July 05, 2013 (Hayward, Wisconsin) – Ben Popp is from Wisconsin’s Northwoods where the Cable-to-Hayward American Birkebeiner is run each February. Since June 1, he now finds himself as the new Executive Director (ED) of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) which owns the Birkie and other events. SkiTrax caught up with Popp to learn more about him, his plans for North America’s largest Nordic ski event, and how he plans to address the various challenges he faces.

Firstly, a slightly belated congrats on becoming the new ED of the ABSF. Rumor has it you are the youngest ED ever there…so how old are you?
Ben Popp: I just celebrated my 39th birthday yesterday. Thanks for the congrats; my twin boys Luke and Grant, 7, are very excited about moving to northern Wisconsin. I grew up in northern Wisconsin and enjoy challenges and the active lifestyle that can be found there.

And tell us more about yourself…
BP: I served five years as Executive Director of the SISU Nordic Ski Foundation, near Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Twin Cities), a similar ski group promoting an active outdoor lifestyle. SISU offers a wide range programs, hosting some 14 races annually, including eight ski races. Much of this is built around the Nordic Centre at Battle Creek, MN. As for the Birkie, I started doing it when I was 18 years old. I’ve done it maybe 17 times to date. My mom and dad ski it – the Birkie is part of our winter traditions. I enjoy mountain biking, road biking… I once pedalled the 3,000 mile Race across America from San Diego to Maryland nonstop. Currently I’m building my own house so I guess you could call me a “hands-on” kind of guy.

There are some obvious challenges ahead as Telemark Lodge, over whose land the the Birkie crosses, has closed again. In previous years, the resort has played a key role in providing other facilities and infrastructure for the Birkie. What are your plans regarding the Telemark Lodge can the event still do well without it?
BP: Marty Hall wrote a good article about this on SkiTrax.com – but no, we will not be looking to purchase Telemark Lodge! For sure, it is a huge part of the Birkie’s legacy and history, and it will be an integral part of its future. Birkie founder, Tony Wise, started a cool plan – skiing from Cable to Hayward. Unfortunately, it is likely Telemark will be closed this winter so we are negotiating easements to use the property. And if the iconic lodge is closed, the Birkie will use more tents.

We’ve talked to private partners who are supportive of private events and during the transition, they’re in. In a best case scenario Telemark Lodge could be open as soon as September, but even if it is not, we can operate things although conditions would not be ideal for our staff. We do have contingency plans…

Mortgage owners, banks, and previous owners all know the importance of Telemark Lodge to the Birkie. The same trails are used in other seasons and the Chequamegon Fat Tire (Mountain Bike) Festival sees 2,500 racers. The Birkie Trail Run Trail (including a marathon and half marathon) also takes place in September; we are hoping for 1,500 runners. We own the Birkie Trail Run, however, Chequamegon is a separate event that takes place on our trails.

We understand that during Birkie weekend, all resorts and motels are booked a year in advance in the communities within 30-50 miles of the Cable/Hayward area. Telemark’s closing will reduce an already tight supply of beds…could the Birkie attract more skiers if there were more local hotel rooms available?
BP: Yes, accommodation is a limiting factor. But trail width is even more of a limiting factor. We’re planning to put people onto gym floors and find places where they can crash for night. We are reaching out to other nearby communities in Wisconsin. From, there is the possibility to charter buses from larger population centres like the Twin Cities. Creative things like this are needed.

The Birkie sees some 10,000 Nordic participants each year, do you hope to expand the event?
BP: Yes, we intend to grow Birkie brand. The Birkie is a gateway to get more people skiing, hiking, biking… trail widening is important, as is security in light of Boston. We need to secure trail heads. To grow the race, we don’t want to sacrifice quality. Just to maintain things we need 2,000 volunteers which is approximately the total population of the nearby town of Hayward. We need strategies to maintain and grow the number of volunteers.

We don’t have an exact number of estimated participants down the road yet. But we want to see a classic trail all way to Hayward. This could easily add up to 3,000 skiers.

We offer other activities such as snowshoe events and sprints. The Birkie recently hosted a “retro knickerbiner” event with a few hundred participants. We have skijoring and family tours and a “fat tire” snow bike event. We had to cap the fat tire race at 300 participants.

Much of our website traffic is from beyond a three-hour driving distance. I guess that one-third of that traffic is from Illinois. And the Birkie already draws in skiers from 19 countries and 38 states. But our distance from the nearest major airport (Twin Cities) is a limiting factor…

How do manage wacky winter weather conditions and unpredictable snow cover?
BP: “Good trails are made in the summer” according to our trail manager. Trails have to be in good shape going into winter. We already spend $250,000 a year on trail maintenance and will be spending more. We’re looking at snow making; it’s not practical on the entire length of 90km of trails, but perhaps could be used in certain areas. Some people are surprised that the Birkie trails are open 365 days a year.

Thanks for your time. Good luck with your new job, the move, and building your new house.
BP: Thanks

June 27, 2013 – The Birkie Ski Foundation and Telemark Lodge (closes again) – Am I the only one who sees what should happen here, especially as the Birkie’s race calendar continues to fill out with more and more “silent sports” competitions? Yes, they should buy Telemark (!!!!) (Read about it HERE). No, I am not crazy! It is the perfect match and makes sense for the guarantee of the future of the race or races, BSF’s business direction and further growth in their “silent sports” business.

I know, where is the money going to come from? I’d like to think that a business plan could, or would be put in place, as the reason and means to justify the move or venture to make this happen.

Think of what lies ahead – not just the guarantee of all of the current races – as BSF would own all the land (I understand 900 acres), which is critical to putting on all these events, but also the situation to grow more silent sports events and everything around them from a business point of view. I understand a real estate venture has been suggested to support this plan. You could also move all your offices to the Lodge making it BSF’s operation central.

