by Jayleen Wilke My most memorable/touching Birkie story doesn’t necessarily come from the race itself but from an encounter at the Vikings Feast after the big race. After 6 years of doing the Birkie Lite, in 2017, I thought it was finally time to go to the feast and see what it’s all about. And of …
Half Moon Birkie?
by Dana Mauer By now, you’ve heard of the Full Moon Birkie,….the fantastic night of skiing at Cooking Lake-Blackfoot, organized by the Canadian Birkibeiner Society. But have you heard of the Half Moon Birkie? It was a very icy year for the Canadian Birkie in 2012. There had been freezing rain and warmer temps during …
Justice on the Ski Trail
by James Brohman When I met my wife she did not know how to X-C ski and I came from a racing background (bad combination)! Many a tears of frustration were shed on the trails out at Blackfoot trying to keep up and not hold me back (my most dreaded question from Lori on the ski …
Ski Lessons – Who needs them?
by Tammy Fedun My introduction to the sport of cross country skiing came a few years ago through a friend’s invitation to an annual spring event at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre called the “Pastry Ski.” My friend said we’d ski a little, eat a little. This sounded like a pretty good trade off to me. …
14 year old completes 55 km with Pack
by Vaughn Scalia What is your cross country ski background? I’ve been with Edmonton Nordic for 8 years now (at the time, 6 years), and my family has been cross country skiing casually since I was born. When we moved from Calgary to Edmonton I started racing in Biathlon and I’ve been mainly doing that …
Kilometre Thirty-Nine
by Ken Sloman There may be more stories per skier about the Canadian Birkebeiner than Birkies skied. Enthusiasm is Contagious. Following the Birkie during the morning-after work break, I heard and vicariously imagined the misfortune or success of five colleagues as they shared their experiences. Seeds of interest were sown in me from their banter. …
Not Just Another Birkie
by Phil Dunn After 30 other full length Birkebeiners, I thought there would be nothing new. Think again, Phil. In late October, after steadily declining in strength and endurance, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. All I could do was sleep. On chemotherapy right away, I asked my hematologist if I could ski the Birkie. She …
Letter to Joe
by Phil Dunn July 13, 2015 (Nephew) Joe Milne Fellow Haakon Haakonson Recipient #1 Frozen Land, Canada Dear Joe, I’ve seen many, many doctors this year, some of them very specialized, and they all agree that I am going to die. Well, more on that later. With this in mind, I want to tell …
Fast Trax saves the day
by Brad Hardstaff During the 2010 Birkie, a few cm of early morning snow made for a last-minute waxing nightmare. To make things even more challenging, I was among the first 200 or so skiers forced to scramble over the Elk Island fence before the massive gate was unlocked. One of my skis was damaged …