Carpe Skiem Header
May 11, 2010
                                 Volume 8 - Issue 6
Birkie Quick Links
News
Events
Trail
Results
Birkie Merchandise
About Us

 
 
Send Carpe Skiem!
 to a Friend


Have a friend who would enjoy Carpe Skiem?
Encourage them to
sign up here
or forward this issue to them.
View our profile on LinkedIn Birkie on LinkedIn
Mulitple groups including Birkie Skiers and Birchlegging Skiers. 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Mark your calendars for the 38th American Birkebeiner
® from
Feb.  24-26, 2011!


The 2011 events include the 50K Birkie Skate sponsored by Becker Law Office, 54K Birkie Classic, and 23K Kortelopet Skate and Classic races sponsored by Marshfield Clinic of Hayward.

Birkie 2011 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...Ski.Run.Live!

Find out more at http://www.birkie.com
or call us at 715.634.5025. We're eager to hear from you!


2010
American Birkebeiner Trail Run, Relay & Trek

Sept. 25, 2010


The 2010 American Birkebeiner Trail Run includes you choice of:

  • NEW! 26.2 mile Individual Marathon
  • 26.2 mile Marathon Relay
  • 13.1 mile Individual Half Marathon
  • 13.1 mile Birkie Trail Trek
  • 5K Fun Run/Wlak

Learn more visit www.birkie.com

or register today for the Birkie Trail Run, Relay or Trek.


2011
BirkieTour
January 22, 2011

Come out, ski and enjoy the Birkie and Birkie Classic Trails and participate in the BirkieTour!

The tour is an untimed, non-competitive, "open-track" event open to skiers age 13 and older.

Birkie & Korte Tour Distances
Registration will be available this Spring!

Learn more visit
www.birkie.com



The Birkie®:
38 Years of Inspiring Skiers
to Live Fit, Healthy Lives!

 In our house, winter is a journey whose destination is the BIRKIE!


My family and I are grateful and frankly humbled by the enormous dedication of all staff and volunteers who work on the Birkie each year. It's an extraordinary event and is as much a part of our family experience as birthdays and holidays.


"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


For almost thirty years, it has been a blessing in my life! THANK YOU.


You guys run a world class event. It is the most fun you can have while torturing yourself.


My life is richer because of my experiences at the
American Birkebeiner.
Can't wait for next year!


See you at the start, race you the finish...hoping to have the time of my life along the way!

-Jim Reker


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.


Better than Christmas. I will be skiing the Birkie every year I'm alive on Earth. It's that special."

Praise for 2010 Events!

GREAT RACE! GREAT JOB!


Loved skiing with 8000 of my closest ski friends!!!


Keep up the good work!


My 23rd and it was one of the best! Thanks!


You do a great job. I am always impressed.


Thanks for a great race!


You all did an amazing job in making this race, with record numbers, come off extremely well. The grooming this year has been fantastic, and the trail was excellent all year.
Thank you sooo much!


Great weather, do that every year.


The race was very smooth. I thought the organization was outstanding. Congratulations on another wonderful Birkie!!


THANK YOU to all the wonderful people who make this race possible!!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the volunteers!


Have only favorable comments to pass on after my 1st Birkie. Staff and volunteers were helpful and courteous. Carhart meets spandex!


Awesome event!


Thanks for running a very classy event.


As always, a great job! Thanks to all the volunteers.


Great race! Great volunteers! Very well organized. Thank you.


My first Birkie, I caught the FEVER!


The groomers did a fabulous job and my hat is off to them!
  Greetings from the Birkie®!

NedZuelsdorff
Hi Skiers and Friends!

It's only May and Birkie Trail work has already started. The trails dried out rapidly due to the warm weather. There's more info on what we're doing and what is planned below. There will be several trail work days over the summer giving you each the chance to get involved in maintaining and improving this great trail system.
 
