The Birkie Turns 35
By Ron Bergin As anniversaries go, the 35th of anything does not engender a lot of passion or excitement (except perhaps for a wedding anniversary). Who even knows what precious metal or stone is… Read More »The Birkie Turns 35
Birkie
The Birch Leggings Club
Ski clubs abound across the snowbelt of North America. We feature one such club in every issue of Cross Country Skier, but the Birchleggings Club is a ski club of a different color. Most members… Read More »The Birch Leggings Club
Fireside: John Schmitt
St. Paul native John Schmitt isn’t known worldwide for his work as a mortician. However, skiers from all over the world warmly recognize and greet him as the contagiously enthusiastic “Voice of the Birkie.” Through… Read More »Fireside: John Schmitt
The Barnebirkie a Children’s Event Past & Present
If you were asked to name the largest cross country ski events in the United States, chances are you’d start with the American Birkebeiner and continue with a handful of other major marathon ski races.… Read More »The Barnebirkie a Children’s Event Past & Present
Karl Andresen: A Birkie Original
For most participants, the American Birkebeiner is a race against time. When the cannon sounds and they kick off toward toward Hayward, Wis., they are thinking: Will I move up a wave? Will better skis,… Read More »Karl Andresen: A Birkie Original