FasterSkier

Tag: The Trailhead

  • Winter’s Early Arrival — A Season of Firsts at Wirth Park

    Winter’s Early Arrival — A Season of Firsts at Wirth Park

    (Press Release)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Alora Jones
    Phone: 612-900-6890
    Email: jones@loppet.org
    Website: loppet.org

     

    Winter’s Early Arrival — A Season of Firsts at Wirth Park

    First snow trail of the season opens, new community-based programming, and a first-of-its-kind 759-acre ‘gym’

     

    Minneapolis, MN — Staff and volunteers at the Loppet Foundation have been hard at work this
    season transforming Theodore Wirth Regional Park into a winter wonderland amidst uncertain
    weather conditions. Thanks to the completion of The Trailhead, Wirth Winter Recreation Area is
    kicking off its 2018-19 season sooner than ever before!
    Earlier this week, Loppet staff were pleased to announce the opening of about 400 meters of
    skiable trail available just outside the doors of The Trailhead. This marks the earliest the Loppet
    Foundation has been able to open ski trails at Wirth Park, and the first cross-country ski trail to
    open in the Twin Cities this year. Loppet Foundation Trails Superintendent, Isaac Kasper, was
    especially pleased by his team’s ability to pull this off.

    “In this new era of the Loppet, we’ve been able to offer so much more in terms of outdoor
    recreation opportunities than we ever have before.” Kasper said. “Our increased snowmaking
    capacity and new grooming equipment mean more trails earlier in the season, our growing trails
    team means our expertise continues to improve, and with the new building now in place, we’re
    expecting community members to enjoy their best ski season yet.”

    In addition to the ongoing trail work happening outside of The Trailhead’s doors, the Loppet
    Foundation has also been focusing its efforts inward to create a more hospitable outdoor
    recreation experience through its Club Trailhead. Leveraging Wirth Park as a 259-acre ‘gym’,
    Club Trailhead provides members with access to hot showers, lockers for personal storage,
    access to its strength studio, as well as group fitness classes — all with the goal of increasing
    community connection to this spectacular natural resource right in North Minneapolis.

    “The Trailhead is part of a deeper connection to North Minneapolis,” said Loppet Adventures
    Director, Anthony Taylor. “What this project is really about is helping us realize our goal of
    connecting our programming, and Theodore Wirth Park, to the community members that live
    closest to this amazing place “

    A project nearly a decade in the making, The Trailhead is a long-term vision of the Loppet
    Foundation and part of the Theodore Wirth Regional Park Master Plan. Acting as a hub for
    year-round outdoor recreation, The Trailhead is poised to create a welcoming environment for
    community members to begin their own outdoor adventures while elevating Wirth Park as a
    model for improving and increasing access to the great outdoors.

    ###

    ABOUT THE LOPPET FOUNDATION
    The Loppet Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates a shared passion for
    year-round outdoor adventure in the Minneapolis area, focusing on underserved youth and
    families. Since 2002, the Loppet Foundation has worked to create high-quality public events,
    youth education, and outdoor recreation programs for the local community. Learn more at
    loppet.org.

  • Minneapolis to Host 2020 FIS Cross Country World Cup

    Minneapolis to Host 2020 FIS Cross Country World Cup

    Jessie Diggins (front), seen here leading fellow U.S. Ski Team member Sophie Caldwell in a World Cup race, was key to securing a FIS Cross Country World Cup for Minnesota. (Photo: U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

    (Press release)

    The International Ski Federation (FIS) today officially confirmed that Minnesota will host a World Cup cross-country ski event in Minneapolis in March 2020.  U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Loppet Foundation will serve as hosts of the World Cup event, taking place at the new ‘The Trailhead’ facility in Theodore Wirth Park.

    “A Minnesotan who brought home a gold medal has now helped us bring home the World Cup,” said host committee co-chair RT Rybak. “Now it’s time for Minnesota too, once again, show we host big events better than anyone.”

    Cross country ski champion Jessie Diggins is a native of Afton, Minnesota, and the first American athlete to win a gold medal in Olympic cross country ski competition; she and teammate Kikkan Randall won the women’s team sprint at Pyeongchang earlier this year. Diggins was key to securing this international competition for Minnesota.

