerski first thing on a 19-degree Fahrenheit morning. She got on the Ski Erg instead.

    Earlier this fall, she did an “all uphill” rollerski-running workout at Hatcher’s Pass with friend and videographer Max Romey, who filmed her with a drone.

    “It would hover right over my head, then he would lift it up and do these wide-sweeping panoramic shots,” she explained. “It’s really, really cool.”

    Romey published the video Oct. 12.

    Best of all: “He sent me the whole hour-and-a-half unedited version that I could use for technique,” she said.

    ***

    Update: Early Monday, Brooks explained a recent development and possible race addition to her upcoming winter schedule. In an email, she wrote that the rules state FIS Marathon Cup/Worldloppet racers cannot collect their overall prize money unless they are present for the final race — the UgraSki marathon in Russia one month after the Engadin, which Brooks initially planned to be her final scored race. She had intended to skip the Ugra as well as the Tartu Marathon in Estonia.

    “There is currently no information about the Russian race available – at least the link from the FIS World Loppet site goes no where…,” Brooks wrote. “This is a huge bummer for many obvious reasons. I’m waiting to hear clarification on this rule as well as some details on the race.”

  • Meet the 2014 Birkie Warriors and Inga

    Ryan Harden, one of the winners of the 2014 American Birkebeiner Warriors & Inga Contest
    Ryan Harden, one of the winners of the 2014 American Birkebeiner Warriors & Inga Contest

    (Press release)

    Congratulations to Ryan Harden, Erik Julsrud, and Jennifer Julsrud

    Please join the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation in congratulating the winners of the 2014 American Birkebeiner Warriors & Inga Contest. The three cross country skiers will re-enact the 800-year-old legend that inspired the creation of the American Birkebeiner, now celebrating its 41st year on February 22, 2014. This year’s group consists of Ryan Harden of Carlton, MN; Erik Julsrud, of Duluth, MN; and Jennifer Julsrud of Duluth, MN.

    See photos of the winners on the Birkie Warriors & Inga page at Birkie.com.

    Erik and Jennifer Julsrud, Winners of the 2014 American Birkebeiner Warriors & Inga Contest
    Jennifer and Erik Julsrud, winners of the 2014 American Birkebeiner Warriors & Inga Contest

    The roles of the two Warriors, Torstein and Skervald, will be played by long-time Birkie skiers and friends Ryan Harden and Erik Julsrud. These two historic warriors rescued Prince Haakon during the Norwegian Civil War in 1206. Jennifer Julsrun, Erik’s wife, another capable and passionate skier, will take on the role of Queen Inga from Varteig, mother of Prince Haakon, and a legendary figure in her own right.

    Up for the Challenge

    The contest winners were carefully selected by judges who know exactly what it takes to ski the 54-kilometer Birkie Classic Trail, on wooden skis, in full Warrior and Inga costumes, while encouraging their fellow skiers along the way. Each year, those judges are none other than the two groups of skiers who took on these roles the previous two years.

    Strong and Passionate Citizen Skiers!

    Each group that enters the contest submits information about how many Birkies they have skied, how many they have skied Classic, and what their times were. They also submit a short essay about their team members. People write about all sorts of things–family traditions, strong friendships made closer by skiing, Norwegian connections, and just their love of cross country skiing and the Birkie. It is a big commitment to ski the full Birkie Classic race on wooden skis while wearing period costumes. Entries must demonstrate the group’s skiing ability plus their enthusiasm for taking on these roles.

    Erik Julsrud and Ryan Harden have each skied 15 Birkies together, Erik skiing each one classic and Ryan usually skiing skate, but also getting on classic skis, including wooden ones, for recreation. Jennifer Julsrud has skied 5 Kortelopets and one Birkie, which she skied classic. Each applicant each showed solid finish times in these events.

    The two Warriors ski the entire Birkie Classic race course. Inga may choose to ski the Birkie or shift to the Kortelopet to encourage skiers on that race course. She would then rejoin the Warriors for the final finish up Hayward’s Main Street. This year the Warriors & Inga will make their entrance onto Main Street, Hayward, early to mid-afternoon to the cheers of thousands of spectators lining the street

    Comments from the Winners

    Jennifer Julsrud:

    “Ryan is the energetic optimist, Erik’s the even-keeled wise one, and I have a take on the word persistence. Together we’re a good Warrior Inga team. I’m honored to be able to portray such a strong woman in history. For Erik and Ryan, this is a dream. We’re so excited to inspire everyone from racers to spectators. We can’t wait for Birkie week and race day!”

