Archives 2022-2023
NewWorld Cup Racing: Lahti Schedule
March 22, 2023The final weekend of the World Cup season is here and there's plenty at stake with three days worth of podiums up for grabs and several spots in the overall standings yet to be decided. A team sprint starts things off in Lahti, Finland on Friday, with a qualifying round taking place at 8:20 AM CDT, followed by the finals at 9:50 AM CDT. Then it's on to back-to-back classic events with individual sprints on Saturday (qualifiers at 4:30 AM CDT, heats at 7:00 AM CDT) and a mass-start 20K race on Sunday (women on course at 5:00 AM CDT, men at 6:45 AM CDT).
World Cup Tallinn: Freestyle Sprints
March 21, 2023Racing under the lights for a rare night competition on the World Cup, a one-off round of freestyle sprints was front and center in Tallinn, Estonia on Tuesday. The first time back in the country since 2019, it was also the first test run of a new protocol that had all athletes competing on the same wax. Seemingly unaffected by the circumstances, Norwegian athletes reigned supreme again, with Kristine Stavaas Skistad and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo both emerging victorious in the heats. It was another challenging day for US athletes as they struggled to break free from the heats, qualifying five—Ben Ogden, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, and Samantha Smith—but advancing none. Lahti, Finland, the host for three days of racing this weekend, is the end of the road for the World Cup and the last chance for athletes to shuffle the standings with a handful of podium positions still in contention for the sprint, distance, and overall titles.
World Cup Racing: Tallinn Schedule
March 20, 2023With a week to go in the World Cup season, a day of freestyle sprints in Tallinn, Estonia is all that remains for athletes before they arrive at the final venue of the season in Lahti, Finland. For Tuesday's stop in Tallinn, the racing action gets underway at 10:00 AM CDT for the sprint qualifiers, with the sprint heats slated for 12:30 PM CDT.
World Cup Falun: Mixed Team Relay
March 19, 2023Just as it did last season, a mixed team relay capped off the World Cup competitions in Falun, Sweden, with the men's and women's fields teaming up for just the second running of the event. Gaps in the field formed early in the race, and through the first exchange a lead pack of four teams had emerged comprised of Sweden I, Norway I and II, and Italy I. Overcoming a 20 second deficit, the Germany I team would also make contact with the leaders, and it would from there on out remain a quintet until Sweden I's anchor, Jonna Sundling, took off with less than a kilometer to go, leaving the rest of the group to hash out who would finish second and third. In the end it was Norway I who would cross the line just ahead of Germany I, who in turn just outstretched Norway II (with Italy I nowhere to be seen). For the US, the early fracturing of the field left both of its teams out on an island, resulting in 8th and 11th place finishes for the two teams. One final midweek layover awaits athletes on Tuesday as the World Cup moves to Tallinn, Estonia for freestyle sprints.
Last Chance Race Results
March 19, 2023A strong turnout Saturday morning in Mora for possibly the final race of the season, the Last Chance Race. The Gregg family of Brian and Caitlin swept the 20K freestyle titles with Matt Liebsch losing to Brian in a photo finish and Alex Reich taking third. Kaia Hilgendorf-Roost and Kristi Nixon completed the women's podium. Victorious in the 10K freestyle races were Dylan Little and Jackie Larsen.
World Cup Falun: Freestyle Sprints
March 18, 2023Warm temperatures and soft conditions added an extra challenge to Saturday's sprint competitions for day 2 of the World Cup races in Falun, Sweden. Quickly becoming the answer to a Swedish team full of quality sprinters, Norway's Kristine Stavaas Skistad went toe to toe with the best the Swedes had to offer in the women's final and came out on top for the second time in a row (and third time this season). Meanwhile, it was just another day at the office for another Norwegian, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, as he calmly collected yet another sprint victory in the men's final. Although non of the five US athletes that qualified for the heats—Ben Ogden, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, and Samantha Smith—were able to advance, a highlight for the squad was that 17-year-old Smith made the heats in just her second World Cup start. The final day of racing in Falun will revisit the mixed team relay, a relatively new event of which the US team won last season at the very same venue.
CBS Sunday Morning to Feature American Birkebeiner March 19th
March 18, 2023This Sunday morning, March 19th, CBS News Sunday Morning will have an extensive feature on the American Birkebeiner. Scheduled for 8 am CST, check your local programming for times in your area. Or watch the replay on their YouTube channel.
World Cup Falun: Classic Distance
March 17, 2023The opening day of the World Cup weekend in Falun, Sweden held an air of possibility as athletes lined up one by one for an interval-start 10K classic race. For Finnish athlete Kerttu Niskanen it was a day to flex her family's classic prowess, and she did exactly that, finishing ahead of the rest of the field by over 15 seconds in the women's race. Also out to send a message, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo proved that he could still win both distance and sprint events as he put 10 seconds between himself and his next closest competitor in the final kilometer, winning the men's race. With four athletes placing in the top-15, there was no shortage of standouts for the US. Of the bunch, Jessie Diggins finished just off the podium in 4th, Rosie Brennan was another two places back in 6th, and Ben Ogden and Novie McCabe both crossed the line just outside of the top-10 in 13th and 14th respectively. Switching to freestyle technique tomorrow, sprints will be the main event for Saturday's set of races in Falun.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Mass Start
March 16, 2023Junior Nationals competition wrapped up Thursday at Birch Hill in Fairbanks, AK, with some incredible freestyle mass start races. Greta Hansen won the women's U20 division, crowned National Champion; Sydney Drevlow collected another podium with a third place finish in the U18 division. Other top performances - MU16: Logan Drevlow 6th; FU16: Anna Gilmer 24th; MU18: Oliver Miatke 6th, Daniel McCollor 9th, Davis Isom 13th, Tommy Simmonds 14th; FU18: Hanna Koch 4th, Lydia Kraker 5th, Fran Peterson 8th, Natasha Sortland 10th, Nina Fedje 15th; MU20: Ben Dohlby 7th, Ben Lewis 8th, Jonathan Saldin 9th, Victor Sparks 12th, Jonathan Clarke 13th, Aiden Van Straten 15th.
Midwest Collegiate Ski Association: USCSA National Championships Recap
March 16, 2023Following the conclusion of the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, CA, the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association (MCSA) issued their final update of the season, offering a deep dive into how the continent from the Midwest fared day-by-day, and a send-off for the 2023 edition of the competition.
World Cup Racing: Falun Schedule
March 15, 2023After back-to-back stops in Norway this past week, the World Cup circuit pays a visit to its neighbor, Sweden, for three days of racing in Falun. Beginning with an interval-start 10K classic race on Friday, the women's field will head out first at 6:00 AM CDT in the opening event, followed by the men at 7:15 AM CDT. Freestyle sprints will then be the focus of Saturday, with heat qualifiers at 4:50 AM CDT, and the heats themselves at 7:20 AM CDT. Finally, athletes' time in Falun wraps up the same way it did the previous year, with a mixed team relay, which is slated for 5:15 AM CDT on Sunday.
USCSA Recaps 44th Annual National Championships at Mammoth Mountain
March 14, 2023With four feet of snow more than they started the competition with, the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, CA wrapped up on Thursday, cutting short some of the planned events in the face of inclement weather. Despite the early curtain call, a majority of the nordic events had already been run by the time the competition came to a close, and a finalizing of the results meant that the St. Olaf women's team would finish atop the combined standings on the back of a sweep of the events by Lily Hubanks. Similarly for the men's field, an early ending meant that the University of Minnesota Twin Cities' team would solidify their spot as the best from the Midwest, finishing 5th in the combined standings.
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Sprint Results
March 14, 2023Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska, continued Tuesday a full day of freestyle sprint competition. Midwest's Sydney Drevlow earned another podium, taking third in the FU18 division. Other top results included FU16: Anna Gilmer 17th; MU16: Logan Drevlow 17th; FU18: Nina Fedje 7th, Lydia Kraker 10th, Hanna Wilsey 15th; MU18: Miles Miner 11th, Davis Isom 12th; FU20: Greta Hansen 4th, Hailee Zimpel 15th; MU20: Benon Brattedo 8th, Jonathan Saldin 9th, Ben Lewis 11th. The final day of racing is Thursday with classic mass start races on tap.
World Cup Drammen: Classic Sprints
March 14, 2023Less than two week are left in the World Cup season and the competition is heating up as athletes jockey for podium positions in the final standings. Tuesday's classic sprints in Drammen, Norway were the first of four individual sprint competitions remaining, and among the women's field there were skiers aplenty looking to make their mark. One such skier was the up-and-comer Kristine Stavaas Skistad of Norway, who had just notched her first victory before the World Championships and topped the podium again today. Also topping the podium again and sealing a home soil sweep was Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who earned his 14th victory of the season in dominant fashion. Five US athletes made the heats in Drammen—Zak Ketterson, Ben Ogden, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, and Julia Kern—with Kern the best of the bunch, advancing to the final where she finished 6th, and Ogden making it as far as the semifinals where he finished 11th. Ketterson looked to be advancing as well until a late crash took him out of contention. Athletes will now get a few more days of rest before a 3-day weekend of racing across the border in Falun, Sweden.
Junior Nationals: Classic Results
March 13, 2023Junior Nationals competition got underway on Monday in Fairbanks, Alaska, with 7.5K classic interval start races. The Midwest came roaring out the door with a number of podiums: Sydney Drevlow won the FU18 title! Greta Hanson 2nd FU20, Logan Drevlow 2nd MU16, and Tommy Simmonds 2nd MU18. Other top performances: MU16: Quinn Holan 5th; MU18: Davis Isom 7th, Oliver Miatke 10th, Daniel McCollor 14th; MU20: Benon Brattebo 6th, Ben Lewis 9th, Jasper Johnston 10th, Andrew DeFor 11th, Ben Dohlby 15th; FU16: Helen Townley 10th; FU18: Lydia Kraker 5th, Hanna Koch 6th, Natasha Sortland 11th; FU20: Hailee Zimpel 6th, Lily Brown 8th, Jordan Parent 10th. Racing continues on Tuesday with freestyle sprints.
World Cup Racing: Drammen Schedule
March 12, 2023Just two days after a historic World Cup weekend in Oslo, Norway, athletes will relocate to the neighboring town of Drammen for classic sprints on the city streets. Only a 24-hour layover before moving on to the next stop, Falun, Sweden, Tuesday's event starts at 5:30 CDT with a round of qualifying for all athletes, followed by the heats for the top-30 qualifiers at 8:00 CDT.
World Cup Oslo: Women's Freestyle Marathon; Historic Third for Diggins
March 12, 2023The first edition of the women's World Cup 50K event in Oslo, Norway was a grinding and grueling affair with many athletes hitting their limits and pushing past them. For roughly half of the race the field stayed relatively intact, but once the distance crossed into new territory fractures started to form and a group of less than a dozen was all that remained with two laps to go. The competition reached its crescendo coming down the final descent into the Holmenkollen stadium where an all out blitz between the remaining skiers collapsed into a three-way sprint between Norway's Ragnhild Gloeersen Haga and Astrid Oeyre Slind, and the US superstar Jessie Diggins. Just tenths of a second would separate the three as the race would finish in that order, with Diggins in third on the inaugural podium for the event. A long week lies ahead for athletes as all are back in action on Tuesday for classic sprints in Drammen, Norway.
Great Bear Chase Results
March 12, 2023Over 700 skiers turned out Saturday morning for the Great Bear Chase events on the Swedetown trails in Calumet, MI. The Gregg tandem of Brian and Caitlin collected another set of victories with Brian taking the 50K skiathlon and Caitlin the women's 50K freestyle. NMU's Lauren McCollor was the women's skiathlon champ, with Nikolai Anikin taking the 50K skate. Classic 50K titles went to Evan Wetzel and Carli Goddard. In the 25K events, Abby Scheller and Christian Byar had the fastest classic times while Pearl Harvey and Tom Wood had the best skate. Full results linked in.
NCAA Championships: Freestyle
March 11, 2023With temperatures hovering around freezing after a day where they were well above, the second half of competitions at the 2023 NCAA Championships resumed with two rounds of classic racing on Saturday. Flip-flopping with the men's field, it was ladies first for the 20K event as the field got on-course en mass. Looking dominant in the final push that would earn her a title sweep at this year's Championships, the University of Utah's Novie McCabe would finish first, followed shortly after by Hanna Abrahamsson of the University of Colorado Boulder, and another University of Utah Ute, Sophia Laukli. Following in the footsteps of the women's race, the men's race would also be decided late, with a Canadian from Harvard, Remi Drolet, securing the victory over second-place-sweeper John Steele Hagenbuch from Dartmouth. The men's podium would be completed with a third place finish by Jacob Nystedt from the University of Vermont. A more challenging day for Midwest skiers, the best results came from Northern Michigan University's Merle Richter who finished 21st, and Midwest native Zachary Nemeth of Colby College who finished 19th.
World Cup Oslo: Men's Freestyle Marathon
March 11, 2023There was no shortage of spectators on Saturday as fans lined the Holmenkollen course in Oslo, Norway for the men's mass-start 50K freestyle race. Marking the start of Period IV of the World Cup, it was the second 50K race in under a week for many athletes, and it showed in the legs of those who had just raced last Sunday. Perhaps the best distance specialist on the circuit at the moment, it was once again The Simen Hegstad Krueger show as the Norwegian overtook teammate Hans Christer Holund within the final few hundred meeters for the victory, his first at the hollowed ground. Charging in behind the pair was another of their countryman, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, who led a late surge to move onto the podium in third. Showing their experience when it comes to distance events, Americans David Norris and Scott Patterson both ended the day within the top-20, finishing 17th and 18th respectively. Tomorrow the women's field will get their first ever opportunity to race 50K at Holmenkollen, with the stakes being just as high as the fever pitch of the crowd.
Junior Nationals Opens in Fairbanks
March 10, 2023Junior Nationals fires up Saturday in Fairbanks, Alaska, with opening ceremonies. The racing action is scheduled to begin on Monday with classic interval start distance events. Tuesday is freestyle sprints and then competition wraps up on Thursday with freestyle mass start races (no relays this season). Livestreaming is planned for all three races.
NCAA Championships: Classic
March 9, 2023An eventful day of freestyle racing at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg venue outside Lake Placid, NY encapsulated the first half of competitions at the 2023 NCAA Championships. With last year's all-around champion making a last minute decision to stay in Europe for the start of Period IV of the World Cup, the men's 10K event was anybody's race to win. The results, however, painted a very different picture as a Brit from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Joe Davies, took the title by a whopping 25-second margin, leaving Dartmouth's John Steele Hagenbuch to settle for second, and the University of Denver's Bernhard Flaschberger for third. Also taking the title with time to spare in the women's 5K event was Novie McCabe from the University of Utah, who kicked off her Championships the same way she did the previous year. Rounding out the women's podium were Jasmine Lyons of the University of New Hampshire and Anna-Maria Dietze of the University of Colorado Boulder. Of the athletes representing the Midwest, the day's top times came from two Michigan Technological University athletes, Skylar Patten and Anabel Needham, who both registered high placing results in 14th and 8th respectively. Following a break on Friday, the competition continues on Saturday with a 20K classic race for both the men's and women's fields.
USCSA Announces Results and Schedule Changes for National Championships
March 9, 2023In the midst of record setting snowfall, the schedule for the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, CA has been ever changing to accommodate for the unprecedented weather. Through the first three competitions the Midwest has been well represented, with the most notable result being an ongoing sweep of the women's events by St. Olaf's Lily Hubanks, who's team is currently leading the overall standings. For the men's field, the University of Minnesota Twins Cities' team notched a pair of top-10 finishes in Wednesday's freestyle sprints and is currently sitting in 5th in the overall standings. As things stand, one more race remains at the National Championships: a classic team sprint.
World Cup Racing: Oslo Schedule
March 8, 2023Coming off of a rousing string of competitions at the World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, the World Cup is back on this weekend for the fourth and final period of the circuit. The first stop of the last leg takes us to the legendary Holmenkollen venue in Oslo, Norway where athletes will be competing in a marathon freestyle race, with both the men's and women's fields covering a distance of 50K this time around. The action begins on Saturday at 3:30 AM CST for the men's race, followed by the women's race on Sunday at 4:15 AM CDT. For the most part the US squad for Period IV consists of the same faces seen throughout the season, although one of the more interesting additions comes in the form of a discretionary nod to the junior out of Idaho, Samantha Smith. Of the Midwestern contingent, Kevin Bolger, Zak Ketterson, Jessie Diggins, and Alayna Sonnesyn will all be making appearances, with the latter two set to start on Sunday.
NCAA Championships Preview
March 7, 2023In less than 48-hours time the best of the best from colleges across the US will be leaving it all out on the course at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Being held just outside Lake Placid, NY, at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg venue, two men's and two women's champions will be crowned over two days, with the first titles up for grabs in interval start freestyle races on Thursday. Our event preview has everything you need to know to get up to speed heading into the competition.
Junior National Teams Announced
March 6, 2023The full teams for the Midwest and Great Lakes Junior Nationals competition, March 11-16 in Fairbanks, AK, have been announced. Also posted are the teams for the Canadian Nationals.
