From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.
Welcome skiers, friends, family, sponsors, volunteers, and community members!
YOU’RE INVITED – TO A GREAT PARTY FOR NED!!
Below is the official invitation … to our “Happy Trails!” retirement party for Ned Zuelsdorff.
Hope you can make it! Next Friday, May 10, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Please contact the Birkie with any questions:
Call 715-634-5025 or email birkie@birkie.com.
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated 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 50K and 54K Birkie marathon races and the 23K Kortelopet race.
Position Description
The Executive Director leads the day-to-day operations of the ABSF under the policies determined by the board and generates revenue for the Foundation. Qualified candidates will be able to demonstrate successful fundraising experience, financial management, and public relations abilities. Excellent human relation skills with the ability to promote the ABSF and inspire and manage both staff and volunteers are essential to this position. Other preferred skills include: leadership, project management, sales, oral and written communication, supervision, and experience in the Nordic skiing community. This position is based in Hayward, Wisconsin.
How to Apply
A letter of interest that addresses the above qualifications and resume must be submitted by March 8, 2013, to Sue Scheer, President of the Board of Directors of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation.
Email To: Sue Scheer at sfscheerbrook@yahoo.com.
American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation
Executive Director Responsibilities
Reports to: Board of Directors, ABSF
The Executive Director is the face of the ABSF. He/She will promote the vision and mission of the ABSF, act as a strong advocate for silent sports, and be responsible & accountable for all aspects of the foundation.
Responsibilities:
Execute the established Mission Statement, By-Laws, Policies, and Administrative Practices of the ABSF as designated by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director will be accountable for overall administration of the organization, including development and direction of all American Birkebeiner events, development and implementation of short and long-term strategies to market, promote, improve and expand all areas of the organization, and to secure adequate funding to ensure the Foundation’s continued success.
To view the job posting, click here.
To read about current executive director Ned Zuelsdorff and his retirement announcement, click here.
Ned Zuelsdorff Retires as Executive Director of American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation
(Jan. 24, 2013 press release)
Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, has announced his retirement, effective mid-May 2013. Ned has served as the executive director of the ABSF for the past eight years, starting in 2005. “I have really enjoyed my job with the Birkie, thanks to our staff, volunteers, and our skiers and runners,” said Zuelsdorff.
Sue Scheer, president of the ABSF board of directors said, “during Ned’s tenure as executive director, he has created many new events, expanded and improved the Birkie Trails, and nearly doubled participation in the American Birkebeiner events.”
The American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, and Prince Haakon events alone have grown from 6,000 skiers, to the record number of 10,000 skiers registered for this year’s 2013 event. New events Zuelsdorff has created include the BirkieTour as well as some of the Birkie’s most popular race week events—the Giant Ski, Barkie Birkie skijor, and Birkie Adaptive Events. Additionally, he changed the format of the Birkie Trail Run & Trek event in September, now in its eleventh year, growing it from 125 participants to more than a 1,200.
All of these events have added to the total number of visitors to the Hayward and Cable area year-round, to participate in these events and enjoy the Birkie Trail and surrounding attractions.
“Clearly, the long-term effects of Ned’s leadership have created a legacy that skiers and spectators alike will continue to enjoy for years to come,” said Scheer. “Ned has also been a champion of the citizen skier, perhaps one of the reasons that increasing numbers of skiers of all ages and abilities continue to sign up as first-time Birkie skiers then come back as returning skiers.”
One of Zuelsdorff’s personal passions has been the Birkie Trail itself. From the beginning of his service as executive director, he has worked to extend, improve, and maintain the Birkie Trail system. He has been instrumental, for example, in the vision for and development of the Birkie Classic Trail.
The board of directors accepted Ned’s resignation at their monthly board meeting on January 21, 2013, “with genuine appreciation and admiration for a job well done.” The board is now in the process of making preparations to secure a new executive director after the 2013 Birkie.
