2009-10 Racing Season Preview
After one of the coldest October's on record, and some early fall snowfalls have already come, the racing season can't be far away. Perhaps buoyed by the great ski season the past two winters, there are a number of new events and changes in-store for the 2009-10 racing season.
New Kids
One of the biggest news stories for this season is the introduction of a new early season marathon, the SISU Ski Fest in Ironwood, Michigan on January 9th. Not only is the race a welcome new distance event on the early calendar, it is also one of the rare point-to-point events, joining the ranks of the Noquemanon, Loppet, Vasaloppet and Birkie. The race starts on the high caliber trails at ABR then weaves their newly cut segments to guide the skiers into old downtown Ironwood for the finish.
Another exciting addition to the calendar is actually a rebirth of an old classic: the Twin Cities Championships. The two day race was a mainstay of the Twin Cities racing scene for decades, showcasing some of the finest skiers in the region and providing some intense early season racing action. The new Twin Cities Championships, Jan 2-3, will feature a mass start classical race on, appropriately enough, the recently renovated Battle Creek trails on Saturday. Theodore Wirth, also retooled in preparation for the 2011 Junior Nationals, will host the skate race on Sunday. The event achieves even more significance as it was added as the opening event to the Minnesota Skinnyski Series.
There are a number of other newcomers on tap. The first official race of the season, Ware Off the Turkey Race at Trollhaugen on November 29th, will offer a 5K tune up skate race on Thanksgiving weekend.
While technically not a race, one other relatively new event to check out this season is the Volks Ski Fest on the Northshore. The week long event, running January 23-31, features a number of ski events including a kick off day, a number candlelight ski evenings, and live music, all highlighting the 400 kilometers of groomed trails available.
Movers and Shakers
There is a bit of shuffling on the calendar as some events more to new weekends for various reasons. The Great Bear Chase makes a little hop, moving from their traditional Sunday race up to a Saturday event. Bigger movers include the Lappe Invitational, moving from early January to late and the Badger State Games moving back into February this year.
With the extra weekend in January this season and the late Birkie date, there is a little more room on the calendar, providing some special opportunities. In particular, Seeley Hills Classic and Pepsi Challenge are on separate weekends this year, removing some of the angst for a number of skiers who love both events.
Missing in Action
The Manitoba Loppet is taking the season off as organizers will be heavily involved in the Western Canadian Championships. They plan to resume the race next season. Late Update: The New Years Challenge in Park Rapids has decided to no longer host a race citing low turnout in previous years.
Hot Stuff
With the 2010 Winter Olympics in February, its hard to know exactly how many of the elite skiers will be racing on the SuperTour circuit. However, you're almost guaranteed an in-person preview of some US Olympic talent if you attend the US Biathlon World Team Trials December 12-22 at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine. The top three competitors will race in the IBU Cup in Germany in early January, which will be the final qualification race for the US Biathlon Olympic squad.
The Calendar
The full calendar is now online so start checking those dates and making your plans...
As usual, expect a number of short notice races to be added, as well as a few late updates to the calendar. And of course, we keep it updated throughout the season with the very latest information on cancellations and rescheduling, so stay tuned!
[ High School Racers/Parents: Most of the key high school dates have been published, check the left column of the high school page under 'Key Events' ]