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Mark your calendars for the 37th American Birkebeiner® from
Feb. 25-27, 2010!
The 2010 events include the 50K Birkie Skate sponsored by Becker Law Office, Subaru 54K
Birkie Classic, and 23K Kortelopet Skate and Classic races sponsored by Premier Physical Medicine & Wellness Clinic.
Birkie 2010 also features shorter races, events and festivities for:
- men, women, teens and kids
- families
- the super fit
- the super enthusiastic
- those vowing to get in shape
- those wanting pure and simple recreation
- those wanting to meet like-minded fitness buffs
- those wanting challenge, excitement and fun
- those wanting to support friends, family and skiers from around the world!
From the Barnebirkie to the Birkebeiner...Take the Challenge, Ski the Adventure, Live the Birkie!
Find out more at http://www.birkie.com
or call us at 715.634.5025. We're eager to hear from you! 2009
American Birkebeiner Trail Run, Relay & Trek
Sept. 26, 2009
The 2009 American Birkebeiner Trail Run includes you choice of:
- 26.2 mile Marathon Relay
- Individual 13.1 mile Half Marathon
- 21K Birkie Trail Trek
- 5K Fun Run/Wlak
Learn more visit www.birkie.com or register today for the Trail Run, Relay or Trek.
2010
BirkieTour
Come out, ski and enjoy the Birkie and Birkie Classic Trails and become a Birkie Tour Founder!
The tour is an untimed, non-competitive, "open-track" event open to skiers age 13 and older.
Tour OptionsBirkie Tour Distances
43K Birkie Tour 48K Birkie Tour 51K Birkie Tour Korte Tour Distances22K Korte Tour 27K Korte Tour Learn more visit www.birkie.comThe Birkie®:
37 Years of Inspiring Skiers
to Live Fit, Healthy Lives!
"Tony Wise asked me to design a good trail system at Telemark. I spent
14 days there and laid out trails similar to the Vasalopet trails in
Sweden. Later, Marty Hall added more hills. From the point of view of
competitive skiers, it is a very good course."
~ Sven Wiik, Nordic guru, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
"The Birkie has been a factor in my life since the first time I skied
the trail in 1976. My philosophy is to do whatever we can do to foster
participation in the overall event. I want more people on the snow and
enjoying the weekend."
~ Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director, Cable, WI
Praise for 2009 Events!I had a great time skiing my first classic birkie in many years. I want to congratulate Ned and everyone else who have worked so hard to bring the Birkie and the classic trail to near perfection.~Mick The classic trail was a blast!!
I had so much fun! Nice work with the buses this year. The addition of the skier drop-off area was an excellent change. This was the easiest year (out of 12 completed) that I have ever had to get dropped off and bused to the start. Thanks for this change, I hope you can keep this change in place for future years.~Eric The Volunteers are the best. Many thanks to them.
Beautifully groomed trails Many eager, enthusiastic volunteers Fewer grumpy contestants More space and less congestion on the skate trails Outstanding finishes. Is the winner of the classic going to have some bragging rights to his kids and grandchildren?! To me the day is close to a religious experience, you are excited but respectful, almost reverent to the course and the challenges of the day. The people you are skiing with are all comrades on a mission to soak up the day and dig within to see what we all have down deep. I pray I will be able and worthy to ski again next year.~Hugh Thanks for a wonderful event! It's truly a pleasure being a participant.~Roger The extension of the classic trail is great! I had a great time, I'm an avid runner cyclist and I was very impressed by the amount of support that was available to the athletes at the Birkie. Thank you! Superb Event! I traveled from Colorado to ski the event and from my perspective, I saw a "well-oiled" and well-supported event. I was moved emotionally by the community participation and the atmosphere of the day. I have Birkie Fever already and its only March!
Excellent Birkie. Your volunteers make it smooth to those of us who come in for the event. They are much appreciated and help to promote the enthusiasm of the weekend. Thanks for another great race! The new classic trail is great. Wish it was even longer. Great Race and great job by all!!! |
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Greetings from the Birkie®!
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Hi Skiers and Friends!It's been fun being out on the trails this Fall. The colors have
peaked and about an inch of snow fell this weekend, with more in the forecast today. A very successful Birkie Trail Run & Trek is behind us (you should
have been there if you weren't!) and now we focus on the 2010 BirkieTour and
Birkie®.
There is some trail work remaining, but most should be
completed by November 1 and we'll give you an update in the November ezine.
We will keep you informed of 2010 event highlights in the
upcoming issues of the Carpe Skiem and in the Pre-race issue of the Birch
Scroll that will be coming to you in late November, so stay in touch.
As always, we welcome your comments and you can reach me at ned@birkie.com.