Said Scheer, “The American Birkebeiner is one of the largest and most recognized cross country ski races in the world. We have accomplished great things and look forward to continuing that tradition for years to come. We have a great staff and a fantastic network of volunteers. We also look forward to finding the leadership that can continue to move the Birkie, now celebrating its 40th year, forward into its next decade and beyond. We are grateful to Ned for his vision, leadership, and setting such a high standard for where we can go next.”
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/04/AB2012_Darlene_Prois-30608-29-44.jpg" "2012 American Birkebeiner start")
Those unfamiliar with the American Birkebeiner and cross-country ski culture in the Midwest might not get it.
How does a point-to-point ski marathon in northern Wisconsin sell out in record time year after year? Especially after last season, which was marked by low-snow across the continental U.S., how does it draw 10,000 participants?
For the year-round employees at the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) in Hayward, Wis., it’s not rocket science. They consistently put on a good race from Cable to Hayward, which brings people back.
But a 50-kilometer ski marathon, mostly made up of masters and citizens, is only as good as Mother Nature allows, and last year was no walk in the park. Organizers scraped snow off soccer fields and transported 120 truckloads to Main Street. There, they spread the pristine white stuff 6 inches to a foot deep for the ½-kilometer finish.
The ABSF also made sure the Birkie trail was in tact, unloading 500 totes of snow – each weighing 300 pounds – on the course, and shoveling 75 totes by hand. Despite all the sweat that went into it, groomers and organizers alike emitted a relaxed yet down-to-business vibe. Entering the 40th anniversary of the American Birkebeiner, snow seems to be one of the furthest things from their minds – for now.
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in Wisconsin, ABSF executive director Ned Zuelsdorff said they had a few dustings recently, but that probably wasn’t driving registration sales. The Birkie (with the option of a 50 k skate or 54 k classic) and 23-k Kortelopet sold out on Monday (Oct. 15) at 3 p.m., more than a month earlier than it did last year on Nov. 21.
According to Zuelsdorff, registration has closed progressively earlier over the last several years – meeting its 10,000 cap this year in record time. That grand total includes Birkie, Korte and 13 k Prince Haakon participants. On Tuesday, there was some room left in the 500-person Haakon race, and the ABSF saved spots for elite and international skiers.
“It’s fun for us to have set this record,” Zuelsdorff said on the phone. Last year, the three races drew about 9,600 people. This year, they’re already at 9,700 or so. According to public relations director Susan Kendrick, 62 percent signed up for skating and 38 percent registered for classic.
“We now can really focus on getting everything together for the 2013 Birkie, the 40th anniversary, and it’s just really nice to see,” Zuelsdorff added. “It’s just an exciting thing that people are so enthusiastic about coming here.”
The hype surrounding its 40th anniversary, known as the “Big 4,” might have something to do with it. The Birkie started with 11 founding members in 1973. They kept the tradition going for 10 straight years, and today, anyone who completes 20 Birkies is dubbed a Birchlegger. Zuelsdorff estimated there were 1,200-1,300 Birchleggers registered for the upcoming Birkie on Feb. 23.
What’s more, he said at least 200 registrants have done more than 30 Birkies.
“The numbers indicate that we have about 15 percent first-time skiers, which says to me that we’ve got 85 percent that have been here at least once before,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that keep coming back year after year.”
However, each year, the race grows slightly and fills up even faster. Zuelsdorff said that was likely because of the growing impact of the Birkie and word of mouth.
“A week ago, I was at the Twin Cities Marathon expo, we had a booth there, and so many people mentioned that the Birkie is on their bucket list,” he said. “Evidently, roughly 1,500 of our skiers are putting a check on their bucket list this year because they plan to be here.”
When it comes to registering for America’s largest ski marathon, one of 16 international Worldloppets, a sense of immediacy has also infiltrated people’s minds. That makes snow less of a concern. Years ago, registration typically picked up around December or January, Zuelsdorff said.
“Now with the way things have been going over the past couple of years, [our registration employees have] been largely in here all summer making sure that people get assigned to the correct waves and that everything is corrected as far as data,” Zuelsdorff said. “I guess there no longer is the option of waiting to see what the winter’s like before you decide to sign up.”
