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April 20, 2011
                                 Volume 9 - Issue 6
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Mark your calendars for the 39th American Birkebeiner from
Feb.  23-25, 2012!


The 2012 events include the 50K Birkie Skate, 54K Birkie Classic sponsored by Becker Law, 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
  • skijor enthusiasts 
  • 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!

 



2011
American Birkebeiner Trail Run, Relay & Trek

Sept. 24, 2011


The 2011 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. 

 

 

 

2012
BirkieTour
January 21, 2012  
  

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:
  39 Years of Inspiring Skiers
to Live Fit, Healthy Lives!

February 23-25, 2012


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

 

"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."


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


Love skiing with over 8000 of my closest friends.


I love the positive energy of everyone I encounter during Birkie weekend.

~Julie Starks

      

 

BIG THANK YOU to the Birkie staff and volunteers and the citizens of Hayward and Cable for making this wonderful event possible and a BIG THANK YOU to the fans for making the experience of skiing up Main Street second to none.

~Chris Jones


 

Thank you for giving us all something to focus on all winter long!

   

 

Birkie day is the gretest day of the year in my mind, ranking above Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Packer Sundays, Badger Saturdays, opening day of fishing season and even ahead of opening day of gun deer season.  

  

Birkie day is the ultimate Wisconsin experience.

 


The best organized 'signature' sports event I have ever been involved in. Excellent experience!!! Thanks to all the volunteers!!! They are wonderful!!!

 

  

 

 Skier Praise for
2011 Birkie Events!

 

 

Great race again. See you next year!

 

 

Love this event, love the organization, love all the people who are involved. Thanks! Keep up the good work.

 


Birkie is an A+ event and I hope to be back next year!

 

 

A million thank you's to all the outstanding volunteers is not enough. They are the reason the race continues.

 

 

This was my first Birkie and it was AWESOME!!! I will definitely be back next year and many years to come...I want my purple bib!!

 

 

Fantastic job with this year's event! As always, the volunteers were extremely helpful and friendly! I cannot commend you enough for management!

 

 

Extremely well organized, volunteers and locals really make you feel welcome.

 

 

GREAT JOB everyone. Really impressive series of events for three days.

 

 

The Birkie was an epic race! I hope I can be back next year with more experience, more training,  

and better technique.
(And hopefully warmer weather!)

 

 

I love the race and will continue to participate as long as I can.

 

 

Best organized event I have ever done. Volunteers are great people. Well done!

 

 

This was my first year and it will not be my last. It was a great challenge and I am all ready thinking about what I can do to improve
my time for next year!
Bravo and thank you very much!

 

 

Thank you all so much for your efforts. See you next year.

 

 

I really enjoyed my first Korte. Thanks to all the volunteers and event staff!


 

Another great year of Birkie events. Thank you all so much for your efforts. See you next year.

 

 

I would like to thank all who made this race possible and to all the volunteers who gave their time and
braved the cold.

 

 

As usual it was a wonderful race with wonderful volunteers.
Thank you so much!

 

 

This was my first endurance race of any kind, and I had a blast! Everything was great.
Thanks for the memories!!

 

 

Fantastic event - Great people - great organization and lots of fun!

   

 

THE VOLUNTEERS ROCK!   

   

Thanks for a wonderful family event!

 

 

I'm hooked on the Birkie now.
Many thanks!

  Greetings from the Birkie�!

NedZuelsdorff

Hi Skiers and Friends!

 

The snow has left the Birkie Trails after a great ski season. We are making final plans for the upcoming trail work that will include building new warming and storage cabins at Timber Trail (9K) and at Mosquito Brook (38K). They will be similar to the building we completed in early winter at the Boedecker Road crossing at 18K. We'll keep you updated on additional trail projects.

 

The Results issue of the Birch Scroll was mailed out this week and you should have it shortly. We hope you enjoy it. 

 

We are working on preparations for the 2012 Birkie event. More than 700 of you have already registered! Preparations include improving skier comfort and amenities. We also continue to work with Telemark to nail down trail access for the 2011 Trail Run, 2012 Birkie Tour and the Birkebeiner event itself.

