XC RACE SEASON PREVIEW There's no lack of competitive ski races as organizers present a full slate of ski races for the 2003-2004 season By Greg Marr
 It's that time of year again time when we take a look at the upcoming Midwest XC race season. After literally months of combing the Internet, sending out e mails and letters and making phone calls, we have what is the most comprehensive listing of races and recreational ski events you'll
find anywhere in the country. Coming in a close second is the calendar you'll find at skinnyski.com and there's a reason for that. Bruce Adelsman and Silent Sports share information during the months of gathering and fact checking, so nearly all of what you see here is also at skinnyski.com, as well as at silentsports.net. The only difference between this and skinnyski.com is that we include a few more lower Michigan and Illinois events, and our listings at the back of this magazine
include recreational skiing as well as the races.
If you have not bookmarked skinnyski.com, and you are an avid cross country skier what's wrong with you? I suggest you do so as soon as you're done reading this. It's simply one of the best if not the best XC ski sites on the Web. Without the help of Adelsman, I'd be placed in restraints and under 24 hour watch by now, and what you see here
would not be nearly as complete. Thanks, Bruce.
That said, let's get on with it. Observations
With winter seeming to have tilted little snow in December, lots of it in March plus the Birkie on Feb. 21 and not the last Saturday of February, there is a lot going on late in the season. There are nearly 20 ski events after the Birkie this year, so keep that in mind as you plan your season.
December is no wimp of a month either when it comes to events. You'll have to head north, but if you want to race you'll likely be able to do it in December.
A few races do not return to the schedule (more on that in a minute) but not as many as one might imagine, considering the disastrous recent winters. New events have replaced those lost, so the race schedule is still quite full.
Gone Missing
We hate to start with a negative, but there are a number of events not returning, which is not surprising considering the lack of snow the past couple of years.
First, the North Shore Mountain Challenge, which had been scheduled last year and canceled, then announced again in a press release in these pages recently, is being suspended (you can't really cancel something that was never held in the first place). It was decided that there just
wasn't adequate support for staging such an undertaking at this time.
Also gone in Minnesota is the Governor's Cup, Murphy Challenge and all but one of the St. Paul races. The Classic Hiihito remains but the New Year's Day Race, King Boreas and La La Palooza are gone but not victims to a lack of snow.
In an e mail to Adelsman, Vince Gillespie, special services manager for the city of St. Paul, said, "The ski races lost staff capacity to run them
when the city's budget reduction eliminated the special services supervisor position." Blame the loss of those on the economy. Rumors swirl that there still might be more racing this season in St. Paul.
As noted in the Correspondence section of this magazine last month, the Porkies Classic is on hiatus not because of a lack of snow they get plenty but a surprising lack of interest.
In Wisconsin, don't look for Troll Hollow Race League at Dresser or
the Northwoods Nordic Challenge in Door County.
While we might mourn a favorite race lost, as you'll soon see, there are new ones lined up to replace them.
The Races
First, a disclaimer: Try as we might to have this be accurate, things change. In preparing the following there were events we had listed for specific days, only to get a frantic phone call of a date change. Use this and our Calendar of Events as a guide , not gospel. If you use this to
plan your race schedule, contact each event to verify it will be held, and when. Dates change, weather doesn't cooperate and, regrettably, hard as we try to avoid it, we are capable of mistakes. We're human. If you see something listed in here that is not correct, please contact us. We'll have a XC Race Season Corrections column if necessary.
The following is a preview; specific information can be found in the Calendar of Events section.
DECEMBER
December has been rough on ski events in the past few years, but that doesn't deter event organizers.
Midwest XC ski racing begins on Thursday evening, Dec. 4, with the start of the 5K Elm Creek Relay Series in the Twin Cities. You might think that's wishful thinking hosting a ski race this early but this one should go off. Elm Creek began making snow on a 2.5K loop in early November. The series is on Thursday evenings through February.
