BIRKIE LAUNCHES SKI FOR THE CURE II
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), host of the largest cross country ski race in North America, and the Komen Foundation, host of the Race for the CureŽ events held throughout the United States with more than 1.4 million participants a year, are launching the Ski For the Cure II program to raise funds in the fight against breast cancer.

Women and men across the country can support the Minnesota and Wisconsin Affiliates of the Komen Foundation by participating in the new program. Donations collected by skiers will fund breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.

Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director of the ABSF, said he's excited about the continued collaboration. "The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation both promote health and wellness for women of all ages," Zuelsdorff said. "That's why continued collaboration between the two organizations is a natural fit."

More than $38,000 was raised during the inaugural Ski for the Cure in 2006, and Zuelsdorff said the 118 participants and hundreds of donors overwhelmingly supported continuation of the program.

"This is a great opportunity for women and men to support the leading foundation devoted to eradicating breast cancer and to showcase her/his own commitment to health and wellness by training for and participating in this ski event," Zuelsdorff said. "Whether participating on a competitive or non-competitive level, participants boost their own fitness level, contribute to an important cause, and have a whole lot of fun in the process. It's empowering and a win-win situation all the way around."

Zuelsdorff said participating in the Ski for the Cure II program is simple. Donors register for the race or ski event of their choice: the 51 kilometer Subaru American Birkebeiner, the 23 kilometer Kortelopet sponsored by the State Bank of Drummond/Cable Chamber of Commerce, or the 12-kilometer Johnson Bank Prince Haakon. All are held Saturday, February 24, 2007 in Cable and Hayward, Wis.

Donor/skiers voluntarily collect pledges and raise funds for the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Donations will be collected by the skier prior to the race and delivered to the ABSF at race registration/bib pickup. All donations must be turned in by Saturday, February 24, 2007.

Participants will receive a pink ribbon pin with their race bibs and will designate which of the Madison, Milwaukee, Brainerd Lakes or Minnesota (based in Minneapolis) Affiliate(s) will receive their donation. The ABSF will send the donations to the chapter designated by the skier.

Pink bibs will be provided to skiers who identify themselves to the Birkie office by January 15, 2007 as breast cancer survivors.

The participating skier who raises the most money will reap the benefits: free entry into the 2008 American Birkebeiner race of their choice and free lodging at a premier bed & breakfast inn in the Hayward area. All skiers raising pledges of $100 or more will be part of a random drawing for a second similar prize. Various awards will be given to all skiers raising pledges at or above specific amounts.

Gail Sklodowska, member of the Communication & Education Committees of the Susan G. Komen Milwaukee Affiliate, said they are thrilled to once again be partnering with the ABSF for the Ski for the Cure II program.

"This is a wonderful partnership that increases the awareness and funding for the fight against breast cancer," she said. "We believe in the power of the individual to change the dismal statistics that one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States. The Ski for the Cure program gives supporters another way to make a difference while helping all of us to live healthy and productive lives."

For more information about North America's largest cross country ski race or to register for the Subaru American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet sponsored by the State Bank of Drummond and Cable Chamber of Commerce, 12K Johnson Bank Prince Haakon, CenturyTel Junior Birkie, Sons of Norway/Swiss Miss Barnebirkie, Cheqtel 5K/10K Race for Families, Salomon Elite Sprints, and the Ski for the Cure II, log on to www.birkie.com, email birkie@birkie.com, or call 715/634-5025.

YELLOWSTONE TO OFFER EXPRESS SNOWCOACH FROM WEST YELLOWSTONE TO OLD FAITHFUL AREA
A new express snowcoach service in Yellowstone National Park takes winter visitors directly from West Yellowstone, Mont. to the Old Faithful area of the park without the traditional stops for sightseeing along the way.

The "Old Faithful Express" service is the only one if its kind and is designed to give day visitors plenty of time to explore the Upper Geyser Basin.

The Old Faithful Express from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful is available December 21, 2006 through March 10, 2007. The snowcoach departs West Yellowstone at 7:30 a.m. and arrives at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge at approximately 9:30 a.m. Guests depart Old Faithful at 3:30 p.m. for the return trip, arriving at West Yellowstone at 5:30 p.m. The trip includes an optional guided two-hour walking tour of the Upper Geyser Basin.