Great Bear Chase this Saturday in Calumet, Michigan
March 5, 2023With less than a week to go, there are still some spots open to register for this year's Great Bear Chase. Taking place this Saturday, choose from distances of 50K, 25K, and 10K and enjoy a complimentary luncheon beforehand, with great raffle prizes and awards afterwards, all while taking in the excellent grooming on the Swedetown Trails.
World Championships: Men's 50K Classic Mass Start
March 5, 2023Sunday's sunny, sloppy weather made for a sluggish affair as the men's field battled it out over 50K on the final day of racing in Planica, Slovenia. The classic event started en mass and stayed that way for some time, but the conditions eventually took their tool on the field, and a pack of less than a dozen was all that would be left to contend for the medals with just a couple laps to go. Decisive moves had been far and few until Finland's Iivo Niskanen started upping the tempo on the final lap, setting off a chain of events that would result in the Norwegian Paal Goldberg charging ahead to win his first individual gold medal, with fellow countryman Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo unable to deny him in second place. Just barely edged out by Klaebo was William Poromaa of Sweden, who was more than happy to escape from the star-studded group with a bronze medal. The final showing by the US men at the World Championships was highlighted by a 16th place by distance specialist Scott Patterson. Seguing from one marathon event to the next, the World Cup circuit resumes next weekend with a stop at the storied Holmenkollen venue for 50K freestyle races for both the men and the women.
Sleeping Giant Loppet Results
March 4, 2023Returning for the first time since 2020, the Sleeping Giant Loppet was held at the provincial park of its namesake on Saturday with several hundred skiers in attendance. Among their ranks were some of the best from the Midwest, including Matt Liebsch and Michaela Keller-Miller who took home the titles in the 50K freestyle race. For the 50K classic race, the titles were split between Canada and the US, with Matthew Cuddy of Thunder Bay claiming the men's, and Kerrie Berg of Bemidji claiming the women's. Lastly, the titles stayed north of the border for the 35K and 20K freestyle races, with Kai Meekis and Berit Dool at the top of the results in longer event, and Adam Kates and Katie Weaver triumphant in the shorter event. Results are linked in.
USCSA National Championships March 7-11
March 4, 2023The pinnacle of collegiate club competition in the US, the Collegiate National Championship get underway this coming Tuesday in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Running through Saturday, over 500 athletes from 65 colleges and universities will be competing in the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) sanctioned competition for titles in alpine, nordic, snowboard, and freestyle events.
Pepsi Challenge Results
March 4, 2023A great morning of racing on the Giants Ridge trail system for the Pepsi Challenge events on Saturday. In the premiere 50K freestyle, Marit Ross-Sonnesyn pulled away from Sarah Widder and Chelsey Youngberg for the women's title, while Alex Reich took the men's title with Benjamin Boelter second and Nick Ross third. The sparse 50K classic field had Molly Watkins and Andrew Tilman posting the best times. The largest field of the event was the 25K freestyle, which saw Jenna Nelson just ahead of Quinn Schollett for the women's victory, and Mitchell Campbell in front of the photo finish for second between Andrew Kershaw and Jes Pedersen. Kaisa Lindfors and Jordan Woods were 25K classic champions. Results linked in.
World Championships: Women's 30K Classic Mass Start; Brennan 5th in the World
March 4, 2023The weekend marked the final opportunities for the men's and women's fields to earn medals at the 2023 World Championships, with a classic marathon the final event. Ebba Andersson of Sweden pushed the pace early in Saturday's 30K women's race, ultimately breaking away by the midpoint of the race to ski the remainder on her own. With the race for gold largely decided, the race for the remaining medals would become an exciting war of attrition as the chase group slowly whittled down to a pack of five including the American, Rosie Brennan. Down to a half a lap to go, Norway's Anne Kjersti Kalvaa would make a decisive move, seeing her through to secure second place, although third place was still up for grabs. One final move up the last climb sealed the deal though, as Sweden's Frida Karlsson would take third just in front of a sprint finish between another Swede, Linn Svahn, and Brennan, for 4th and 5th respectively. In addition to Brennan's incredible performance, the US also had a standout in Hailey Swirbul, who worked her way up the field for an 18th place finish. A 50K race for the men's field will close out the competition in Planica, Slovenia on Sunday.
Team Birkie: Coach Caitlin Gregg Announces Departure from Team
March 3, 2023An integral part of the team since its inception, Team Birkie's founding organizations announced that coach Caitlin Gregg will be stepping away from the team. A ground breaker and an inspiration, Gregg made invaluable contributions to the team and the community, also helping the team achieve numerous milestones in her tenure.
World Championships: Men's 4x10K Relay
March 3, 2023Seeking to match the excitement of the women's team relay event yesterday, the men's version of the World Championships event took place on Friday with a podium of national importance up for grabs for the top three teams. A leader arose early in the race, and to no one's surprise it was the team from Norway, who gradually grew their lead over the four legs, crossing the finish line in first with over 45 seconds to spare. The more surprising result of the day would come from the team from Finland who separated from the rest of the pack during the second leg, a move that would see them comfortably capture the second podium position, their best result in over a decade. Also posting their best result in near the same amount of time was the team from Germany, who willed themselves to a third place finish ahead of a faltering French team. To cap off a day filled with bests, the US team finished in 7th, their best World Championships result in many decades. For the final two days of racing in Planica, Slovenia, 30K and 50K mass-start classic races await the women's and men's fields, with the women competing tomorrow, and the men competing the day after.
World Championships: Women's 4x5K Relay
March 2, 2023Winding down to the final few events at this year's World Championships, two days of team relay racing kicked off on Thursday with the women's squads representing their nations first. In an almost picture perfect repeat of the race a few weeks back, this edition of the team relay ended in a nearly identical fashion, with Norway cruising to a victory as Germany held on for second, and Sweden sprinting away from Finland in the closing stretch for third. For the US, the team of Hailey Swirbul, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, and Julia Kern found themselves on the outside looking in this time, finishing in 5th after falling off the pace early. The men will have their opportunity to represent their nations on Friday.
Weekend Racing
March 1, 2023Mar 4 Pepsi Challenge - Epic day of racing on the Giants Ridge trail systems with a variety of distance options.
Mar 4 Sleeping Giant Loppet - Across the border in Thunder Bay, popular March races.
Mar 4 Squirrel Hill Loopy Loppet - One or two 6K laps on the Minocqua Winter Park trails.
Mar 4 Nordic Spirit - Classic racing at Spirit Mountain, with discount for DXC members.
Mar 5 Erik Judeen Classic - Held at old school Korkki Nordic, a sweet 10K classic event (race fees waived!).
Any late updates we receive we'll post in our Racing Outlook.
Related:
Waxing Recommendations
World Championships: Men's 15K Freestyle Individual Start
March 1, 2023Another day of freestyle distance racing in Planica, Slovenia ended with another sweep of the men's podium by the Norwegian team at the 2023 World Championships. In almost identical fashion to yesterday's champion's racing tactics, Simen Krueger essentially started with the lead and never gave it up, leading the individual start event for over two thirds of the 15K race and prevailing through a late push by teammate Harald Oestberg Amundsen to claim his second title of the competition. Followed shortly after by another teammate, Hans Christer Holund, the trio of Norwegians were the tip of the iceberg for a nation that placed all five of their athletes in the top 6. Of the Americans, Scott Patterson was the guiding light for the US men once again, leading the group with a 15th place finish, with Gus Schumacher also cracking the top 20 in 19th. Tomorrow we will see a return to action for the women's field as they seek national glory in the team relay event.
Minnesota Nordic GoFundMe Live for USCSA Nationals
February 28, 2023Earning a berth to the USCSA National Championships from their results at the Regional Championships competition, the collegiate team from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, dubbed Minnesota Nordic, is seeking assistance in making the to journey cross-country to Mammoth Lakes, CA for the competition. Receiving limited funding from the University, any and all donations will go a long way towards helping offset the cost for athletes to make the trip.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: American Birkebeiner Update
February 28, 2023As the dust settles on another year of racing at the American Birkebeiner, a new pair of champions were crowned over the weekend in the pursuit for the Midwest Collegiate Cup. Both hailing from the University of Minnesota school system, the women's title was awarded to the team from the Twin Cities, while the team from Duluth took home the men's title. Find out just what led up to both results, as well as how the remainder of the field shook out, in this week's update from the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association (MCSA).
World Championships: Women's 10K Freestyle Individual Start; Diggins World Champion
February 28, 2023A return to racing action on Tuesday after a day of rest meant athletes from the women's field were ready to give it their all on the 10K individual-start freestyle course in Planica, Slovenia. Leading from the word go with a desire burning in her eyes that no other competitor could match, Jessie Diggins threw herself at the course, passing time check after time check ahead of the field, and crossing the finish line with an incredible 14 second lead to become the first American individual World Champion in an emotional victory. A testament to the height of Diggin's accomplishment, the next athletes who were even remotely close to her blazing fast time were the two Swedish superstars, Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson, who had already finished 1-2 on Saturday in the skiathlon and gaped the rest of the pack by 15 seconds today. As for the remainder of the US crowd, it was another tough day for Rosie Brennan as she was within striking distance of the lead early on but fell back to a 15th place finish, while teammate Sophia Laukli finished 25th. The men's field will look to give it their all on Wednesday with 15K to cover in their individual-start race tomorrow.
KARE11: Two Minnesota Skiers Complete Birkie on One Pair of Skis
February 27, 2023Twin Cities television station KARE 11 ran one of their Boyd Huppert special features, this one covering the story of Ben Dubay and Chris Parr and their tandem ski at the American Birkebeiner, and the incredible backstory leading up to it.
World Cup Racing: World Championships Schedule, Part 2
February 26, 2023Resuming after a day off for all athletes, the World Championships pick up where they left off with back-to-back days of freestyle distance racing. The women's field is up first again, racing at 5:30 AM CST on Tuesday, while the men's field will race at the same time on Wednesday. Then it's on to another event taking place over two days, the team relay, as the women compete on Thursday at 5:30 AM CST, and the men on Friday at 5:30 AM CST. Finally, the 2023 World Championships in Planica, Slovenia conclude with one last event in which the men's and women's fields will partake on separate days: a classic marathon race. Shifting forward a half an hour, the women will start en mass at 5:00 AM CST on Saturday, and the men will adhere to the same timetable on Sunday.
Price Hike: Great Bear Chase
February 26, 2023Looking to use some of that late season fittest in one more marathon? The Great Bear Chase in Calumet, Michigan, has a wide range of race options available, and great conditions to boot! But register by Tuesday night, Feb 28th, as the price jumps after that.
World Championships: Team Sprints; US Women Take Bronze
February 26, 2023Capping off the first half of racing at the 2023 World Championships, another round of sprints, this time in a team format, took center stage in Planica, Slovenia on Sunday. Sticking to tradition, the women's teams had first go at the event, with the Swedish team of Emma Ribom and Jonna Sundling the odds-on favorites to win based on their 1-2 finish just a few days prior. They ultimately lived up to expectations, although Sundling would only get the separation needed to give her team the victory coming up the final climb. Finishing just seconds behind the runner-up, Norway, the US team of Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern fought bravely each leg, earning themselves a share of the podium and a bronze medal. In circumstances almost identical to the Swedish women's team, the Norwegian duo of Paal Goldberg and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo also went on to meet expectations in the men's race, with Klaebo making a similar move on the final climb to claim another World Championships title. JC Schoonmaker and Ben Ogden carried the torch for the US men and were in the mix early on, but eventually fell off the lead for a 10th place finish. With a rest day schedule for tomorrow, racing at the 2023 World Championships will continue on Tuesday with a freestyle distance race up next for the women's field.
American Birkebeiner Coverage
February 25, 2023A dusting of fresh snow overnight combined cool temperatures slowed down the speeds for the 49th anniversary American Birkebeiner race Saturday morning in Hayward. Alayna Sonnesyn collected yet another title, outsprinting Jessica Yeaton on Main Street, with Caitlin Gregg powering to third. On the men's side, David Norris broke away early and never looked back, winning by over two minutes. Gerard Agnellet (France) was best of the rest, taking second, and Francis Bernier-izquierdo (Canadian pro cyclist) took third. Julie Ensrud captured the women's classic crown by over four minutes with Delaney FitzPatrick second, Vivian Johnson (Hett) third. Canmore's Scott Hill won the men's classic just ahead of Ian Torchia and Evan Wetzel. Results linked in, plus photos and video clips from the elite freestyle and classic waves.
World Championships: Women's Skiathlon
February 25, 2023The second day of skiathlon racing at the World Championships in Plancia, Slovenia continued a trend of consistency as the results from the women's 15K race largely came out as expected. Sticking to a tactic that has already been successful for her throughout the season, Sweden's Ebba Andersson laid down a tempo early on that few others could match, earning herself a victory as a result, with her teammate Frida Karlsson just falling off the pace late to finish second. Perhaps the closest of the podium finishes, Astrid Oeyre Slind of Norway captured the third place position after successfully fending off a late challenge by a pair of skiers with just seconds to spare. Hopes of a medal for the US rested on the shoulders of Rosie Brennan, but an early mishap left her out of contention and having to battle back for a 19th place finish, with teammate Sydney Palmer-Ledger just behind her in 20th. The men's and women's fields will return to racing side by side again tomorrow, with team sprints the event on deck.
American Birkebeiner Livestream
February 25, 2023Rendezvous Race: Put Your Training to the Test
February 24, 2023Are you ready to put a winter’s worth of training to the test while you enjoy the beauty of the Yellowstone region? You are invited to participate in the 44th annual Yellowstone Rendezvous Race on March 4th, 2023 in West Yellowstone, Montana.
Kortelopet Coverage
February 24, 2023Bright sunshine, rising temperatures and a beautifully groomed Birkie Trail made for another awesome Kortelopet event Friday in Hayward. As tradition, junior skiers reigned on the day! Peak Nordic's Ben Dohlby, hot off his distance championship victory at the Wisconsin State Meet, broke away after Mosquito Brook to solo in for the men's title with Lakeland's Casey Van Hefty second and Jace Haerter third. On the womens side, Anne Straka completed the Peak Nordic sweep of the freestyle titles, with Fran Peterson, Chippewa Valley, second and Della Bettendorf third. In the classic division, Mpls Ski Club's Benjamin Martin striding to first, ANST's Noah Jahnke second, and Eliott Swanson, Mpls Ski Club, third. The Duluth North XC duo of Greta Hendrickson and Lydia Kraker skied to a friendly photo finish with Hendrickson awarded first. Rochester's Natasha Sortland was third. In the Prince Haakon, Devon Byers and Anna Peikert had the fastest times. Results linked in, along with big photosets and video recaps from the Kortelopet.
World Championships: Men's Skiathlon
February 24, 2023Rolling into the weekend after yesterday's fast and furious classic sprints, Friday marked a two-day stretch of skiathlon racing at the World Championships in which the men's field competed first. A perennial favorite when it comes to big events, Norway's Simen Hegstad Krueger took home top honors in the 30K race, outlasting teammates Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Sjur Roethe who both showed signs of having heavy legs coming into their second and third place finishes. Crossing the line within the top-25, Scott Patterson and Hunter Wonders were the standouts for the US men, finishing 19th and 24th respectively. To wrap up the skiathlon series, tomorrow's 15K race will feature the women's field as they take to the trails in Planica.
Kortelopet Livestream
February 24, 2023World Championships: Classic Sprints
February 23, 2023Soft and slushy course conditions produced a clattering of crashes in the opening event at this year's World Championships: classic sprints. The women's final came down to a classic Norway versus Sweden showdown, with two and four skiers representing either nation. It was Jonna Sundling's title to defend, and defend it she did, leading three of the four Swedish women to a podium sweep. Redemption for the Norwegian team came in the men's final with a statement victory by Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo who cruised to his 7th World Championships title. An abundance of top-10 performances highlighted the US athletes' day, with Julia Kern and Rosie Brennan both making it to the semifinals for the women, and JC Schoonmaker making it just as far for the men. Tomorrow the men's field will be back out on course for a skiathlon, while the women will get their chance on Saturday.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Regional Championships Update
February 21, 2023The Midwest Collegiate Cup traveled to Rhinelander, WI this past weekend for the fourth of it's five scoring competitions, Regional Championships, which also served as a qualifier for USCSA Nationals. With just one additional race remaining on the calendar and Nationals berths on the line, the two-day event had major implications and lived up to expectations, serving up surprises along the way. Dive into this week's Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) race summary for an overview of the results and an update on where teams stand heading into the final event of the Midwest Collegiate Cup: the American Birkebeiner.
Price Hike: Pepsi Challenge
February 21, 2023The Pepsi Challenge, March 4th at Giants Ridge, is having their final price hike on Friday, Feb 24th. The trails at Giants Ridge are in superb condition with a natural snow base and more on the way! Register by Thursday night to avoid the price increase.
Birkie Week Events
February 21, 2023The big American Birkebeiner week is here, packed with events Wednesday thru Sunday.
Feb 22 Open Track - Open track events for Birkie, Korte and Prince Haakon.
Feb 23 Junior Birkie, Barnebirkie, Barkie Birkie, Giant Ski - All kinds of action on Main Street with kids, skijoring, and group skiing events.