Your goal would be to make this the “Silent Sports” capital of North America, and host everything that makes these organizations run – all the way from their AGM’s, training camps, seminars, clinics, international conferences, World Championships, events at all levels, World Cups and of course have all the necessary facilities and staff to support these events and programs at a Class A level.

I’m sure that there are 20 or more “silent sports” that have thousands of members, competitors and staff that run these organizations, and BSF could be there “go-to location” because it covers all of the bases and the needs to pull off any type of function or event of any level.

The new ED, Ben Popp may just been the young energy to make such a giant step forward able to happen!

Of course, I’m just touching the tip of the iceberg and I’m a dreamer – but, as many athletes know – their dreams do come true.

Totally Dumbfounded – Please read this here and and now read this here HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I know of Ken Read and he has alpine ski racing tattooed all over his body and has held just about every position there is when it comes to the domestic and international functioning of alpine ski racing in the world. Everyone knows Ken Read in the alpine world and beyond, and now cross-country skiing is going to get to know him through his new position, as a member of the CCC Board of Directors (BOD).

That is if he hangs around the BOD meetings longer then he did on election weekend – about three hours I hear. Just long enough to present himself to the board and answer a few questions… then a quick disappearance act. But, more importantly, why did this happen?

It just so happens Dave Wood (read more here) had brought his name forward for one of the available board positions this year. One would think someone with Wood’s credentials would be a huge asset to the team, but according to rumors coming out of Canmore, Ken Read, “Mr. Alpine”, was sought out to fill the position by the powers that be.

There has to be some payola down the road in the future, as I can see no other good reason to bring Read on board. The “politiking” within the present members of the association who vote for these candidates worked. Yet I’m sure they could have made it work if they’d chosen a Nordic candidate… then it wouldn’t look quite so obvious as to what they had just pulled off.

The difference between Read and Wood for this position is like night and day, especially when you consider the level of hands-on international cross-country experience of the current board. Read brings nothing Nordic that I know of, yet Wood has done it all from Jack Rabbits to Olympic medals – what a shame to lose first-hand access to all of this.

The controversy surrounding Wood’s resignation/firing back in 2010 lives on. CCC loses again.

Talk To You Soon.

PS – In all the assorted conversations I had over the past couple of weeks and articles I read, a couple of things became new information that I didn’t know – one being CCC’s masthead for administrative and technical staff (view it here and here). We’re talking close to 30 paid positions. You can do this with $6 million. So, congratulations on marketing the team and the programs and for the success in the tracks. But, only one podium like the team had in Val di Fiemme, Italy at the WSC this past winter could see this $$ number cut in half. A lot of the assistants, and assistants to the assistants, will be headed down the hill come next spring – the program is called OWN The Podium. Lets hope the magic is back!

June 12, 2013 (Hayward, WI) – On June 13-16, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation will host delegates from all 16 nations of the Worldloppet Ski Federation at the Worldloppet Annual General Meeting in Hayward/Cable, Wisconsin. The American Birkebeiner will host both meetings and times to socialize at various venues in Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, including Lakewoods Resort and the Lumberjack Village.

The Worldloppet Annual General Meeting is a time for ski marathon organizations to sit down together and work on ways to continually improve and promote the sport of cross country skiing worldwide. This will be the first time in approximately 15 years that the American Birkebeiner has hosted this annual Worldloppet meeting.

“The American Birkebeiner is extremely honored and excited to be hosting the organizers of the other great ski marathon races from around the world. To also have the opportunity to show off the iconic Birkie Trail as well as our local communities is fantastic,” says Ben Popp, new Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation.

MORE ABOUT THE WORLDLOPPET …
Below is more about the Worldloppet Ski Federation, from the organization’s website at www.Worldloppet.com.

Worldloppet Ski Federation:
Worldloppet is an international sports federation of cross-country skiing marathons. The federation was founded in 1978 in Uppsala, Sweden. The aim of Worldloppet is to promote the sport of cross-country skiing through the various ski races around the world.

Worldloppet Members:
Only one and the best race from a country can be a member of Worldloppet. The youngest member is a polish race, Bieg Piastow, that was admitted by Worldloppet Annual General Meeting in Mora, SWE, 2008. Worldloppet currently unites 16 races from Europe, America, Asia and Australia:

• Europe: Jizerská padesátka (CZE), Dolomitenlauf (AUT), Marcialonga (ITA), König Ludwig Lauf (GER), Tartu Maraton (EST), La Transjurassienne (FRA), Finlandia-hiihto (FIN), Vasaloppet (SWE), Engadin Skimarathon (SUI), Birkebeinerrennet (NOR), Bieg Piastow (POL)
• North America: American Birkebeiner (USA), Gatineau Loppet (CAN)
• Asia: Sapporo International Ski Marathon (JPN) Demino Ski Marathon (RUS)
• Australia: Kangaroo Hoppet

Worldloppet Strategy:

• High quality ski races around the World. Only one and the best race from a country can be a member of Worldloppet.
• Regularity and continuity. Each race, having its own history, traditions and program, is held usually at the same time every year. After completing 10 different Worldloppet races, at least one of them overseas, a skier can apply for the Worldloppet Master title.
• Races for everybody. Races different by length, technique, landscape and target group attract 80 000 participants every year.
• Participation of elite skiers. FIS Marathon Cup, consisting of 10 Worldloppet races, is a Worldloppet series for top skiers.

March 15, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are pleased to announce the standings for the second annual SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup 2012/13 Contest after the American Birkebeiner 50km free technique race held in Hayward, Wisconsin on Feb. 23. Team dom has jumped into the lead with 473 points, knocking Team Redl into second with 456 points. Team asterion is now ranked third with 447 points.

Read our coverage of the 2013 American Birkebeiner and how husband and wife duo Brian and Caitlin Gregg won the men’s and women’s races, respectively here.

For the contest standings after the American Birkebeiner, please click HERE.