    “Hosting a round of the World Cup is our chance to show skiers from around the world how Minnesota embraces winter — through sport and through our hospitality,” said Diggins. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard and The Loppet Foundation are excited to host a world-class competition and share our state with athletes from around the world. We’re equally excited to give ski fans from around the US a chance to see the action up close for the first time in nineteen years! I am so proud to represent Minnesota as one of the first American athletes to win Olympic Gold in cross country, and now to bring the sport I love to the state I call home.”

    “When Jessie called me and asked if the Foundation would support her dream of bringing a cross country World Cup event to the U.S., my team and I responded with an enthusiastic ‘yes!’” said John Munger, Executive Director of the Loppet Foundation. “Her ask was a no-brainer for us because we, too, have dreams of sharing this spectacular sport with the world. That’s why we’ve worked hard over the last 16 years to elevate cross country skiing, and adventure sports widely, starting in our own backyard.”

    “Everyone at U.S. Ski & Snowboard is delighted that we and the Loppet Foundation are able to formally confirm that the cross country World Cup will be coming back to the USA in March 2020 and to one of the great hotbeds of cross country skiing in Minneapolis,” commented Calum Clark, Chief of Systems and Operations for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “A lot of hard work has gone into making this announcement possible, from the Loppet Foundation team in Minneapolis to the International Ski Federation (FIS), but none more so than from Minnesota’s own Jessie Diggins and the whole U.S. Cross Country Ski Team whose efforts, especially in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, were the catalyst for the compelling concept to bring the world’s best cross country skiers to the city of Minneapolis.”

    On the heels of successfully hosting Super Bowl LII, the WNBA All-Star Game, and now preparing to host the NCAA Final Four, the FIS Cross Country Ski World Cup event is yet another in a string of world-class sporting events to choose Minnesota as host.

    buy relafen online, buy ponstel online

    “The Loppet has helped put Minneapolis cross country skiing on the map, and Theodore Wirth Park offers the best trails in our state,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “Hosting a round of the Cross Country Ski World Cup is yet another chance to showcase how to do winter right and for our city to shine as we show the world that Minneapolis welcomes everyone with open arms.”

    “Minnesota is the perfect host state for a cross country ski racing World Cup event,” said Beth Helle of Explore Minnesota. “Minnesota boasts more than 2,000 miles of cross-country ski trails, and the sport is integral to our winter tourism industry. Winter accounts for 24% of tourism expenditures in Minnesota, and our high-quality, groomed ski trails help ensure that skiing-related destinations and businesses are able to thrive throughout the winter months.”

    Nearly a decade in the making and just opened this summer, The Trailhead is part of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Master Plan for the park and the Loppet Foundation’s long-term vision for making lifetime endurance sports more accessible for their local community. This year-round hub for outdoor adventure will host competitive races, community events, and now an international ski competition right in Theodore Wirth Park; solidifying Theodore Wirth Regional Park as a world-class cross country venue.

    More information on the World Cup event, including how to secure tickets and see the competition in action, will be available on the local organizing committee’s website, www.mnworldcup.com, or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @mnworldcup.

    About the Loppet Foundation

    The Loppet Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates a shared passion for year-round outdoor adventure in the Minneapolis area, focusing on underserved youth and families. Since 2002, the Loppet Foundation has worked to create high-quality public events, youth education, and outdoor recreation programs for the local community. Learn more at loppet.org.

    About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

    U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body for ski and snowboard sports in the USA. One of the oldest and most established sports organizations worldwide, directly tracing its roots back to 1905, the organization, based in Park City, UT, provides leadership and direction for elite athletes competing at the highest level worldwide and for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders in the USA, encouraging and supporting all its athletes in achieving excellence wherever they train and compete. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. U.S. Ski & Snowboard receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund athletic programs that directly assist athletes in reaching their dreams and achieving the shared goal of being Best In The World.

  • ‘The Trailhead’ Grand Opening at Wirth Park

    The Minneapolis Park Board & The Loppet Foundation celebrate the historic opening of The Trailhead building in Throdore Wirth Park. (Photo: Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board)

    (Press release)

    Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Loppet Foundation celebrate opening of The Trailhead in Theodore Wirth Regional Park

    New facility will serve as a jumping off point for full slate of year-round, world-class outdoor recreation opportunities

    On Tuesday, July 17, 2018, officials from the Loppet Foundation and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) were joined by a crowd of supporters and Theodore Wirth Regional Park users for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the official opening of The Trailhead.

