One of North America's most prestigious cross-country ski marathons celebrates its 30th anniversary in February 2003. The American Birkebeiner, which is more commonly known as the Birkie, will be staged on Feb. 22, 2003 in Hayward, Wis. The feature race is 51 kilometres long and runs between Cable and Hayward.The event is part of the renowned Worldloppet international circuit. It is also associated with the International Ski Federation's Marathon Cup series and the American Ski Marathon series.The inaugural Birkie in 1973 founded by Tony Wise of Telemark Resort, attracted just 35 entrants (18 others did a shorter 22K event). But now, the event annually attracts thousands of participants, and almost 100,000 skiers have taken part in the Birkie over the years. Besides the 51K race, there's also a 23K Kortelopet. In addition, there are various other races for both adults and children. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Birkie's new executive director Shirley Riedmann said there are various activities between the Cable and Hayward communities planned during the event. “It's a celebration of the thousands of skiers from around the world who will participate in the 2003 race, as well as the thousands who have skied the Birkie or the Kortelopet in the past,” she said. For more information on any of the Birkie events, call 715-634-5025 or go online to www.birkie.com.