These are the only FIS Fantasy Nordic contests of their kind worldwide so don’t miss your chance to enjoy fabulous top level xc ski racing and win fabulous prizes –  good luck to all contestants.

FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup Prizes

* 1st Prize – Nipika Lodge – 4-nights for 2 people in luxurious cabin, including Trail Fees (value up to $1,160)
* 2nd Prize –  Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 3rd Prize – Yoko 9100 Poles (value $299)
* 4th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 5th Prize – Skiwax.ca Racer Kickwax kit (value $235)
* 6th Prize –  2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 7th Prize – One Way Snowbird Glasses (value $120)
* 8th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Nipika, Marwe, Yoko, Halti, Skiwax.ca, 2XU, One Way, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Auclair, and Buff.

SkiTrax is North America’s leading Nordic skiing publication and the official magazine of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Canada (CCC).

October 02, 2012 – We’re now at 8,900 total skiers registered for the Birkie, Kortelopet, and Prince Haakon races combined, to be held February 23, 2013. Our total, combined cap for these three races is 10,000 skiers, so if you plan on being part of our 40th annual celebration, now is the time to register! Last year registration closed on November 21, and we expect an even earlier closing this year.

Celebrating its 40th year, the American Birkebeiner, February 21-23, 2013, is the largest and most prestigious cross country ski marathon in North America. Spanning more than 50 kilometers from Cable to Hayward, the Birkie is part of the Worldloppet series of 15 international races, and part of the lives of citizen skiers from around the world.

Wave Closings & Updates
Skate:
– Wave 2 is closed
– Wave 3 is closed
– Waves 4 and 9 are 95% full

Classic:
– Waves 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 95% full

Find out more at www.birkie.com

May 15, 2012 (Park City, UT) – Tune in to this week’s edition of Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, as renowned sports reporter and announcer Peter Graves talks with CXC Director, Yuriy Gusev, at the recent USSA Convention in Park City, UT. CXC, the Central Cross Country Ski Association, has seen tremendous growth and success with their race team, aka Jessie Diggins, and various programs, and Gusev accepted the award at the Convention for CXC as winner of the cross-country club of the year. In this in-depth interview, Gusev speaks about his central motivation, which is to grow the sport of cross-country skiing, and the steps he has taken with his team to achieve that goal for CXC.

Yuryi Gusev

March 29, 2012 (Cable, WI) – In an effort to partner with The American Birkebeiner, Telemark resort has laid out the following win-win proposal to keep the start and many of the Birkie functions solidly located at its original home at Telemark Resort.

Some of the challenges the Birkie is facing is the uncertainty of access across several parcels of private land including the Cable/Union airport as well as several parcels of private land north of McNaught road. The financial security of Telemark Resort has also been a concern given past closures and ownership changes.

Telemark believes that the two can help offset each other to provide a secure future. Telemark has the trails, meeting/expo space, parking and infrastructure, while the Birkie has the event with its 9,600 participants and the millions of dollars they bring to the area.

A successful partnership between Telemark Resort and the Birkie also translates to the success of other events in the area that use Telemark Lodge (Fat Tire for example) currently and potential events that can come to the area (IPC World Cup for example). A successful Telemark Resort also translates to more jobs, increased tourism in the area and more traffic for local businesses. It’s not just a win-win partnership between Telemark Resort and the Birkie, but a big win for area, businesses and the residents.

Telemark is amenable to any or all of the following solutions:
– Allowing guaranteed easements to all existing trails on Telemark property for the weeks of Birkie, Birkie Tour, Birkie Trail Run and future events as necessary.
– Providing Birkie Trail access to the public 365 days of the year with no fees.
– Offering similar easements on other Telemark lands for construction of an alternate start area closer to Telemark resort, and new trail to connect to the existing Birkie and/or Classic trails.
– Offering permission and support to continue improvement and redesign of trails across Telemark property.
– Telemark to construct a heated expo center, (possibly old Coliseum pad or Hytte location) which could greatly increase Telemark’s ability to handle Birkie Expo, Registration, bib pickup and more in addition to the 25,000 sq. ft of meeting space currently available at Telemark.
– Offering Birkie land options to construct maintenance/storage building(s) in close proximity of Telemark Resort and/or Birkie trails.
– Providing office, secretariat and headquarter space during events or year round at no charge.
– Provide a permanent space for a Birkie museum at no charge to preserve history and legacy of the events.
– Providing additional parking space for participants which will help for the growth of the event and actively work with The Birkie in finding solutions to traffic congestion, bussing routes and reducing skiers walk distances.

Telemark is proposing the Birkie to agree to the following:
– Staging of the Birkie, Korte, Haakon start, the Birkie Expo, registration, Bib pick-up to be returned to Telemark Resort.
– Finish for the Korteloppet, Haakon, Birkie Trail Run and Birkie Tour to remain at Telemark.
– Lease the new expo center for the week of the Birkie and/or other Birkie events for a 10 year renewable term.
– Provide Telemark Resort reasonable marketing access to Birkie participant database for promotions and non-competing events.
– Annual event usage fee for Telemark Resort to remain the same.

In summary, Telemark feels it is important to create a solution that is good for the community as a whole. With the right approach along the lines of what is detailed above, the ski community and the Bayfield County businesses and residents will benefit and the legacy of the Birkie being located at Telemark will be preserved.

March 27, 2012 – I’ve again assembled the data from the Big Race out in Wisconsin in to a bunch of nerdy-but-interesting data on BirkieGuide.com. Feel free to share it around. After a couple too many nights not getting to bed on time, I’ve finally gotten the ducks in order (I hope) and launched everything on to the statistics site. So if you are bemoaning the early spring and want to launch yourself deep in to mostly meaningless statistical “analyses” from the race, by all means, go ahead and do so.

Let us know if there’s anything else you’d like to see. I can make no guarantees — it’s time to spend my evenings doing something more productive, like training and core — but if you have an interesting idea, have at it.