 

We are gearing up for the Birkie Trail Run, Relay and Trek on September 24. Information and registration is available here. If you are a runner or walker, you should take a look at this growing and fun event.

 

We hope you have a great Spring and always welcome your comments. You can send them to me at [email protected].

 

Stay Fit!

 

Ned Zuelsdorff

Executive Director
[email protected]


  Birkie News�

Race Registration Now Open  


Race registration for the Birkie, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon opened on Friday, April 15th. Several hundred skiers have already registrered for the 2012 events. Online registration is available here.

The Birch Scroll Results issue will contain a race entry form. You may also print race entry forms from www.birkie.com.

Reminder to Provide Emergency Contact Information


When completing the paper race registration you will find the Emergency Contact Information on the back of the form as part of the Waiver. Please be sure to complete this information providing a name and phone number.

 

Skier Email Confirmation


All registered skiers will receive a confirmation of his/her registration. All skiers may confirm their registration here. Skiers registering on-line can view his/her confirmation in approximately 5 days of completing the process. Skiers mailing or faxing entries can view his/her confirmation in approximately 10 days of mailing the forms.   
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2012 Race Registration Caps and Deadlines Announced

The American Birkebeiner has set a cap of 9,000 skiers for the 2012 Birkie and Kortelopet races. There were 8,836 skiers registered for the 2011 races. A portion of this registration number will be reserved for foreign skiers. The cap was established as a way to maintain the high quality of the event that skiers desire and expect.

 

An overall registration deadline of January 31, 2012 has also been established for the event. The deadline provides the Birkie organization time to eliminate registration errors and issues, and helps assure that all the needed pieces are in place to again provide a high quality American Birkebeiner event.

 

The registration cap of 400 skiers will be maintained for the Prince Haakon race and the overall deadline registration will also be January 31, 2012.

 

Skier registration will close upon reaching the cap or the deadline. The status of registration for the 2012 event will be reported in the Birkie's Carpe Skiem electronic newsletter as well at birkie.com.

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Birkie Trail Work Day

We've scheduled a trail work day for this Saturday, April 23 from 9 AM until Noon. We'll be cleaning up the Birkie Food Stations to get the trail ready for Summer. Please help out if you can. Call the Birkie office at 715-634-5025 for more information.

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American Birkebeiner New Logo

2011 American Birkebeiner Race Video Available NOW!  


The 2011 Birkie video by George Desort includes race footage of the top elites in the 50K Birkie Skate and the start and finish of the 54K Birkie Classic race. There is also a chapter highlighting the additional events including the Elite Sprints, Barnebirkie, Giant Ski, Barkie Birkie Skijor and Family Fun Event.

Limited quantities are available. The video is only $24.95 including shipping and handling. Place your  order here. A preview of the video is available at www.birkie.com.
___________________________________________________________ 

Wave & Seeding Criteria for 2012 Events

Wave and Seeding criteria for the 2012 Birkie and Kortelopet is available here Wave Seeding Charts.  

________________________________________________________________________

2011 Birkie Trail Run & Trek - September 24, 2011

The Birkie Trail Run & Trek continues to grow and challenge runners and2011 Birkie Trail Run walkers while providing a fun celebration of fall in Northwestern Wisconsin's great forest land. This year the Birkie Trail Run Events will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

The events include:
       Individual Marathon
       Half Marathon
       5K Fun Run/Walk
       21K Birkie Trek - Nordic Walk 

       3 or 6-Person Marathon Relay

 

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.

 

Learn more about the event or register here.

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Become an ABSF Member  

 

Do you ever wonder how the Birkie gets pulled off year after year with great success?  The staff, Board of Directors, a huge network of volunteers  and  the communities of Cable and Hayward pour their hearts and souls into the events every year.  All are integral to the success of the race.

 

The ABSF was formed in 1984 when a group of local business people realized that strong support would ensure the race's future for years to come.  Members are the backbone of the organization because they alone elect the ABSF board.  You can show your support and take a bit of "ownership" in the race by becoming an ABSF member.  Individual memberships are $25 annually, $40 per family and $50 per business.  

