Tag: Birkie
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 used to signify the 35th? On February 23, 2008, the American Birkebiener will, in fact, […]
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 don’t live in the same community or, for that matter, even know one another. They […]
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 the past two decades, Schmitt has announced 20 American Birkebeiners beginning each with his famous […]
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. You might be surprised to learn, however, that one of America’s largest Nordic ski events […]
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, more expensive wax or an extra helping of spaghetti help me shave a few minutes […]