NewTrail Report Updates
March 2, 2021Conditions have been deteriorating across southern parts of our region but still remains pretty good up north -- enjoy the March skiing. New reports from Baker, Greenbush2, McCarthy, Wolverine, Giants Ridge, Mt. Ashwabay2, Woodland, Noquemanon, Hartley, Sugarbush, Anvil National, Madeline Lake, Raven, Watersmeet, Zillmer, Cassian Two-Way, Northwoods, Chomonix GC2, Chain of Lakes3, Theodore Wirth North2, Navarino Wildlife, Hiawatha GC2, Mt. Valhalla, Elm Creek, St. Croix Bluffs, Copper Falls SP, Turville Point Conservation, Lapham Peak, Nine Mile Forest, Razorback Ridges, Boulder Lake, Brown Deer, Highland 9-hole GC, Carver, Flambeau Hills, Balsam Branch2, Piedmont, Andes Tower Hill, Escanaba, Lester, Univ of Minnesota GC, Nordmarka, McNaughton Lake, Lebanon Hills and recent reports from Lake Elmo4, Timberland Hills, Pioneer Creek3, Woodland2, ABR3, Timberland Hills West, Hayward Forest, Nordic2, Escanaba, Minocqua Winter, Hickory Ridge, Columbia GC, Lebanon Hills2, Rock Lake3, Spring Rapids, Spooner City, William O'Brien SP3, Land O' Lakes, Lester, Coon Rapids Dam, Penokee Mtn, Quarry Hill, Eastwood GC, Elm Creek3, Mukwonago2, Madeline Lake, Willow River SP2, Battle Creek East, Baker, Trade River, Chain of Lakes3, After Hours, Pincushion Mtn, Treehaven, Sugarbush, CLCF2, Snowflake, Drummond, Cleary Lake, Nicolet North, Anvil National, Moccasin, Saint Mary's Univ, Univ of Minnesota GC, Highland 9-hole GC, Wild River SP, Hyland Lake, North End, Como GC, Seeley, Chomonix GC, Forest Springs Camp, Lapham Peak2, French2, Razorback Ridges, Andes Tower Hill, Elver, Green Haven GC, Phalen GC, Anoka, Pine Point, Three Eagle, Mt. Ashwabay, Tomahawk Lake, Lindenwood, Totogatic, Theodore Wirth North, Hormel Nature, River Bend Nature, Bally Creek, Jackson Meadow, Mecca, Hiawatha GC, Raven, Tower Ridge, Battle Creek West, Mother Bear, Fort Snelling SP, Sugar Hills, Cottage Grove Ravine.
NewSection 1 Coverage
March 2, 2021Brian Abery reports: Minnesota high school Section 1 Championships took place Tuesday at Hyland Lake with the boys and girls experiencing very different competitions. Racing first in the morning, the boys had a relatively firm track with Magnus O'Connor leading the Prior Lake boys to victory winning the combined by almost one minute over his younger brother Evan. Sam Folland, Northfield, took third place overall. The girls races were an entirely different animal as the track broke down in the afternoon and there was free water in the snow as the temps rose to the upper 40s. Greta Engels, Lakeville, and Hastings Linnea Urban battled it out for the individual title with Engels edging Urban by 1.8 seconds for the overall in spite of the latter being the only girl to break 14 minutes in the freestyle race. Olivia Matsoff, Eagan-Eastview, rounded out the podium. On the team side, Prior Lake bested Eagan by 10 points for the team tile, while the Rosemount girls held off Eagan-Eastview by 8 points. Results posted, along with photosets from Dave Zoll.
NewSection 8 Results
March 2, 2021Jay Richards reports: Maplelag Resort was host to the Minnesota High School Section 8 Championships under bright March sunshine and fast warming temperatures on Tuesday. The changing conditions after a fast boy's classic race did little to alter the power generated from champ Logan Jensen, Bemidji, who put in a dominating performance in both the classic and skate events and was the only skier to post a sub-10 minute classic time. Little Falls Jackson Grant put up a solid fight to nail the second spot while Jensen's teammate Nick Youso collected third after posting the second fastest time in classic. In the girls race, Kaisia Bosek of Alexandria skied to the fastest classic time in the morning but Brainerd's Lilian Schaeffer put in a crushing skate performance that was good enough to overtake Bosek and take the Section title. St. Cloud Tech's Wren Scott-Lumbar registered the third spot. Team titles went to the Bemidji boys with Little Falls the runner up. The Brainerd girls took the top spot and Alexandria girls finally punched their ticket to State after missing by the slimmest of margins the previous two years.