Stay fit,
Ned Zuelsdorff
Executive Director
ned@birkie.com
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NEW EVENT in 2010! BirkieTour on January 23rd
The NEW BirkieTour is scheduled for Saturday, January 23rd and will provide racers and non-racers a relaxed day on the Birkie Trail in an "open track," untimed, non-competitive "tour."
Skiers may choose from a variety of event distances between 22-51K. The event is freestyle and tour trails will be groomed for classic and skate skiing.
Additional features include:
- Post Race Food and Refreshments
- Participant T-Shirts and Pins
- Worldloppet Credit
- Bus Transportation
Register online, print a registration or find more information here. __________________________________________________________________________
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Over 600 Register for the Birkie® Trail Run, Relay & Trek
We had a record 603 registrants in the Birkie Trail Run & Trek on September 26.
Highlights included great fall colors and near perfect
weather.
We had 160 half-marathon runners, 43 marathon relay teams, 98 in
the 5K Fun Run and Walk, and 112 Nordic walkers in the Birkie Trek. Participants
came from seven States. The event has grown from 110 in 2006 to our record
number this year.
Next year we will be adding a new and very challenging event,
the individual Marathon run. Yes, that's 26+ miles over the hills and through
the woods on the Birkie® Trail system. More information will follow as we
finalize plans. Our post race survey drew very positive comments with 95% of
the respondents indicating it was "very likely" that they will be back for the
2010 edition. Thanks to all the participants and volunteers and our many Sponsors
who made the event a reality.
The 2010 Trail Run and Trek events will take place on Saturday September 25, 2010. Mark your calendars and look for more information in the Spring editions of the Carpe Skiem!
Click here for 2009 Trail Run and Trek results and photos. ______________________________________________________________________________
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Birkie® Needs a Truck!
Our Birkie® trail work truck passed away a few weeks ago and
we need a replacement. We're looking for a reliable, used, 4X4 truck. An extended cab is welcomed, but not needed.
We
hope that one of you has a truck that's looking for a new home and that you
might be able to donate all or a portion of the truck's value to the Birkie®
Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and
donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Please contact our
office at 715-634-5025 if you're able to help. Our thanks would include free
entries and that invaluable VIP parking pass at the start line!
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Birkie® Searches for Three Tough Skiers
 The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is searching for two tough cross country skiers
to dress as Birkebeiner warriors and trek 54 kilometers from Cable to
Hayward on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010.
In addition to searching for
two Birkie warriors, the ABSF is also looking for a skier to depict
Inga, the mother of the baby Prince. Like the Warriors, Inga will wear
traditional clothing and ski on wooden skis.
Inga will ski
either the 54-kilometer Classic Birkie or 23-kilometer Kortelopet
before meeting up with the Birkie warriors and baby Prince Haakon at
the finish line on Main Street in Hayward.
Inga
and the Birkie 2010 warriors will serve as "ambassadors on the trail"
encouraging both skiers and volunteers. The warriors will carry a baby
doll along the course until Main Street where they'll pick up a real
infant "Prince" before skiing the last two blocks with Inga to the
finish line.
"We are challenging skiers to find a friend, and
tell us in 300 words or less why they would be the best Birkie 2010
warriors, Torstein (TOR-stine) and Skervald (SHER-vol)," said Ned
Zuelsdorff, Executive Director. "Entries must show ability, passion and
tradition and demonstrate that the pair is capable of skiing the
54-kilometer trek on wooden skis while wearing the warrior costumes,
carrying weapons of the era, and transporting baby Prince Haakon."
"The
Inga entries can be part of or separate from the warrior entries,"
Zuelsdorff said. "Again, we are looking for a 300-word essay that shows
passion, ability and tradition and demonstrates why the entrant should
be selected as the cherished mother of the baby Prince."
To enter the competition, email a 300-word essay to media@birkie.com
(one essay per warrior pair and one for each Inga). The deadline is
November 6, 2009, and men and women are encouraged to apply. All three
winners will be announced on December 8, 2009.
Interested in applying, click here to read more.
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Birkie® Skiers for Cures
Birkie Skiers for Cures raised over $110,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society last year. Help is exceed this amount in 2010 by clicking here. ____________________________________________________________________________ |
Lakewoods Cancer Walk
Our friends at Lakewoods Resort, Cable, WI are holding their
4th Annual fundraiser to fight Cancer this coming Saturday, October
17, 2009, starting at 9 a.m. All proceeds go to benefit cancer patients. The
event includes several walk distances, food and refreshments. This is a great
way to help the cause and have a lot of fun with your friends. More information
is available here.
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Birkie® Matches Donation to CAMBA
The Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) matching donation program raised over $4000. The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation contributed $2000 along with additional donations from other area organizations to exceed the $2500 matching challenge.