Feb 24 Korteloppet, Prince Haakon, Parabirkie - The first big races, coming across Lake Hayward to finish on the streets of downtown Hayward.
Feb 25 American Birkebeiner - The big daddy, classic and freestyle marathons on the famous Birkebeiner trail.
Feb 26 Ski and Bike Demo - Test drive the latest gear at the Birkie trailhead.
And of course, the Birkie Expo runs Thursday Friday, and the Birkie Store will be open Thursday thru Saturday.
World Cup Racing: World Championships Schedule, Part 1
February 21, 2023The much anticipated competition of the season, World Championships kick off on Wednesday in Planica, Slovenia for nearly two weeks of racing action over seven different events. The opening event, freestyle distance racing, will see the men's and women's fields compete over 10K and 5K length courses respectively, with the women out first at 5:00 AM CST, followed by the men at 6:30 AM CST. Both groups then turn to classic sprints on Thursday, with qualifiers scheduled for 4:30 AM CST, and the heats planned for 6:30 AM CST. Afterwards, the next two days are devoted to a skiathlon, with the men getting their turn to go first at 8:30 AM CST on Friday for a 30K race, and the women following suit a day later for a 15K race at 7:00 AM CST on Saturday. To close out the first half of World Championships before a day of rest for all athletes, skiers will partner up for team sprints on Sunday, with qualifying taking place at 4:30 AM CST, and advancing teams competing in the finals at 6:30 AM CST. As Zak Ketterson and Alayna Sonnesyn earned roster nominations but opted to return stateside, all eyes will be on Kevin Bolger and Jessie Diggins as representatives of the Midwest at the competition.
Mayors Challenge Classic Coverage
February 19, 2023Another full day of racing at Theodore Wirth with an exciting array of mass start classic events for the Mayors Challenge on Sunday. Midwest World Cup stars shined brightly in the big 20K races as Zak Ketterson pulled away from the men's field and Alayna Sonnesyn topped the women's group. In the 10K races, State champion Benon Brattebo (U20) continued his winning form and St. Scholastica's Sophia Corkran (U20) cruised to victory. Top U18 times went to Daniel McCollor (3rd) and Natasha Sortland (2nd). In the U16 5K races, Logan Drevlow dominated the boys event and Helen Townley collected the girls title. Full results linked in, plus some big photosets.
Team Birkie: UnTapped Maple Signs On as Partner for 2023 Program
February 18, 2023Helping the team tap into any untapped potential, UnTapped Maple announced that it will be sponsoring Team Birkie for the upcoming year. Headquartered in Richmond, Vermont, UnTapped is a sports nutrition company centered around maple-based products as an energy source for athletes.
Minnesota Finlandia Coverage
February 18, 2023Winding through the trails at the Buena Vista Ski Area outside Bemidji, the Minnesota Finlandia got off to a start on Saturday morning with over 100 skiers lining up across the four different events. With the largest field of the four, the 25K freestyle race was won by Nick Ross and Ella Simula, while Zach and Jenna Nelson were victorious at double the distance in the 50K freestyle race. For the 25K classic race, Nicholas Youso and Kerrie Berg took home the top prizes, and likewise Craig Cardinal and Molly Watkins both added to their collection of rosemaled axes in the 25K pursuit race. Results linked in, photos posted from David Harrington.
Mayors Challenge Freestyle Sprints Results
February 18, 2023Racing on some fast conditions Saturday at Theodore Wirth, skiers competed in freestyle sprints as part of the CXC Cup and SuperTour. In the men's open, the final featured a battle of NMU past and present as NMU alumni and World Cup skier Zak Ketterson faced off against NMU and US Nationals sprint winner Kristoffer Alm Karsrud. Coming over the bridge and into the final stretch together, Karsrud pulled ahead of Ketterson for the victory. Logan Diekmann was third. The women's final was equally dramatic, with World Junior Championships sensation Sammy Smith leading through the major climb, but it was SMS T2's Loren Jortberg coming over the bridge first with Team Birkie's Renae Anderson taking second, and the UP's own Sarah Goble third. In the U18 heats (minus those that raced in the open divisions), Daniel McCollor and Tayah Anderson won the sprint finals. U16 titles went to Jack Dahlby and Helen Townley. Sunday will be mass start classical races.
Minnesota State Meet Day 2 Coverage
February 16, 2023A crisp morning with single digit temperatures felt much warmer as bright sunshine and light winds made for great spectating. In the opening classic, Ely's Zoe Devine took the classic leg just two seconds ahead of Hailee Zimpel, Elk River/Zimmerman, with Greta Hansen, MSA, another five seconds back. Prior Lake/New Prague's Tommy Simmonds surprised the field with the top time followed by Benon Brattebo, Eden Prairie, 14 seconds trailing, and Blaine's Ben Lewis and Edina's Andrew DeFor just another five seconds back. The afternoon freestyle pursuit races were truly nail-biters as both the girls and boys came down to photo finishes for the victory. Zoe Devine was crowned State champion by a sliver over Duluth East's Lydia Kraker with Greta Hansen coming in third just two second back. Benon Brattebo outstretched Ben Lewis for the boys victory with Andrew DeFor third. After finishing second last year, Duluth East left no doubt, sweeping the titles by a wide margin. Stillwater girls and Wayzata boys were second, St. Paul Highland Park swept for third. Results linked in, photos from the classic and freestyle races are posted.
Minnesota State Meet Day 1 Coverage
February 15, 2023A weather rollercoaster to kickoff the State Meet in Biwabik, with rain coming down the Tuesday night but fortunately cooling and even snowing a bit for the team sprint events on Wednesday. Duluth East kicked off their quest for the team titles, both girls and boys, by dominating the sprints, posting the best qualifier times and then taking the finals by a clear margin. In the girls race, the race for second went to St. Paul Academy and Summit School (SPA) with Stillwater third. On the boys side, Wayzata appeared to be giving Duluth East competition until the last leg when Duluth East pulled away and the rest of the field tightened up in a battle for second, Bemidji taking the photo finish in front of Minneapolis Southwest. Results linked in, video recaps posted.
Minneapolis to Host 2024 FIS Cross Country World Cup
February 15, 2023Over President’s Day weekend in 2024, Feb. 17-19, the Twin Cities will welcome the best cross-country skiers in the world to Theodore Wirth Park for the first Cross Country Ski World Cup in over 20 years. The Loppet Foundation and the Share Winter Foundation will serve as hosts.
Great Bear Chase: Great Race and Great Prizes
February 14, 2023We're less than a month out from the Great Bear Chase which takes place March 11th. With a range of both freestyle and classic distances to choose from, and a plethora of door prizes to boot, the event is shaping up to be one you won't want to miss.
Minnesota State Meet Preview
February 13, 2023The Minnesota High School season wraps up this week with the Nordic Championships at Giants Ridge on Wednesday and Thursday. We've got news and notes on the big event, along with our favorites and predictions, plus a guest article on ski life after high school.
US Elite Racing: World Junior Championships Recap
February 13, 2023With World Junior Championships bridging the months of January and February, SuperTour competitions have been on hold since the Seeley Hills Classic races last month, but that didn't stop many elite athletes from competing elsewhere in the interim. Providing an update on how some of the Midwestern skiers kept busy, as well as a synopsis of the competitions in Whistler, BC, Adam Bodensteiner shares the latest details from the US Elite racing circuit and issues a brief glimpse of what lies ahead for the third and final period of domestic racing.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Vasaloppet USA Update
February 13, 2023With three of the five races now in the rearview for the Midwest Collegiate Cup, this week's Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) recap covers the results from athletes at the most recent event: Vasaloppet USA. Another race with 100+ collegiate participants, the competitions led to some significant results, including the highest ever single-day points haul by a team.
Vasaloppet USA Classic Results
February 12, 2023Another day of sun and weather above freezing laid the backdrop for the second half of racing in Mora. The 42K classic race ended in an Ensrud sweep, with Julie and Ole collecting the victor's wreaths at the finish line. Gliding in behind them were Ingrid Thayer, second, and Erica Meyers, third, of the women's field; and Brian Gregg, second, and Andrew Tilman, third, of the men's field. At half the distance, the 21K half classic titles went to Tayah Anderson and Nicolas Reichenbach, with Paige Larson and Abby Scheller, and Brad Morning and Jacob Stiele fleshing out the podiums in second and third respectively. Full results can be found linked in.
Wisconsin State Championships Classic Pursuit Coverage
February 12, 2023The multi-day (and weekend) Wisconsin State Championships wrapped up on Sunday in Cable with classic pursuit distance races. The girls started the action with Chippewa Valley Nordic's star Fran Peterson taking the pursuit victory ahead of Anne Straka, Peak Nordic, and Greta Dickman, IWSC, in third. Ben Dohlby, Peak Nordic, went off first for the boys and stretched his lead in winning the pursuit title, with Joseph Stumpf, ANST, second and Casey Van Hefty, Lakeland, third. Combining points from the previous weekend's sprint to determine an overall champion, Fran Peterson earned the maximum 90 points for the gals, while Joseph Stumpf was crowned for guys. Team titles went to ANST boys and Lakeland girls, with Peak Nordic posting the best combined team score. Results linked in, and big photosets are up!
Vasaloppet USA Freestyle Coverage
February 11, 2023Bright sunshine and warm temperatures for the 51st edition of the Vasaloppet races in Mora. Vasaloppet GOAT Matt Liebsch collected yet another victory in the 48K race with Jakob Ellingson second, Alex Reich third. Olympian Caitlin Gregg notched back to back victories after City of Lakes Loppet last weekend in taking the women's 48K title. Chelsey Youngberg skied to second place, Sarah Widder third. A tight battle for the 34K crown as Andrew Brown topped perennial favorite Nathan Porath, with local hero Paul Olson third. On the women's side, Nicole Eliasson (Schneider) took the title by nearly five minutes with Lily Hubanks second, Maureen Lybager third. Bellringers (13K) victories for Anders Decker and Siri Stolen. Results linked in, photos posted along with recap video.
Pre-Birkie Results
February 11, 2023The annual Pre-Birkie races were held out of Birkie Ridge, offering a number of distance and technique options. In the 42K freestyle, the husband and wife duo of Nick Ross and Marit Ross-Sonnesyn performed a clean sweep of the titles. Connor Canfield and Zoe Reker were the best in the 42K classic. Olympian John Bauer took the original Pre-Birkie 26K freestyle, with Katrin O'Grady tops for the women. The classic 26K winners were Hugh Duffy and Mary-Anne Church.
Wisconsin State Championships Livestream
February 10, 2023US Ski Team: World Championships Roster Revealed
February 10, 2023Following the conclusion of the first three of four periods of racing on the World Cup circuit, the US Ski Team announced it's roster for the upcoming World Championships taking place Feb 22nd-Mar 6th in Planica, Slovenia. Of the eighteen athletes named, representatives from the Midwest include Kevin Bolger, Zak Ketterson, Jessie Diggins, and Alayna Sonnesyn.
Minnesota Section 4 Championships Coverage
February 9, 2023An exciting Thursday of racing to wrap up the week as Minnesota High School Section 4 Championship was held at Battle Creek. Stillwater's duo of Lily Ward and Bailey Holmes overtook Forest Lake's Jordan Parent in the freestyle pursuit, finishing nearly tied as first and second, with Parent just a bit back in third. On the boys side, MPA's Eddie Snider had a strong skate leg to take the boys title, Carson Peterson, Stillwater, second, with Jacob Kensy, Forest Lake, third. Forest Lake girls and Moundsview Boys won the team sprints. Stillwater swept the team titles over rival Forest Lake, with only a single point separating the boys teams. Results linked in, plus photos from the classic races.
Wisconsin High School Nordic Championship Prediction
February 8, 2023Ken Schoville provides his annual breakdown on the Wisconsin high school Nordic skiing Championship contenders! With last weekend's sprints now factoring into the overall titles, things get crazy. The distance championships are this Saturday and Sunday at the Birkie Trailhead in Cable.
Minnesota Section 7 Championship Results
February 8, 2023Duluth East was an overwhelming force at the Minnesota High School Section 7 Championship Wednesday. Racing on the trails at Giants Ridge, Duluth East won the team sprints, took the top four boys pursuit places, four of the top five girls pursuit places, and of course, sweep the team titles! Zoe Devine, Ely, provided the only chink, taking the girls pursuit title with Rowan Bixler and Lydia Kraker second and third. The boys pursuit trio was Oliver Miatke, Aiden Van Straten, and Carl Morse. Mora boys and Ely girls also advance to State as the second place teams. Results linked in.
Minnesota Section 5 Championship Coverage
February 8, 2023Minnesota High School Section competition continued on Wednesday with Section 5 Championship at Theodore Wirth. One of the leading candidates for State, Hailee Zimpel, Elk River/Zimmerman, easily punched her ticket, winning the pursuit title by over two minutes. Teammate Claire Swanson was second, Maple Grove's Savannah Krull third. Blaine's Ben Lewis also had a strong performance in taking the boys pursuit victory by over a minute. Eliott Swanson, Elk River/Zimmerman was second, followed by Tyler Kyes, Champlin Park. Coon Rapids swept the team sprints. Teams advancing to State: Elk River/Zimmerman and Irondale girls, Blaine and Champlin Park boys. Results linked in, photos from the morning classic races posted.
Minnesota Section 1 Championship Coverage
February 7, 2023Section 1 held their Minnesota High School Championships on Tuesday at Hyland Lake. The section features teams primarily from the south metro, with Winona/Cotter joining them from southeastern Minnesota. And a trip well worth it for Winona, as the girls team captured the section crown by just three points over Eastview/Rosemont, with Prior Lake/New Prague third. ISD 196 boys used for a strong team sprint victory to secure the boys title over Prior Lake/New Prague, with Winona/Cotter third. Eastview/Rosemount girls won the team sprint final. Winona's Anna Gilmer had the dominating performance of the meet, putting down the top classic and skate times in winning the pursuit title by over a minute. Emily Percival, Eastview/Rosemount, was second after overtaking Ava Pike, Winona/Cotter, who finished third. Evan O'Connor, Prior Lake/New Prague, had best times in both classic and freestyle to win the boys pursuit title, teammate Tommy Simmonds was second, followed by Samuel Folland, Northfield, in third. Results linked in, photos posted from the classic races.
Minnesota Section 3 Championship Coverage
February 7, 2023Sunny, warm weather accented the beautiful racing conditions at Battle Creek Regional Park for the first of the two Minnesota High School Section Championships being held on the new snowmaking trails. Section 3 was the feature on Tuesday and competitions didn't disappoint as many of the races were close. In the individual races, Greta Hansen, Math & Science Academy, laid down the fastest classic and freestyle times to cruise to a victory in the girls pursuit, while the Koch sisters, Hanna and Chloe of St. Paul Highland Park, collected the second and third positions on the podium, with Chloe coming from behind in the freestyle leg to clinch third place by just one second. Meanwhile, the boys race was a tight contest for all of the podium positions as Ben Martin of St. Paul Highland Park along with teammate Gavin Roberts and Cody West, Minneapolis South/Minneapolis Roosevelt, were each separated by just two seconds a piece in their respective first, second, and third place finishes. St. Paul Academy girls and Central boys took the team sprints. For the team titles, the boys and girls contests were close, but ultimately both podiums were made up of a group of four teams: first was collected by both the St. Paul Highland Park boys and girls, second went to the St. Paul Academy girls and Minneapolis South/Minneapolis Roosevelt boys, and in third was another doubleheader with the St. Paul Central boys and girls. Results posted, along with photosets from the classic races.
Minnesota Section 2 Championship Coverage
February 7, 2023Fast conditions Tuesday as Section 2 competed for the right to advance to the State Meet in the Minnesota High School Section Championship at Theodore Wirth. The team sprints provided some exciting finishes with Minneapolis Southwest taking victories in both the girls and boys finals. The section showcased two of the top junior boys, Andrew DeFor, Edina, and Benon Brattebo, Eden Prairie. DeFor held a narrow three second lead after the morning classic, setting up a friendly pursuit stroll capped by a burst of power in the final 400 meters, with Brattebo taking the pursuit title. Bloomington Jefferson's Anders Westanmo collected third. The girls side was all Chloe Angerman of Minneapolis Washburn, as she posted the top classic and freestyle times to win just over 30 seconds. Eden Prairie's Courtney Fussy finished second with Nina Fedje, Minnetonka, moving up from sixth to grab third. Washburn girls scored the team victory with Eden Prairie advancing in second, and Minnetonka third. Eden Prairie boys were tops with Minnetonka earning a place at State, Bloomington Jefferson finishing third. Results linked in, photos from the freestyle pursuit posted.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Mt. Ashwabay Summit Skiathlon Update
February 7, 2023The second race of the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) Midwest Collegiate Cup, the Mt. Ashwabay Summit Skiathlon, took place over the weekend in Bayfield, WI. Frigid temperatures and a challenging course didn't deter upwards of 70 collegiate skiers from competing in one of the most demanding races of the season.