A couple of highlights:
– Most of the data is back from last year, and most of it in an easier-to-navigate fashion
– We did some comparisons with last year

New data include:
– split time correlations
– a really interesting page showing that top skiers ski at a much steadier relative pace than everyone else (my favorite new data)
– information correlating weather conditions and Birkie sign-ups (it also has MSP snowfall data back to 1900)
– And a whole lot more…

You can find all of it at HERE and of course find the homepage at www.birkieguide.com.

February 29, 2012 – SkiTrax caught up with the top men’s and women’s finishers after the biggest XC ski marathon in the U.S. – the American Birkebeiner in Cable, WI. Read race recaps from 50k FR winners Tad Elliott and Holly Brooks, as well as comments from runners-up Matt Liebsch and Caitlin Gregg.

Full results HERE.

Tad Elliott – 50km FR Men’s Winner
I was looking for a marathon to participate in on the weekend when the World Cup took a break and noticed that the American Birkie was the same weekend. It has been a dream of mine to win the Birkie but I was a little nervous about the travel back and forth from Europe. I asked my Dad what he thought and he was nervous about the travel as well saying it might be best to stay in Europe.

I asked my Mom what she thought about the travel and the Birkie. She got really excited and said that I should do it and make it happen. She raced the Kortelopet a few years ago and loved the atmosphere and racing in Wisconsin. Right then I knew I would be making the travel to WI.

I emailed Salomon asking if they could help me out getting to the Birkie and taking care of me while I was there. They booked my ticket, hotel room, entrance, and made sure I had transportation. The Salomon staff are my friends and also my support staff. Without the help of Bill Sterling, Josh Korn, Andy Gerlach, and Pete Zeller, I would not have been able to do as well as I did.

Zach Caldwell even came out to wax my skis for the race. He chooses all of my skis with Salomon and puts race grinds on them. The amount of testing and work he put into my skis for the Birkie was amazing. Without Zach, my results would not have been what they were. The overall support was absolutely incredible. I felt like it was a team effort for me to win, a lot of people worked very hard so I could have this opportunity. My dream came true.

The race itself was awesome. Huge thanks to the groomers who made the course a blast to ski on after all of the new snow. At the start, my track came together with another track and Morten Petterson and I were going to get pretty well acquainted – he slowed and let me in – classy guy. We laughed and the race was on.

My skis felt a little slow at first in the new cold snow. Once I hit “OO” [about the 1/2 way point] where Zach had tested my skis at 5 a.m. they sped up significantly. I could tell that had the best skis in the field – right when I needed them. A French skier and Nish [Graham Nishikawa] were off the front with a 1:07 lead at one point. I was stressed that we would not be able to bring it back. Matt Liebsch kept me in line and said that together we could bring it back, but not before 33km. True to his word, at 33km Matt and I worked together to bring them back.

After that, the paced slowed a little and I attacked with 11km to go and was able to get a gap alone. From then on I was committed to the finish. Across the lake, I kept looking back thinking that I would be caught with only 500 meters left in the race. Once I hit the wiskers in the finishing lanes and looked back, I knew I had won.

I celebrated pretty hard and was extremely happy. It was the perfect day for me. I was so pumped and I’m still stoked. At the finish I borrowed a stranger’s phone to call my parents. I don’t think I’ve heard my mom that excited in a while. She was really pleased.

The best moment of the day for me though was sharing the podium with two other Americans who are also my friends. I have stayed at both of their houses in the last month while training and racing. Just a rad experience all around.

——

Holly Brooks – 50km FR Women’s Winner
Today was awesome – I really couldn’t have wished for a better day. Just last week I remember hearing the race was “on the rocks” and amazingly, the conditions today were PERFECT. The temperature, the snow, the grooming. Heck, the sunshine even came out for the race finish – and of course the great spectators!

As for the race itself, there was a large group of women that skied together until “OO” – myself, Caitlin [Gregg], Nicole Deyong, Rebecca Dussault, and a Russian skier were taking turns at the front. Shortly thereafter I was taking a feed and Caitlin made a decisive move, weaving through skiers from the men’s elite wave.

I wanted to finish my GU so she lost me for a bit and I had to work to reel her back in. In the process, we gapped the rest of the girls. When I realized that we had a lead on the others, I told her and said that we should work together to make sure they didn’t catch us.  So we traded leads, pulling each other towards Hayward. It was a blast skiing the race with Caitlin – she’s a good friend and a great skater. Now we’ve each won the Birkie once!

I was leading off the lake and made the 90 degree corner onto Main Street… I had been in this situation before in 2009, only to be caught by Rebecca D at the line (2nd by an inch!). This year, I definitely had a flashback to the race three years ago, and I was determined to NOT lose the sprint!

I took the sprint by a hair but made sure to not “pull a Morilov” and celebrate before fully crossing the finish line!  Funny thing was that both my husband Rob, and Caitlin’s husband Brian, were waiting at the finish line to see who’s wife would win! Brian had a great race as well, landing third on the podium – a good day for the Gregg family!

All in all, I’m really glad that I made the trip out here to race the Birkie and I’m ecstatic that I can “check this off the list” after three years of jokes about my boot being too small or the fact that I shouldn’t have clipped my toenails that day!

Check out the Anchorage Daily News for a great story on the race.

——

Matt Liebsch – 50km FR Second
This was an amazing Birkie and I was so happy that I got to be on the podium with two of my best training partners and friends. There was great depth and it was a very competitive field this year at the Birkie.

I broke a pole this time at a very in-opportune time in the race. I knew we were getting to the point where moves were going to be made. Tad [Elliott] went off the front followed by Brian Gregg. I tried to get into the 3rd spot and put my pole between Lars [Flora] and myself and we both fell. Santiago Ocariz saw what happened and took his pole off and gave it to me. With that I was able to get back into the race.

