Lightweight Swix Hat for Fall!
(These hats will also be
for sale at the Birkie
Trail Run & Trek
on September 22.) Or visit us the Birkie office and store in downtown Hayward
"Birkie" Swix Hat
Classic race ski hat, featuring mesh top for extreme ventilation, wool acrylic knit, and poly-cotton liner for moisture-wicking.
|
|
Birkie Quick Links:
September 22 Get credit for participating
in Birkie Events year round.
News
Results
Events
Birkie Store
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.
|
|
NEXT:
BIRKIE TRAIL RUN & TREK
Sept. 22, 2012
Choose from these 5 events all on the world-class
Birkie Trail!
- 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/Walk
Get Detail and Register at Birkie Trail Run & Trek
. . .
JOIN US FOR THE
40th
ANNIVERSARY!
American Birkebeiner
Feb. 21-23, 2013!
2013 events include:
50K Birkie Skate, 54K Birkie Classic sponsored by Becker Law
23K Kortelopet sponsored by Marshfield Clinic of Hayward.
Birkie 2012 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!
Find out more at http://www.birkie.com Or, call us at 715.634.5025.
We're eager to hear from you!
. . .
BIRKIE TOUR
January 21, 2013
Enjoy a fully supported, untimed, distance fun ski with family and friends. Ski the 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 DistancesRegistration will be available this Spring! Learn more visit www.birkie.com . . .
What It Means to Have
BIRKIE FEVER® In our house, winter is a journey whose destination is the BIRKIE! 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. 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 9,000 of my closest friends. 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. 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. 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!! GREAT JOB everyone. Really impressive series of events for
three whole days. The Birkie was an epic race! I hope I can be back next year with more experience, more training, and better technique. I really enjoyed my first Korte. Thanks to all the volunteers and event staff! 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®
|
|
Hi Skiers and Friends!
We hope you're enjoying your Summer. The weather has been cool and nights are starting to feel like Autumn as we speed toward the 2013 40th American Birkebeiner, just 189 days away. As some of you already, we have nearly 7,000 skiers already registered for the Birkie, Korte and Haakon events. This is very exciting for us as we work on preparations. It will be a great event.
But, the Birkie Trail Run & Trek is much closer at hand and you're invited to come up and join us. It is a great time of year here on a beautiful trail followed by a fantastic picnic under the large finish area tent, again at Telemark Resort. You're invited to join us for a very challenging, but fun event that you'll long remember.
As always, we welcome your comments, and you can contact me anytime at [email protected]
Stay fit,
Ned Zuelsdorff
Executive Director
|
|
Birkie Registration Nears 7,000
The number of registration for the 2013 Birkie is fast approaching 7,000 skiers, which starts to close in on the cap of 10,000 participants total for the Birkie, Kortelopet, and  Haakon events combined.
Fun fact: This 7,000 is more than the number of skiers who were on the start line in either 2006 or 2007. Go Birkie Fever!
One thing to consider is that last year registration closed on November 21, 2011. This year's momentum makes it look like registration may close even sooner.
WAVE UPDATES:
Skate:
Wave 2 is 90% Full
Waves 1, 3, and 4 are 80% Full
Classic:
Waves 1 through 4 are 80% Full
|
Come and Get Your GREEN!
 | Click Image to Watch Video
See All 5 Birkie Trail Run & Trek Events |
September is one of the most beautiful times of year on the Birkie Trail (except for when there's snow on it!) that's why this is when we hold our annual Birkie Trail Run & Trek. Join the more than 700 people already signed up to run, relay and trek our 10th annual event! There is just over one month until the Trail Run & Trek on September 22. To get inspired, check out the video below, which shows all five events:
September 22
__________________________________________________________ Choose From These 5 Events:  Special Note to Relay Team Captains:
In addition to signing up your team and each member of your team, you as team captain need to sign up, too. To register online or access a downloadable registration form, Click Here.
|
|
Group Runs and Hikes that Get You Ready
Thanks to our sponsors, there are a variety of ways to get ready for the five Birkie Trail Run & Trek events on September 22.
- Marathon and Half Marathon Group Runs:  If you are training for the marathon or half marathon and live in or near the Twins Cities area of Minnesota, train with Jan Guenther of Gear West Cross Country Ski and Run, who holds the women's course record
- Trek / Walking Groups on the Birkie Trail: 
If you are getting ready for this event, join Out There of Rice Lake, WI, on the Birkie Trail for group walks.