Minnesota Section 6 Championship Coverage
February 6, 2023Minnesota High School Section Championships got underway Monday with Section 6 at Hyland Park. Team competition turned into a nail biter as both the boys and girls scoring leaned into their team sprint scores for the victory. The Wayzata girls held on to win the team title by two points over St. Louis Park, with Hopkins third. Likewise, the Wayzata boys topped the Armstrong boys by three points for the win with Orono third. Audrey Parham, Wayzata, launched a fast skate time to move up from third to win the pursuit title. Hanna Wilsey, St. Louis Park was second, Erica Kazin, Orono, third. On the boys side, Daniel McCollor,Wayzata, posted the top classic and skate times to secure the title, Miles Miner, Orono, second and Logan Drevlow, Hopkins, skated up to third. Results linked in and posts from the classic races posted.
North End Classic This Sunday
February 5, 2023The North End Classic ski race will be run Sunday, Feb 12th. This small, but popular event has been a mainstay of the local race calendar for 22 years. Funding generated from the race helps support the grooming and maintenance of the North End ski trails.
City of Lakes Loppet Freestyle Coverage
February 5, 2023Another beautiful winter morning as temperatures climbed into the mid 20s with blue skies as skiers took to the trails for the City Of Lakes Loppet freestyle races Sunday. After whittling the pack down to four, Matt Liebsch eventually powered ahead of Brian Gregg to take the men's title with Jonathan Saldin coming in third by one second over Alex Reich. Caitlin Gregg blasted away with the men's lead pack and went on to win by over two minutes, Renae Anderson and Erin Bianco rounding out the podium. The 20K winners were Eli Andre and Dottie Anderson. Results linked in along with two photosets.
World Cup Toblach: Team Relays; US on Podium After Germany Error
February 5, 2023Sunday featured the final day of World Cup racing in Toblach, Italy, and the final day of racing in Period III. The day's races, team relays, were a last hurrah before World Champions, which is a little over two weeks out, and nations were eager to prove who had the deeper lineup. Both the men's and women's races offered their fair share of excitement, although the women's race was perhaps more dramatic as the Germany team, who finished second to the Norway I team, was disqualified for substituting their final skier. This move vaulted the United States I team (Hailey Swirbul, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, and Julia Kern) on to the podium, an incredible change of fortunate after they originally placed fourth. Proving that there really is no place like home for the men's race, the Italy I team took top prize on the back of a resurgent Frederico Pellegrino which would be the team's first victory in nearly two decades. *Something about US men*. World Cup racing now goes on break as we look ahead to World Championships in Planica, Slovenia which start Feb 21st.
Minnesota High School Sections Preview
February 4, 2023The Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing season ramps up this coming week with sectional championships. We've got the details on the section dates, locations and schedules (take note in the metro area, the snowmaking venues will be busy).
Wolf Track Rendezvous Results
February 4, 2023Minocqua Winter Park welcomed over 200 skiers for the Wolf Track Rendezvous races Saturday. In the 42K freestyle, Tristan Schouten topped the men's field with Becky Burdick the top female. 42K classic titles went to Alexander Gude and Delaney FitzPatrick (3rd overall!). Fred Hubley and Johanna Craig (2nd overall!) won the 24K freestyle divisions, Henry Jacobson and Julia Olenchek the 24K classic.
World Cup Toblach: Freestyle Distance; Diggins Skis to Second
February 4, 2023An interval-start 10K freestyle race was the task at hand for World Cup athletes on Saturday, midway through the weekend stop in Toblach, Italy. Showing good form heading into World Championships, Sweden's Ebba Andersson claimed another distance victory in women's race, leaving a healthy gap between her and the rest of the field. For the US women, it was one of the best results yet this season, with Jessie Diggins on the podium again in second, and Rosie Brennan and Julia Kern both notching top-10 finishes in 5th and 10th respectively. With eight in the top-10 in the men's race, it was also Norway's day to shine as Paal Goldberg led the group, earning his third victory of the season. And for the American men, Scott Patterson was the first to finish, putting together another commendable distance performance with a 14th place result. A true test of team depth, team relays await athletes on Sunday for the third and final day of racing in Toblach.
City of Lakes Loppet Classic Coverage
February 4, 2023Warming temperatures and bright sunshine made for great conditions Saturday morning as skiers raced in the City of Lakes Loppet winter festival classic technique events. Andrew Tilman strided to the men's title, pulling away from the pack to win by over a minute. Andrew Brown was second, David Chamberlain third. Vivian Johnson won the women's title, followed by Laura Cattaneo and Sarah Widder. In the 20K race, Sam Rabaey and Allie Rykken posted the top times. Results linked in, along with some photosets.
World Cup Toblach: Freestyle Sprints; Diggins Takes Third
February 3, 2023Serving as a last chance to iron out any kinks before World Championships, the weekend's World Cup races in Toblach, Italy got off to a start on Friday with freestyle sprints as the opening event. The US women were in as fine of form as ever with four qualifying for the heats: Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, and Hailey Swirbul. Of the four, however, Diggins would be the only to advance, making it all the way to the final where she would fight back for a third place finish. Sharing the podium with her was the Swedish dominant duo of Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist who held nothing back in their respective first and second place finishes. Speaking of dominance, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo produced yet another untouchable performance, topping the World Cup podium for the 14th time this season and tying the record. Two US men made the heats as well—Logan Diekmann and Ben Ogden—but neither could manage to find a way into the semifinals. Coming up on Saturday: freestyle distance racing in an interval-start format.
World Cup Racing: Toblach Schedule
February 1, 2023As the final Period III destination before the start of World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, the World Cup moves on to Toblach, Italy this weekend for three days of sprints, distance racing, and team relays. Sprints are up first on Friday, this time in the freestyle technique, with qualifiers beginning at 5:00 AM CST, and heats running at 7:30 AM CST. The following day (Saturday) athletes' endurance will be tested in an interval-start 10K freestyle race (women's field out at 6:00 AM CST, men's field out at 8:00 AM CST). Finally, Sunday will be a testament to team depth with teams of four lining up for a 4x7.5K relay, with the women's teams leading the charge at 4:00 AM CST, and the men's teams following suit at 6:00 AM CST.
Racing Outlook
February 1, 2023Updates on this weekend races including Mt. Ashwabay Summit, Coloma Glide and Ride, plus recon on the City of Lakes Loppet course.
Biathlon: Teams Named for World Championships, IBU Cup 6
January 31, 2023With some major competitions on the horizon, U.S. Biathlon has named its 10-person and 8-person teams for the upcoming World Championships, Feb 8-19th, and IBU Cup 6, Feb 2-4. For World Championships, notables from the Midwest include Deedra Irwin, Jake Brown, and Paul Schommer; and for IBU Cup 6, Amanda Kautzer, Margie Freed, Luke Brown, and Vaclav Cervenka all made the roster.
MCSA Midwest Collegiate Cup: Half Noque Update
January 31, 2023This past weekend's Half-Noquemanon race in the UP of Michigan served as the first scoring event of the season for the Midwestern Collegiate Ski Association's (MCSA) Midwest Collegiate Cup. With just over 100 collegiate athletes across 16 teams lining up for the race, it was the MCSA’s largest season opener to date, and one of the most productive as 11 out of 12 total podium spots were occupied by MCSA skiers.
Price Hike: Great Bear Chase
January 29, 2023The Great Bear Chase races are scheduled for March 11th. If you register before Feb 1st, you'll avoid the next price hike.
NNF: Third Virtual Speaker Lecture This Thursday, Feb 2nd
January 29, 2023For the third installment of their virtual speaker series NNF announced Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Association, as the lecturer for the upcoming event. Scheduled for this Thursday evening, Tygart's talk will focus on creating a culture of “clean sport” from the earliest levels of athlete development on up, with specific knowledge applied to US nordic skiing. As before, the lecture series is free to attend, although a $25 donation is recommended. Attendence is limited to the first 300 registrants, so don't wait to sign up!
Marine O'Brien Results
January 29, 2023Undeterred by the recent cold snap, roughly 150 brave souls ventured out to William O'Brien State Park on Sunday for the 51st running of the Marine O'Brien ski races. In the 25K main event, titles went to Andrew Tilman and Rana Jaszczak in the classic division, and Andrew Schakel and Elena Cattaneo in the freestle division. Most of the races were decided well before the finish line, although the 25K classic race came down a tight finish for the men's field as each podium position was ultimately separated by just 8 seconds. At half the distance, the pair of Emmerson and Susan Ward claimed the crowns in the 12.5K classic race, while Nathan Swenson and Daria Terenteva were the fastest of the field in the 12.5K freestyle race.
World Cup Les Rousses: Classic Distance
January 29, 2023Bidding adieu to their time in France, World Cup athletes participated in a mass-start 20K classic race on Sunday to mark the final day of racing in Les Rousses. Sticking to tradition, the women's field went out first, quickly thinning out after the first accent of the course's prominent climb. When all was said and done, Ebba Andersson of Sweden stood atop the podium again after breaking away early with Finland's Kerttu Niskanen and leading for much of the race, although US athletes weren't far behind as Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan crossed the line in 9th and 12th respectively. Seeking vindication for the last two substandard races, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo composed the other half of the day's victors after pouncing late in the men's race to out sprint what remained of the lead pack. A mirror of Brennan's performance, Scott Patterson also achieved a 12th place finish, the best by the US men on the day. Off until the following weekend, the next stop for the World Cup circuit is in Toblach, Italy for three days of racing, with freestyle sprints the first event on Friday.
Price Hike: City of Lakes Loppet
January 28, 2023The City of Lakes Loppet ski races are next weekend, racing point to point to finish at the Trailhead. Registration fees jump on Tuesday, Jan 31st, so register by Monday night to avoid the additional cost.
Ski de She Results
January 28, 2023The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation hosted the inaugural Ski de She races at the Birkie Trailhead in Cable on Saturday, with over 300 women participating in the events. Ingrid Thyr won the 30K skate, Josie Nelson the 20K classic, and Faye Braun scooped up the 10K freestyle.
Noquemanon Results
January 28, 2023The mighty Noquemanon races saw large fields again this season for the annual point-to-point races in Marquette. The premiere 50K classic titles were collected by Ian Torchia and Julie Ensrud. Marathon distance freestyle victories for Mitchell Campbell and Hanna Derby. Lily Hubanks and Ethan Anderson won 24K classic division, Kaia Hilgendorf-Roost and Tait Myers were the freestyle winners. A complete set of results linked in.
World Cup Les Rousses: Classic Sprints
January 28, 2023The second day of racing in Les Rousses, France brought classic sprinting to the fore as competitors battled it out on a tricky hillside course. Shakeups were abound, especially in the women's final where Norway's Kristine Stavaas Skistad fended off four Swedish skiers and one American, Julia Kern, to claim her first World Cup victory (and first podium nonetheless). Kern would go on to finish fifth in the final, capping off a solid team performance by the US women which included a 12th place finish by Hailey Swirbul and a 17th place finish by Rosie Brennan. Adding to the notion of home field advantage, the Frenchman Richard Jouve put in a hard day's work in the men's final, relegating Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo to a second place finish and a claiming a victory for himself in front of a jubilant home crowd. Ben Ogden was the best from the US once again, nearly breaking through to the final if not for a deviation of the side of the trail midway through his semifinal. One more day of racing in France awaits athletes as they prepare for a mass-start classic race on Sunday.
World Cup Les Rousses: Freestyle Distance; Diggins Back on Podium
January 27, 2023The World Cup season marched onward on Friday as it came to town in Les, Rousses, France. As the first competitions in Frances for over six years, there was a home field advantage for many of the French skiers in Friday's indiviual-start 10K freestyle races, including Delphine Claudel who skied to a second place finish on the coattails of the Swedish skier Ebba Andersson's fastest time of the day. The fastest time of the day up until that point had been set by American Jessie Diggins, who was bumped to third on the podium, with teammates Rosie Brennan and Julia Kern not far off either in 5th and 11th respectively. Home field advantage wasn't enough to put any French skiers on the podium in the men's race, but there were some new faces nonetheless as Harald Oestberg Amundsen of Norway collected his first career win. For the US, Scott Patterson was the fastest finisher among the men. A brief 24-hours later, athletes will be back on course again on Saturday for classic sprints.
US Elite Racing: Seeley Hills Classic SuperTour Recap, World Junior Championships Preview
January 26, 2023Athletes on the elite racing scene have been making splashes as we've progressed into the second half of the season, notably among those with Midwestern roots. The first SuperTour competition since US Nationals, the Seeley Hills Classic served as an unique opportunity for athletes to reaffirm their results from the Championships, and perhaps lock-in some starting positions at the international level. With the help of Adam Bodensteiner, we're taking a look at those results to see just how Midwestern athletes fared, and where we may see them in the weeks ahead, including at the upcoming World Junior Championships which start this weekend.
Price Hike: Vasaloppet USA
January 26, 2023The Vasaloppet USA races are just weeks away and their course is looking great. The next price hike comes on Jan 29th, so register by Saturday night to avoid the fee increase.
World Cup Racing: Les Rousses Schedule
January 25, 2023Six years on since they last played host, France will once again get an opportunity to hold World Cup races this upcoming weekend with the competition coming to town in Les Rousses. The festivities begin on Friday with an interval-start 10K freestyle race on the books—ladies first at 5:00 AM CST, and gents afterwards at 7:45 AM CST. Then it's on to classic sprints on Saturday, with qualifiers opening the day at 5:00 AM CST, and heats closing it out at 7:30 AM CST. Lastly, a mass-start 20K classic race caps off the weekend on Sunday, with the women's field out first at 5:45 AM CST, followed by the men's field at 7:45 AM CST.
Racing Outlook
January 23, 2023With a lot of races on the weekend calendar, updates are already rolling in. Lumberjack Jaunt, Marine O'Brien ready to go!
Coleraine JNQ Classic Results
January 22, 2023Some exciting races on Sunday as classic mass start events were the format for the Coleraine JNQ at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN. Sydney Drevlow completed the weekend sweep, taking the women's 7.5K classic race just in from of Greta Hansen and Hailee Zimpel. In the men's race, Andrew DeFor pulled away for the victory with Davis Isom second and Noah Erickson third. Top U16 performances on the day went to Mackenzie Thompson (CAN) and Logan Drevlow.
Price Hike: City of Lakes Loppet
January 22, 2023The City of Lakes Loppet ski races are just a few weeks away now! The next price hike comes much sooner: prices jump on Tuesday, Jan 24th, so register by Monday night to avoid the additional cost.
World Cup Livigno: Team Sprints; Third for Brennan and Kern
January 22, 2023Closing out a weekend dedicated to sprinting, team sprints were the scheduled event for Sunday's World Cup races in Livigno, Italy. With all 14 teams from the qualifier making the final, the women's field was an all-inclusive event, and one for redemption as the Swedish team of Maja Dahlqvist and Linn Svahn were able to step out of the shadow of their teammates Jonna Sundling and Emma Ribom for the victory. Just a fraction of a second back, US athlete Julia Kern had her second success of the weekend, edging out Italy's team for third, bolstered by excellent positioning through her teammate, Rosie Brennan. With Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo sitting out the event, the men's race was also one for redemption as it became Richard Jouve and Renaud Jay's race to loose. The French team ultimately did enough to secure that win, although only after the team from Italy gave them a run for their money. Kevin Bolger and Will Koch had the best result for the US men with a 12th place finish in the final. After missing the opportunity to host last season, Les Rousses, France will get a second chance this weekend, opening with freestyle distance racing Friday.
Woodland Loppet Results
January 21, 2023Over 100 skiers hit the trails at Woodlands in Elk River for 10K and 20K races. Matt Liebsch notched another victory in taking the 20K title with Andrew Brown second, and Alex Reich third. Julie Ensrud skied to the women's title with Nicole Eliasson second, Laura Cattaneo third. In the 10K race, Sergei Viskovatykh and Kaelyn Nelson had the best times.
Coleraine JNQ Freestyle Coverage
January 21, 2023With temps in the mid 20s and a 5K course freshly groomed last night, conditions were top notch Saturday for the Junior Nationals qualifying races at Mt. Itasca. Sydney Drevlow posted the women's top 10K time, a full 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Davis Isom won the men's 10K, with the top nine all finishing within a minute. U16 titles went to Mackenzie Thompson (CAN) and Logan Drevlow. Results linked in, photo albums posted and along with video highlights.
World Cup Livigno: Freestyle Sprints
January 21, 2023Freestyle sprints got Period III of the World Cup underway on Saturday, a day of firsts, with some athletes starting for the first time this season, some for the first time in over a year, and some for the first time ever. In a dramatic return to form, Jonna Sundling of Sweden took the victory in the women's final on her season debut, a final which also featured an appearance by one American, Julia Kern. The men's final was a continuation of form for the Norwegian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who held off a late surge by France's Richard Jouve for his 60th World Cup win. The top American performance among the men came from Kevin Bolger who concluded his day in the semifinals. Another bout of sprinting action awaits athletes tomorrow, with team sprints the focus for Sunday.
World Cup Racing: Livigno Schedule
January 18, 2023World Cup racing is back in action this weekend with a sprint doubleheader kicking things off for Period III of the season. Taking place in Livigno, Italy, Saturday of the opening weekend will feature freestyle sprints, with the top-30 athletes from the qualifiers working their way through the heats at 6:15 AM CST. Skiers will then pair up for team sprints on Sunday, with the top teams vying for a spot on the podium at 6:15 AM CST. A host of new names were nominated to the US roster for Period III, so keep an eye out for fresh faces including Midwesterners Margie Freed and Sarah Goble, and MTU's Adam Witkowski. In addition, the same group of Midwesterners from Period I and II will be returning as well: Kevin Bolger, Zak Ketterson, Jessie Diggins, and Alayna Sonnesyn.