NewSection 2 Coverage
March 2, 2021Minnesota High School Section 2 Championships quickly turned into a battle of heat and slop as temperatures soaring into the 40s by late Tuesday morning at Theodore Wirth. The boys race was an exciting three way battle between Minneapolis Southwest's Cooper Camp and Victor Sparks and Eden Prairie's Benon Brattebo. Brattebo posted the top classic time, but then the Southwest boys came flying back in the skate with Camp logging the fastest time and taking the combined title by less than four seconds, Brattebo second, and Sparks just 4/10s behind! Margaret Wagner, Edina, ruled the day for the girls posting the fastest times in both formats. Eden Prairie's Ella Bakken posted a fast enough freestyle time to take second place in the overall, with Washburn's Etta Leugers third. Teams advancing to State: Minneapolis Southwest and Eden Prairie boys, Eden Prairie and Minneapolis Washburn girls. Results linked in, along with photosets.
NewWorld Championship: Women's 10K Freestyle
March 2, 2021One of the marque races arrived on Tuesday with the women's 10K freestyle at the World Championships in Obersdorf, Germany. As expected, the warm weather continued to play a role as a number of skiers opted for modified uniforms to keep cooler. The US squad had a strong performance with Jessie Diggins taking fourth, less than six seconds off the podium as Sadie Maubet Bjornsen was 11th, Rosie Brennan 17th and Sophie Laukli 23rd. Norway's Therese Johaug easily won the race with Swedish stars Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson cleaning up the medals. Next race will be the men's 15K freestyle, starting at 6:15 am CST.
NewMadshus: Skiing the Vasaloppet 10 Times in a Row
March 1, 2021Former Swedish national ski team director and coach Christer Skog skied Vasaloppet ten times in ten days with his buddy and comedian Måns Möller. The Swedish Vasaloppet track was groomed and open for 23 consecutive days in order to spread out the participants and avoid crowning.
NewSection 3 Results
March 1, 2021Minnesota high school Section 3 championships were run on fast trails at Hyland Lake on Monday. St. Paul Highland Park's Molly Moening had a strong performance, posting the only sub-13 minute classic and sub-11 minute freestyle results in collecting the girls victory. SPA eighth grader Inga Wing skied to second place with Math and Science Academy's Greta Hansen in third. Davis Isom, St. Paul Highland Park topped the boys field with St. Paul Central's Charlie Ostergren second and Isom's teammate Otto Schmidt third. St. Paul Highland Park and St. Paul Academy girls advance to State, along with St. Paul Central and St. Paul Highland Park boys.
NewSection 6 Coverage
March 1, 2021Minnesota High School Sectional Championships got underway Monday, with Section 6 competing on new snow and temperatures in the teens at Theodore Wirth. Roger Anderson, Robbinsdale-Armstrong, leveraged a strong classic race with enough speed in the freestyle to defeat Colin Freed, Wayzata, for the boys title with Wayzata's Daniel McCollor third. For the girls, Sydney Drevlow of Hopkins dominated as she won both classic and freestyle races. Lauren McCollor, Wayzata was second with Hopkin's Elsa Bergman third. Boys teams Wayzata and Robbinsdale-Armstrong and girls teams Wayzata and Hopkins advance to State. Results linked in, along with photos.
NCAA Regionals: Freestyle Coverage
February 28, 2021Day two of the NCAA Regionals in Houghton, MI, and like much of the region, snow became a factor as the flakes starting falling during the men's race. NMU's Kjetil Banerud skated to the top men's 20K time with MTU's Patrick Acton second, Tobias Moosmann, NMU, third. On the women's side, NMU made a clean sweep of the top five placings with Molly Miller taking the win, Malin Boerjesjoe second, and Hilde Eide third. Results linked in, photos by Chris Schmidt.
American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet Classic Results
February 28, 2021A winter wonderland descended on the Birkie trail Sunday with several inches of fresh snow falling for the final day of racing and the crowning of classic champions in the American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet. Ian Torchia pressed the pace early on, eventually shedding all competitors and skiing most of the second half of race by himself to take the men's title by over seven minutes! Johnny Hagenbuch finished second with Tyler Kornfield doubling poling his way to third. Rosie Frankowski and Alayna Sonnesyn also separated themselves from the elite women's field, with Frankowski eventually striding away from Sonnesyn to take the victory. Sonnesyn took second with Kate Feld rounding out the podium in third. Frankowski and Sonnesyn had impressive times, finishing 6th and 8th overall! Kortelopet elite titles went to Kevin Johnson and Kristina Vanwilgen-Hammitt. Results linked in, along with the livestream replay.
World Championship: Team Sprints
February 28, 2021The World Championships contested team freestyle sprint events on Sunday with sloppy conditions once again. Sweden continued their dominance of the sprint with the pairing of Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling taking the women's title. Norway's duo of Erik Valnes and Johannes Klaebo needed an exceptional final leg by Klaebo to overtake a Russian lead and ski to victory with Finland nipping Russia at the line for second. Americans Rosie Brennan and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen combined for fifth place. The American men did not advance to the finals after missing an exchange in the semi-finals. The next event will be Tuesday, Mar 2nd, with the women's 10K freestyle starting at 6:15 am CST.