Another option of the Old Faithful Express is the skier drop-off service. Skiers can be dropped off within the first seven miles from West Yellowstone, or between seven and 14 miles from West Yellowstone and then ski back to West Yellowstone. Prices run from $15 to $40 for these services.

"Day visitors who take the Old Faithful Express will have plenty of time to take advantage of the many activities available in the Old Faithful area, including skiing the groomed trails, snowshoeing, photographing wildlife, exploring the geyser basin via the boardwalks and trails, indulging in a massage or simply relaxing over a leisurely lunch in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge," said Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales & marketing for concessionaire Xanterra Parks & Resorts. "And the skier drop-off service is something we've had requested frequently in past years."

Except for the road from Gardiner, Mont. to Cooke City, Mont. via Mammoth Hot Springs, transportation within the park is limited to snowmobiles and enclosed heated snowcoaches during the winter. Snowcoach transportation is available daily to a variety of park locations. Xanterra also offers a variety of half- and full-day snowcoach, ski and snowshoe tours and ski and snowshoe rentals as well as expert instruction and other services.

Yellowstone National Park is a popular winter-season destination for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and wildlife-watching. Last year, Xanterra began grooming cross country ski trails. The company publishes a daily ski trail report to keep skiers up to date on groomed trail conditions throughout the park.

The park's winter season begins Dec. 20, 2006 with the opening of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel opens Dec. 22, 2006. The lodges provide the only wintertime accommodations within the park. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel will close for the season to the general public on March 4, 2007, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge will close March 11, 2007.

For more information or to make reservations, call (307)344-7311 or toll-free 866-GEYSERLAND (866)439-7375, or visit www.TravelYellowstone.com.

VINTAGE WOODEN SKI EVENTS KEEP HERITAGE ALIVE

Vintage, wooden skis are becoming popular again with many events scheduled this winter to celebrate and preserve the heritage of cross country skiing.

One of the original events organized to celebrate cross country skiing heritage in Minnesota was the Wooden Ski Rendezvous held at Snowflake Nordic Center in Duluth, Minnesota in 2001. The Rendezvous attracted two-dozen men and women dressed in vintage ski wear, sporting wooden skis for the 5km tour/race. George Hovland, a participant in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway and Duluth resident and ski coach Dave Johnson organized the event. The Wooden Ski Rendezvous has been scheduled every year since 2001 and this winter it will be held again at Snowflake Nordic on Saturday, March 17th, 2007. On November 19th, 2006 the Wooden Ski Classic was held in Anchorage, Alaska where wooden skis, three-pin bindings, bamboo poles and non-Lycra clothing were required.

Last winter a number of wooden ski enthusiasts participated in the 22km Seeley Hills Classic ski race in Seeley, Wisconsin. This winter, the Seeley Hills organizers have created a special "Wooden Ski" class for the 22km race that is held on the American Birkebeiner trail near the "00" trail intersection. The Seeley Hills Classic cross country ski race will be held on Saturday, January 13th, 2007.

In commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of the Birkebeiner Legend, organizers of the Canadian Birkebeiner will be challenging skiers to ski the 55km Torskeklubben Birkebeiner on wooden skis! The Birkebeiner will be held on the rolling hills of the Blackfoot Recreation area near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on February 7th, 2007.

Wooden skis have been used for thousands of years and were first used for utilitarian purposes. In the late 1800s, ski competition started in Scandinavia and Norwegian emigrants brought their sport to North America at that same time. Martin Strand opened the first large United States commercial ski factory in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1879. The success of the Strand Ski Company established St. Paul as the center for American ski manufacturing, a reputation that was enhanced by the arrival of the Northland Ski Company in 1910 and the Gregg Ski Manufacturing Company.

Cross country skiing in the U.S. surged in popularity in the late 1960s to 197's as skinny, wooden skis became ubiquitous for recreational skiers. In the 1980s, the production of fiberglass skis signaled the end of the wooden ski era. More information on wooden skis can be found at www.woodenskis.com.