- More to Come! A complete list of upcoming Nordic ski camps and clinics will be sent out the week of August 20!
Includes dates, times, locations, and sign-up information
* All group training sessions are Free and open to anyone who signs up!
|
* We've introduced a few new events and opportunities to our year-round Birkie calendar. Here are the latest, which took place in July. 
Birkie Paintball Biathlon!
Ski Like a Birkie Champion!
On July 27-29 the enthusiastic group below--shown here showing off their Birkie-ready biceps--gathered for a Nordic ski camp in Seeley, WI. Their coaches? Birkie Champions Matt Liebsch and Jennie Bender for starters (second and third from the right, below), as well as Coach Bill Pierce, Jay Tapper, and Brent Carlson. See Details.
More camps to come! Next Date: October 26-28
Coaches to include 2012 Birkie Champion, Tad Elliot, and Matt Liebsch, 2009 Champion, plus again Bill Pierce, Jay Tapper, and Brent Carlson.
|
We Have a Winner!
After more than 7,008 votes, the American Birkebeiner is pleased to announce that the winner of the Birkie 2012 T-Shirt Design Contest is Ryan Woehler of Madison, WI.
The Story Behind the Design
It's not surprising that Woehler hit the mark. A professional graphic artist, he is an Art Director for Lands End apparel, which is ... Read More.
Whether you're artistic or just love the Birkie, take a look at our contest details and think about entering next year! Click Here for details.
|
|
More Ways to Get Ready for
the Birkie Trail Run & Trek
Check out this straightforward advice and first-hand tips for running or walking the Birkie Trail on September 22:
 | |
By Matt Ostrander
|
"Getting to Know the Birkie Trail:
Hill Strategy, Course Maps,
Aid Stations,and More"
Look for Matt's photo by his articles.
__________________________________________________________
|
 |
By Linda Lemke
"Nordic Walking Queen"
|
Training to Nordic Walk the
Birkie Trek Event on Sept. 22
"Building Intensity and
Preparing for the Hills"
Look for Linda's photo by her articles.
|
BIRKIE STORE: August Sale
|
|
A Hat for All Seasons
Save 10%
(while supplies last)
Note: These hats will also be for sale at the Birkie Trail Run & Trek on Sept. 22.
This classic race ski hat features a mesh top for extreme ventilation, wool acrylic knit, and poly-cotton liner for
moisture-wicking.
Warm but lightweight enough for fall.
|
|
On My Father's Skis
By Ted Theyerl
Editor's Note: The following story was sent in response to our announcement in the July Carpe Skiem about adding a Wooden Ski 5K event on Thursday of Birkie 2013 race week ...
In 2011 I had the urge to renovate and race on my father's wood skis, which he skied with in the first Birkies he did, probably starting in around 1978. He's completed 26 Birkies since then, but did his last Birkie about five years ago. I also donned his first ... Continue Reading to See Photos.
|
Deadline for Sign-Up ... August 22, 2012
If you have not yet signed up to be part of the first annual Birkie Warrior Series, please do so by August 22. the Birkie Warrior Series rewards you for participating in Birkie events year-round!
Deadline for Sign-Up - August 22
|
 Get Weekly / Daily Updates
See photos, videos, comments, training tips, or just stay in touch with the Birkie crowd. Visit Us on Facebook!
|
American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation
Congratulations and welcome to the board members elected and re-elected at the ABSF annual meeting on August 11. Foundation members re-elected Sue Scheer of Hayward to the board of directors and elected three new members: Jan Guenther of Mound, Minn., co-owner of Gear West Ski and Run; Yuriy Gusev of Cable, executive director of Central Cross-Country Ski Association; and Amy Rowley of Seeley, national sales manager for Halcon, a furniture manufacturing firm. Also serving on the Birkie Board are Scott Chapin, Jane Bidwell, Joe Timmerman, John Kotar, John Garrett, Dennis Kruse, Don Becker, John Leighton and Mary Wingfield
Our ABSF Board Members are a diverse group of professionals who each has a deep connection to and experience with the Birkie. See their stories. What they do behind the scenes contributes to your Birkie experience. Click Here to get to know the Birkie Board. __________________________________________________________
Become a 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 Hayward and Cable pour their hearts and souls into the events every year.
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. Click Here to learn more.
|
|
Who Is a Birkie Trail
Friend and Why?
|
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 . Live!
 
|
|
|
