The Michigan Tech Ski teams will head to the American Birkebeiner race in Cable, Wisconsin this coming weekend, in what should be an exciting weekend for the skiers.  The race is hailed as the second largest ski race in North America.  Over 10,000 skiers, 2,000 volunteers and 15,000 spectators are expected to descend this weekend for a 50K Skate, a 54K Classic, 23K Kortelopet, and a Prince Haakon 12K.  Over 20 countries will be represented as well as 47 American states. The US, Canada, Norway and Finland make up the top three countries with people racing and the states sending the most racers are skiers from the Midwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois) plus Colorado.

The American Birkebeiner is styled after the Norwegian race started in 1932 to honor a historic Norwegian event in 1206.  During the Norwegian Civil War, ski soldiers called “Birkebeiners” raced the infant Prince Haakon away from danger.  The infant Prince eventually became King of Norway and the skiing soldiers became a national symbol of the Norwegian spirit and character.

The Skiers should enjoy the weekend and then have two ski races left in the season.  The US National Junior Championships in Maine over Spring Break and then the NCAA National Championships in the same week.