    The Trailhead is a new 14,000-square-foot building built with bird-safe glass and a variety of northern hardwoods representative of the forest in Wirth Park. It will serve as a year-round destination for outdoor adventurers from all walks of life.

    “Through years of hard work, strategic thinking, and incredible community support, The Trailhead is finally coming to fruition and we couldn’t be happier,” said John Munger, executive director of the Loppet Foundation. “Having this infrastructure in place will give us exactly the boost needed to realize our vision of an ethnically and economically diverse community coming together around a shared passion for the outdoors.”

    Building highlights include:

    • Large indoor gathering space with seating for 250 people
    • Outdoor patio looking out at multiuse natural trails and the winter tubing hill
    • The Trailhead Adventure Shop: A bike/ski outfitter offering rentals, repairs, concierge services, directions and maps, and outdoor gear, run in partnership with Venture North Bike Shop.
    • Cajun Twist will serve up authentic New Orleans cuisine through both indoor and outdoor counter service. It is expected to open later this fall.
    • Club Trailhead: Members receive access to locker rooms, showers and fitness studio open hours.
    • Indoor/outdoor ticketing counter serving Theodore Wirth Par 3 Golf Club and Snow Tubing
    • The Loppet Foundation offices
    • Free outdoor bike wash and repair station
    • Public restrooms

    The Trailhead is located at 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway and is open daily 7 am-9 pm.

    “The Trailhead will open countless opportunities for people of all ages, experience levels and backgrounds to enjoy Wirth Park and the natural beauty we’ve been gifted in Minneapolis,” said Mary Merrill, superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. “It’s a great park with incredible trails and attractions, and now we’re thrilled to add this world-class facility.”

    The Trailhead was included in the Theodore Wirth Regional Park Master Plan, which calls for an area devoted to lifetime outdoor activities like cross-country skiing, trail running, mountain biking and hiking. The Master Plan was approved by MPRB Commissioners on March 4, 2015 after a five-year public engagement process that included dozens of public meetings.

    “Partnerships and volunteers are crucial to maintaining and improving our beloved parks system,” said Brad Bourn, president of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. “We’re proud to partner with an organization like the Loppet Foundation, which has a phenomenal reputation and proven track record of making outdoor recreation experiences available to kids and people of color who have been traditionally excluded from the outdoors.”

    The MPRB and the Loppet Foundation have worked together for years to provide maintenance and programming at Wirth Park. That successful relationship expanded as part of this project. The Loppet Foundation oversees snowmaking and mountain bike trail maintenance, while the MPRB remains in charge of golf operations and golf maintenance and programming, with the exception that the Loppet provides customer service staff inside The Trailhead.

    “The exciting thing about The Trailhead is how it provides this amazing on-ramp for positive experiences in the out-of-doors,” said Anthony Taylor, Adventures Director of the Loppet Foundation. “Over the years, Loppet programming has been happening in parking lots, out of the backs of trucks and trailers, and we now have this safe space for adventure to live and flourish in North Minneapolis — and realize our ultimate goal of connecting everyone with an active, outdoor lifestyle.”

    ABOUT THE LOPPET FOUNDATION

    The Loppet Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates a shared passion for year-round outdoor adventure in the Minneapolis area, focusing on underserved youth and families. Since 2002, the Loppet Foundation has worked to create high-quality public events, youth education, and outdoor recreation programs for the local community. Learn more at www.loppet.org.

    ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD

    The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is a nationally accredited, independent, semi-autonomous body responsible for the Minneapolis park system. With 180 parks, the Park Board provides opportunities for all people to gather at its 102 playgrounds, 77 pools and beaches, 126 miles of dual walking and biking paths, 49 recreation centers, 47 outdoor ice rinks, 12 gardens, seven golf courses, seven dog parks and hundreds of multipurpose sports fields and courts. Public water access is offered at 12 lakes, three creeks and more than 10 miles of Mississippi riverfront, and it’s expanding with the transformative RiverFirst plans. For details, visit www.minneapolisparks.org.