FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Northstar Ski Touring Club 50th Anniversary Spring Banquet

The North Star Ski Touring Club kicked off the celebration of their 50th Anniversary at the Spring Banquet on Sunday evening April 23rd. Of the 150 plus members who attended, eight were members who joined in the 1960’s.

The Program consisted of a reflection of the Club’s 50 years starting from the summer meeting of 1967 when the 19 founders created a constitution and the club was born. 1967 was truly the infancy of the sport of cross country skiing locally. The Club was the face of the sport in Minnesota and the Midwest for many of the early years. We provided ski clinics, weekend and weeklong trips around the Midwest and to the Western States and Europe. In 1971, the club organized and ran one of the first citizen races in the country with nearly 300 participants. Beginning in the town of Victoria and winding its way through Jonathan, the 15km race was named the VJC. Subsequent years saw the participation of over 800 skiers in this long-running North Star race.

The club has been a tireless advocate for trails and trail funding, financially supporting both the first state cross country umbrella group to promote and advance the sport of cross-country skiing in the state, created in 1974 and called Minntour, and the current state advocacy group, Minnesota Nordic Ski Association, MNSA. The club ran its first organized trail clearing trip to Remote Lake in 1973, and continues to run yearly fall trail clearing trips.

The Club has donated funds through the years to numerous organizations that support our mission including major donations last year to the City of Lakes Loppet Organization, and both the Sugarbush Trail. Association and the Norpine Trail Association along Minnesota’s North Shore.

For more on our storied history, for details on next years extended trips to Bearskin Lodge along the Gunflint Trail, the Methow Valley in Washington State, or Norway, including the option to ski the Norwegian Birkebeiner, or to see what our spring, summer and fall schedule offer while we wait for the snow and our November trips schedule, visit us at north-stars.org. Come join us for a day outing, get Active, stay Active.