The Birkie course was wonderful and it’s always a race where I strive to have one of my best results in. I want to thank all the volunteers, board members and people who work so hard to make this an amazing event. This year’s Birkie will be one of my most memorable!

——

Caitlin Gregg – 50km FR Second (defending champ)
The Birkie race was fantastic! It was a great way for me to test my fitness. The pace in the women’s race was very very slow for the first 30km. I was feeling great and only a few of the ladies were taking turns at the front so I decided to make a run for it. Holly [Brooks] was the only skier that followed and soon we were a few minutes off the front.

Holly and I worked together and maintained our gap until Main Street. The final sprint was awesome and we both skied our heart’s out. In the end Holly got me by 0.4 of a second. It was very close but also a ton of fun! Holly has been racing very well on the World Cup circuit and it was great to be able to ski with her so much during the race.

After the race I realized I had four bridesmaids in the Birkie this year and two were on the podium! The whole weekend of events was incredible and I am so happy that I get to share the Birkie experience with so many family members and close friends!

February 23, 2012 – This week on Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, Peter Graves catches up with 28-year-old American skier Matt Liebsch of Orono, MN, who won Tour De Twin Cities and the Boulder MT Tour this season. Liebsch races for Team Strong Heart/Team Birkie and is also the Director of Race Services at Gear West Ski and Run in Long Lake, MN. His palmares include a win at his favourite race, the American Birkebeiner, in 2009. He’s stoked and primed for the 39th edition of the race coming up this weekend. Listen what he has to say about the historic event.

Matt Liebsch Interview

February 21, 2012 (Cable, WI) – There has been a worldwide surge in classic racing the last two years.  Major marathons, such as the American Birkebeiner, used to focus on skating with classic receiving a secondary status.  That status is undergoing a major change at Marathons throughout the world.  Skiers are discovering the joy of classic and Marathons with both techniques are witnessing parity in numbers.  The end result of this growth is that manufacturers are putting extensive R & D into classic gear at an unprecedented level.  Arrive at the Telemark Lodge in Cable, Wisconsin this Friday, February 24, and you will have the opportunity to test some major innovations in classic gear.

The most innovative classic product you will get to test is Atomic’s new Worldcup Classic SDS. With the help of the Aukland brothers from Norway and Denise Herrmann of Germany, Atomic’s new classic ski has taken Gold, Silver and Bronze at the primary Marathons this year such as the Konig Ludwig in Germany and the Marcialonga in Italy.  The new technology has a highly elastic ABS insert in the kick zone combined with high rebound graphite laminates. The low-camber kick zone rides well above the snow during glide, but it takes only a little pressure and the kick zone easily comes down for fantastic grip.  Try it on some of Telemark’s famous World Cup trails and you will be taken aback by how fast the ski glides while still providing grip for unequaled climbing.

Atomic has also been highly innovative with its new Worldcup Classic boot.  Nordic race boots may not have the hard outer shell of an alpine boot, but they still have an actual outer shell and inner liner.  Atomic’s new WC Classic boot is unique in that the lacing connects to the outer shell for excellent closure around the foot.

Worldloppet and World Cup athletes have been extremely pleased with the new lacing system.  They have instantly switched to the new boots even when they have received them just days before a major race.  Atomic likes to point out that their boots have won more Olympic and World Championship medals for the US Ski Team than all other brands combined.

February 10, 2012 – For the past two years, I’ve written a guide to the American Birkebeiner (which was lauded by several folks and even called “remarkably good” by Johnny Klister) and run the data from the race finishers and posted that on the web. I’ve fleshed out the blog post in to a more-full-blown website, birkieguide.com, which should help new skiers navigate the maze and old skiers chuckle about wave start times and rutted hills.

In other words, I have a severe case of the fever. And I’m trying my best to be contagious.

As race day nears, I’m keeping tabs, daily, on the long-range forecast and posting the “weather speculation” on the site. (All weather speculation posts go on the home page, but you can view only the weather speculation posts HERE.) I’m also keeping an eye on changes to registration, start times and trail closures and posting them as they come about, as well as anything else pertinent. And after the race I’m planning to run the numbers again, which, given templates from last year, should be a somewhat less arduous process. So keep an eye out for that in early March, too.

Thank you for all your work, do your snow dance (in Cable and Hayward and, this winter, everywhere but Alaska), and happy skiing!

September 16, 2011 – The Birkie Trail Run & Trek is coming up fast, just 10 days away! Save money when you register for your favorite event by the next fee deadline this Saturday, Sept. 17th. There are five events to choose from. See details and links, below.

This ninth annual event promises to be another great year. Last year we hosted 750 participants total, and we already passed that number this week. Let’s make it 1,000 runners and walkers on the beautiful, wide-open Birkie Trail!

Birkie Trail Run & Trek – September 24
Register Online HERE, by Mail, or Fax

Click on the event links below for information and registration. Again, the next fee deadline is this Saturday, Sept. 17th:
– Marathon
– Half Marathon
– Marathon Team Relay
– Birkie Trek – Nordic Walk
– 5K Fun Run/Walk

Seeley 7 Team Update
This is just one of the 55 teams signed up for the Birkie Marathon Relay, which is quickly becoming one of our most popular events. Each team is made up of either 3 or 6 members.

The Seeley 7 team has competed in all of the Birkie Trail Run & Trek Marathon Relay races and is coming back for more. Our own Jay Tapper, Fitness in 5, is on this team and sent along this description of its intrepid members and their mission. We think this photo says it all.

“This highly talented team is comprised of genetically superior males over the age of 50. The team has a large following of supporters which have become known as the Seeley 7 Nation. Known for their athleticism and sportsmanship, the Seeley 7 is one of the marquee teams entered in this year’s event. The team number 7 is in dedication to Gary ‘Gordy’ Penman whose goal was to run the first race but because of cancer participated as our driver.”