2007 TELEFAIR NATIONWIDE TELEMARK SKIING and SNOW KITING TOUR
Riders of all types can participate in this year's expanded TeleFair Tour. Now in its nint year, this exciting nationwide tour includes telemark skiing clinics, snow kiting clinics and free use of equipment to participants.

First time telemarkers and snow kiters can easily learn on the new generation of equipment. Advanced telemarkers and snow kiters can learn techniques on powder skiing, bumps, airs, snow kiting and backcountry touring.

Professional, certified instruction is provided by some of the best telemarker skiers and snow kiters in the country. All equipment including: telemark skis, boots, poles, and kites is provided free for all TeleFair participants.

For the price of only $60/day each participant will get two clinics; free use of skis, boots, and poles; and entered in a raffle. Discount lift tickets are available to all TeleFair participants. The intro to snow kite clinics and demos are free.

The 2006/07 TeleFair schedule kicks off December 9 at Kirkwood (Calif.) and ends up in Norway, on April 7. A complete schedule of the weekend events and detailed information is listed on www.telefair.com.

NASA Confirms El Niņo's Return
NASA satellite data indicates El Niņo has returned to the tropical Pacific Ocean, although in a relatively weak condition that may not persist and is currently much less intense than the last major El Niņo episode in 1997-1998.

Over the past several weeks, NASA's Aqua and Jason satellites have observed a general warming of ocean temperatures and a rise in sea surface heights in the central and eastern Pacific along the equator, both indicators of El Niņo development.

"The present conditions indicate that the intensity of this El Niņo is too weak to have a major influence on current weather patterns," said Bill Patzert, oceanographer and climatologist at the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "But, if the ocean waters continue to warm and spread eastward, this event would likely strengthen, perhaps bringing much-needed rainfall to the southwestern and southeastern United States this winter." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the lead U.S. agency on monitoring and forecasting these events, has also recently noted other signs of a developing El Niņo, including below normal rainfall in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. These areas are usually the first to respond to an El Niņo pattern as trade winds relax due to higher than normal air pressure in the region.

Still, scientists remain doubtful about whether the observed El Niņo will persist. They say it is important to wait and see how ocean conditions evolve over the next couple of months since there are natural fluctuations that result in a short-term tendency toward warmer water on the Pacific equator at this time of year.

According to researchers, the current El Niņo signal is far less dramatic than that seen during the start of the last major El Niņo episode in 1997-1998. That event brought devastating floods to California while severe drought struck Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines.

El Niņo is a cyclical warming of the ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that generally occurs every 3 to 7 years. It is associated with changes in air pressure and the movement of high-level winds that can affect weather worldwide. Typically peaking during the winter months, El Niņo is the warm phase of the El Niņo/Southern Oscillation. It alternates with La Niņa, the cooling of ocean waters in the same region of the Pacific.

In the United States, El Niņo normally results in warmer than normal temperatures across the northern and western states. Wetter conditions often prevail over much of the south with dry weather across the Ohio Valley and Pacific Northwest.

During the next several weeks and months, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA will continue to closely monitor conditions in the Pacific to determine how the evolution of this El Niņo may impact weather patterns this winter.

Nordic Icon Warren Chivers Dies at Age 91
Warren Chivers, two-time Olympian, U.S. National Hall of Fame member and longtime ski coach at Vermont Academy (VA), died August 18, 2006. He was 91. Chivers grew up in Hanover, N.H. and graduated from Dartmouth College. He was a 1936 Olympic cross country racer, who returned to Dartmouth, graduated in 1938 and was named to the 1940 Olympic Team, which never got to compete because those Games were called off after Japan invaded China and Germany invaded Poland. They were originally scheduled for Sapporo, Japan, and then shifted to Garmisch-Partenkiirchen, Germany before being cancelled. He served five years in the U.S. Navy, 1941-46, then became a teacher and Nordic coach at Vermont Academy where he constructed cross country and alpine ski trails in addition to overseeing construction of the ski jump. He also directed outdoor programs at Vermont Academy and in 1960 was the head of timing for cross country at the Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif. In 1971, he was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, Mich., and last fall he was inducted into the Vermont Ski Museum in Stowe.