Racing Outlook
January 17, 2023Most races are still on, though a few of the Wisconsin weekly series are cancelled for this week.
Seeley Hills Classic SuperTour Sprints Results
January 15, 2023The second day of racing for the Seeley Hills Classic SuperTour featured classic sprinting action on the Birkie Trials. After a late pileup in the women's final, Hannah Rudd strode away to become the back-to-back winner for the weekend, with Margie Freed and Mariah Bredal leading the rest of the pack in for second and third. The men's final was a cleaner affair, with Michael Earnhart taking his first victory of the SuperTour season, followed closly by the second and third place finishers, Zanden McMullen and Logan Diekmann.
Pre-Loppet Coverage
January 15, 2023Over 200 skiers hit the trails at Theodore Wirth Saturday morning for the annual Pre-Loppet race. Winding it's way around the trails of North Wirth, the men's 18K field held to a pack of about seven before three broke off the front, Jonathan Saldin taking the victory, Andrew Brown second and Alex Reich third. Caitlin Gregg powered away with the women's title (and 12th overall), Sarah Widder took second and Kim Rudd third. Five kilometer titles were earned by Luke Jacobsen and Camille Friden. Results linked in, photos from the 18K race posted.
Seeley Hills Classic Results
January 14, 2023The 33rd edition of the classic Seeley Hills Classic took place on Saturday with a new race date not the only change to the event. Now a SuperTour stop with the addition of its own 32K division, over 550 skiers took to the Birkie Trails for the now three different race distances. In the 42K men's race Matt Liebsch and Brian Gregg took it down to the wire in yet another photo finish, with Liebsch prevailing over Gregg by only one one hundredth of a second. By comparison, Hannah Olson won the 42K women's race comfortably, finishing a minute and a half ahead of the runner up. The 32K SuperTour races also produced tight finishes, with Peter Wolter and Hannah Rudd both escaping with wins by just a handful of seconds. Last but not least, Torsten Brinkema and Molly Watkins took home top honors as the 22K men's and women's champions, doing so with a over a minute to spare each.
ABC Relays Results
January 14, 2023Eighteen teams lined up Saturday morning for the annual ABC Relay races, held on the Vasaloppet Nordic trails in Mora. Little Falls boys won the boys title in an exciting battle with Blaine by one second margin of victory. The girls side was just as dynamic with the Winona girls besting Minneapolis Washburn by the same one second margin. Little Falls Connor Grant and Greta Hansen, Math and Science Academy, had the fastest classic splits, Ben Lewis, Blaine, and Emma Jamison, Sartell/Cathedral, the best skate times.
Lapham Loppet Results
January 14, 2023Over 130 skiers turned out for SE Wisconsin's big race of the season, the Lapham Loppet. Racing laps on the snowmaking course at Lapham Peak, Peak Nordic's Ben Dohlby and Anne Straka posted the top times in the freestyle division, Paul Timm and Annie Kleiber had the best classic times.
Luminary Loppet Rescheduled
January 13, 2023Due to difficult conditions on the Minneapolis lakes, the Loppet Foundation on Friday announced they are rescheduling the popular Luminary Loppet event to Saturday, February 18th. While the City of Lakes Loppet races are still on, organizers suggest courses may have to be altered.
Price Hike: Pepsi Challenge
January 12, 2023The Pepsi Challenge is being held March 4th on the famous trails at Giants Ridge. You can still get in on ground floor pricing by registering before Saturday night, as the price goes up on Sunday the 15th.
Detroit Lakes Invite Coverage
January 12, 2023Jay Richards shares: Maplelag Resort was host to one of the longest running high school Nordic ski races in Minnesota, the 29th annual Detroit Lakes Invitational. The meet featured a mass start 9km continuous pursuit for varsity skiers on separate courses with a fresh dusting of snow. Both Brainerd boys and girls took the team titles, even with top skier Annelise Baird on the sidelines in the girls race. Individual honors went to Zaine Braaten of Moorhead in the boys race and Jaelyn Miller of Alexandria in the girls race.
Weekend Racing
January 11, 2023A busy weekend on tap...
Jan 14 Hinder Binder - Racing around the hilly trails at Forest Springs Camp.
Jan 14 Lapham Loppet - SE Wisconsin's big race, six laps on the snowmaking loop at Lapham.
Jan 14 Snowjourn - One of the oldest races in the Midwest, held on the famous trails at Buena Vista.
Jan 14-15 Seeley Hills Classic - The classic championship expands to two days and SuperTour status, with traditional races Saturday and sprints Sunday.
Jan 15 Pre-Loppet - Tune up for the City of Lakes Loppet, racing on most of the trails at Theodore Wirth North.
Plus there are major high school competitions with the ABC Relays (Mora), Marshall Sprints (Duluth) and Loppet Invite (Mpls). Find our latest event updates in the Racing Outlook.
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Waxing Recommendations
Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping: Twin Cities Events this Weekend
January 11, 2023The Central Division ski jumping and Nordic combined season is underway with a couple of event weekends already in the books. This weekend there are two major events in the Cities including big Saturday night jumping event in Bloomington and more Sunday in St. Paul. Read up on the details and upcoming events, and come out to cheer on some of these high flyers!
Racing Outlook
January 11, 2023Most of the weekend races are reporting they are going to be held, with some possible course changes.
US Elite Racing: US Nationals Recap
January 10, 2023From SuperTour points to ski team bearths, the US Cross-Country Ski Championships are a crucial stop for the US Elite racing crowd and a major focus of Period II of their season. Recapping each of the races from the past week and diving into the implications of the results, Adam Bodensteiner delivers a much needed report before our attention turns to the Birkie trails for the next bout of racing action on the Elite circuit.
Tour de Ski: Stage 7 Freestyle Distance; Laukli Summits in Third
January 8, 2023With the end of Period II of the World Cup in sight, a mass-start freestyle race up the alpine runs on Alpe Cermis was all that was standing between athletes and the end of a week's worth of racing in the Tour de Ski. The women's field was up the slopes first, reaching the summit with yet another athlete earning a career first World Cup victory in France's Delphine Claudel. Improving on an already impressive 5th place finish last year, Sophia Laukli powered to a podium finish in third, leading a group of US women who placed three in the top-6 with Jessie Diggins 5th and Rosie Brennan 6th. Despite the strong efforts of other skiers, Sweden's Frida Karlsson would do enough to solidify herself as the overall Tour de Ski winner. Following the same 10K course, the men's race ended with fresh faces on the podium as well with the Norwegian Simen Hegstad Krueger getting his second individual victory of the season. Krueger would also earn a spot on the overall Tour de Ski podium, with his teammate Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo claiming his 3rd overall Tour de Ski title. Scott Patterson had the fastest time to the top for the US, finishing 14th, but Ben Ogden made a notable achievement with a 12th place finish in the overall standings, an all-time best result among the US men. Athletes now have two weeks off before the second half of the season begins in Livigno, Italy.
Price Hike: Pre-Loppet
January 7, 2023With all this fresh snow in the Cities, the Pre-Loppet coming up on January 15th looks like it should be a great event. You can save some money by registered by Monday night, avoiding the price hike on Jan 10th.
US Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Coverage
January 7, 2023The 2023 US Cross-Country Ski Championships wrapped up on Sunday with freestyle sprints the final action item. NMU's Kristoffer Alm Karsrud picked up his second win of the Championships in the senior bracket, completing his sweep of the men's sprints. Sharing the freestyle podium with him was Luke Jager in second and Tom Mancini in third. Hailey Swirbul finished her Championships with a shutout, winning all four competitions this week, including today's. She was joined on the women's podium by Novie McCabe and Lauren Jortberg, who finished second and third respectively. Of the athletes native the Midwest, the best were John Schwinghamer and Erin Bianco, with Bianco making it all the way to the final where she finished 5th. Lauren McCollor also had a standout result as the junior title winner out of the senior bracket. For the up-and-comers, Trey Jones and Sammy Legate were the ones to win the men's and women's finals in the junior bracket. Results are linked in, photos and videos will be up later tonight.
Mesabi East Invite Results
January 7, 2023Mesabi East Invite lived up to it's reputation as the biggest high school race in the nation with over 900 skiers competing on Saturday. Trail conditions were some of the best in recent season at Giants Ridge. Classic titles were earned by Della Bettendorf, Proctor/Hermantown, while Tommy Simmonds, Prior Lake won just by 2/10th sec over James Kyes, Duluth East. Ely's Zoe Devine and Duluth East's Oliver Miatke had the top skate times. Duluth East swept the team titles.
SISU Ski Fest Results
January 7, 2023One of the first big Midwest marathons of the season, the Sisu Ski Fest in Ironwood, Michigan had nearly 800 skiers show up for their spread of events on Saturday. Titles in the 30K events were won by slim to wide margins, as David Joda and Benjamin Bauer won by 5 seconds or less in the men's freestyle and classic races respectively, while Sarah Widder won the women's freestyle race by over 20 seconds, and Delaney Fitzpatrick the women's classic by over 10 minutes. In the 15K events, Adam Zais and Rebecca Morales were the victors of the men's and women's freestyle fields; and Devon Byers and Joan Rundman the victors of the men's and women's classic fields.
Tour de Ski: Stage 6 Classic Distance
January 7, 2023As the final opportunity for athletes to jockey for more favorable positions heading into the final day, Stage 6 of the Tour de Ski was full of suspense and surprises. The 15K classic races began with the men out first en mass, and in which the Norwegian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo pulled off another statement sprint finish, his 6th straight victory with just one separating him from a sweep of the Tour de Ski. Ogden was once again the best from the US with a top-20 finish in 19th. Also a mass-start, the women's race was much more strung out as the lead group narrowed down to a handful of athletes by the last lap. Germany's Katharina Henning would go on to notch a debut victory after a sprint finish that ending with US standout Rosie Brennan just off the podium in 4th. The 7th and final stage of the Tour de Ski takes place on Sunday with the infamous climb up Alpe Cermis awaiting all athletes in a freestyle distance race.
US Nationals: Classic Distance Coverage
January 6, 2023The sun finally broke through on Day 3 of the 2023 US Cross-Country Ski Championships, delivering optimal racing conditions for the scheduled mass-start classic races. Securing his second consecutive title these Championships, Luke Jager crossed the line first in the men's 20K, just over a second in front of the runner-up, David Norris, and third place finisher, Zanden McMullen. Aiming for her third consecutive title, Hailey Swirbul had her work cut out for her as the women's 20K came down to a sprint in which she just edged out Sydney Palmer-Leger. Novie McCabe glided in shortly after to lock in the last remaining spot on the podium. Top Midwest results were earned by Reid Goble (7th) and the pair of Hannah Rudd (11th) and Margie Freed (12th). Of the juniors, Ava Thurston and NMU's Adrik Kraftson held the top times in the 10K races. Saturday marks the final competitions of the 2023 US Cross-Country Ski Championships with the program calling for freestyle sprints. Results are linked in, photos and videos are online.
Tour de Ski: Stage 5 Classic Sprints
January 6, 2023Classic sprints were on deck for Stage 5 of the Tour de Ski as the World Cup rolled into the final Period II venue, Val di Fiemme, Italy. It was another strong showing by US skiers with six qualifying for the heats, including a first-time appearance by the Midwest native Zak Ketterson. While Ketterson ended his day in the quaterfinals, Ben Ogden and JC Schoonmaker both advanced as far as the semifinals, displaying gutsy tactics that fell just short of seeing them through to the finals where Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway continued his winning streak in the Tour de Ski. For the US women, Rosie Brennan led the pack with another semifinals appearance, while Julia Kern and Jessie Diggins were tied up in the quaterfinals. The women's podium was an all-Norwegian affair, with the Weng twins taking the top spots as Lotta Udnes Weng added an inagural World Cup victory to her career. Stage 6 on Saturday will feature a mass-start classic distance race for all athletes.
Race Closing: Kortelopet
January 5, 2023More of the Birkie week events are filling up and closing registration. Thursday night, Jan 5th at midnight registration closes for the Kortelopet. Register by Thursday night if you want to still get in!
World Cup Racing: Tour de Ski Stages 5, 6, and 7 Schedule
January 4, 2023Bringing the Tour de Ski to a close, and with it Period II of the World Cup, Val di Fiemme, Italy marks the last chance for athletes to make a move and take home the title. The first of the final three stages takes place on Friday with classic sprints (qualifying at 3:00 am CST, heats at 5:30 am CST), before turning to a mass-start 15K classic race on Saturday (women at 4:45 am CST, men at 6:30 am CST). Then it's on to the main event on Sunday: the infamous climb up Alpe Cermis. The women will face the music first in the mass-start 10K freestyle race starting at 4:00 am CST, followed shortly after by the men suffering the same fate at 5:45 am CST.
US Nationals: Classic Sprints Coverage
January 4, 2023Day 2 of the 2023 US Cross-Country Ski Championships called for classic sprints, a tall order for wax techs with flurries on the air. Battling back late in the final, NMU's Kristoffer Alm Karsrud was first across the line of the senior men, although Luke Jager would be the one to cross the line as the first American and national champion, finishing third overall. Second overall went to Magnus Boee, while Will Koch and Zanden McMullen rounded out the all-American podium. On the other side, Hailey Swirbul was crowned the national champion and was the overall winner, with Mariel Merlii Pulles and Tilde Baangman standing to either side of her on the overall podium, and the same for Sydney Palmer-Leger and Kendall Kramer on the all-American podium. Top results for athletes with Midwest roots came from Reid Goble and Margie Freed, while top junior results came from Hugo Hinckfuss and Samantha Smith in the senior heats, with NMU's Adrik Kraftson and Emma Charles the winners of the junior heats. The second half of the 2023 US Cross-Country Ski Championships start on Friday with classic mass-start distance racing. Results are linked in, big photosets posted along with videos recaps.
Tour de Ski: Stage 4 Freestyle Distance
January 4, 2023Consistency defined the US results on Wednesday as the World Cup concluded its stop in Oberstdorf, Germany for Stage 4 of the Tour de Ski. The race of the day was freestyle technique over a distance of 20K, with starting positions based on Tuesday's results. In opposite endings, the men's race boiled down to a mass finish as Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo came out on top of the heap to remain undefeated in this year's Tour de Ski, while Sweden's Frida Karlsson broke away late in the women's race to cap off back-to-back wins in Oberstdorf. Of the US camp, the men performed well again with three in the top-20: Ben Ogden (13th), Scott Patterson (17th), and Hunter Wonders (19th); and the women also shone as Jessie Diggins returned to form, rising from a 40th place start to a 8th place finish (the fastest time of the field), with Rosie Brennan (13th) and Julia Kern (17th) among the top-20 as well. Also worth noting, The Midwest's Alayna Sonnesyn had a breakout race clocking the 5th fastest time of the field. The closing stages of the Tour de Ski will take place in Val di Fiemme, Italy, beginning on Friday with classic sprints.
Noquemanon: No Fee for Junior Noque
January 3, 2023A big announcement on Tuesday, as Noquemanon announced the Junior Noque fees are being covered under an annual gift in the memory of Cheri Rundman (Uelmen). Juniors can register for the event for free (and if already registered, have their fee refunded). To further commemorate Rundman's legacy, the Junior Noque will officially be known as the Rundman Jacobson Junior Noquemanon. The Junior Noque is set for Friday, Jan 27th.
Racing Outlook
January 3, 2023With winter weather impacting the region, a number of race changes: Elm Creek, MadNorSki, MYSL, and Lapham Peak series race series cancelled this week.
Tour de Ski: Stage 3 Classic Distance
January 3, 2023Warm and wet conditions in Oberstdorf, Germany overshadowed Stage 3 of the Tour de Ski, an interval-start 10K classic race. Tuesday's races opened with the men's field heading out first, with a trio of Norwegian skiers producing the sixth podium sweep for the nation this season as Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo stood atop it once again. A trio of US skiers, however, arguably had the most impressive performance of the day, with top-15 finishes coming from Ben Ogden, Hunter Wonders, and Gus Schumacher who finished 6th, 11th, and 15th respectively. On course shortly after the men, the best result from the women's field came from Frida Karlsson of Sweden, who crossed the line with a healthy lead over the rest of the pack, while Rosie Brennan led way for the US women with an 11th place finish. Stage 4 of the Tour de Ski will see athletes remain in Oberstdorf for a pursuit-start freestyle distance race on Wednesday.
