This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
The very first Cross Country World Cup was staged in the United States (December, 1978), and hosted by Wisconsin’s Telemark Resort (home of the American Birkebeiner).
On February 17-18, the FIS Cross Country World Cup returns to the USA with events in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It’s been a long time since a World Cup was staged in the United States: 2001, in fact, when a pre-Olympic test event was staged at Soldier Hollow, Utah. Even before then, the list of American-hosted Cross Country World Cups is not long:
1978: Telemark, Wisconsin
1979: Lake Placid, NY
1983: Anchorage, Alaska
1984: Fairbanks, Alaska
1985: Biwabik, Minnesota
1989: Mountain Dell, Utah
2001: Soldier Hollow, Utah
An historic Cross Country World Cup photo—a gathering of all competitors at the very first World Cup in Telemark, Wisconsin. Look closely for immortal stars like Thomas Wassberg, Bill Koch, Maurilio DeZolt, Sven Åke Lundbaeck.
Many fans of cross country skiing forget that the World Cup is not really that old a competition; the FIRST World Cup Cross Country race was staged in the United States . . . at Tony Wise’s Telemark Resort in the dense forests of northern Wisconsin. Labeled the Gitchi Gami Games, those first two days of World Cup racing introduced the notion of a season-long championship in cross country skiing. Ever since then, skiers and ski fans have considered the FIS World Cup Crystal Globes to be honors on par with Olympic and World Championship medals.
Trail map at the Telemark Lodge, 1978.
US Ski and Snowboard recently announced the team members who will be donning the Stars and Stripes in Minneapolis. Notably absent from this lineup is the USA’s Ben Ogden’s whose recent illness brings his season to a premature end. Ogden’s Instagram announcement outlined his situation.
Minneapolis Star Tribune published this coverage of the upcoming Minneapolis World Cup weekend.
Stifel Loppet Cup coverage will be streamed live—and free of charge—on Outside Watch. Races commence at 11am ET on Saturday (Men’s and Women’s Sprints), and Sunday at 1130am ET (Men’s 10 k Freestyle) and 145pm ET (Women’s 10 k Freestyle).
This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com.