"Warren Chivers was my inspiration," said Mike Gallagher, three-time Olympian and former U.S. head coach in cross country. "I started skiing at Rutland [VT] High School as a cross-training device for running, and I wasn't a skier - I ran on skis until I enrolled at Vermont Academy for a year and Warren showed me how to ski. He got me ready to move up to the next level in college.

"We'd go hunting - there weren't a lot of prep school kids who'd ever fired a shotgun or wanted to hunt, but Warren and I would go out along the ski trails and chase up some partridge. He was special." In 1964, Gallagher competed in the first of three Olympics.

Former U.S. Nordic Program Director Jim Page, who met Chivers briefly while at Dartmouth and coached against him while Page was at Holderness School recalled how Chivers "was very, very passionate about Nordic skiing. He was someone who was part of the Nordic culture, and he passed that on to everybody else. It was great, and it was great fun, to be around him."

CODA Launches Construction on Five New World-Leading Facilities at Canada Olympic Park
Thousands of Canada's snow-sport athletes will benefit from five new and totally modernized facilities for alpine and freestyle skiing, snowboarding and ski jumping that will open at Canada Olympic Park this winter in an effort to support their pursuit of podium performances towards 2010 and beyond.

The world-caliber training and competition venues, including a towering snowboard half-pipe, which will replicate the Olympic facility to be constructed for the 2010 Games in Vancouver, are expected to be ready for the opening of the winter season. The facilities come in part due to the booming development in Calgary as local builders have voluntarily trucked in more than 100,000 cubic meters (9,000 truckloads and $1.5 million worth) of fill to raise and re-contour the existing ski hill and Nordic ski area.

The $3 million investment by CODA and its partners allowed for creation of the following facilities at Canada Olympic Park this fall:

• the world's first 22-foot, 150-meter, snowboard half-pipe, the Olympic standard for 2010, complete with the latest environmentally progressive snowmaking and enhanced lighting.
• rejuvenation of the east side of Canada Olympic Park's ski jumping bowl as part of the Alberta-government funded modernization of the ski jumping training facility announced last fall. With the funding, the landing bowls were rebuilt, safety improvements implemented and summer training facilities enhanced.
• the ski jump bowl will be the first facility in the world to combine ski jumping, freestyle aerials and moguls, and alpine slalom, all built to international specifications, and includes seating for 15,000 people. The facility will be equipped with improved snowmaking, lighting, a small access lift and the latest video technology for training.

The cross country ski trails will also be expanded up to two kilometers due to the construction. The new facilities are core to CODA's plan to develop the nation's first Centre of Sport Excellence. The Park now provides a new home to the Canadian Snowboarding Team, early season training for national freestyle and alpine skiing athletes, a permanent training site for development athletes in the three disciplines and allows Canada Olympic Park to host World Cup events in each of the sports.

CODA made the announcement surrounded by athletes, government officials, and administrative leaders from the 1988 Olympics, who gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the IOC decision to give Canada its first Olympic Winter Games.

"We had a vision and a dream on that day in Baden-Baden 25 years ago, but never could we have imagined the legacy of those Games to be this successful," said Frank King, chairman and chief executive officer of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. "Winning the bid to host the Olympics is a day I will never forget, but it is even more rewarding for me to see the use of these facilities 25 years later, and how they will continue to benefit thousands of Canadian athletes into the future."

Canada Olympic Park is currently home to the national ski jumping and Nordic combined programs and Canada's bobsleigh, luge and skeleton athletes, who benefit from the recently built Ice House, the world's only year-round indoor training facility for their sports. CODA also operates Camp Green on Farnham Glacier - the nation's only summer training facility for the snow sports; the Beckie Scott High-Performance Training Centre on Haig Glacier for cross country skiing and biathlon athletes; and the Bill Warren Training Centre in Canmore. It also funds the majority of the Olympic Oval at the University of Calgary.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts in Yellowstone Announces Winter Program Line-Up
Xanterra Parks & Resorts and the Yellowstone Association Institute will offer seven "Lodging & Learning" packages - including two new programs -this winter in Yellowstone National Park.

