FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vasaloppet Update

The Vasaloppet USA board of directors have begun making contingency plans to move the Feb. 7 race to Knife Lake.

There are still two weeks before the Saturday race and in the past last minute storms have kept the race on the entire race course from Warman to downtown Mora. But with most of that course currently with little or no snow it would take a major storm to prevent the move to Knife Lake. The Lake currently has ample snow to prepare an excellent course and ice thickness is 18 to 24 inches.

The last time the race was held on Knife Lake was 2007. In 2013 the race started on Knife Lake, but finished in downtown Mora.

A Knife Lake race schedule calls for the 58km race complete three laps around Knife Lake, the 35km and 42km two laps, and the 13km race will complete one lap. The 42km race begins at it’s normal time of 9am, and the 58km and 35kn races at 10am. The 13km and TeamLoppet, however, would start at 11:30am.

If the race is on Knife Lake, Vasaloppet board members decided this week to move the skier lunch and awards Ceremony from the high school to the Celebration Tent in downtown Mora. The race will provide the free chili to all skiers who can also enjoy cash bar service which is already scheduled for the tent all weekend. Local vendors will also be serving food for non-skiers.

A Knife Lake race would start and finish area would be just off of County Road 19 on the south end of Knife Lake.