We are saddened about the news of Telemark Lodge closing, and are hopeful it will reopen soon. As you know the Birkie and Telemark have been intertwined for the history of the event. We continue to work on alternate plans and will provide you with more details as the plans are finalized. Be assured that the 2011 Birkie will start at Telemark and finish in Hayward, while the Kortelopet and Prince Haakon 12K will start and end at Telemark, and we will have the needed facilities to give you a great race experience.  
 
We're getting ready for the September "Birkie Trail Run & Trek". It is a fun event which drew more than 600 participants last year. The new individual Marathon Run will bring more runners to the event to take on a very challenging course. We fully expect to have 1,000 runners and Nordic walkers here this fall to enjoy the event and the area.
 
I hope you have the chance to come to the area this summer and enjoy the trails whether you're hiking, biking or running. We will have a Birkie booth at the Madison Marathon Expo over Memorial Day weekend, so stop and say hi if you happen to be there.
 
See you on the trails and stay fit!


Ned Zuelsdorff
Executive Director
ned@birkie.com


  Birkie News®
2010 Birkie Trail Run & Trek - September 25, 2010

Birkie Trail Run & TrekThe Birkie Trail Run & Trek continues to grow and challenge runners and walkers while providing a fun celebration of fall in Northwestern Wisconsin's great forest land. New this year is an individual Marathon Trail Run to lead off the list of events being held on Saturday, September 25, 2010. The individual Marathon joins the Marathon Relay, 13.1 mile individual Half Marathon, 13.1 mile Birkie Trek (Nordic Walk) and the 5K Fun/Run Walk. 

Started in 2003, the Birkie Trail Run has offered a variety of fun events to hundreds of trail runners and Nordic walkers each year. All distance events take place on the famous, winding and hilly Birkie trail during the fall, one of the most beautiful times of the year in Northern Wisconsin. And while challenging, the event promises to be a lot of fun for participants and spectators.

Also new for 2010, the course has been turned around and will now traverse the trail from south to north, after outgrowing the previous finish area at Hatchery Park, just outside of Hayward. The Marathon Run and Marathon Relay will now start at Hatchery Park, while the Half Marathon Run and Half Marathon Birkie Trek will begin at the County Highway "OO" trailhead in Seeley. All events will finish on the grounds of Telemark Resort. The 5K Run/Walk will start and finish at Telemark. Even if the doors of Telemark are closed at the time of the event we will have everything we need to set-up a great finish area for all event participants.

Learn more about the event or register here.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Birkie, Korte and Prince Haakon Race Registration is Open

Race registration for the 2011 Birkie, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon events opened on April 15th. Currently there are over 1200 skiers registered for the events.

The American Birkebeiner Board of Directors set a registration cap of 8,400 skiers for the 2011 Birkie and Kortelopet races and cap of 400 skiers for the Prince Haakon event. In addition, to the cap there is also an overall deadline of January 31, 2011 for the events.

Register online today or visit www.birkie.com to print a race application.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Latest Birkie Trail Work

We've been removing downed trees and rocks from the trail already this Spring. We held a successful Trail work morning on May 1 and removed rocks and raked the parking lot expansion at "OO". This area has been seeded and will soon become a play and recreation area for use mid-summer and fall, and then function as parking after the ground freezes this winter.

Planned and proposed trail projects include:
  • Fixing the downhill corner at C25K on the Classic trail to make it a little more skier friendly
  • Mowing the trails in June and again in September
  • Removing overhanging branches and side brush from the entire trail system
  • Potentially widening portions of the in-bound Kortelopet Trail
  • Potentially adding a small deck on the south side of the OO warming building
  • Potentially constructing small storage and shelter buildings at two of the food stations
Some of the projects are contingent on funding and the Birkie budget process that we are now going through. Trail maintenance now costs us about $130,000 annually. You may be aware that a portion of our trail expenses are covered by the ski trail fees and donations, which we greatly appreciate. The Birkie Trail Friends program also helps us significantly. You, your family or a group of your friends can get together and sponsor a kilometer on the trail system. Birkie Trail Friends have already sponsored many Birkie and Birkie Classic Trail kilometers, but several Ks still need sponsors. More information about becoming a Birkie Trail Friend is available here. The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax deductible, so please consider helping.