The park's winter season begins Dec. 20, 2006 with the opening of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel opens Dec. 22, 2006. The lodges provide the only wintertime accommodations within the park. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel will close for the season to the general public on March 4, 2007, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge will close March 11, 2007.

The popular "Lodging & Learning" programs are a collaboration between concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts and the non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute. Each program includes accommodations, some meals and Xanterra's "Snow Card" good for 10 percent off meals, in-park transportation, tours, ski shop services and select retail items. Some Lodging & Learning package components vary based upon location.

• Winter Rendezvous
  March 6-10 and 10-14, 2007 at Mammoth Hot Springs
  Small group activities such as observing wolves howl at sunrise, learning to ski or snowshoe on backcountry trails or viewing Thomas Moran's field sketches at the new Heritage and Research Center. At the end of each day, evening programs and discussions will follow a buffet meal. The minimum age to participate in the Winter Rendezvous is 12.
• Family Winter Holiday
  Dec. 26, 2006 and Jan. 19 and Feb. 16, 2007
  Geared for families with children eight to 12 years old. The Program will include tracking animals, watching wildlife, taking photographs, skiing and snowshoeing as well as a special snowcoach trip deep into the park to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. During the program, children can become Yellowstone National Park Junior Rangers. The group size is limited to 14 and includes expert instruction by Institute naturalist guide.
• Northern Yellowstone Adventure
  Wednesday to Saturday beginning Dec. 27, 2006 through Feb. 28, 2007
  The focus is on the park's spectacular and multi-faceted Northern Range. Participants will watch wildlife, take a guided snowshoe walk, ski to Tower Falls and participate in an interpretive snowcoach tour to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
• Winter Wildlife Expedition
  Wednesday through Saturday, Jan. 3 - Feb. 28 2007
  Participants observe and learn about bison, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, wolves and other.
• Yellowstone on Skis
  Monday to Saturday Jan. 1, Jan. 15, Jan. 29, Feb. 12, and Feb. 26, 2007
  Features five days of cross country skiing with daily trips to the Blacktail Plateau, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone's Grand Canyon and the foot of the Gallatin Range. The program is led by a naturalist/guide from the YAI a professional cross country skiing instructor will accompany the group on two days to help participants improve their skills. The Feb. 12 session is an advanced session.
• Winter Wolf Discovery
  Sunday to Wednesday beginning Dec. 31, 2006 to Feb. 25, 2007 and Wednesday to Saturday beginning Dec. 27, 2006 to Feb. 21, 2007. Instructors provide expertise on the reintroduction of wolves to the park and lead wildlife viewing excursions through the Lamar Valley.
• Winter in Wonderland
  Monday through Saturday, Dec. 25, 2006 through Feb. 19, 2007 Comprehensive introduction to Yellowstone in winter. Guests explore the park via snowcoach, skis and snowshoes and learn about wildlife in the Lamar Valley, geology in the Old Faithful region and more.

Lodging & Learning programs can be booked by calling (307)344-5566. Yellowstone Association members receive a $10 discount on all courses, and family memberships begin at just $30 per year. Packages vary depending on the program, but most include instruction, guides, lodging, meals, in-park mini-bus transportation and optional programs. For detailed package information, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org or write to the Yellowstone Association at PO Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 or call (307)344-2294.

Nature Writers' Conference in Yellowstone to Combine Interaction with Professional Forays into Park Xanterra Parks & Resorts will host the first Yellowstone Nature Writers' Field Conference January 28 - February 3, 2007. Participants will spend five days with award-winning nature writers as they combine interaction in workshops, forays into the park and social events.

"Much of our great writing is inspired by nature, and there is no better place to experience it than Yellowstone National Park," said conference director "Digger" Jerry George, author of several books and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. "I believe nature writing is uniquely American, and Yellowstone embodies the American frontier."

Panelists will include C.J. Box, best-selling mystery writer and creator of the Joe Pickett series about a Wyoming game warden; Jim Robbins, author of several books including one on Yellowstone, contributor to national magazines and stringer for the New York Times; and Malcom Margolin, award-winning author and publisher of Heyday Books. For additional information or to register, call Xanterra Parks & Resorts at (307)344-5518 or 344-5566.