Team Members:
– Pat Kaiser
– Jay Tapper
– Terry Penman
– Terry Tansey
– Tom Matthiae
– Randy Borchardt
– Kurt Proctor – Team Mechanic and Driver
– Cindy Ferraro – Handler
– Dennis Kruse – Junior Varsity
(Someone tell Kaiser!”)

Don’t let these guys run alone! Join us in any way, shape, or form on September 24.

Register by Saturday, Sept. 17, and Save.

March 29, 2011 (Engadin, Switzerland) – I just returned home to Hayward after a week long adventure in St Moritz, Switzerland for the 2011 Engadin Ski Marathon. The crust cruising is at its finest right now and, after skiing all day, I am finally able to sit down and recap the events from Switzerland.

The 2011 Engadin was the inaugural CXC Masters Team Worldloppet trip. Originally, my plan was to compete in the Elite Wave and go for the win. That plan changed when I came down with appendicitis two days before the Birkie and ten days before leaving for Switzerland. Although it felt agonizingly slow at the time, my recovery was actually very swift and smooth thanks to the help of my friends and teammates (I had a cowbell in my room and, when I rang it, Caitlin (Compton) and Brian (Gregg) would bring me any food I requested-so long as it was liquid). The day before the trip, my doctor took out the stitches and gave me the go-ahead to fly to Switzerland. Instead of fighting for the win, I was fighting to simply make it through the airport with my luggage.

Now I was able to really enjoy the finer aspects of the trip and no worry as much about the racing. We ended up doing lots of easy skiing to check out the course, drank Rivella (the official sports drink of Switzerland) by the gallon–or liter, rather, while sitting out in the sun, and even spent an afternoon sledding in the Swiss Alps.

For the race itself, I followed the Toko wax recommendation and waxed up my best skis, along with the rest of the CXC Masters, with the straight-forward combination of an HF Red/Yellow mix, JetStream Red block, and topped it off with JetStream Red powder for good measure. The one thing I forgot was a riller, but the temps were supposed to stay cold and the snow dry.

On race morning, we toed the line. I had barely done any skiing, let alone intensity, in over two weeks since the surgery, so I decided to line up toward the back of the Elite Wave and start easy. Over 11,000 anxious skiers danced around in the gates while we waited for the gun to go off. Immediately after the start, I realized I was feeling great and decided to get up front with the leaders-passing about 500 people on the wide lake start and tucking into third place in the lead pack with the likes of Cristian Zorzi, Bjorn Lind, and Remo Fischer. The first 15km of the Engadin are totally flat as the trail goes across frozen lakes to the town of St Moritz and we were flying with a swift tailwind.

Before I left for the trip, I ran into Ben Husby at Junior Nationals on my home trails of Wirth Park in Minneapolis. When I told Ben I was going to the Engadin, he gave me some advice about “how to win the Engadin.” Specifically, “when you hit St Moritz, there will be a steep climb, wide enough for three lanes of skiers coming off the lakes. Make sure you are leading one of those lanes.” At the time, I thought, ‘Okay, Ben, I can barely ski right now, there’s no way I’ll be leading the Engadin at 15km next week.’

However, I surprised even myself (pretty hard to do) and found myself in third place going into the St Moritz climb! Sure enough, the skier in first went right, the skier in second went left and I found myself leading the middle train up the steep climb. Remo Fischer punched it over the top and I hopped in close behind him. We skied together down into the Expo Area at St Moritz and Remo kept the throttle wide open-we were flying! Shortly after St Moritz, he backed off the pace a little bit and I looked behind me, expecting to see hundreds of skiers over my shoulder. To my surprise, there was no one; I’d just made the two-man break off the front of the Engadin-thanks Ben!

I was feeling great. Unfortunately, as we got into the woods, the snow changed from dry and wind-blown, to wet and soggy. We soon hit a downhill and Remo pulled away effortlessly. I was in no-man’s-land doing my best to earn time back on the climbs, but on every descent, he’d pull away more. Soon, the pack we’d dropped had caught me and I was losing even more ground on the descents. I’m not sure how much of it was the fact that I hadn’t skied for the two weeks prior to the race (maybe that’s what got me into trouble-feeling so fresh) or how much was the fact that I had forgotten to add structure (my cold skis had a cold grind: faster than ever in the windblown snow, but way too much suction in the wet snow). At any rate, I slogged it out for the final 20km of the race and still finished much better than I’d expected going into the race. I was satisfied with the race and happy that I didn’t bust my gut in the process. Remo ended up capitalizing on our breakaway and winning by over two minutes.

In the Engadin, I learned an important lesson about the value of structure. Now that the weather is getting warm and the snow is getting soft, it is more important than ever to have the right structure. Go out and enjoy the spring crust cruising, but don’t forget to rill. And have fun!

Muffy Ritz Commentary from Masters WC
I had a very successful Master’s up in Silver Star. Despite being very sick with bronchitis for the 2 weeks prior and even into the racing week, I somehow managed to ski myself into a Gold in the 10 km FS, a Gold in the Relay, and a silver in the 15 KM CL race. I have to make a very interesting remark about the TOKO wax. We ended up using Blue all the way- for every race ( LF Moly, HF Blue, Jet Stream Blue, blue structurite tool) It didn’t matter the temperature, blue always ran the fastest. The temps were very consistent throughout the week- with only about 5 degrees of warm-up during the days. Lows would be around 21 and highs around 26 degrees F. Every night or during the day, a little bit of new snow would fall. What would appear as a red/blue mix – according to the thermometer- blue was always faster. In the rockies, with new snow, blue seems to be the best choice despite the temps. However, if snow temps went upwards of 32- blue would probably not be the fastest choice. I think all winter long in Sun Valley and other nearby races, I never strayed from Moly, HF Blue, JS Blue all season!

Thanks to the Toko Tech Team of their efforts and wax tips at the Masters.

Muffy:)

www.tokous.com.