(Birkie.com press release)
It has been confirmed that the 2013 American Birkebeiner ski races on February 23 will start on the Telemark property as usual.
Current Telemark owner, Steve Kauffman, has assured the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) through a verbal agreement that the Birkie, at least for 2013, can continue to use the Telemark grounds and trails for the race start.
On April 25, 2012, the ABSF submitted a written, comprehensive proposal to Telemark Properties and their lender for continued and guaranteed land-use access, and to Telemark Partners for use of the lodge facilities for ABSF events throughout the year. This proposal offered Telemark Partners what they had requested for the permanent start area. (See 4/25/12 Press Release).
Since then, however, the ABSF had not received a formal response to this long-term proposal and is therefore now focused on the immediate needs of the 2013 Birkie event and at least a short-term agreement for securing the start area.
In mid-July both Kaufman and Robin Bucholz, current operator of Telemark, assured the ABSF through a verbal agreement that the 2013 Birkie can use the Telemark grounds and ski trails for the race start.
On July 18, 2012 the ABSF mailed a written agreement and initial fee payment to Kaufman and Bucholz to formalize the verbal agreement. The agreement is virtually identical to the agreement between ABSF and Kaufman for the 2012 American Birkebeiner event.
“We are very happy that we’ve been able to reach an agreement with Telemark for the 2013 40th anniversary American Birkebeiner event,” said Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director for the ABSF. “We still need to have a long-term solution for securing access to the trails we need for this great event and the significant economic benefit it provides for our communities.”
Any comments or questions regarding the proposal may be sent to Ned@birkie.com.
***
Related FasterSkier story: Birkie Puts Trailhead Proposal on Hold, Works with Telemark (April 24)
NEW Birkie Paintball Biathlon
– July 28, 2012 –
Run or Mountain Bike This Newest Birkie Event
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has announced a new addition to its year-round lineup of Birkie Trail events. The ABSF, together with the North End Ski Club of Cable, WI, will host the all-new “Birkie Paintball Biathlon” on Saturday, July 28, 2012. The event will take place on the Birkie Trail loops surrounding the Birkie “OO” trailhead south of Highway “OO” in Seeley, WI, just nine miles north of Hayward.
Participants can either run or mountain bike the biathlon course. They will complete a course where they stop twice–between each of three laps–to shoot five targets at a temporary target range which will be set up for the event. Each target hit will count as a deduction to the participant’s overall race time.
The paintball target range will be supervised by an adult who will hand the paintball gun to the participant. The participant will fire at the five targets from a distance of 30 feet. The participant will then hand the gun back to the supervisor before completing the next lap.
Age categories and race distances include a 1.5K run for participants age 8 to 12, and a 5K run for participants age 13 to adult. Or, participants ages 8 to adult can mountain bike a 10K course. The running event will be held first, followed by the biking event.
Cross country ski biathlon is already a popular winter sport and Olympic event. As a summer event on dry land, it is a great way to introduce kids and adults alike to the Birkie Trail and the biathlon competition format.
The Birkie Trail is open to the public 365 days a year, so holding additional, supported events like this is a way to get people out on the trail to enjoy one of the area’s greatest recreational resources.
“We’ve made sure this event is trail-friendly in every way,” says Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski foundation. “The plastic paintball casings will fall below the targets and will be cleaned up at the end of the event. The paintball liquid itself is water-soluble, non-toxic, and biodegradable.”
You may register prior to the event or from 8:00 to 8:30 the morning of the event, July 28. Please note, however, that the event will be limited to a total of 100 participants. You can download a registration form at www.Birkie.com Home Page or register at the Birkie office in downtown Hayward, WI. A nominal fee will be charged to help cover the cost of supplies. ABSF will rent the paintball guns, and the North End Ski Club will provide other materials.
For more information, click here, email birkie@birkie.com or call 715-634-5025
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/04/IMG_2369.jpg" "Start of the American Birkebeiner")
(Note: On April 25, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation announced it issued a two-part plan to Telemark Properties and its lender to move forward in securing land access and use of its lodge facilities for Birkie events throughout the year.)