Price Hike: Great Bear Chase
February 27, 2021Looking to use some of that late season fittest in one more marathon? The Great Bear Chase in Calumet, Michigan, has a number of pandemic appropriate racing options available! But register by Monday night, Mar 1st, as the price jumps after that.
NCAA Regionals: Classic Coverage
February 27, 2021In the final step towards NCAA Championships, regionals are underway this weekend in Houghton, MI. Saturday was classic races, 5K for the women, 10K for the men. Anabell Needham, MTU, posted the best women's time, following closely by NMU's Molly Miller and Hilde Eide. On the men's side, Zak Ketterson, NMU, posted a punishing sub 27 minute time for the victory with teammate Kjetil Banerud second, and CSS's Emil Book Bratbak third. Results linked in, along with photos from Chris Schmidt.
American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet Freestyle Coverage
February 27, 2021The elite in-person freestyle races that determined the official winner of the American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet were held Saturday morning in Cable. The men's race stayed fairly tight with Johnny Hagenbuch taking the victory followed by Sam Wood and Tyler Kornfield. The women's event came down to a two-way battle between Alayna Sonnesyn and Rosie Frankowski, with Sonnesyn pulling ahead for her second title. Caitlin Gregg, completing the all-Minnesota podium, finished in third. Kortelopet titles went to Kieran Mullen and Nina Chosy. Results linked in along with photos of the elite waves and livestream replays.
World Championships: Skiathlon
February 27, 2021Saturday featured grueling 15K and 30K skiathlon races in Obersdorf, Germany, as the weather continued to be warm. Norway's Therese Johaugg pulled away from the women's field to take the win with Sweden's pair of Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson sprinting it out for second and third place, respectively. Jessie Diggins was the top American for the women, finishing 15th. On the men's side, Russia's Alexander Bolshunov held off a pack of Norwegians for the victory, with Simen Krueger second, Hans Holund third. Scott Patterson and David Norris lead the way for the American men, both posting top 20 results (14th and 17th). The next races are Sunday with team sprint events, the finals starting at 6 am CST.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 5
February 26, 2021Another round of rankings is out, just in front of the big section meets next week. Some shuffling in individual rankings, and a new number one team for the girls!
Junior Birkie Coverage
February 26, 2021The kids finally got their chance to shine at Birkie Week on Friday with the Junior Birkie races at the Kortelopet Stadium. Check out the final results and photos from the event.
Collegiate Racing Recap: CCSA, EISA, RMISA
February 25, 2021All three major collegiate divisions were racing last weekend as NCAA Championships draw near. Luke Brown has recaps on all the divisions, plus an update on NCAA selections.
World Championships: Classic Sprints
February 25, 2021The World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, got underway Thursday with classic sprints. Unfortunately, warm weather has been playing havoc with conditions and the races were even moved to an earlier schedule in an attempt to provide a better course. Jessie Diggins, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Ben Ogden, and JC Schoonmaker all qualified for the sprint heats, but none advanced. Sweden's Jonna Sundling took the women's title in a bit of a surprise, with Johannes Klaebo (no surprise) taking the men's victory for Norway. Next races are skiathlon events on Saturday: 15K for the women at 4:45 am CST and 30K for the men at 6:30 am CST.
US Ski Team: Talent-Stacked Team Kicks Off World Champs Thursday In Oberstdorf
February 24, 2021The Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team heads into Thursday’s kickoff of the 2021 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a talent-stacked team that has experienced one of its best seasons ever with 15 World Cup podiums, numerous breakout performances, and a current World Cup leader in Jessie Diggins. With warmer than average temperatures, schedules are being revised. The opening classic sprint Thursday now has the heats starting at 4:30 am CST.
Minnesota State Meet Switches to Two Day Format
February 24, 2021The 2021 covid format Minnesota State High School Nordic Skiing Championships has been changed to a two day format, with girls on Thursday, March 11th and boys on Friday, March 12th. In addition, the section qualification has been restored to the two two teams of seven skiers, plus the top six individual skiers not on the selected teams.
Rice Creek Boat Club Registration Open
February 23, 2021Rice Creek Boat Club has announced their summer training programs and a list of the top reasons you should consider joining up! Registration is now open.
ABR to Ramsey Route Relay
February 22, 2021The Anderson Foundation conducted a demonstration event last Saturday, showcasing a proposed route that would run from ABR Trails into Miners Park and then east to Ramsey on the Iron Belle Trail.
Biathlon: World Championship Medals
February 22, 2021Record Medal Haul - Fischer touts the top results by sponsored athletes at the Biathlon World Championships.
Four Gold Medals - Madshus celebrates the amazing four gold medals earned by Sturla Holm Lægreid at the Biathlon World Championships.