US Nationals: Freestyle Distance Coverage
January 2, 2023The sky was overcast and temperatures were hovering around freezing as the 2023 US Cross-Country Ski Championships got underway in Houghton, Michigan on Monday. For the first of four days of racing, the best in the US faced a 10K freestyle course in an interval-start format, with the women up first on the two lap course. A stacked field was whittled down to a standalone group of three for the podium: Sydney Palmer-Leger in 3rd, Novie McCabe in 2nd, and Hailey Swirbul as the national champion. With a similarly competitive field, the podium for the men's race consisted of Skylar Patten in 3rd, David Norris in 2nd, and Johnny Steel Hagenbuch as the national champion; although a Norwegian, Andreas Kirkeng, posted the fastest time. Top junior results went to Nina Schamberger and Philipp Moosmayer, while top results for skiers native to the Midwest came from the Gobles: Sarah (4th) and Reid (11th). The Championships continue on Wednesday with classic sprints. Results are linked in, photos and videos posted.
World Cup Racing: Tour de Ski Stages 3 and 4 Schedule
January 2, 2023Midweek racing action takes the World Cup to Oberstdorf, Germany for Stages 3 and 4 of the Tour de Ski. The first half of the doubleheader takes place on Tuesday, with an interval-start 10K classic race scheduled to start at 4:45 am CST for the men's field, and 7:45 am CST for the women's field. Wednesday will feature the second half of the races at the Oberstdorf venue, with a pursuit-start 20K freestyle race closing out the Tour stop (men starting at 4:15 am CST, women at 7:30 am CST).
Tour de Ski: Stage 2 Classic Distance
January 1, 2023Athletes rang in the new year on Sunday with a helping of classic distance racing for the Stage 2 of the Tour de Ski. In a pursuit-start format based on the sprint results from the previous day, the women's field went out first, culminating in a tight finish that saw Tiril Udnes Weng claim her first career victory for the Norwegian women's team. Next up were the men led out by Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway, who raced unopposed for a weekend swep in Val Mustair, Switzerland. Standouts in the stars and stripes on the day were Rosie Brennan, who earned another top-10 finish in 7th, and Ben Ogden, who scored a top-20 finish for himself in 18th. After a day off, the World Cup moves on to Oberstdorf, Germany for Stages 3 and 4 of the Tour de Ski, with classic distance racing slated for Tuesday.
Tour de Ski: Stage 1 Freestyle Sprints
December 31, 2022Period II of the World Cup kicked off in Val Mustair, Switzerland on Saturday with freestyle sprints the opening event of the Tour de Ski. Leading the US in the results was Julia Kern, who made it as far as the semifinals before crashing out. Teammates Rosie Brennan, Ben Ogden, and JC Schoonmaker also made the heats, but were unable to progress any further. Extending her win streak to three straight in the sprints, Switzerland's Nadine Fendrich took a commanding lead midway through the women's final and never looked back, rewarding the home crowd with another victory. In the men's final, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo bounced back from a surprise sprint defeat in Davos to once again stand on top of the podium. Stage 2 of the Tour de Ski takes place on Sunday in Val Mustair with a pursuit-start classic distance race at hand for all athletes.
Price Hikes: Noquemanon, Vasaloppet USA, Great Bear Chase
December 29, 2022A number of major races are having price hikes for the new year!
Jan 27-28 Noquemanon - The mighty Noque trail is calling, and the cool finish at the Superior Dome.
Feb 11-12 Vasaloppet USA - Epic downtown finishes - times two; skate and classic on separate days now.
Mar 11 Great Bear Chase - A great way to extend your race fitness with a wide range of races.
Register by Saturday night to avoid the fee increase!
World Cup Racing: Tour de Ski Stages 1 and 2 Schedule
December 28, 2022After a two week hiatus for the holidays, international racing returns for Period II of the World Cup: the Tour de Ski. For the US, the roster remains relatively unchanged, with Kevin Bolger, Zak Ketterson, Jessie Diggins, and Alayna Sonnesyn the ones to watch from the Midwest heading into the competition. Coverage of the opening stages in Val Mustair, Switzerland begins on Saturday at 4:30 am CST for freestyle sprint qualifying, followed by the heats at 7:00 am CST. Athletes will then participate in a pursuit-start 10K classic race on Sunday, with the women on course at 5:00 am CST and the men at 6:15 am CST.
Skinnyski Rewind: Clips from the Past
December 24, 2022With another year passing, and the holidays in full swing, we pull out a couple of clips from events over a decade ago...
2010 Hoigaards Relays - Blizzard! Racing at Hyland Hills, just getting to the race was a monumental effort.
2011 Junior Olympics OJ Relay - Here comes Diggins! Watch the Midwest women dominate the classic relay at Wirth.
2012 Hoigaards Relays - Crash mix! One of the last years at Hyland Hills, a twisting course proved technically "challenging".
2013 City of Lakes Loppet - Uptown funk! The Loppet finishing on the streets of Uptown Minneapolis.
Racing Outlook
December 23, 2022While there is no racing this holiday weekend, there are some important updates: Winter Warm-up has been rescheduled to Dec 31st at French, and Sisu Ski Fest registration is closed (race is full).
Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping: Season Preview
December 23, 2022The Central Region (upper Midwest) Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping season kicks off next week with it's first meet at Mt. Itasca. Get the details on the events and clubs around the region in this season preview.
Racing Outlook
December 19, 2022The only holiday race, the Winter Warmup at Elm Creek, has been cancelled due to forecast cold weather. We're keeping an ear open for updates on the weekly race series.
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Sprint Results
December 18, 2022Sunday was a full day of freestyle sprint racing on the Michigan Tech trails for the Houghton JNQ/CCSA event. In the men's open, Kristoffer Karsrud (NMU) collected his second freestyle sprint title of the season followed by Adrik Kraftson (NMU, MU20), and Luke Fricker (NMU). Daniel McCollor was the top U18, finishing 5th the open quarterfinal. Jack Dahlby also repeated as freestyle sprint champ in the boys U16 division. On the women's side, Anabel Needham (MTU) continued the trend of repeat freestyle sprint champs with Katerina Hyncicova (NMU) second and Merle Richter (NMU) third. Catherine Stow had the best U20 result, finishing 5th in the final. Inga Wing was the top U16, making all the way to the women's open semifinals (5th). Lily Ward was best of the U18 girls finishing 4th the in open quarterfinal, All thoughts now turn to US Nationals, back in Houghton, Jan 2nd-7th.
Race Closing: American Birkebeiner
December 18, 2022Does the amazing snowfall across the region have you thinking about participating in the Birkie? If so, you'd better act quickly -- the race is nearly full and organizers have announced registration will close on Tuesday night!
World Cup Davos: Freestyle Distance; History for Diggins, Third for Brennan
December 18, 2022Capping off an exciting block of racing, Davos, Switzerland hosted the final competitions of Period I of the World Cup on Sunday. Racing 20K over the course of three laps, the women were out first in the interval-start event. US superstar Jessie Diggins put it all on the line, collapsing in a heap at the finish after posting the fastest time of the day, with teammate Rosie Brennan not far off in an equally impressive third place finish, and Sophia Laukli also garnering a top-20 performance. With a total of 14 World Cup victories, Diggins is now the most decorated cross-country skier in US history. The men's race ended in a Norwegian sweep led by Simen Hegstad Krueger. Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden were the standouts for the US men, finishing 18th and 22nd respectively. After a holiday break, World Cup racing resumes on New Years Eve for the start of Period II and the Tour de Ski.
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Results
December 17, 2022Skiers descended on Houghton, MI, this weekend for a US Nationals preview with JNQ and CCSA racing. Saturday featured freestyle races and in the mens 10K, Skylar Patten (MTU) took top honors with Adrik Kraftson (NMU, MU20) second and Tryg Solberg (MTU) third. On the women's side, Olivia Laven (MTU) had the only sub-31 minute time, Victoria Dybwad (CSS) came in second, Anabel Needham (MTU) third. Other top performances: Greta Hansen 1st FU20, Audrey Parham 1st FU18, Davis Isom 1st MU18, Lauren Cartlon 1st FU16, Ben Buchmann 1st MU16. Sunday's event will be freestyle sprints.
Hoigaards Relays Coverage
December 17, 2022The snow continued to fall Saturday morning as the annual Hoigaards Relays were held at Elm Creek. The masters race came down to a duel between teams USCSA 4 Life and R & R, with Peter Carlen sealing the victory for USCSA 4 Life. Team Chuck Norris was third. Live, Laugh, Love was the topped mixed tandem, Flying Squirrels the winning women's squad. Forest Lake Bananas (boys) and The Ela's (girls) collected the titles in a spare high school division. Results posted along with photosets.
World Cup Davos: Freestyle Sprints; Diggins Stretches for Second
December 17, 2022Homecomings and upsets accented the atmosphere in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday as athletes lined up for freestyle sprints. The US came out of the qualifiers in force, with seven skiers making the heats: Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Alayna Sonnesyn for the women; and Ben Ogden, JC Schoonmaker, and Kevin Bolger for the men. Diggins and Kern would be the only ones to make the semifinals, with Diggins just sneaking in to the final. As a result, this lead to an exciting three-way finish where she would just outstretch Johanna Hagstroem of Sweden for second. Meanwhile, the winner of the women's final was the hometown hero, Nadine Faehndrich. In the men's final, another nail-biting finish saw Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo unseated in a come-from-behind win by Federico Pellegrino of Italy, his fourth at the venue. On tap for tomorrow: interval-start 20K freestyle races.
Cook County: Norpine Fat Bike Classic is Back with Crazy Pine Criterium and Fat Bike Expo
December 15, 2022With fresh snow falling, excitement is building for the Norpine Fat Bike Classic which returns to Lutsen with events beginning Sunday, Jan 1st and culminating with races on Saturday, Jan 7th. Registration is now open!
World Cup Racing: Davos Schedule
December 14, 2022The final weekend of World Cup racing in Period I is just days out, with freestyle sprints and distance racing on deck in Davos, Switzerland. Saturday will feature the former, with athletes taking part in qualifying at 3:45 am CST, and the top-30 among each field advancing to the heats at 6:15 am CST. Then it's on to an interval-start 20K on Sunday, with the women's and men's starting times slated for 3:45 am CST and 6:15 am CST respectively.
NNF: Second Virtual Speaker Lecture This Friday, Dec 16th
December 13, 2022The second lecture in NNF's virtual speaker series is this Friday, Dec 16th, at noon. Led by Norwegian researcher Øyvind Sandbakk, the talk is titled "Optimizing Long-Term Performance-Development in Endurance Sports" and will be available as a recording to the first 300 attendees who register beforehand. The lecture series is free to attend, although a $25 donation is recommended.
US Elite Racing: Sovereign Lake/Sun Valley SuperTour Recap
December 13, 2022With the first two weekends of SuperTour competitions done and dusted, Period I of the US Elite racing scene is drawing to a close. Gearing up for Period II, Adam Bodensteiner provides a comprehensive recap of the races that took place in Sovereign Lake and Sun Valley, including a focus on how athletes from the Midwest faired, and offers a brief glimpse at the big event on the horizon: US Nationals.
Racing Outlook
December 12, 2022With the pending storm, we expect a number of race updates coming in after the snow starts to pile up (or lack thereof). Elm Creek racing is taking the week off due to the weather.
Duluth JNQ/CCSA Classic Coverage
December 11, 2022Sunday wrapped up the weekend racing at Grand Ave Nordic Center in Duluth with a day of tricky waxing conditions as fresh snowfall intermittently plagued the race course. The women raced first, with the top seeds in the open class going out first. Henriette Semb, MTU, posted the top time with Merle Richter, NMU, second and Anabel Needham, MTU, third. Hailee Zimpel lead the U20 field (fourth overall), with Della Bettendorf best of the U18 and Inga Wing the top U16 skier again today. Skylar Patten, MTU, claimed the victory in the open division with Wes Campbell (U20), MTU, second and Kristoffer Karsrud, NMU third. Davis Isom was the best of U18 field, Ben Buchmann won the U16 division. Results linked in, photos and video clips from the 7.5K classic races posted.
World Cup Beitostolen: Mixed Team Relay
December 11, 2022One final day of racing in Beitostolen, Norway called for a change of pace for athletes as they grouped up for a 4x5K mixed team relay. In a testament to their team depth, the Norway II team broke away late to be the first team to cross the finish line, followed shortly after by the Norway I and Sweden I teams. Resting a fair few athletes, the US only fielded one of their two teams, who finished 10th overall. Next weekend's races bring the World Cup to Davos, Switzerland for the final competitions of Period I, starting with freestyle sprints on Saturday.
Sisu Ski Fest Nearly Full
December 10, 2022Organizers are reporting that as of Friday evening the Sisu Ski Fest field was over 90% full and will be closing waves as they reach capacity. Act quickly if you're thinking of participating in this Jan 6-7 event in Ironwood.
Duluth JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Sprints Results
December 10, 2022Grand Ave in Duluth was the destination this weekend for a pair of JNQ/CCSA events. Saturday featured freestyle sprint races. The men's open division race had NMU's Kristoffer Karsrud taking the win with teammate Luke Fricker second and Michigan Tech's Adam Witkowski third. On the women's side, Michigan Tech's Anabel Needham glided easily into first, NMU's Katerina Hyncicova second, and Scholastica's own Mia Case (U20) third. A number of U20, U18 and U16 athletes competed in the open division with Wes Campbell (U20) finishing 5th in the men's final, Davis Isom (U18) 6th in the men's semifinal, Inga Wing (U16) 6th in the women's semifinal and Hannah Koch was the top FU18, making the open quarterfinals. Jack Dahlby was best of the U16 boys, dominating the U16 boys sprint final. Sunday will be classic technique 7.5K races.
World Cup Beitostolen: Classic Distance
December 10, 2022It was another day of single-digit weather as classic distance racing took center stage for the second day of competition in Beitostolen, Norway. First out on the 10K course were the women, with the Finnish classic specialist Kerttu Niskanen besting the field, while an impressive US squad placed two in the top-10: Jessie Diggins in 6th and Rosie Brennan in 8th. The men's field got their chance shortly after the women, with Paul Goldberg of Norway bolstering his lead in the overall World Cup standings, and the US impressing again with two in the top-20: Hunter Wonders in 16th and Ben Ogden in 19th. Sunday marks the final day of racing in Beitostolen as the men's and women's fields will come together to compete in the second edition of the mixed team relay.
Skadi's Chase Coverage
December 10, 2022The Minnesota Nordic Opener festival kicked off their celebration of winter with Skadi's Chase freestyle races early Saturday morning at Elm Creek. Temps close to freezing and wet snowflakes falling provided an interesting mix on the snowmaking course. A lead trio of Matt Liebsch, Sam Holt and Jakob Ellingson broke away early, with Liebsch dropping the hammer in the final 500 meters to take the victory, Holt second and Ellingson third. Ingrid Thyr accelerated off the front and never looked back, winning the women's field by almost two minutes, with Jordan Schuster second and Nicole Cueno third. AJ Back and Jackie Larsen won the 4K high school race. Results linked in and photos from the 8K race posted.
World Cup Beitostolen: Classic Sprints
December 9, 2022Brisk racing conditions greeted World Cup athletes upon arrival to the classic sprint course in Beitostolen, Norway on Friday. With a growing list of notable absentees due to sickness, it was a day for others to step up as Switzerland's Nadine Faehndrich emerged victorious from the women's bracket for just the second win of her career, and Richard Jouve of France claimed his first win of the season in the men's final. Knocking on the door again for the US were Julia Kern and Ben Ogden who both made it as far as the semifinals, while Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan also qualified for the heats but didn't manage to advance. Tomorrow the attention turns to distance racing on a 10K classic course.
NNF: Return of the NNF Cup for 2022-2023 SuperTour Season
December 8, 2022The NNF Cup returns for the 2022-2023 SuperTour season as a celebration of the role clubs play in the development US skiers at the domestic level. A traveling trophy is awarded at the end of the season to the overall winner of the NNF Cup, with Alaska Pacific University the current defending champions.
Weekend Racing
December 7, 2022The racing season gets underway with three events this weekend!
Dec 10-11 Duluth JNQ/CCSA - Freestyle sprints on Saturday, classic distance races on Sunday, all at Grand Ave in Duluth.
Dec 10 Skadi's Chase - Part of the Minnesota Nordic Opener, 5K and 10K races at Elm Creek.
Dec 10 Swedetown Trails Pop-Up Race - Swedetown hosts some fun short-notice races on Saturday.
Check out Racing Outlook for any late updates we receive.
Related:
Waxing Recommendations
World Cup Racing: Beitostolen Schedule
December 7, 2022Just 50 miles west of last weekend's venue, the next batch of World Cup racing takes place in Bietostolen, Norway, getting underway on Friday with classic sprints (qualifying at 2:30 am CST, heats at 5 am CST). The focus then turns to classic distance racing on Saturday, with an interval-start 10K for the women at 3 am CST, and the same for the men at 5:15 am CST. To wrap up the weekend, the men's and women's fields will join forces on Sunday for a mixed team relay, scheduled to start 6 am CST.
Elm Creek Series Opening Night Results
December 6, 2022RJ Ochmann reports: Racers were greeted by good trail conditions with temps in the low 20s and almost no wind for the opening night of the ELm Creek weekly series. The classic race was won by Joe Martin and Maria Naslund while the skate race had Dennis Curran and Carolyn Brochman taking the top spots.