Efforts to create a new trailhead for North America’s largest ski marathon are off the table, at least for now.
Earlier this month, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) withdrew its proposal to the Bayfield County Forestry Committee to purchase properties for a backup start, deciding instead to continue negotiations with Telemark Resort in Cable, Wis.
For nearly 40 years, the lodge has been home to the 50-kilometer race, which currently starts at Telemark and meanders south to Hayward, Wis. Land access has been an issue in recent years, with certain private landowners requesting up to $150,000 for race-day use. The Birkie crosses six private properties and also needs ensured access to Telemark’s trails and the adjacent Cable Union Airport, where nearly 10,000 people are expected to start the race next year.
American Birkebeiner Executive Director Ned Zuelsdorff said the foundation is trying to reach an agreement with Telemark that guarantees land and facility access. Since the resort’s heyday in the 1980s, its financial stability has been in question. The lodge closed in May 2010 and reopened in January 2011 with new owners.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/04/AB2012_Darlene_Prois_607-55-50.jpg" "American Birkebeiner 2012 start")
Steve Kaufman of Telemark Properties officially took over last June and said the lodge’s historical integrity and nordic roots are a priority. He would have never bought Telemark if he thought the Birkie — one of its “top three” events along with the Chequamegon Fat Tire mountain bike festival — would be held anywhere else.
“We think it’s important for the competitors or the participants of Birkie events, who have built traditions at Telemark, for that to stay,” Kaufman said in a phone interview. “I think moving it would be a mistake after three decades at one place. … I would have never got involved with Telemark if I ever thought for a second that the Birkie and Telemark wouldn’t be synonymous in the same sentence.”
Essentially, the Birkie foundation and its board of directors feel the same way, but as the race approaches its 40th anniversary in 2013, they’re seeking piece of mind. Two years ago, trail access across one private property wasn’t guaranteed until five weeks before the race. The landowner requested upwards of $100,000 dollars and eventually accepted $25,000.
Each year, the uncertainty of costs resurface, which is why the Birkie is working with Telemark now. Last November, the foundation formulated a plan to build about five acres of trails and a new trailhead on 120 acres south of Cable. Telemark joined the conversation and released a proposal of its own in late March.
In a bullet-point letter, Telemark Resort outlined several possible solutions for keeping the race there, which included guaranteed easements to Telemark trails for Birkie events, free year-round access to the Birkie Trail and a heated expo center, which Telemark would construct.
In return, it asked the Birkie to base its races, registration and expo at Telemark and lease the new expo center during its events for a 10-year renewable term.
Zuelsdorff said the ABSF planned to send Telemark its own “comprehensive plan,” written with the help of a lawyer, late last week. On Monday, Kaufman said he had not received it yet, but both parties were confident they’d reach an agreement relatively soon.
“Negotiations are still ongoing of course, and we’re doing our best to address the concerns of the American Birkebeiner foundation and at the same time do what’s in the best interest at Telemark and [its] lending institution,” Kaufman said.
According to Kaufman, Great Southern Bank in Springfield, Mo., has to sign off on any agreement between Telemark Properties and the ABSF. Zuelsdorff said they were still determining how many lien holders might be involved in the decision. Kaufman said Great Southern Bank was the only one.
“Nothing is as simple as it might appear,” Zuelsdorff said, citing costs and fees as the big questions.
Kaufman said Telemark is basically asking the Birkie for a “one-dollar commitment” to access all of Telemark’s property in exchange for basing the race there for certain number of years. He understood the Birkie might have prior commitments to other venues in the area.
At the moment, Zuelsdorff said the Birkie is focused on securing trail access near Telemark and an additional easement to bypass private properties if needed. He also hoped they would be allowed to use the lodge for all of its events.
“I think there’s a reasonable chance that we will be able to work out an agreement relatively soon,” Zuelsdorff said. “If anything were to complicate that, then we would have to go to some reasonable alternatives.”
While the new trailhead proposal was on hold, it certainly wasn’t out of the question.