The Snowflake Opener Sprints
, 1K, are on Dec. 6, followed by the Snowflake Opener 10K freestyle Dec. 7 in Duluth. They were fully open in early November so if the snow holds, this should be a go.
Head up to the Wolverine Trails in Ironwood, Michigan, Dec. 13 14, for the new Wolverine Challenge , 3 to 10K skate (Saturday) and classic (Sunday). This is a Junior Olympic Qualifier but all skiers are invited.
The Hoigaard's/Breadsmith Relays , 4x3K, is in the early morning
hours Dec. 13 under the lights at Hyland Hills in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The same day, Silent Sports , along with Telemark Resort, is hosting a Demo Day on Saturday at Telemark in Cable, Wisconsin.
A high school event, the Lakeland Invitational , is at Minocqua Winter Park on Dec. 18, while Minnesota high schoolers will compete in the Dec. 20 Hopkins Holiday Relays at Phalen Park in St. Paul.
In the U.P. of Michigan, Dec. 20 21, skiers can join in the MTU Christmas Classic on the MTU Trails in Houghton, 2 to 15K freestyle on Saturday and the same distances classic on Sunday, Dec. 20, also has the unique Winter Solstice at Trollhaugen in Dresser, Wisconsin, a 7K under the lights that will have you ski one loop classic and then switch to one loop skating.
The Silent Sports Minocqua Winter Park Demo Day will also be Dec. 20.
Head to Hayward on Dec. 27 for the HASTA Double Pole Derby , a 10K freestyle and/or a 5K classic. Test your summer and fall training with the Double Birkie Trail Ski on Dec. 28, a 90K ski from Fish Hatchery to Telemark and back.
Finally, the Classic Hiihto kicks off on New Year's Eve day, Dec. 31, a 15K classic, at Battle Creek in St. Paul.
JANUARY
For simplicity sake, we'll look at January and February state by state, beginning with Wisconsin.
Wisconsin
There are five choices the first weekend of January in the Badger State. Saturday, Jan. 3, the long running Waukesha County Parks Citizen Race , 5 or 10K with a 2K kids event, is at Waukesha's Nashota Park. The Schwann Shuffle , 15 or 5K classic is at the Schwann Conference Center in Trego, while the Ashwaubenon Nordic Open , 10 or 20K freestyle, is at the Reforestation Camp near Green Bay. On Sunday, Jan. 4, there's the 2 to 14K
Blue Hills Ascent on the Blue Hill Trails near Bruce in northern Wisconsin, and the new MadNorSki Subaru Ice Age Challenge debuts 5 or 15K freestyle racing at Elver Park in Madison.
The MadNorSki Tuesday Night Race Series , also at Elver, begins on Jan. 6. Southern Wisconsin's other popular series, the Lapham Peak Wednesday Night Nordic Series , starts Jan. 7 near Delafield. Both series run into February.
Jan. 10 11 features the 24 Hours of Telemark
for individuals or teams at Telemark Resort in Cable, Wisconsin. At the Greenbush Trails on Jan. 10 there's the 15K freestyle Aurora Health Care Greenbush Challenge .
Jan. 10 11 brings another new event to the schedule, the Stormy Kromer Pursuit at Mercer, a 10K classic Saturday and a 15K skate on Sunday. Sign up and you get a free Kromer cap.
Classic skiers can head to Wausau's Nine Mile Trails on Jan. 11 for the 12K Snekkevick Classic .
Classic skiers can then head over to the Birkie Trail on Jan. 17 for the 42, 22 or 5K Seeley Hills Classic . Jan. 17 is a busy day with the 11K Lapham Loppet at Delafield, the 12K Heartland Nordic Freestyle at Standing Rocks near Stevens Point (also a 6K HS and 4x1 relay), or the Balsam Vinter Fest at Amery, 20 or 10K, 6K HS and youth races.
The Fridtjof Nansen is in Eau Claire on Jan. 18 with 5 and 15K skate
or classic race. Kids have a race to themselves, the Sons of Norway Barneloppet , a 1.3K at Minokka Park in Waukesha on Jan. 18.