    Erik Julsrud:

    “Often when I ski through the woods with my dog, I wonder what it was like to be a Birkebeiner. Now I get to be one. Ever since my first Kortelopet I’ve wanted to be one of the Birkie Warriors.

    Ryan Harden:
    “Thee Birkie is a family tradition which represents wellness, respect for the outdoors, and the spirit of northern Wisconsin, and I am excited to be a part of it.”

    A Story of Family, Friends, and Birkie Tradition

    Here is the entry essay provided by this year’s winning group, presented by Ryan Harden:

    “Growing up in Northern Wisconsin instilled in me a love and respect for the Northwoods. Many weekends are spent at our family cabin near Cable fishing, biking, hunting, and, of course, skiing. In high school, I originally participated as a Birkie spectator and skier in the Citizen’s race. My friend Erik, who I met on our first day of college in 1991, lived in Norway as a child, studied Norwegian in college, and has a father who skied the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet. In spite of this heritage, I still needed to talk him into skiing our first Kortelopet while graduate students in 1996.  That was our first and last Kortelopet. Since that time, we have skied every Birkie together – the 2014 Birkie will be our 16th.

    “The Birkie has become an annual tradition for us. Through marriages, children, jobs, we have always found time time to ski the Birkie. Erik’s wife, Jennifer, who will ski as Inga, recently won her age group as she skied the Kortelopet classic.  We were filled with pride as we watched all four of our kids participate in the Barnebirkie, including Erik’s son, ‘Haakon.’ The Birkie has evolved from an annual individual endurance event to a weekend festival for friends and family.

    As citizen racers, from ski races to marathons to the Fat Tire Festival, neither of us has ever dropped out of a race. Erik is indefatigable on classical skis and though I usually skate the Birkie, I skied the 2003 Birkie with no training on a pair of borrowed, waxless skis. I still regularly use the wood skis I bought second-hand in 1995 to classic ski the trails in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Our ability to finish this race on wood skis is unquestionable.

    “For us, the Birkie is a celebration of that tradition, wellness, respect for the outdoors and the spirit of Northern Wisconsin.  As the race and our friendship have evolved, they will continue to do so and we cherish the memories of Birkies past, embrace the present Birkie and look forward to the Birkies of the future.

    “This past year we both celebrated our 40th birthdays, as did the Birkie. Though average skiers, we accomplish this goal on an annual basis through perseverance, dedication, and appreciation for tradition. I believe we embody the dedication which Torstein and Shervold have come to represent. We would be honored to represent these historic warriors.”

    Origins of the Birkebeiner Warriors & Inga Legend

    The two Viking warriors were called “Birkebeiners” for the protective birchbark leggings they wore. They skied more than 50 kilometers through Norway’s rugged mountains and forested terrain, smuggling the infant son of King Syverresson and Inga of Vartieg from Lillehammer to safety in the town of Trondheim.

    The rescued prince became one of the most popular kings in Norwegian history, and the Birkebeiner soldiers became a Norwegian symbol of courage, perseverance, and character in the face of adversity.

    On Birkie race day, the two Birkie Warriors and Inga will leave the start gate with the Elite Wave skiers. The rest of the 10,000 skiers will follow every five minutes in alternating skate and classic wave starts. The Warriors and Inga expect to see the majority of those skiers at one time or another along the trail throughout the morning and early afternoon.

    They’ll not only re-enact the historic rescue, they’ll inspire 10,500 other skiers, 2,000 volunteers, and more than 20,000 spectators from around the world. The reaction of seeing the very origin of our event come to life like this is hard to put into words. The Warriors and Inga are one of the highlights of the Birkie event for everyone.

    “Please join us in congratulating and welcoming this year’s Warriors and Inga!” said Ben Popp, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. “We’re looking forward to another great Birkie and together celebrating our rich heritage as cross country skiers, friends, and families on Februrary 20-23.”

    Learn more about the Birkie Warrior & Inga Contest at www.Birkie.com. For any questions, email media@birkie.com or call 715-634-5025. 

    Thank You to Our Sponsors, including SWIX, Title Sponsor of the Birkie Ski Events, Feb. 20-23, 2014, as well as New Moon Ski & Bike, FITS Socks, Gu Energy, Hammer Nutrition, Marshfield Clinic – Hayward Center, Timber Ford, and dozens of manufacturers of quality cross country ski equipment, gear, and apparel, as well as many professional services.

    SKI . RUN . BIKE . LIVE! For information about year-round Birkie events, visit www.birkie.com, email birkie@birkie.com, or call 715-634-5025.