“By taking it off the table immediately is effectively … just putting it on the back burner,” Zuelsdorff said. “That is an alternative for us. There’s actually a couple of other alternative sites that we could use if we needed to.”
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/02/IMGP2976.jpg" "2012 American Birkebeiner men's classic podium: Dave Chamberlain, Joe Dubay, Vegard Ulvang")
Note: This story has been updated to include thoughts from David Chamberlain, who was later proclaimed the 2012 American Birkebeiner classic champion.
***
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Concept2, makers of the SkiErg.
Before and during the American Birkebeiner 54 k classic race on Saturday, the thought of being disqualified never crossed Joe Dubay’s mind.
The 21-year-old said he didn’t think twice when his College of Saint Scholastica teammate Chris Parr gave him his bib, or when he started with Wave 1 and the elites in Cable, Wis., or as he contended for the win with seasoned veterans Vegard Ulvang of Norway and David Chamberlain of Boulder Nordic Sport.
The look on Parr’s face at the finish told him something was wrong, Dubay said in a phone interview on Monday.
As the college freshman sprinted to the line and narrowly beat Chamberlain followed by Ulvang for the victory in his first Birkie, Dubay realized there might be a very big problem. Living only a couple of hours away in Minneapolis, he had been announced as the winner as he came through, but that was only because someone recognized him.
According to the entry list, he was Chris Parr.
Dubay said he contacted some race officials immediately after the race.
“I told them, ‘I’m not Chris Parr. My name’s Joe Dubay. What do you want me to do about this?’ ” he said. “I was pretty sure I would get immediately disqualified.”
Instead, Dubay said the officials told him to sit tight while they sorted things out. The said he should go to the podium ceremony and press conference in the meantime, he said.
“I felt like was in a difficult spot because I made a mistake,” Dubay said. “It should have been somebody else up there not me.”
About an hour after the press conference, the results reflected Dubay’s disqualification. He didn’t hear back from race officials, but discovered the DQ upon checking the results later in the day. While there was no money at stake in the 54 k classic race, the mixup caused a podium shift with Chamberlain moving to first and Ulvang placing second. Murray Carter of Manitoba was third.
According to American Birkebeiner Executive Director Ned Zuelsdorff, Dubay was disqualified for not registering for the 2012 classic race and skiing in another racer’s bib. That violated rules set by the International Federation of Skiing and the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, he explained in an email.
Zuelsdorff quoted a statement from the Birkie website:
“Do not allow another skier to use your bib. If this does occur, the skier and finish time will be disqualified from the race, and both you and the person using your bib will each be required to pay a $150 penalty before being allowed to enter a future event. You and the skier may also prohibited from entering a future event for a period of time.”
The statement explained that skiing in someone else’s bib can cause issues with age class and overall standings. For safety purposes, it was important for a racer to be identified in case of a problem out on the course.
Zuelsdorff wrote the problem wasn’t new — they had a similar situation with a Kortelopet 23 k “winner” and age-class discrepancies in the past — but this was the first with a Birkie winner.
Dubay said he was working with his college coach, Chad Salmela, to right his wrong.
“Basically, I’d just like to express to them that I definitely regret that and apologize for causing a bit of a mess for them for the other athletes that had to deal with the confusion,” Dubay said. “Racing under Chris’s bib was not the right thing to do in the first place.”
Nearly a month ago, Parr offered Dubay his bib upon qualifying for Junior Nationals. Parr decided to skip the Birkie in preparation for the races March 3-10, but came to cheer on Dubay.
He picked up his bib — registered for Wave 1 of the classic race — and gave it to Dubay. In the classic race, the elites and Wave 1 start together, so Dubay jumped in and contended with six-time Olympic medalist Ulvang and Chamberlain, the race service director at BNS.
Dubay, who won a 30 k Finnish Junior Championship in 2009, said he felt good throughout Saturday’s race, but regretted how things turned out.
“I didn’t really understand how big the race was, which also probably led to me not putting two and two together there,” he said. “I went to the start and did my thing. I was in shock the whole time; I was like, ‘Holy smokes, I really didn’t know this was going to be this big.’ ”
The American Birkebeiner and its associated races reached an all-time high with more than 9,000 participants and an estimated 20,000 spectators this year.