US Ski Team: Seventeen Athletes Named to World Championships Team
February 21, 2021The FIS Nordic World Championships are Feb 24 thru Mar 7 in Oberstdorf, Germany. Representing the Midwest is Jessie Diggins who leads the World Cup and is joined by Kevin Bolger. The first races are classic sprints on Thursday, Feb 25th with heats getting underway at 8:15 am CST. Livestreaming will be on NBC's Peacock Premium.
Vasaloppet Classic Results
February 21, 2021The Vasaloppet wrapped up their weekend of racing with classic format races on Sunday. Andrew Tilman collected the 41K crown, besting Ryan Sederquist by less a second, with Karl Holub third. Josie Nelson notched yet another classic title with Molly Watkins second, Elspeth Ronnander third. Early results indicate Zaine Braaten and Bonnie Weiskopf scooped up the 21K victories.
Mayor's Challenge Freestyle Coverage
February 21, 2021A near perfect day of racing Sunday at Theodore Wirth for the freestyle races in the Mayor's Challenge. Caitlin Gregg showcased some of her World Cup talent in posting the only sub 15 minute time in the women's 5K on a challenging course. Renae Anderson (U23) and Erin Bianco (U23) rounded out the top three. Maggie Wagner was the fastest of the U18 field, Sydney Drevlow best of the U16 (and 5th overall), and Isabel Seay topped the U20 group. In the men's 10K, Christian Gostout (U23) ruled the day while Adrik Kraftson (U18) was second, Tyrg Solberg (U23) third. Colin Freed skated to the best U20 time. In the boy's 5K, Daniel McCollor topped Davis Isom by just over six seconds for the win, Josh Frett third. Results linked in, photos from the 5K and 10K events online now.
Mayor's Challenge Sprint Coverage
February 20, 2021Temperatures started off in the single digits for the classic sprints but rose into the 20's in the afternoon for the freestyle sprints. Posting the top times in the classic sprints were Joe Lynch (U20) and Renae Anderson (U23). Roger Anderson was second overall by only a few tenths of a second for the best U18 time with Miles Miner the top U16 skier. Jordan Parent was third overall as the top U18 gal, Margaret Dalseth posted the top U20 time, and Sydney Drevlow was the best of the U16 field. The afternoon freestyle races had some extra "bumps" on the course to change things up. Renae Anderson (U23) completed with the sprint sweep with the best freestyle time, Cooper Camp (U18) had the top time for the boys. Isabel Seay scooped up the best U20 result, Lauren McCollor had the top time for the girls U18 division while Margo Nightingale topped the U16 field. Joe Lynch lead the U20 skiers and just missed the sweep, finishing just two-tenths of a second behind Camp. Davis Isom was the fastest of the U16 guys. Results linked in, along with photos from the classic sprints.
Vasaloppet Freestyle Results
February 20, 2021In-person racing fired up for the Vasaloppet on Saturday with the first event on tap: 47K freestyle race. Matt Liebsch somehow found a way to nip Ian Torchia at the line to collect his 12th title, with Brian Gregg finishing third. Alayna Sonnesyn was the women's champion, and eighth overall, with Abby Drach second and Claire Trujillo third. In the afternoon 32K race, Dennis Curran and Nicole Schneider collected the victories. Sunday will feature the classic races.
World Cup Final Weekend Rescheduled
February 20, 2021After cancelling the final World Cup racing weekend in Oslo, Norway, FIS has rescheduled the event for Engadin, Switzerland on March 13-14th. The final events will be a mass start 10K/15K classic followed the next day with a pursuit start 30K/50K freestyle race, using much of the famed Engadin skimarathon course.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Rankings - Round 4
February 18, 2021Whew -- after being frozen out, the rankings finally get a refresh. Nothing new at the top of the heap, but plenty of tweaks including some well deserving that had been previously left out.
Coaches Association Proposes State Meet Format
February 18, 2021The Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Coaches Association has put forward a new proposal for the State Meet this March, suggesting the normal section selection criteria with a two-day State Meet format at Giants Ridge with boys and girls competing on separate days, each skiing 5K classic in the morning and 5K freestyle (non-pursuit) in the afternoon. A final decision is expected by early next week.
Swix: Birkie Race Prep
February 18, 2021Swix has released a comprehensive guide for getting your skis race ready for the Birkie, including their new fluoro free gliders and kick wax, brush recommendations, and a preliminary wax rec.
Skinnyski FAQ
December 4, 2011We've collected together a bunch of common questions to assembly our own FAQ for cross-country skiing in the Midwest and using the Skinnyski website.
Skinnyski Photos
February 5, 2009Found a photo you'd like to get a copy of? Looking for images from a past event? Find out how to dig through our archives and help support the web site by purchasing photographs.
Find Us: 