Maplelag Meet Coverage
December 6, 2022Jay Richards reports: Maplelag Resort was host to an early season meet, the "Organic Open", featuring some of the top teams of Section 8 competing on 100% organic natural snow, possible the first in the state. Varsity skiers competed in both skate and classic races and were greeted to 3" of fluffy new snow on top of a firm base and single digit temperatures. However, no wind and sunshine at the end of the meet made for nice racing conditions. Zaine Braaten of Moorhead and Annelise Baird of Brainerd took the varsity pursuit individual titles. Team titles went to Little Falls for the boys and Brainerd for the girls.
Racing Outlook
December 5, 2022The racing season fires up this week! The first JNQ will be held at Grand Ave in Duluth this weekend. Elm Creek will hold their opening event, on their new night (Tuesday). Swedetown's pop-up race is on. The high school Early Season Team Sprints has been cancelled.
Price Hike: City of Lakes Loppet
December 4, 2022The City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival is Feb 4-5, with cornerstone event ski races featuring classic technique on Saturday and freestyle Sunday. If you register by Monday night, Dec 5th, you'll beat out the next price hike!
World Cup Lillehammer: Classic Distance
December 4, 2022Classic distance racing was the final feature of the weekend's World Cup events as the men's and women's fields took on a challenging, rolling 20K course in Lillehammer, Norway. Both mass-start races ended as mass-finish races, with dozens of athletes finishing just seconds back from the winners, Frida Karlsson of Sweden and Paal Goldberg of Norway. The US had athletes in the mix in both races, with top finishes coming from Jessie Diggins who was only 5.5 seconds back in 9th, and Gus Schumacher who was only 6.6 seconds back in 17th. World Cup racing moves west to Beitostolen for the third stop of the season next weekend, debuting with classic sprints on Friday.
Minnesota High School Nordic Skiing Wax Rules
December 3, 2022A notice has been posted reminding all athletes, coaches and supporters that fluorocarbon wax products are banned from all MSHSL events.
World Cup Lillehammer: Freestyle Sprints
December 3, 2022Saturday's World Cup races in Lillehammer, Norway continued a streak of standout performances by US skiers as four athletes posted top-10 results in the freestyle sprints, with a 5th making the heats. Jessie Diggins led the group with a 4th place finish in the women's final, while teammate Julia Kern was just held from advancing out of the semifinals in 8th. Of the the men, Ben Ogden and JC Schoonmaker also barely missed qualifying for the final, finishing 7th and 8th respectively, while Luke Jaeger ended his run in the quarterfinals, finishing 25th. Titles on the day went to the upcoming sprint star Emma Ribom of Sweden and the superhuman Norwegian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. Mass-start classic distance races will conclude the racing action in Lillehammer on Sunday.
World Cup Lillehammer: Freestyle Distance; First Victory of Season for Diggins
December 2, 2022There was a strong showing by US athletes on Friday as they took to the trails in Lillehammer, Norway for an interval-start 10K freestyle race. Showing immense grit, Jessie Diggins narrowly unseated Germany's Katharina Henning for the top spot on the podium in the women's race, claiming her first World Cup victory of the season. The next fastest time by the US women came from Julia Kern in 25th. Notably, Rosie Brennan did not start today. Also absent was the Norwegian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo for the men's race, but fellow countryman Iver Tildheim Andersen stepped up in his place, earning his first win in only his second World Cup start as his country swept the podium. For the US men, Zak Ketterson registered the fastest time on the day, finishing 26th. Next up: freestyle sprints.
World Cup Racing: Lillehammer Schedule
November 30, 2022All eyes are on Lillehammer, Norway this weekend for the second stop of the 2022/2023 World Cup season. The action kicks off on Friday at 4 am CST with the womens field leading out an interval-start 10K freestyle race, followed by the men tackling the same distance at 5:45 am CST. Saturday will then see athletes switch over to freestyle sprints, with qualifying starting at 2:30 am CST, and the heats getting underway around 5 am CST. And finally, a mass-start 20K classic race will close out the weekend on Sunday, with the women competing at 3:45am CST, and the men at 6am CST.
TCNSC Meet Results
November 30, 2022Scoring the first meet of the season (and in November!), the Twin Cities Nordic Ski Conference held a 4K freestyle time trial at Elm Creek on Wednesday. St. Paul Highland Park dominated the event with Hanna Koch and Davis Isom topping the fields.
NNF: Drive for 25 Targets Achieved
November 29, 2022The National Nordic Foundation expresses it's gratitude to the entire Nordic community for helping reach their fundraising targets in the Drive for 25 campaign. All totaled, over $300K was generated!
Price Hikes: Vasaloppet, Noquemanon, Sisu Ski Fest, Great Bear Chase
November 28, 2022A number of events will have price hikes to coincide with the start of December!
Jan 7 Sisu Ski Fest - The first major distance races of the citizen racing season, held in Ironwood.
Jan 28 Noquemanon - The mighty Noque offers several point-to-point races finishing at the Superior Dome.
Feb 11-12 Vasaloppet USA - Two days of racing, with that epic finish on the streets of Mora.
Mar 11 Great Bear Chase - One of the last big events of the season, offering a wide range of events on the Swedetown trails.
Register for these events by Wednesday night to avoid the next jump in fees.
World Cup Ruka: Freestyle Distance
November 27, 202220K freestyle pursuit races on Sunday capped off the opening weekend of World Cup racing in Ruka, Finland. In a return to form, Frida Karlsson of Sweden broke away from teammate Ebba Andersson late in the women's race to reverse their finishing order from the previous day. Meanwhile, the men's race saw Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo complete his weekend sweep, comfortably sprinting away from the lead pack on the final climb. American standouts included Rosie Brennan in 6th and Jessie Diggins in 10th of the women's contingent, and Scott Patterson finishing 14th for the men after moving up 37 positions. The second weekend of the World Cup will take place in Lillehammer, Norway, beginning with freestyle distance racing on Friday.
Marshall Holiday Ski Camp, Dec 27-29
November 26, 2022Marshall School's annual Holiday Ski Camp is exactly one month out from today, taking place Dec 27-29. An excellent chance for kids to receive some individualized coaching, the camp is open to children ages 5-12. Registration covers three full afternoons of learning and fun, plus rental equipment, snacks, and more!
World Cup Ruka: Classic Distance
November 26, 2022The opening weekend of the World Cup continued in Ruka, Finland on Saturday with 10K classic races for both the men and the women. Sweden continued to headline the women's results with Ebba Andersson posting the fastest time of the field, while Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo claimed another decisive victory in the men's race, his career 50th. Crossing the line in 7th, Rosie Brennan had the best result among the US women, while Ben Ogden was the highest finisher among the US men in 28th. Midwesterners Jessie Diggins and Zac Ketterson put in strong performances as well, finishing 21st and 31st respectively. The final day of competition in Ruka will feature freestyle distance racing in a pursuit-start format.
World Cup Ruka: Classic Sprints
November 25, 2022With temperatures hovering in the teens, the 2022/2023 World Cup season officially got underway in Ruka, Finland on Friday with classic sprints. For the US, JC Schoonmaker and Ben Ogden, and Julia Kern and Jessie Diggins led the way in qualifying, making the heats. Kern would be the only one to advance out of the quarterfinals, finishing 11th on the day. Sweden's Emma Ribom would go on to win the women's final, a career first, while Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway continued to show no sign of slowing down, taking it for the men. The opening weekend of the World Cup continues tomorrow with classic distance racing.
World Cup Racing: Season Preview
November 23, 2022It's that time of year again: the start of the 2022/2023 World Cup racing circuit is this weekend in Ruka, Finland. Covering changes since last season, the schedule ahead, and who to keep an eye on, our season preview has everything you need to know to get up to speed heading into the new season.
US Elite Racing: Season Preview
November 22, 2022The start of the SuperTour is already just one week out, calling for a preview of the US elite racing heading into the season. Covering the scene this season is Adam Bodensteiner, who has a rundown of the upcoming races, along with Midwestern names to keep an eye out for as the season gets underway.
Midwest Racing Season Preview
November 21, 2022Despite the official start of winter being a month out yet, it feels as though it's on our doorstep, if not already here. A week with temperatures below freezing has left a blanket of snow across the Midwest, and when there's snow on the ground there are scheduled races not that far off. As such, we've prepared a preview of this season's racing calendar, complete with highlighted major events, notes on changes big and small, and a tally of events arriving or departing in 2022/2023.
Biathlon: Pre-World Cup Camp, IBU Cup Rosters Announced
November 15, 2022This past month U.S. Biathlon named it's lineups for both this season's Pre-World Cup Camp in Vuokatti Finland, and the first two competitions of the IBU Cup in Sjusjoen, Norway. Notable Midwestern nominees included Minnesotans Jake Brown, Vaclav Cervenka, and Amanda Kautzer, Wisconsinites Paul Schommer and Deedra Irwin, and Scholastica alumna Kelsey Dickinson.
Mpls Ski Club's Lollipop Run Results
November 12, 2022Erin Moeing reports: It started to feel like winter this morning for the Minneapolis Ski Club's Lollipop Hill Run. The cool temperature and snowmaking at Afton's alpine hill just added to the excitement of the ski season being around the corner and the hilly course allowed for ski fitness to be tested. Eddie Snider took the win, besting Brad Moening and Torry Kraftson. On the women's side, Erica Kazin crushed the field, with Megan Snider having a strong showing in second and Abby Drach taking third. Results are up, and photos will be added later this weekend.
NNF: Introducing New Virtual Speaker Series
November 6, 2022In an effort to promote the latest ideas in training and developmental philosophy and offer an excellent sport education opportunity, NNF is launching a virtual speaker series, and is inviting skiers, coaches, and supporters alike to attend the inaugural lecture. The first speaker will be renowned American physiologist Dr. Stephen Seiler, whose talk will take place on Friday, Nov 11th, at noon. Registration is limited, so sign up soon!
US Nationals Waxing Facility Reservations Open
November 4, 2022Teams and groups planning to participate at the 2023 US Cross Country Ski National Championships can now reserve their waxing facilities, with three options available: self-provided wax trailers, rented portable wax trailers, and provided wax rooms. Reservations for the latter two must be made by Dec 28th.
MN Nordic Ski Coaches Association Fall Meeting Recap
November 2, 2022The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association has posted the minutes from their fall meeting, held back in mid-October. A number of rule update proposals were passed as well as a push to shift the Minnesota high school season a week later, finishing with a State Meet in late February (typically Birkie week). David Paulson was elected as the new association president.
Price Hike: Birkie Races
November 1, 2022Prices on the American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Prince Haakon, and Open Track events jump on Nov 4th. Get your registration in by Thursday night to save some cash and ensure your place on the starting line!
Great Bear Chase: Announcing Registration, New Bib Policy
October 31, 2022Registration is open for the 2023 Great Bear Ski Chase, with signup fees at their lowest through the end of November. A new season brings a return to in-person norms for the race, and also a notable change: a bib collection at the end of the race so they can be reused in the following years, cutting costs and waste.
Price Hikes: Noquemanon, Sisu Ski Fest
October 28, 2022The end of October brings price hikes on two popular UP races:
Jan 6-8 Sisu Ski Fest - Racing from ABR into downtown Ironwood, one of the great early season events.
Jan 27-28 Noquemanon - A number of point to point races, utilizing the famous Noquemanon trail and finishing at the Superior Dome.
Register before Tuesday to save some bucks!
Vasaloppet Online Auction Live, Fundraiser Saturday
October 27, 2022Bidding is underway on an assortment of items for the Vasaloppet's online auction. Part of their annual fundraising drive, the auction runs through Oct 30th. There will also be a social event on Oct 29th at the Grand Event Center with hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, raffles, and a special 50th anniversary program. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
NNF: Support Trail to Gold Fellowships at World Championships
October 25, 2022NNF is teaming up to support Trail to Gold Fellowships while supporting the US athletes at this season's World Championships in Planica, Slovenia. For each traveler who books a trip to the Championships through Lumi Experiences, a portion of their fees will be donated to the Trail to Gold Fellowship. Book by Oct 31st to receive a discount.
MSC Lollipop Hill Run, Nov 12th
October 21, 2022Minneapolis Ski Club proudly presents the first annual Lollipop Hill Run. Join them on Nov 12th at Afton State Park for a 5k running race with 450 feet of vertical climbing. This will be a great test of your fall training as this course was built for skiers, with impressive strength and endurance required. All are welcome!
Sisu Ski Fest Registration Now Open
October 19, 2022The UP of Michigan has already received their first big snowfall of the season and plans are well underway for the Sisu Ski Fest, Jan 6-8th, in Ironwood. Registration for the events is now open, with the first price hike coming at the end of the month.
Loppet Festival Registration Now Open
October 18, 2022Registration for the City of Lake Loppet Winter Festival and Luminary Loppet, taking place Feb 4th-5th, is now open. From cross country skiing and fat biking, to skijoring and snowshoeing, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Sign up today to avoid the price hikes later.
NNF: Applications Open for U23/World Juniors Coaches
October 18, 2022US Ski and Snowboard is now accepting applications to coach at this season's World Junior/U23 Ski Championships taking place in Whistler, Canada from Jan 25th-Feb 2nd. The deadline to apply is Oct 31st.
US Ski Team: Cross-Country Team Named for 2022-23 Season
October 17, 2022U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced 22 athletes for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2022-23 season. The team includes those active athletes who qualified based on the published selection criteria in the prior season. Midwest athletes include Jessie Diggins (A team), Zak Ketterson (B team) and Kevin Bolger (B team) along with Midwest connections in the support staff: Bryan Fish (development manager), Kristen Bourne (D team coach), and Chris Hecker (wax tech).
Minnesota High School Coaches Association Fall Meeting this Saturday
October 11, 2022The Minnesota High School Coaches Association Fall Meeting for Nordic skiing will be this Saturday, Oct 15th, at the Vasaloppet Center in Mora. There are some very important topics on the schedule, including a number of proposed changes to the State Meet and season. Plus a new CXC Level 50 certification. Review all the meeting agenda and proposals, and RSVP.
MCSA Season Preview
October 5, 2022Back for their fourth season after another successful year, the Midwest Collegiate Ski Association (MCSA) unveiled their official schedule for the 2022-2023 season, with one of the more notable updates being the inclusion of a sprint competition for the first time. Kicking off on Dec 17th - 18th with the Michigan Tech Pre-Nationals CXC Cup races, their season will run through Feb 25th, concluding with the American Birkebeiner.
College of St. Scholastica Nordic Ski Team Week of Giving
September 29, 2022The College of St. Scholastica Nordic ski team is taking on the rest of the CSS athletics in a fundraising drive through this weekend. Participation will be measured by the total number of gifts, so even the smallest donation helps them win.
Midwest MTB Report
September 28, 2022Like a traffic light changing from green to red, the colors of the leaves mark the speed of the season, although we're nowhere near a full stop yet. Races may be fewer, but that only leaves more time to reflect on this past season and enjoy the cooler riding conditions. Jay Richards checks in this week with a Midwest MTB report doing just that, starting off with an interview with Ben Olson of the Northwest Composite Wolves, accompanied by a featured article on the world's best places to ride and a notice for the upcoming Thrillseeker Enduro.
Price Hike: Noquemanon
September 28, 2022The epic Noquemanon race weekend is Jan 27-28th in Marquette. Featuring races from 12K to 50K on the Noquemanon trail system in the UP. Prices jump on Oct 1st, so register by Friday night to save some cash.
Minnesota High School Coaches Association Fall Meeting, Oct 15th
September 22, 2022The Minnesota High School Coaches Association Fall Meeting for Nordic skiing will be Saturday, Oct 15th, at the Vasaloppet Center in Mora. There are some very important topics on the schedule, including a number of proposed changes to the State Meet and season. Review all the meeting agenda and proposals, and RSVP.
Swedish Mile Oct 8th
September 21, 2022The Vasaloppet's Swedish Mile returns with a fall festival format on Oct 9th. This year's event features a 10K trail race, 5K Fun Run, Kid's Races, and food, drink, and lots of fall-focused activities for the whole family around the Vasaloppet Nordic Center with proceeds supporting snowmaking and operations.
Midwest MTB Report
September 20, 2022The days continue to get shorter and the nights colder as we steadily march on into the fall. Two big races dominated the Midwest mountain biking scene over the weekend: the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival held in Cabel, WI; and the Marji Gesick held in the UP of Michigan. With recaps and interviews to boot, Jay Richards shares in-depth coverage of both races, as well as an accompaniment of photos and results, in this week's Midwest MTB report.
Northshore Inline Marathon Rollerski Race Results
September 17, 2022Saturday saw rollerskiers descended upon the Duluth area for the 26th edition of the NorthShore Inline Marathon. Starting with a field of over 50 skiers in the 42K race, the men's title was ultimately contested by a group of six, with Xavier Mansfield taking the victory by a handful of seconds. The women's title would end up going to Jenna Ruzich who crossed the finish line with a sizeable lead over her competition.
Bangin In The Brush Results
September 17, 2022Over 100 participants took to the trails at Korkki Nordic on Saturday for the annual 10K Bangin in the Brush trail run. With a second and a half to spare Matt Paal took top honors among the men, while Tiffany Kari held on to a comfortable lead to finish first for the women.