________________________________________________________________________________
American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation
Membership, Annual Meeting and Board of Director Elections

The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is a membership organization. There are membership levels for individuals, families and businesses. Learn more about becoming a member, click here.

Annual Meeting
The Foundation Annual Meeting for all members will be held on Saturday, August 14, 2010 the location of the meeting and the schedule is yet to be determined.

Membership Status
The by-laws have been amended removing the membership renewal and registration deadline. A ballot will be given to all paid members at the Annual Meeting including those who become or renew their membership that evening.

Board of Director Elections
Several Board Member term's are expiring this year. Candidates interested in running for the Board of Directors must submit a completed Candidate Profile. It is very helpful if you submit the profile in electronic format. It can be addressed to ned@birkie.com. In addition, all non-incumbent candidates must submit a Nomination Endorsement form that contains a minimum of ten signatures from current ABSF members. All application materials are due in the ABSF office no later than Friday, July 9, 2009 and are available here.

Interested in running for the Board of Directors, click here for more information or contact ned@birkie.com

  Birkie® Fever

Four First Timers in Their 50's

By Robert Warpinski

4 Skiers in Their 50'sThe road to Cable was ignited during an after hours camp fire at Green Bay's YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya in the winter of 2008. The annual father-child weekend that day featured brothers Bob, Pat and Rick Warpinski breaking trail through 12 inches of fresh snow on Camp Uni's Cedar Loop Trail with Camp Director, Ken Losinski.

The talk late that evening centered around, "some day we should do the Birkie." Big talk given none in the group had ever skied more than nine miles in a stretch, let alone on any track that included climbs even close to resembling those on the famed Birkie trail.

Pat went on to participate in the events of the 2009 Birkebeiner, completing his first Korte while skating. Bob and Ken vowed to....Continue Reading.

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.
 Training Tips

Fitness In 5 Starts Second Season

Hosts Jay Tapper and Jacque Lindskoog are about to begin their second year on the air with Fitness In 5. Jay and Jacque will continue to discuss great fitness topics in their 5 minute weekly radio program featured every Friday at 10:45 a.m. on WOJB 88.9 FM.

"
The best way to improve your fitness is through education. Fitness in 5 provides that educational experience by providing insight into the world of exercise and other fitness related topics," said Jay Tapper.  "The program is a joint effort by the Birkie and WOJB and is our way of helping support and progress your fitness goals.  The program is for all ages, abilities, and recreational interests. We touch on skiing of course, but also on fitness topics that can improve your overall quality of life. Stream it here or tune into WOJB 88.9 FM while at work, outside, or when driving. Make it a Habit."

Tune in this week for an overview on Carpal Tunnel and check out Fitness In 5 for the exercise of the week.
 
Jay Tapper is owner of ActivEdge LLC. ActivEdge specializes in safety, fitness, and ergonomic programs for business and industry. ActivEdge also provides personal training services. Jay is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist. For further information contact Jay at 218-393-8767 or www.Activedgewi.com.

Jacque Lindskoog is a legend on the Birkie Trail. She was the only woman to complete the first Birkie in 1973. Since that time she has gone on to complete 35 Birkies.

In addition to volunteering their services to Fitness In 5, Jacque and Jay volunteer for the Birkie in a variety of capacities.
We can't thank them enough for their support.
 The Birkie®
SKI . RUN . LIVE

The Birkie is a year-round lifestyle choice for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts of all levels. From its signature ski race--the legendary American Birkebeiner--The Birkie has grown into an exciting array of fitness and recreational opportunities. The 88-kilometer Birkie Trail system attracts skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite superstars. Located near Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the Birkie is now an outdoor sports mecca, a series of great races, a fitness destination, and a lifestyle. Ski.Run.Liv
e

Becker Law2009 Birkie Trail Run Half
Upcoming Events

Saturday, August 14, 2010
American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Annual Meeting

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Birkie Trail Run & Trek

Saturday, January 22, 2011
BirkieTour

Thursday, February 24-Saturday, February 26, 2011
Birkie 2011