The new CXC Nor Am Super Tour stops at Telemark Resort Jan. 21 25 with a variety of races and distances for youth, junior, collegiate, senior and master skiers.
So far, the Iola Norseman Challenge has the day to itself on Jan. 24 with 18K freestyle, 10K classic, 6K HS and youth events at the Iola Winter Sports Club trails.
The last weekend of the month features the Nicolet Norski , 30K freestyle or classic Jan. 31 on the Lakewood Trails and, that evening, the 7K Book the Lake For the Library on Nelson Lake at Hayward, a candlelight event.
Jan. 30 Feb. 1 Wisconsin skiers will meet in Iola for the High School XC Skiing Championships .
Minnesota
The Gopher State opens with the Coca Cola Classic , a 10K classic
Saturday and a 20K skate Sunday, Jan. 3 4, in Alexandria, or the 10K classic or skate Graystone Challenge , with a 5K HS, near St. Cloud, Jan. 3.
The Sprint Race Series kicks off its January run on the 6th at Hyland Park in Bloomington with 4K time trials.
The Elm Creek Relay Series continues on Jan. 8.
The Red Wing Loppet Ufda Challenge has Saturday, Jan. 10, all to itself with 15K freestyle and 12K classic races in Red Wing. On
Sunday, Jan. 11, the only show on snow are the Sawtooth Races , 7.5 or 15K classic or skate at Pincushion in Grand Marais.
The Nor Am Super Tour stops at Mount Itasca near Cobraine, Jan. 17 18, with distances of 3 to 15K for youth, junior, senior, collegiate and master skiers.
The popular Baker Shaker , 10K freestyle with youth events, is Jan. 17 at Baker Park Reserve in the Twin Cities. Sharing that date is the aptly named Frostbite Falls Ski Race
, a 10 or 5K in International Falls.
On Friday evening, Jan. 23, the Montebello Nite Ski , a 6K classic or freestyle, is under the lights in Bemidji. On Jan. 24, skiers can head to Waubun for the Rainbow Rendezvous , a 10K freestyle and 6K classic at Rainbow Resort, or to the Vinterloppet , 12K classic or 12 and 25K freestyle at Grand Rapids.
A new event pops up on Jan. 25, the Classic Nordic Challenge , a
10K classic only at the Tamarack Nature Center in White Bear Lake.
The month ends with bang. There's the City of Lakes Loppet in Minneapolis, Jan. 30 31, with sprints Friday evening. Saturday's 10 or 35K point to point classic or skate races begin in Wirth Park and end in Uptown. Jan. 31 is also the date for the Pepsi Challenge at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, a 7, 24 or 48K skate or class. For something a little more low keyed, try the Jan. 31 10K freestyle Moraloppet
in Mora.
Illinois
Illinois race organizers roll the dice and hope for snow on Jan. 11 with the Joliet Nordic , 10 or 3K races in Joliet, and the Jan. 17 Northern Illinois Nordic , 11K plus youth events in Wheaton. Both were held last year while many races to the north were canceled.
Michigan
Michigan's Upper Peninsula seldom has to worry about snow unless you consider too much snow a problem so it's a good bet these races will be
held, even when there is little snow elsewhere. (But that's not going to happen again, is it?).
We begin with a non XC event, but it's close. Free the heel on the downhills Jan. 16 18 with Telefest , a weekend of telemark skiing fun in the Porkies.
Cross country racers, however, will want to be in the Marquette Ishpeming area Jan. 17 22 for the Subaru National Masters , a week of racing in all disciplines at a variety of distances, culminating with the Jan. 24
Noquemanon and National Ski Hall of Fame Half Marathon , 51 and 25K respectively.
Elsewhere around the U.P., there's the Jan. 17 Heikinpaiva Hiihto , 15 or 5K plus youth events on the Maasto Hiihto Trails in Hancock. Stay for the Copper Island Classic the next day, 5 or 10K classic only races at the nearby Chassell Trails.