Crystal Grinder Oct 16th
September 12, 2022The Crystal Community Ski Club is hosting a rollerski race on Oct 16th at Crystal Mountain, just outside of Thompsonville, MI. Featuring a 10k Masters race and a 5k Juniors race on a smooth course with no perilous downhills and a gentle uphill start, the event should provide an excellent opportunity for skiers to experience what the Lower Peninsula has to offer, especially in advance of the JNQ race being held nearby at Hickory Hills this upcoming season. Helmets are required, although technique and wheel speed will be left to the discretion of competitors.
CXC Rollerski Cup: NorthShore Inline Marathon Weekend
September 9, 2022The NorthShore Inline Marathon, the final race of the annual CXC Rollerski Cup, is scheduled for next weekend, Sept 17th - 18th, with a point-to-point marathon and half marathon taking place on Saturday, and sprints taking place on Sunday. Unique to the sprints, competitors will get the opportunity to experience an FIS style event, with qualifying and knockout rounds seeded by U.S. Ski & Snowboard/FIS points.
US Ski Team: Diggins Wins 42K Kangaroo Hoppet
September 9, 2022The Kangaroo Hoppet, the first stop of the Worldloppet, took place this past weekend in Falls Creek, Australia. With nearly 1,000 competitors, there was no shortage of competition for Americans Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern who had been there for several weeks training for the upcoming World Cup season. From the start the two were hot on the heels of the men's lead pack, only falling back once fellow American and men's champion, Peter Wolter, made a move to break up the group. Diggins would end up being the first woman across the line, followed shortly after by Kern in second, with Australian Casey Wright rounding out the women's podium in third.
Midwest MTB Report
September 8, 2022Labor Day has come and gone, signalling the end of series racing and start of the school year across the Midwest. Maplelag Resort was host to the final race of the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series over the holiday weekend, and this week's Midwest MTB report from Jay Richards begins with a recap of the action, followed by first-hand accounts from the Copper Harbor Trails Festival and Dakota Five-O. Capping it all off is the customary look ahead, focusing on the upcoming Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival and Marji Gesick.
Price Hikes: Birkie, Seeley Events
September 7, 2022Price hikes are coming Thursday night for both the Birkie week events and the Seeley Hills Classic:
- Birkie Week Events
- Seeley Hills Classic
Register before midnight Thursday to avoid the next price increase.
Minnesota Paddling Championships, Sep 10-11th
August 31, 2022Minnesota Paddling Championships are set for Sep 10th and 11th in Bemidji. Saturday will feature tandem canoe and kayak races, Sunday will be solo race events.
Biathlon: Max Cobb to Head International Biathlon Union
August 30, 2022U.S. Biathlon President and CEO Max Cobb has been named by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) as its new secretary general. The highly-respected biathlon leader will be leaving U.S. Biathlon this fall to take the helm of the international sports federation based in Salzburg, Austria.
Midwest MTB Report
August 27, 2022Fall is just around the corner as the final days of August pass us by and we prepare to welcome in September. While series racing took a backseat to longer events this past week, there was plenty of racing action to go around with the likes of the Seeley Lions Pre Fat, Giants Ridge GRIND, and Great Deer Chase being just a few of the races that took place. Not to be forgotten, Cuyuna hosted the second to last race of the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, which will move to Maplelag for the final race of the season, part of the look ahead in this week's Midwest MTB from Jay Richards.
Ski Hut: Women's Enduro Race Coming Sept 13th
August 24, 2022The COGGS Duluth Enduro Series is thrilled to announce the first inaugural Women’s Enduro Race, presented by Ski Hut and Ursa Minor Brewing, taking place at Lester Park on Tuesday evening, Sept 13th.
CXC Rollerski Cup: Grinding Up Granite this Sunday
August 24, 2022The annual CXC Rollerski Cup will be making its next stop with the Grinding Up Granite Race in Wausau, set to take place on Sunday, Aug 28th. Grind up Granite will feature classic and skate race options to race to the top of Rib Mountain with a total climb of 700 feet in 2.5 miles.
Midwest MTB Report
August 16, 2022We're midway through August and, despite the local racing series starting to wind down, there is still plenty of racing to be found near and far. The antepenultimate race of the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series took place over the weekend, along with the Ore to Shore and the Leadville 100, all of which are covered in Jay Richards' Midwest MTB report for this week. Closing out the report are a trip to Maplelag Resort by the Stillwater Mountain Bike Team and the requisite look ahead.
Midwest MTB Report
August 9, 2022August is upon us and with it a spell of rainy weather to bring the temps back down and wet the trails. Rain or shine, races were taking place all over the Midwest this past week, and Jay Richards has the coverage to back it up. Featured races in this week's report include the Bike Duluth Festival, the Refo Ramble of the Wisconsin Off Road Series, and the Maah Dah Hey 100, with a special nod to a Minnesotan making his start on the World Cup and a look at a couple of upcoming races rounding it all out.
Minnesota Coaches Association August Update
August 7, 2022Paula Anderson, interim President of the Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association, has released an August update. One of the biggest topics is a number of proposed changes to the new State Meet format.
US Cross Country Ski Championships Return to Houghton
August 3, 2022Michigan Tech will host the 2023 Toyota U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships at the Tech Trails from January 2-7, 2023. The championship spans a week and consists of three different national championship race days and concludes with a SuperTour race day. Events include skate 10K interval start distance, classic sprints, and classic 10/20K mass start distance, and skate sprints.
CXC Rollerski Series: Up, Up and Away Set for Aug 13th
August 3, 2022The next stop in the CXC Rollerski Cup will be August 13th at Blue Mound State Park in southern Wisconsin. There are 6K and 10K classic rollerski divisions, racing to the high point.
Midwest MTB Report
August 2, 2022With a relatively quiet weekend behind us on the racing front, Jay Richards drops by with a quick update on some of the local happenings—the Bemidji High School Mountain Bike Team fundraiser event at Movil Maze and a trip to the White Earth State Forest—along with an article of note and a look ahead at upcoming racing action, all in this week's Midwest MTB report.
Midwest MTB Report
July 26, 2022We're now well into the dog days of summer and the racing season as temperatures soar and competitions can be found in abundance each weekend, including this past one. With recaps aplenty, Jay Richard has coverage from a selection of events that took place recently, including the most recent Minnesota and Wisconsin series races, with a look ahead to what's coming up on the calendar included as well.
Midwest MTB Report
July 21, 2022Another round of hot and sticky weather made for challenging racing over the weekend as Jay Richards took on the Rock Splitter Challenge for this week's Midwest MTB report. Including a synopsis of his experience at the inaugural event, he also highlights visits to a few newer trail systems in Northern Minnesota, alongside a few links and a look ahead.
Midwest MTB Report
July 12, 2022Busy is where we find ourselves as the summer days fly by, and busy is the theme of this week's Midwest MTB report from Jay Richards. Covering the recent Minnesota and Wisconsin series races, upcoming events, and relevant articles, including one about an NHL bound local rider, this week's report is jam-packed and sure to have something for just about everyone.
Machinery Hill Rollerski Criterium Coverage
July 12, 2022Hitting the Minnesota State Fairgrounds a month early, rollerskiers were treated to some fast criterium style racing along the streets of the famous venue. Daniel McCollor dominated the junior mens/masters race. Caitlin Gregg pulled away with the women's title. And Brian Gregg scooped up the men's victory. Results linked in, photos posted, plus some video clips.
Junior CXC Cup Schedule Published
July 10, 2022CXC has published the preliminary schedule for the Junior National Qualifying CXC Cup this season, with stops in Duluth, Houghton, Coleraine, Traverse City, and Minneapolis.
Shoreline Sprints Freestyle Results
July 9, 2022The Shoreline Sprints wrapped up on Saturday with scenic freestyle rollerski races along the waterfront in downtown Rice Lake. Ingrid Thyr and Graham Ritchie won the sprint titles.
Shoreline Sprints Classic Coverage
July 8, 2022The Shoreline Sprints rollerski racing weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon on a quiet county road east of Rice Lake, with strong sunshine matching the heat generated on a challenging course. Michaela Keller-Miller powered away from the women's field along the final climbs to capture the women's title with fellow Minnesota natives Ingrid Thyr and Amanda Kautzer rounding out the top three. Canada's Graham Ritchie took the men's title, even after losing a pole tip in the final stretch, with Pierre Grall-Johnson second and Brian Gregg breaking the Canadian block for third. Results linked in, along with photosets from both races. Racing continues on Saturday with freestyle sprint races in downtown Rice Lake.
Price Hike: Birkie Races
July 7, 2022Prices on the American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Prince Haakon and Open Track events jump this Friday. Get your registration in by Thursday night to save some cash and ensure your place on the start line!
Midwest MTB Report
July 6, 2022Great riding and racing abound as we roll into a new month and approach the midpoint of the season. After a long Fourth of July weekend, this week's Midwest MTB report catches up with the Wisconsin Off-Road Series as it reaches its halfway point and features a couple articles from around the web, in addition to a look ahead to the next race in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, the St. Croix Woolly.
Out There: Shoreline Rollerski Races This Weekend
July 5, 2022The Shoresline Sprints rollerski event expands this July with two days of racing, including a new classic distance race on Friday and then skate sprints on Saturday. Pro, senior and junior athletes are all invited to participate, with spectators encouraged to come out and cheer! Races are this Friday and Saturday, July 8th and 9th.
Loppet Rollerski Criterium on Machinery Hill Set for July 12th
July 4, 2022The Loppet Foundation is hosting the CXC Rollerski Series kickoff event on Tuesday, July 12th at Machinery Hill on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds! The event will use matched pair rollerskis with a limited set available so register now!
Midwest MTB Report
June 28, 2022The last weekend of June saw riders flock to the North Shore for the Lutsen 99er, the spotlight of this week's Midwest MTB report. A quick update from Jay Richards delivers coverage of the race from the perspective of both the women's and men's champions, as well as updates from an Alexandria rider taking on the Tour Divide, and highlights from the opening ceremony for new trail at Cayuna.
Midwest MTB Report
June 23, 2022And just like that, we're officially past the solstice and into summer. Aligning with the longest days of the year are some of the longest races of the year as this week's Midwest MTB report covers both the Chequamegon 100 and Epic Bike Fest that took place these past few weeks, and also looks ahead to the Lutsen 99er happening this weekend. Included as well: clinics, camps, and more; all courtesy of Jay Richards.
Worldloppet Bans Russia Skiers, Events
June 18, 2022As part of the Worldloppet Annual General Meeting, this year held in-person in Mora, Sweden, it has been announced that Russian (and Belarus) athletes will be barred from Worldloppet events, and the Demino Skimarathon has been suspended as a Worldloppet series event. The American Birkebeiner and the Gatineau Loppet are both Worldloppet events.
CXC Announces Coaching Excellent Award for Team Birkie's Caitlin Gregg
June 17, 2022Each year CXC recognizes one of its great coaches with the Igor Badamshin Coaching Excellence Award. This year’s recipient of the Igor Badamshin Coach of the Year Award goes to Caitlin Gregg, a driving force behind the creation of Team Birkie, the newest professional cross country ski team in the Central region.
Olympics: Nordic Combined May Be Cut From 2026 Winter Games
June 16, 2022Nordic Combined could be dropped from the Winter Olympic Games as one possible outcome of resolving gender equity issues. It is the only Olympic sport without women and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to make a decision soon about whether to allow women to compete in Nordic combined at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Games. Men in Nordic combined have been publicly pushing on social media and elsewhere for women to be included.
Chippewa Triathlon Results
June 12, 2022Just over a month after the lakes and rivers thawed out in Cass Lake, the Chippewa Triathlon took place on Sunday, drawing in a sizeable crowd from across the Midwest. Chris Godwin and Deanne Hart were the fastest finishers in the solo category, while John Kallemeyn and Maria Janowiak retained their titles from the previous year in the doubles category. First place in the 2-4 person relay went to the Michigan Paddlers, Ryan Harris and Jim Harwood.
Team Birkie Returns After Successful First Season
June 9, 2022After a standout inaugural season, Team Birkie is reaching for new heights during the 2022-2023 cross country ski season. The team expands with four additions: Renae Anderson, Erin Bianco, Xavier Mansfield, and Gus Schatzlein, all Minnesota natives. Consider helping fund their efforts this season with an individual donation.
Biathlon: Distinguished Career - Leif Nordgren
June 6, 2022US Biathlon featured Minnesota native Leif Nordgren and his storied career, along with his plans for the future, in a recent podcast.
Athlete Updates
June 5, 2022Altitude Training - Zak Ketterson writes a guide to altitude training as he heads out west for a training block with Team Birkie.
April Adventures - Alayna Sonnesyn recaps a whirlwind post-season vacation, hitting Jamaica and Europe before getting back on the skis in Bend, OR.
Recap and Reflections - Michaela Keller-Miller recaps the second half of her season, including the big races at the Birkie and up in Whistler.
Back to Square One - Top junior Greta Hansen shares some of a brief history with Nordic skiing, including overcoming a serious medical issue.
Tech to the Stars - Chris Hecker covers his season as wax tech for the US Ski Team.
US Ski Team: Bourne Joins Cross Country Team As D-Team Coach
June 2, 2022U.S. Ski & Snowboard announces that Kristen Bourne, a Twin Cities native, will join the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team staff as D-Team coach. Bourne, who has worked with the team on several projects as a ski technician and coach, replaces Kate Johnson, who coached the D-Team for the past two seasons.
Midwest MTB Report
May 25, 2022Racing action is in full swing across the Midwest with stops in both the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series and the Wisconsin Off-Road Series taking place over the weekend alongside smaller events like The Log Jam in Cloquet. Jay Richards has highlights from those races, as well as excepts from a handful of articles from around the web in this report for the last week of May, with a look ahead to some events beginning in June to cap it all off.
Price Hike: Birkie Races
May 24, 2022Prices on the American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Prince Haakon and Open Track events jump this Friday. Get your registration in by Thursday night to save some cash and ensure your place on the start line!
North End Trail Run Saturday
May 24, 2022The North End Ski Club in Cable will present the fourth annual running of the North End Trail Run on Saturday, May 28th. The Trail Run is a low key, low-frills event intended to provide a community building event and an opportunity to enjoy the local trails and a positive trail experience. Distance include 5K, 10K and half marathon and utilize the singletrack bike trail and segments of the North End ski trail.
Out There: Shoreline Rollerski Races July 8-9
May 23, 2022The Shoresline Sprints rollerski event expands this July with two days of racing, including a new classic distance race on Friday and then skate sprints on Saturday. Pro, senior and junior athletes are all invited to participate, with spectators encouraged to come out and cheer!
Midwest MTB Report
May 18, 2022With conditions improving and trail systems opening back up, we return to Jay Richard's coverage of the happenings in and around the Midwest. This week's report dives into an assortment of national news and articles, in addition to local developments such as new trails coming to Minocqua Winter Park. The racing action continues as well, with the Big Mountain Enduro Series kicking off this past weekend, and Minnesota Mountain Bike Series and Wisconsin Off-Road Series on deck for this coming weekend.
Minnesota High School Canoe and Kayak Championships Set for June 12th
May 18, 2022The Minnesota Canoe Association and TwoPaddles.org invites all high school students (grades 9-12) to participate in the Minnesota High School Canoe and Kayak Championships on Sunday June 12th in Coon Rapids. No experience necessary and all equipment is provided.
US Ski Team: Cross-Country Team Nominated for the 2022-23 Season
May 10, 2022U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced 22 athletes nominated to the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2022-23 season. In addition to established veterans, including three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins and two-time Olympians Rosie Brennan and Scott Patterson, the team includes five new members. Moving up to the A Team for the coming season are 2022 Olympians JC Schoonmaker, Julia Kern, Novie McCabe, Ben Ogden and Patterson. Midwest athletes making the list include Zak Ketterson (B team) and Kevin Bolger (B team).
Snake River Canoe Race Results
May 8, 2022Beautiful Saturday morning in Mora for the annual Snake River paddling races with over 125 entries competing. Pro Boat winners were Devin Arenz and Mike Vincent for the men, Jessica Kozarek and Patti Bohaty for the women, and Josie and Dave Nelson the top mixed pairing.
Minnesota High School Coaches Association Spring Meeting Minutes
May 5, 2022Minutes have been posted for the Spring Meeting of the Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association. Plus review amended bylaws, update your contact info, and reasons to join the association.
Midwest MTB Report
May 3, 2022Rolling on despite a delayed start to the season in some places, Jay Richards in here to bring us up to speed on where the wheels are moving throughout the Midwest. Early season racing recaps, ongoing and upcoming skill clinics, an article of the week, and a look ahead to events on the horizon are all featured in this week's MTB report.
2022 Collegiate Tally Board
May 2, 2022We've fired up the collegiate tally board, tracking high school Nordic skiing seniors and their future plans. Find out who's skiing in college, and contribute to the board.
Birkie Registration Now Open
May 2, 2022Registration for the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Prince Haakon, Birkie Tour, and Open Track Birkie opened on May 1st. Secure your wave placement and get in on early pricing by registering now!
2021-22 Season Highlights
May 1, 2022Catch highlights plus full results and photos from the 2021-2022 high school racing season.
2021-22 Season Highlights
May 1, 2022Catch highlights plus full results and photos from the 2021-2022 collegiate racing season.