The man who was retroactively dubbed the classic champion, Chamberlain didn’t have any hard feelings.
“I have to hand it to Joe Dubay, he skied a great race, smart tactics and a good sprint at the end,” Chamberlain wrote in an email. “When it came down to the finish straight none of us could follow him. Nobody can take away his effort on Saturday, and the number he had on his back certainly didn’t affect his performance.”
On his end, Chamberlain was pleased with how the pack racing played out. He felt good and his skis were fast, making the 54 k more enjoyable. However, nothing topped skiing alongside one of Norway’s greatest racers of all time.
“The best part of my day on Saturday was the chance to compete with my childhood hero, Vegard Ulvang,” Chamberlain wrote. “I always have admired him, and getting the chance to exchange a few words with him during the race and have a talk with him at the podium ceremony afterwards was really special for me. I can say after skiing behind him during the race that he still has a lot to teach about classic technique, every kick and pole is in the right place with no wasted effort.”
HAYWARD, Wis. — One of three skiers to have raced every American Birkebeiner since its inception in 1973, David Landgraf, 62, died Monday in the hospital after being hit by a motorist while bicycling Friday evening.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/08/david.landgraf2.jpg" "David Landgraf")
According to a press release from the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, Landgraf, of Bloomer, Wis., was hit by a car on Highway 27 in Hayward, the town where he finished 38 consecutive Birkebeiner ski races, a 50-plus kilometer trek starting in Cable.
A report from the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department stated that Landgraf was struck from behind by Anna Amparo, 24, of Hayward, who looked back to talk to her two children. She turned around to see Landgraf, but was unable to swerve in time.
Landgraf’s storied skiing history began with the Birkie, when his friend Ernie St. Germaine convinced him to do the inaugural marathon with him, according to the Associated Press. He prepared by skiing in a parking lot.
Ten years later, Birkebeiner founder Tony Wise recognized the 10 original skiers who had started and stuck with the event as “Founders”. Landgraf, St. Germaine and another friend John Kotar, now on the event’s board of directors, were among them.
The three upheld the tradition, making it to every winter Birkie, some which drew close to 10,000 skiers. They would meet at the banquet before each race and share memories, St. Germaine said in an AP interview.
“I hope to take all of those things he did to inspire me … and I’m going to do my best to live them,” St. Germaine said. “He was a year younger than me, but ultimately, he was my hero.”
The youngest of the “Founders,” Landgraf consistently placed in the men’s top 200. Earlier this year, he finished in 2 hours, 43 minutes for second place in his age group and 468th overall. Landgraf also competed internationally and claimed U.S. Master’s Championship titles, according to the Birkie press release.
“He was an amazing person and part of the very fabric of the Birkie,” Executive Director Ned Zuelsdorff said in the press release. “To see Dave in that lone, red Founder’s bib, coming across the finish line with men many years his junior, is just a testament to Dave’s spirit as a person and an athlete. He represented something very special to so many skiers.”
A retired physical education teacher, Landgraf taught at Bloomer Middle School and coached children and adults in Nordic skiing.
In a 2004 interview, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Birkie changed his life.
“I ski as much as I can and I try to stay in shape in the offseason,” Landgraf said. “I’m always racing against myself to see how good I can do. I try to take everything in and try to enjoy the race and the people (and) the festivities afterward.”
He said he was a recreational cyclist who liked to bike in his hometown on paved roads with little traffic.
Landgraf’s death is the sixth cycling fatality in Wisconsin since July 1, the Sentinel reported. At least four of those involved a rider being struck from behind.
Dave Schlabowske, a spokesman for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, told the Sentinel that cycling remains a safe activity. Every year, 2.5 million people ride bikes in Wisconsin, and the death rates are much lower than that of motors and people walking down stairs. An average of 11 cyclists die from collisions with motorists each year.
“Despite the fact that riding a bike is still very safe, the recent spate of crashes, those that appear to be due to inattentive driving, should remind us all what a tremendous responsibility it is to drive a car,” Schlabowske said.
