We know how important the fantastic Birkie Trail system is to you and other trail enthusiasts. We need you to help us maintain this great resource for all users. You can help by becoming a Trail Sponsor and receive a tax deduction at the same time.
 
We are seeking sponsors for each kilometer of the Birkie, Birkie Classic and Kortelopet Trails. You know the trail and you can choose your favorite kilometer. Your sponsorship as a Birkie� Trail Friend supports the American Birkebeiner� Ski Foundation's annual trail efforts and your tax deductible donation is solely used to maintain, groom and improve the trail system.
 
As a Birkie Trail Friend you will be identified on a small, unobtrusive plaque placed on the "K" marker you sponsor. In addition, you'll receive a Birkie Trail Friend bumper sticker to display your support wherever you choose.
 
The sponsorship fee for becoming a Birkie Trail Friend is $500 annually for each premium kilometer and $300 annually for other kilometers. A 3-year sponsorship commitment is required and at the end of the three years you will be offered a first right of refusal for your sponsored kilometer.
 
Interested in becoming a Birkie Trail Friend or if you want to learn more, visit www.birkie.com.
 
Remember, the ABSF is a non-profit organization and any donation you make is tax deductible.

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Donate $20 or more to the National MS Society and you'll receive the 2011 

commemorative Skiers for Cures pin, once again designed by Birkie skier Kay Lum. Wear the pin on your race bib as you cross the finish line and you're eligible for great prizes*

*Prizes will be awarded randomly as skiers cross the finish line of each race, so skiers of every level will have the opportunity to win! 

Join the nearly 50 skiers who won prizes last year! 

Pins are available by emailing Kelly.Wierdsma@nmss.org or calling 800.242.3358.  Pins will also be available at the Birkie office and on-site at the Birkie in February.

Special Grand Prize for Skiers for Cures Participants - A trip to Norway!

If you raise funds for Birkie Skiers for Cures you're eligible for a drawing to receive a trip to the Norwegian Birkebeiner-the Birkebeinerrennet!  For every $250 you raise for Skiers for Cures, you'll receive an entry to the drawing. The prize includes:

• Entry for two into the 2012 Birkebeinerrennet in Norway
• Three nights lodging for two
• Coupon for air travel up to $1,000 total

All skiers who register for Skiers for Cures will be eligible for additional prizes.

Visit wisMS.org for more information.

That is the question I am most often asked when I tell work colleagues or friends here in New York or Hoboken my plans for winter fun. Clearly, flying from Newark Airport to Minneapolis, renting a car and driving 3.5 hours to Northern Wisconsin to ski 33 miles in the freezing cold for a pin and an cup of soup does not sound like much fun for most people here on the east coast.....and I understand that.  However, I guess I was always one to take the road (or ski trail) less traveled. 

I grew up in Pennsylvania and never skied. After college I moved to Washington DC and tried downhill skiing on ice for a while, which was not fun. Then I moved to Hoboken, New Jersey right outside of New York City and decided that Killington, Vermont was the place to be and the place to ski.  All my friends were avid snowboarders and so I felt a little out of place and never really got into the downhill thrills.