Our long time friend, pal, idol, cycling & ski guru, speed skating Olympian,
and 1988 Korean Olympic Team coach Dick Hunt, from Bend Oregon, told me a few
days ago that he was leaving for Scandinavia on March 3rd to Ski Across Finland!
Dick Hunt, right, is still going strong
Ski Across Finland? What the heck are you talking about – you should be getting
ready to be doing spring time gardening, tune up your bikes and finish up the
season with a few more XC ski races now, Dick. You are almost 70 years old!
Dick's reply: "Yes, I know -but I feel like I'm thirty and this is so much
fun – this is what it's all about."
Dick described the tour for me.
"This ski tour is 7 days long, the terrain varies from hilly to flat and
we will be going about 60-70 ks a day. The housing is in hostel and schools,
and you need a sleeping bag. Buses will carry all the other stuff we will need.
Meals are included and food is provided along the track, I think every 15-20
Ks. Tracks are groomed for classic all the way.
"There are three groups of 100 each, three consecutive days, I am in the
second group. In this group there are 25 or so skiers from Seattle area, Kongsberger
ski club, some are Floras, Ozzie Nordhiem, Knowles, Jim Lindsey, Joe McNulty
and others we know.
"Cost is 650 Euros. I fly to Helsinki, then to Kusamo, then bus to Russian
border, then there is a big 'get to know each other' party the night before
we ski. At the end they bus us back to Kusamo where we can fly home. DURING
THE WAR! The rest of the skiers seem to be from all over Europe."
"I'm looking forward to this as when I return it will be time to get on
the bike again."