In lower Michigan, the Crystal Highlander at Thompsonville offers a 25K classic or freestyle on Jan. 31.
Canada
Our near neighbors to the north, just across the border from Minnesota's Arrowhead in Thunder Bay, invite us to the Jan. 3 4 Lappe Invitational , the Jan. 23 Kamview Classic , and the Jan. 31 Feb. 1 Ontario/Canada Cup .
FEBRUARY
Wisconsin
Skiers know what waits toward the end of the month but there's plenty of racing before then. The MadNorSki Tuesday Night Series continues on the 3rd, while the Lapham Series
continues on the 4th.
Badger State Games at Nine Mile near Wausau are Jan. 7 8 with 10 and 20K adult freestyle and classic, 40K classic, 43K freestyle (a Birkie qualifier), 7K and 4K junior, 1K youth and relays.
In the Hayward Cable area, Feb. 7 features the Hayward Lions Pre Birkie , a 26K freestyle on the south end of the Birkie Trail, and the Feb. 8 North End Classic , a 23K classic only on the Kortelopet Trail.
Get your final tune up for the Birkie the next weekend with the Feb. 14 Rib Lake Hinder Binder , a 23K freestyle near Medford or, the same day, the Brule River Timber Cruise , 16 or 32K freestyle and a 12 classic on the Afterhours Trails near Brule.
The Reforestation Camp Trails near Green Bay are the setting for the Sunday, Feb. 15, Stump Farm Classic , a spirited 20K with youth events, and the Book Across the Bay that evening, a 10K across
Chequamenon Bay from Ashland to Washburn following a trail lighted by luminarias.
Birkie Week begins in Hayward, Feb. 19, with the Elite Sprints and Sons of Norway Swiss Miss Barnebirkie.
On the 20th, there's the Junior Birkie for ages 10 to 15, the Over the Hill , a 12K classic at Telemark, and the Chequamegon Communications 10K , a noncompetitive event at Telemark. The main events, the American Birkebeiner 51K and Kortelopet
23K, kick off Saturday morning, Feb. 21.
But, as we've argued many times in these pages, skiing does not stop with the conclusion of the Birkie.
On Feb. 28, there's the Howard Young Cup , 25K freestyle, 8K classic, 8K HS freestyle and youth events at Minocqua Winter Park, and the Riverview Loppet , 12 and 24K classic and freestyle, with interval starts, plus youth races, at the Afterhours Ski Trail in Brule.
Minnesota
The month kicks off with three choices on Feb. 1. At French Regional Park in the Twin Cities, the Gear West Women Only Race & Tour has an 8K race, 5K tour and 2K kids. The Marine/O'Brien, 10.5K classic or skate, is at William O'Brien State Park, Marine on St. Croix. Up in Bemidji, the Lumberjack Classic features 16, 6, 1K skate and classic events at the Brainerd Country Club.
During the week, the Elm Creek Relay Series continues Feb. 5.
The weekend of Feb. 7 8 has a variety of choices. The Ely Wilderness Trek has a 15K classic Saturday and a 15K freestyle Sunday, plus youth events and 7K fun tour at the Hidden Valley Ski Trails in Ely.
The Winterfest XC Ski Races , 12K and 5K freestyle, are at Frontenac State Park on Feb. 7. The same day, in Mora, there's the Mora Miniloppet , 1.5, 4 and 7K for ages 13 and under.
The Midwest's second largest race, the Mora Vasaloppet , kicks off
Feb. 8 with 58 or 35K skate, 42K classic and a 13K race in Mora.
Feb. 13 finds the next generation's champions, Minnesota high school skiers, gather at Giants Ridge for the Minnesota State High School Championships .
Another of Minnesota's big events, the Minnesota Finlandia , is on Feb. 14 with a 50K, 25K and 10K at the Buena Vista Ski Area, Bemidji. Back in the cities on the 14th, the long running Snowflake Race
, a 10K freestyle, is at Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove.