 

Becoming a member is easy! Simply click here and print a membership application from our website or select the online membership registration application.  

_________________________________________________________________________
Support the Birkie Trail Becoming a Birkie Trail Friend

McKownFullerKMarkerThank you to our newest supporters of our Birkie Trail Friends program, Kevin McKown and Nancy Fuller of Madison! You can join them in supporting the annual maintenance budget to maintain and groom the trail by sponsoring a kilometer.  

 

The sponsorship fee is $500 annually for each premium kilometer and $300 annually for other kilometers. A 3-year sponsorship commitment is required.  

 

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. The Foundation's 501 (c)(3) tax status assures that your contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable.  Learn more here.  

__________________________________________________________  

Birkie Honor Wall

Birkie Honor WallThe new "Birkie Honor Wall" sculpture at "OO" was dedicated on March 5. The "Wall" created by local sculpture Sara Balbin, provides a way to recognize current or past people or groups that love the Birkie Trail system for skiing, running, or hiking. It also provides a way to memorialize past trail-users. Stainless plaques are attached to the wall to honor these people. All related funding is solely used to maintain this World famous trail and resource. More information is available here.

 ________________________________________________________________________

Lost & Found Items


We have many unclaimed items in our race lost and found. If you are missing anything please contact our office at 715-634-5025 or [email protected] and we can make arrangements to return the item to you. Lost and Found is kept until June 1st. After that time we will donate any remaining items.

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  Birkie� Fever

Red Klister and M&Ms and Interesting Energy Source

By Rolf Van Houten   

 

Rolf Van HoutenThis year marks my 34th Birkie.  Over the years I have had many memorable experiences while skiing the Birkie. 

 

One of my most interesting races was my first one in 1977. I could not afford nice ski clothes. (The $12.00 entry fee broke the bank.) At that time knickers were in vogue so I took an old pair of blue jeans and made them into knickers. I thought it looked cool but I was the only one with that opinion. 

 

I did not know what food to expect at the rest stops so I dumped my own "energy food" into my fanny pack. My energy supply consisted of peanut M&Ms loosely thrown into my fanny pack. The only other item in the pack was a...continue reading. 

 

Read more Birkie Fever Stories 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 [email protected]. 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.
  Birkie� Training

Put Away and Plan Ahead

By Bill Pierce

 

This past November I was pulling into the little town of West Yellowstone for our first couple of weeks of on snow training. It seems like that was just yesterday. Another season went screaming by in a rush of racing and travel and now it is the month of April when we recover, assess, and plan for the next season.

 

As the season ends we should put our equipment away cleaned, covered, and if necessary repaired and in good working order.  Skis should be brushed with a copper brush and stored with a coat of storage wax. Use a wax remover and clean the tops and sides of the skis from dirt and wax residue that may have collected over the course of the season.  Wipe down the bindings and use a dry silicone spray to lube the moving parts of the binding.Once they are cleaned and covered, store them in a dry space out of direct sunlight. The temperature should not fluctuate more than 20-25 degrees.

 

Now is also a good time to assess the base of your skis for the possibility of stone grinding. If your bases show....continue reading.

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Post Ski Season Shoulder Fitness Test

By Jay Tapper


Every time the Birkie asks me if I am interested in writing an article on fitness and training I ask myself over and over what am I going to write about? What am I going to write that is different? The readers of ezine and  www.Birkie.com, come from all ages and diverse backgrounds but you can bet that they are very fitness minded. I don't have to convince them to exercise. They are already motivated, attend clinics, and scour the literature seeking new techniques to improve their fitness goals.

 

I always end up going back to the fundamentals, keeping your body symmetrical. The elite, intermediate, and beginners all benefit from taking some time to go back to the fundamentals.

 

Hence I pose the question "How good is your flexibility at the end of the ski season?" To find out the answer...Continue Reading.

 

 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, September 24, 2011 Birkie Trail Run, Relay & Trek

Saturday, January 21, 2012 BirkieTour

Thursday, February 23-Saturday, February 25, 2012 Birkie 2012