Several weeks ago we ran a piece on a planned grass-roots celebration of Nordic skiing in Portland, Oregon. Well it actually happened! It may not seem like a big deal to those of us who live in wintery rural areas, a metropolitan areas that support the sport of cross-country skiing. But keeping the dream alive in less than ideal settings can be quite challenging!
At 8:45 AM at Powell’s it looked like it was going to be a solo affair. But then in quick succession about 8 people showed up, including one spectator who had heard of the concept and just wanted to see if it would actually happen.
Scandinavian representation was high. There were two natives of the northern regions present to show us how it’s done.
![(Photo: The Oregonian)](http://new.fasterskier.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/fcd2b9f1170f9ec24bb30c20a8df739b.jpg" "Stumptown Birkie")