The Eric Judeen Classic , a 10K with youth events, is at the Korkki Nordic Ski Area in Duluth on Feb. 15.
After clearing the schedule for the Birkie the weekend of Feb. 21 22, racing picks back up Feb. 28 with the Buena Vista Snowjourn , a 12 or 3K classic or freestyle race or tour at the Buena Vista Ski Area in Bemidji.
The month ends at Maplelag in Callaway with the Feb. 29 Lotvola Cup,
a 12K classical.
Michigan
There are a couple of February races of note around the other side of the Big Pond in Michigan. Feb. 7 is the day for Michigan's oldest point to point race, the Alden State Bank White Pine Stampede , 50, 20 or 10K, in Mancelona.
Sticking in lower Michigan, Feb. 14 features the North American Festival of Races , 12, 27 and 50K races, plus 12 and 27K tours, in Traverse City.
Head to the U.P., at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, for the Feb. 14 Brockway Mountain Challenge , a once a year opportunity for a 15K ski to the crest of Brockway Mountain outside of Copper Harbor.
Canada
Thunder Bay hosts the Feb. 7 Kamview Tour , 15 or 30K skate and classic races at the Kamview Nordic Centre.
MARCH
The ski season is winding down but don't put those boards away quite
yet there's a full slate of over a dozen races in March.
At Sleeping Giant Park in Thunder Bay, the popular Sibley Ski Tour offers a 10K family fun ski, 20K tour and a 50K race on March 6. The same afternoon at Snowflake in Duluth, the Salmela Cup has 5 and 10K skate or classic races. Youth skiers take to the Swedetown Trails in Calumet, Michigan, March 6 with the Junior Bear Chase Stride and Skate races. The next day, it's time for the adults to take over
Swedetown with the Great Bear Chase , 26K classic, 50K freestyle and 26K freestyle.
Also on March 7, it's back to the Rainbow Resort in Waubun, Minnesota, for the 10K freestyle, 6K classic and 2K family ski/snowshoe Rainbow Rendezvous Deux .
March 13 is a busy day in Minnesota. There's the Twin Ports Nordic Ski Championships at Snowflake in Duluth, 5, 10 and 20K skate and classic races; the Hoigaard Slush Run , a 5K freestyle on what's left of
the man made snow at Hyland Hills in Plymouth; and Giant Ridge's Pole, Pedal and Pant , a 10K ski, 10K mountain bike and 5K run.
March 14 doesn't quite end the season at ABR in Ironwood, Michigan they'll likely still have skiing into April but it is the date for the ABR Season Closer , a 24K and 3x1 sprints.
Ski racing continues on March 20 with the Wooden Ski Rendezvous , a 5K race and tour on wooden skis at Snowflake; the Chili Bowl Equinox
, 5K skate or classic, plus a hill climb, on the remnants of snow at Trollhaugen in Dresser, Wisconsin; and the Wabos Loppet , a 26K wilderness ski in the Stokely Creek area of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
If you still haven't had enough, Canada calls with the March 27 28 Marostica Subaru 24 Hour Relay , a 24 hour ski for individuals or teams at Lappe Nordic in Thunder Bay.
Also, on a date yet to be determined, although it's slated for mid to late
March, you can ski 30 or 40K all day on canoe routes of Quetico Park in the Cross Quetico Lakes Tour .
Uncertain
Sometimes, considering how far ahead we seek race confirmation, it's difficult for organizers to say with certainty whether or not their event will be held. There is also changeover in organizations and we just can't get to the right people. That said, we can neither confirm nor deny (I watched the Watergate Hearings) the following:
The
ABR Season Opener in December. Eric Anderson at ABR just wasn't sure if they'd try to do it again. The Volkski , a classic race at Lake Bemidji State Park in early Feb., might come back as a last minute, low key affair. Finally, we have received no word on the Spirit of Duluth , which was scheduled for February last year.
| |