March 01, 2011 (Hayward, WI) – All winter long, we’ve been testing and finding HF Blue with Jetstream Blue over the top to run extremely well in cold weather, and at the 2011 Birkie, this was proven once again – We went with HF Blue covered by JetStream Blue and had fantastic skis.

Looking at forecasts a few days out, we knew that the weather was going to take a dive from Thursday night until Saturday, so we held off on testing too much until 6am on Friday morning. After some quick runs on the skis at Boedecker, I came back to Telemark Lodge, assembled CXC’s crack team of waxers, and we started running through skis. Part of the privileges of being on the CXC Master Team is getting your skis waxed for the Birkie, so we had 50+ pairs to wax for them, plus the CXC Elite Team skis. Between good organization, good tools and good workers, we were able to get the skis glide waxed before 7:30pm.

The Birkie classic has definitely grown, and we had about 20 pairs of skis to binder and wax. We used a mix of hard-wax binder and a few drops of green klister ironed in with it. Between the forecast and the length of the race, we went slightly warmer than starting conditions would call for — a few layers of blue hard wax covered with green. As it turned out, the weather didn’t warm up as much as we expected, but the kick definitely stuck around.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the CXC Team’s results — wins in the women’s skate (Caitlin Compton) and classic (Jennie Bender), with Maria Stuber coming in 5th. On the men’s side, Karl Nygren and Eric Wolcott went 2-3 in the classic and in the skate, Bryan Cook came in 5th, with Brian Gregg 8th, Matt Liebsch 9th and Santi Ocariz 17th.

– Jason Cork, Head Coach, CXC Elite Team

Report from the Winner – American Birkebeiner
Heading into the Birkie I had a plan that I set up with my coaches over two months before. We sat down and laid out both the races and the travel that I would be doing in preparation for my peak at the American Birkibeiner.

The weeks before the Birkie were the most important. I was entered in both Super Tours and Marathon races and had a heavy training load. My plan included a two week altitude camp in Aspen, CO. I raced my Hometown City of Lakes Loppet the day before I left and ran into a lot of mishaps along the way. I felt great at the start and was ready to go. The men and women start together which leads to a very tight and busy first couple of kilometers. I was swallowed up quickly in the crowd and proceeded to try and maintain contact with the other women in the race. Unfortunately I maintained too much contact and a little tangle with another woman left me without the bottom half of my pole. I went on to race without a pole for the next couple of K, then with a long pole for another couple of K, before getting a pole that fit for the remainder of the race. I stayed relaxed and was able to hold onto the lead to the finish despite my pole mishap.

When I got off the plane in Aspen I knew I was in for a treat. The mountains were beautiful and there was plenty of snow. I was staying with a fellow racer’s parents and they were some of the best host parents I have ever had. After only a few days I knew I made the right decision to train in Aspen and race the Owl Creek Chase. The altitude was very high but the terrain and ski trails were incredible. The morning of the Owl Creek Chase came and the temperatures were soaring into the upper 40’s. I chose a pair of skis with more structure anticipating a slushy finish of the race. At the start I was on the front line ready to go. I wore my drink belt in preparation for the Birkie and took of double poling when the gun fired. I found a great spot in second place behind a fellow competitor but suddenly I was swallowed up by the girls charging behind me. I went down and found myself leaving the stadium in last place. Thankfully I had both poles intact but I had a lot of work to do to get back up with the lead pack. I made my way up through the women’s field and found myself with the lead group at the 5K mark. Suddenly the altitude caught up with me and I felt like I was carrying a load of bricks on my back. I watched as the other girls skied away from me and those who I had just passed pass me back. I stayed positive again and focused on skiing the rest of my race within my limits. During the last 5K I gave a final push and found that my body had recovered and could respond. I was able to pass seven women and finish the race strong and happy in 7th place.

The week of the Birkie quickly approached and I realized that I hadn’t skied much of the Birkie course in the last 6 years. Brian Gregg took me out daily to the key locations and as we trained we discussed strategy and tactics. As the Birkie morning approached I was feeling great and ready to go. The only question was the temperature. At a frigid -8F I arrived at the start having left one of my Toko mittens at home in Minneapolis. I did however bring my Toko Windstopper gloves and knew they would work well. But how well??? My excitement was high and I found myself jumping and jogging around a lot before the start, swinging my legs and arms often to keep the blood flowing. I have had problems with my feet hands and face in the past when the temperatures have dipped below zero and my fear lay in the fact that I had 50K to ski with temps remaining frigid the whole way. As I approached the start I strapped on my poles as the gun went off and the banner went up I found myself double poling to the best start position yet this season. I ducked into second place behind a Swiss woman and suddenly realized just how fast my skis were moving! I easily free skating behind her and standing up on the slightest of down hills to avoid colliding. Awesome!!! As we cruised through the first part of the race I was also psyched to realize that my hands and fingers were warm and cozy! I stayed at the front of the pack through the entire race avoiding collisions but never pushing too hard to bury myself. My skis continued to soar along the snow without the slightest hesitation and my hands were so comfortable even on the longest of down hills. I was able to get every feed I needed and respond to all attacks that were made.

With 10 kilometers to go I decided to make my move. I knew my skis were awesome and my body was ready so I took off at the front of the group. The other women responded and stayed close behind but I could sense that I was gliding a little further on every downhill and could rest a little longer. As we approached the final 2 kilometers three other women were still with me and the snow began to fall as we were crossing Lake Hayward. Amazingly I felt my skis speed up even more! Wow I thought my skis are still rockets after almost 50K of skiing. I pushed hard and felt the gap between myself and the other women starting to widen. I upped the tempo and power and found myself in the lead as we headed up Main Street. As I approached the finish I saw Brian waiting on the other side. Nothing could have made me happier and ski faster then seeing his smiling face. I charged to the line and realized I had just won as I gave Brian a huge hug.

