2020 American Birkie – FasterSkier

4x National Champion Kyle Bratrud Retires From Professional Skiing (With Audio Interviews)

Rachel PerkinsMarch 16, 2020

On February 18th, four days before the American Birkie, Kyle Bratrud (SMS T2) announced that the race would be his final competition as a professional skier. The news caught many by surprise as Bratrud seemed to be having a strong season, following a solid season in 2018/19. Last season, the 26-year-old Minnesota native won the 15-kilometer classic and took second in the 30 k free at U.S. Nationals in Craftsbury and ended his season as...

Community Interviews Lifestyle

Transitions, Training, and Birkie Preparation: A Q&A with Riitta-Liisa Roponen

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 19, 2020

To view Riitta-Liisa Roponen’s complete FIS profile requires a lot of scrolling and selecting “show more.” The 41-year-old raced her first World Cup in Munio, Finland on November 28th, 1998. More than 20 years later, she raced her final World Cup event, helping the Finnish relay team to 3rd in Ulricehamn, Sweden on January 27th, 2019. She went on to race at the World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, placing 22nd in the 30-kilometer mass start...