Loyal readers will be at least vaguely aware that my husband John is a cross country ski fanatic. He has skied the American Birkebeiner since before we got together. It is a 50 km (~35 mile) trek through a hilly section of beautiful Wisconsin countryside. There have been bad snow years in the past. One 60 degree day stands out! But this year took a prize. No snow to be had! The remedy was trying to make enough man-made snow to cover a long enough loop to make skiing worthwhile. They were able to cobble together a 10-km loop. Elite skiers were already nearby thanks to the World Cup races in Minneapolis the weekend before. The most thrilling of the skiers was Jessie Diggins, who leads the Women’s World Cup in points and is a local celebrity!!
The big news for John was that this was his 4oth Birkie, out of the 50 total Birkies that have been held. He missed three or four finishes due to illness or conditions. We were worried that this year wouldn’t happen, but they made it work. He only had to ski 30 km to call it official (elite skiers did 5 loops). Here he is at the start of the strangely configured race day. I was able to stand right next to him as he entered the gate. Unheard of!!
He had a fantastic ski and loved every minute! Here he is receiving his 40-year award:
You may notice his hat! I knit him an official American Birkebeiner 50th Anniversary Hat for his birthday (always during Birkie week!). The hat was designed by Allison Snopek Barta, who was there touting machine-knit versions of her Birkie sweater. Here are some additional pictures:
I used Rauma Finull yarn from Norway to be more authentic.
PS to Chloe: Last year we had TONS of snow! We have no idea what’s in store!
