NewSnow Expected Across NW Minnesota

November 19, 2024
Snowfall of over 2" is forecast across parts of far western/northwestern Minnesota for Tuesday night into Wednesday as Winter Weather Advisories are posted.

Team Birkie Auction Underway

November 18, 2024
Team Birkie's annual auction fired up Monday, featuring a diverse array of skiing-related items, services, and experiences. The proceeds directly benefit the team's Midwest-based athletes, including Alayna Sonnesyn, Zak Ketterson, and Kevin Bolger, as they compete internationally. This fundraiser provides essential resources for training, travel, and equipment.

Wisconsin Nordic Ski League Matching Fundraising Effort

November 18, 2024
The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League organizes events for 5th-12th grade athletes, including a high school and middle school skiing championship with over 450 participants from 25+ teams. Help support the league as they have a matching fundraising offer for donations received by Jan 15th!

New Moon: Customer Appreciation Sale and Ladies Night

November 13, 2024
New Moon is hosting their Customer Appreciation Sale Thursday-Sunday, Nov 14-17, and a special Ladies Night event on Saturday evening. Storewide savings on most items of 15% (use code THANKYOU15) and even better savings on some items in store!

CAMBA: New Executive Director Named

November 13, 2024
The Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Daryl McNutt as their new Executive Director. With exceptional expertise in business growth and strategy, McNutt is poised to lead CAMBA into its next phase of development.

Out There: November Open House this Weekend!

November 13, 2024
Out There is hosting an Open House this weekend, Nov 15-17, offering a number of activities including wax clinics, grass ski clinics, a Felsenmeer hike, and live music. RSVP online.

Tour de Finn: 2024-2025 Updates

November 12, 2024
The Tour de Finn is gearing up for its second season and has announced its lineup for the 2024-2025 season. Building off of last season, they're implementing a selection of rule changes to make their schedule more accommodating and to better account for race cancelations (which we saw plenty of this past winter), plus they've added two more offerings: the Dirtbag Series, and the Skiwerx Series.

Team Birkie Launches Sponsorship Initiative

November 12, 2024
Team Birkie, with five Olympians and multiple Birkie victories, showcases the region's commitment to an active, outdoor lifestyle. Businesses can now partner with Team Birkie to connect with a health-conscious, upwardly-mobile population and support athletes inspiring the next generation in the upper Midwest.

Finn Sisu: Wax Clinic and Pop-Up Shop this Weekend

November 11, 2024
There will be a flurry of activity at Finn Sisu this weekend for their first wax clinic of the season, plus a pop-up shop to boot. Starting Saturday, hear from World Cup wax tech Chris Hecker about the intricacies of glide waxing, then browse Saunamekko sauna clothing at the in-store, pop-up shop which will be set up through Sunday.

U of M's ESPI Releases Report on Survey of Midwest Nordic Coaches

November 11, 2024
The 2023-24 winter season in the Upper Midwest faced significant challenges due to warm temperatures and low snowfall. The Univ of Minnesota's Equitable Sport and Physical Activity Innovations (ESPI) Lab has published their survey of over 100 Midwest Nordic ski coaches. The survey revealed widespread disruptions to training, increased costs, and logistical challenges. Despite these difficulties, coaches remained resilient and adapted, though many expressed concerns about climate change's future impact. The report also contains number of suggestions.

MNHSNSCA: Preseason High School Rankings

November 11, 2024
The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association (MNHSNSCA) has published their preseason rankings for the Minnesota High School Nordic ski season. Returning champs Linnea Ousdigian and Logan Drevlow get the number one spot, with Washburn girls and Brainerd boys the early favorites.

Birkie: Inaugural Shred de She Fat Bike Event Announced

November 11, 2024
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is hosting Shred de She, a new women's fat biking event Jan 3-5th in Cable. Modeled after the successful Ski de She series, the event aims to encourage female riders of all levels to explore winter fat biking, develop skills, and connect with a community of enthusiasts. The event will feature skill-building clinics, guided trail rides, and wellness workshops.

Loppet Foundation Welcomes New Executive Director Meghan Cosgrove

November 8, 2024
The Loppet Foundation has named Meghan Cosgrove as its new Executive Director. Cosgrove, with a track record of making the outdoors more inclusive, looks to build on the organization's success and continue its mission of growing the cross-country skiing community through experiences that foster diversity and equity.

Midwest Racing Season Preview

November 7, 2024
After a warm start to fall, a chill has entered the air which can only mean one thing—winter is coming. Despite a subdued 2023/2024 season on the racing front, each new season brings a renewed sense of excitement to see the first flakes fly, and we're looking to bottle some of that excitement as we preview the Midwest racing scene for the 2024/2025 season.

NNF Launches Officials' Grant to Boost TD Pool

November 7, 2024
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) has launched an Officials' Grant Program to support volunteers who officiate cross-country skiing competitions. The initiative aims to create a sustainable fundraising model and address the long-standing need for more FIS Technical Delegates (TD). The grant program seeks to reduce financial barriers for new officials, with a focus on recruiting recently retired athletes and others motivated to stay involved in the sport.

Fall Ski Sales and Swaps

November 6, 2024
One of the bigger weekends for ski swaps with major events at Snowflake in Duluth, Pioneer Midwest and Gear West in the Twin Cities, and another in Eau Claire.