“The potential is always there for tragedy, and it’s really our responsibility to drive with the respect that it deserves and really focus on what we should be focusing on.”
From the Birkie website: “A celebration of Dave’s life will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 13, at the Bloomer Middle School Gym in Bloomer, WI, with lunch following in the cafeteria. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Bank Mutual in Bloomer for the Bloomer Track Program or Ski Strong, or to the Chippewa Valley United Way.”
Private condolences can be sent through the Schriver Funeral Chapel’s website:
http://schriverfuneralchapel.c
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/09/N.Iyer2011TShirt.jpg" "Nitin Iyer winner of the 2011 Birkie T-Shirt Design Contest.")
HAYWARD, Wis. – The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has determined a winner of the Birkie T-Shirt Design Contest for the 2011 event. The winning t-shirt design will be the featured retail t-shirt for the event.
“We created the t-shirt design contest last year as a way to allow artists and those who love the Birkie a creative way to participate in the event,” said Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. “The contest was so popular that we decided to do it again for the 2011 Birkie.”
“More than a dozen people submitted designs and the panel of judges had a very difficult time determining the winner,” said Zuelsdorff. “There were so many excellent submissions that it was really hard to pick just one.”
“It is our goal to inspire people to live active and healthy lives by participating in our events throughout the year. More simply put, we hope that people choose to ‘Live the Birkie.’” said Zuelsdorff. “We believe that this year’s winning t-shirt design reflects the energy of the Birkie and will in turn inspire people to ‘Live the Birkie.’”
The winning design by Nitin Iyer reflects the history of the race, the challenge of the course and popularity of the event.
“My main source of inspiration for my design was the history of the Birkebeiner, primarily the rescue of Prince Haakon Haakonsson. In my design the rescue is depicted in the background, symbolizing the history of the Birkebeiner. I also wanted the design to depict the challenge of the event. To address this, I incorporated the elevation map of the race as the background,” said Iyer. “I wanted to convey the sheer number of people who are drawn to the events challenge so I created a flow of skiers representing not only how the Birkebeiner has come a long way from its historic roots, but also how the race gets bigger and better and with every passing year.”
Iyer is a senior at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is active in tennis, football, debate and theater. His newest passion is skiing including downhill and cross country.
“I entered the contest because I wanted to challenge my graphic design skills and also because I have a growing interest in skiing. Two years ago I took a school field trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There my friends and I had our first experience with cross country skiing. It was the most fun we had the whole trip,” said Iyer. “When I found this competition online, I thought it was the perfect thing to do. I really do hope to attempt the race in 2012 after I get some more practice and have some free time.”
As the 2011 contest winner, Nitin will receive a complimentary race registration to the 2011 or 2012 American Birkebeiner and a VIP Parking Pass to the Race Start. Salomon USA, distributor of high quality skis, boots, bindings and running shoes and New Moon Ski Shop, a great Hayward area ski and bike shop are sponsors of the competition. Nitin has chosen classic skis from Salomon USA and New Moon Ski Shop will provide and install bindings.
You can see Iyer’s winning design by logging on to www.birkie.com. The 2011 Birkie t-shirt will be available for purchase by October 1, 2010. Birkie merchandise is available at the Birkie Office in Hayward, Wisconsin, or online at www.birkie.com.
“The t-shirts will be available in two colors with both short and long sleeve options,” said Zuelsdorff. “Proceeds from the sales of the 2011 featured t-shirt will benefit young skier programs.”
More than 8,000 skiers are expected to register for the 38th anniversary American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet. Another 2,500 are expected for shorter races and events. To learn more about North America’s largest and most prestigious cross country ski race, log on to http://www.birkie.com, email birkie@birkie.com or call 715/634-5025.
Birkie 2011 is sponsored by Becker Law Office, Marshfield Clinic, Johnson Bank, Swiss Miss, CenturyLink, Hayward Area Memorial Hospital, Peoples Bank, Sawyer County Record, and other businesses throughout the region and country.
