McCall, Idaho – For the first time in a decade, cross-country skiers in the United States have a chance to compete against an international Masters field on their own turf for a change in McCall, Idaho.
But if you want to participate in the Masters World Cup, you need to register by Feb. 4 for the full week of racing events for Nordic skiers aged 30 and up. The event runs from March 1-7, 2008 at Ponderosa State Park in the picturesque alpine village of McCall. It‚s open to everyone from elite racers to recreational weekend warriors.
“This is the first time the Masters World Cup has been held in the U.S. for over a decade, and it's never been held in the Rocky Mountains before, so we‚re psyched to host the event here in McCall,” said Erin Roper, executive director of this year's event.
“Cross-country skiers should really take advantage of this opportunity to race against the best in classic or skate-skiing events. It'll be 10 years before this event comes back to the United States.”
Each year, the Masters World Cup is held in a different continent. About 1,000 participants from 26 different countries are expected to attend. The majority of the racers will come from the United States, Russia and Canada, Roper predicts.
Sponsored by Blackhawk, a real estate community south of McCall, the Masters World Cup offers six days of racing on the wide groomed cross-country ski trails in Ponderosa Park. Race distances range from 5 kilometers to 45K for classic skiers, and 5K to 45K for skate skiers. One day is devoted to shorter races of 5K to 10K, and another day is reserved for 4 x 5K relays, with the first two legs skied in the classic technique, and the last two on skate skis.
A Nordic skiing official on the xcskiworld.com web site said advance test runs at Ponderosa Park showed that the park has “some of the most balanced masters courses – neither too hard or too easy – just right. Test events on all courses received universal praise from all levels of skiers.”
Race registration costs $150 for the opportunity of competing in three different events. Skiers must be a member of American Cross-Country Skiers, or the United States Ski and Snowboard Association.
There are many volunteer opportunities at this event. See http://mwc2008.com/volunteer.htm
Skiers can check out the Masters World Cup web site for details: http://www.mwc2008.com/program.htm