The money will be used to allow completion of a two year project to build a 21 mile segment of single track from Hatchery Park to the "OO" Birkie trail head. Most of the trail has been completed and it is fantastic for both mountain biking and running. In the winter it will be fun for snowshoeing. ______________________________________________________________________________
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Boots, Blisters and Birkie Fever
By Jason Brent
 February 27, 1999. That's the day I contracted "Birkie Fever." It's been over 10 years and the fever is as strong as ever.
I was quite apprehensive about making my first 50 kilometer trip from Cable to Hayward. The distance. The hills. The fact that I'd been skiing for seven weeks and hadn't skied more than 20K in any single outing. As I prepared for the departure of my wave, I noticed something wasn't quite right. As in, "Man, my boots feel tight." I had elected to carry my boots.......continue reading, click here.Share Your Birkie® Fever Story
We know you have a story to tell. Whether you are a skier, spectator or volunteer we want to hear from you. Birkie Fever is a phenomonen that touches many people in many different ways. Share your Birkie Fever with others. Send 300 word essays or short quotes and photos to media@birkie.com. Afraid you can't write? Don't let that stop you. We can take your words and weave them into a great Birkie Fever story.
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Get Ready Using the Birkie Training Plan
Central Cross
Country Skiing, in partnership with the American Birkebeiner, would like to
help you organize your training plan in preparation for this year's Birkie. The
training plan will provide guidelines of what should be done leading up to the
race so you have a great event from start to finish. Whether you start in Wave
1 or Wave 8 our goal is to provide you with fundamentals for developing the
endurance and strength necessary to participate in the Birkie or other ski
events this winter.
Our sample training
plan provides different intensity levels. It is important to work on those
intensities and challenge your body so when you ski up the beautiful hills of
the Birkie, your body knows how to tolerate that effort and recover efficiently
when you ski down the hill. If you think about the Birkie, it's a combinations
of hard intervals (uphill), recovery (downhill) and flat sections (steady
pace). We will incorporate all three elements in the sample training plan.
Intensity
Levels
Intensity
levels based on, continue reading click here.
About Central Cross Country Ski Association (CXC Skiing):
CXC Skiing is recognized by the United States Ski and Snowboard
Association ("USSA") as the sole regional organization governing cross
country skiing in the 10 state Central Region of the United States. CXC
Skiing provides an organization which enables athletes, coaches and
officials to achieve excellence in cross country skiing through:
EDUCATION, COOPERATION, COMMUNICATION, and COMPETITION. CXC Skiing
oversees youth programs; supports the Junior Olympic Qualifying system,
Central Collegiate Ski Association, and Senior/Master skiing; provides
athletes', coaches' and officials' education; coordinates competitions;
supports and trains Olympic level athletes; and is the Midwest pipeline
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Mark Your Calendars for the 37th American Birkebeiner®: Feb. 25-27, 2010
From
the Barnebirkie to the Birkebeiner, this citizen's ski race features
something for everyone. Watch for 37th anniversary details in upcoming
issues of Carpe Skiem and online at www.birkie.com.About the Birkie® From
February 25-27, 2010, more than 7,000 fit, colorfully-clad skiers from
all walks of life and from around the world will descend upon the
Wisconsin northwoods to participate in the 37th anniversary American
Birkebeiner, a cross-country ski race that weaves more than 50
kilometers (30 miles) along a hilly, heavily wooded trail from the
Telemark Resort near Cable to the finish line on Main Street in
downtown Hayward.
For
some, it's serious business. The Birkebeiner is part of the
Worldloppet, a circuit of 15 Nordic ski races held on four continents.
The race attracts a top cadre of professional racers from 19 countries,
including past and present Olympians and those competing in the
International Ski Federation standings.
For
many hundreds of others, though, it's an annual celebration of personal
endurance and outdoor enthusiasm. Since its inception in 1973, 'The
Birkie' has grown into the largest cross country ski marathon in the
nation. While pros may complete the course in about two hours, legions
of weekend warriors soldier on in triple that time. Citizen skiers can
compete in the full race or sign up for 23 kilometer Kortelopet or one
of our many other events.
You
don't even have to click into skis to join in on the party. An
estimated 15,000 to 20,000 spectators line many portions of the route,
and it seems all of Hayward is there cheering at the finish line.
Equipment demos, citizen sprints, family fun races/tours and other
events round out the weekend. Live the Birkie®
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Upcoming Events
2010 BirkieTour
Saturday, January 23, 2010
2010 American Birkebeiner Events
Thursday, February 25 - Saturday, February 27, 2010
For more information visit www.birkie.com
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