The weather was still frigid but I couldn’t even tell through all of my excitement and happiness. A little frostbite on my nose was the only effect the cold could have on me that day. My fingers were warm and my spirits were high.

The plan worked and despite setbacks along the way everything went seamless on Birkie morning.

– Caitlin Compton, Women’s Race Winner

Razzle your Drink Belt Contest
Decorate your Toko drink belt and post the image on the Toko US Facebook Page. On 15 March, we will select our favorite. The winner will receive $500 worth of Toko product in the fall when we have everything in stock. Here’s the link to the Toko US Facebok page.

Race Wax Recommendations for the Masters Cross Country Ski World Cup 2011 will be posted on www.TokoUS.com. Direct link to the page HERE. They will also be tweeted (TokoUS) and posted to the Toko US Facebook page HERE.

For Toko Wax Tips for Canadian Cross Country Ski Races, go to the Toko Canada Facebook Site HERE.

February 23, 2011 (Hayward, WI) – Watch the only live webcast of the 2011 American Birkebeiner on Saturday, February 26, 9:00am – 12:00pm. Livestream.com will be streaming the elite men’s and women’s finish, classic and skate waves finish, recaps of other American Birkebeiner events, and various interviews throughout the weekend. Watch the events live and catch up-to-date commentary with your host Dennis Kruse. If you can’t catch the Birkie outdoors, grab a blanket and cozy up to your computer or watch later at www.birkievideo.com.

February 09, 2011 – Help us find a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS) and you could be going to Norway! Birkie Skiers for Cures is offering a special prize this year – a trip to the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet! For every $250 you raise or donate to Skiers for Cures, you’ll be entered into a drawing to receive a trip for two to the 2012 Norwegian Birkie!

The prize includes:
– Entry for two into the 2012 Birkebeinerrennet in Norway
– Three nights lodging for two
– Coupon for air travel up to $1000 total

The winner will be drawn on Saturday night at the Birkie Awards Ceremony at Telemark Resort.

Use the Birkie Skiers for Cures pin as a fundraising tool. And remember, by wearing your pin on your ski bib you can win exciting prizes at the finish line.

Birkie Skiers for Cures – Wear the pin to win!
Birkie Skiers for Cures commemorative pins are available again this year for a minimum $20 donation. Designed by long-time Birkie skier Kay Lum, funds raised through pin sales go to support multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

Wear your Skiers for Cures pin on your ski bib during the race and you’re eligible to win terrific prizes, including a Salomon ski package, Fischer racing skis, free registration to the 2012 Birkie, gift certificates from New Moon and Fontana, and more! Berkeley Running, Erehwon, Outdoor Ventures, the Bike Doctor, REI, Gear West, Toko, Smartwool and other fantastic vendors are also donating prizes. Prizes will be awarded randomly every hour as skiers cross the finish lines. Last year nearly 50 skiers received prizes.

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.

wisMS.org for more info.
www.birkie.com

December 16, 2010 – SISU Ski Fest organizing committee is pleased to announce its 42K marathon is now a qualifier for Hayward, Wisconsin’s legendary American Birkebeiner®. The significance of this recognition will draw more racers to the early season race to be held in Ironwood, MI this January 15, 2011. Racers can compete to get their qualifying time for wave placement in the Birkebeiner®, which will be cutting off registrations this year at 8,400 skiers. The SISU Ski Fest’s Heiki Lunta Half Marathon is also a Kortelopet Qualifier.

Also some course changes have been a focus for ABR Ski Trails owner Eric Anderson. “The start of the 42K is revised to be wider for a more friendly start. Basically the first 5K is up to 50 ft wide and no major climbs or descents. The first major climb is at about 5.5K, according to Eric.” Anderson also stated that they have eliminated 2 of the climbs and 2 of the descents from one of the more difficult loops. Other course improvements include the 21K has a very wide start and no major climbs until 3K. Both races have more spectator viewing areas for the first 1/2 K. The race start times are more spread out so the participants should not have difficulty passing other racers.

The Taste n Tour, sponsored by ABR, is a unique 10K tour is meant for people that want to get out on the SISU trail, participate in the festivities, but aren’t concerned about being timed. Completion by 5:00 p.m. and eating is the major goal for these participants. Taste n Tour is pleased to offer four delectable food stations including a dessert station. SISU committee members expect these registration numbers to climb over last year’s 100 participants. Thirteen restaurants are now sponsoring this event. They include Breakwater, The Pines, Brewster’s, Elk N Hound, Manny’s, Maplewood Steakhouse, Golden Dragon, Old Suffolk Ale House, Steep Creek Café, The Pastry Kitchen, Rigoni’s Bakery and moijakka for the marathon and half marathon participants is being supplied by Ben’s Place.

The race course will be shortened by one block, ending by the Ben Franklin store on Aurora Street. This will allow Suffolk Street to remain open and traffic to flow through the downtown. Strategic planning has been completed with signage and road closings to accommodate business owners. The alley ways downtown will remain open and parking will be available to consumers.

The NEW event this year is the Lapset Loppet (children’s race) sponsored by River Valley Bank. It will be held on Friday January 14 at ABR Ski Trails. Free 2K and 5K events will be start at 1:00 in the afternoon. The 2K is not timed for speed but is a fun event for the younger children, whereas the 5K is a timed event for the more competitive racers. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served and all participants will receive a finisher’s medallion.

Orvana Minerals Corp has come on board to sponsor the Heikki Lunta Half Marathon, and SISU is still searching for a sponsor for the full marathon. Visit our website listed below for details on becoming a sponsor.

Visit www.sisuskifest.com for more information or to register to become a volunteer. The first volunteer meeting will be held December 7 at 6:00pm at the Ironwood Memorial Building. If you are interested in having a booth at our event expo Friday and Saturday January 14-15, please contact Dona Coggins, expo coordinator at 906-663-4233.