Newsletter December 2010

CITY OF LAKES FOUNDATION

YOUTH . EVENTS .

Foundation KidSki Programs Expand to Cityview and Hall Elementary Schools By Margaret Adelsman The Nordic Foundation approaches the 2010-11 ski season with two new elemen- tary ski programs. Spurred by the desire of the Pohlad Family Foundation to broaden its support for North Minneapolis, early this fall the Nordic Ski Foundation con- nected with staff at Cityview Performing Arts Magnet School and Elizabeth Hall International Elementary to initiate ski programs at each site. In addition to Nellie KidSki Programs continued on page 14, Nellie Stone Johnson Community School 2011 Junior Olympics students Update Photo: Margaret Adelsman By Mike Bono Plans for the 2011 Nordic Junior Olympics Notes from or Junior Nationals, to be held at Wirth Park the Executive during the week of March 6 – 12, 2011, are Director well underway. The weeklong events will in- By John Munger clude skate sprints, a mass start classic race, an individual start skate race, and classic re- These days it is diffi- lay races. Major changes have been made in cult to imagine a world the stadium and systems. The stadium without the Nordic Ski Foundation. Eight area has been expanded, which will allow for short years ago the organization did not ex- a safer mass start and provide for a separate ist. Today, it feels like the Foundation is go- ing in a million different directions and yet Cityview student on the trail lap lane to eliminate skier congestion in the every day there are new needs, new ideas Photo: Margaret Adelsman start area. To bring the trails into compli- ance with the U.S. Ski Association (USSA) and new challenges. ohn Schmitt Fund standards for a national championship, a So more than ever this year, it has been dif- J brand new section has been added to the 5 ficult to take a step back in order to reflect Most of you know John Schmitt – or at least kilometer course. The new Creek loop ad- on where we are and where we are going. his voice. Together with Sheryl Golin, John dition features two relatively steep ascents, With our programming we have construct- Schmitt is the Voice of the Loppet! Last year with more skiing through the woods. A few ed a grand vision – which we have entitled was a difficult one for John. He had been other sections of the Hap & Judy Compe- the “Loppet Adventure Program.” Our trails developing a foot drop over the past few tition Loop have been widened to comply committee has put together “A Vision for years and this past summer was diagnosed with USSA requirements. Wirth Park” that encapsulates all that we with ALS – or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

John Schmitt continued on page 13, JO Update continued on page 3, Director Notes continued on page 6,1 CITY OF LAKES FOUNDATION

YOUTH . EVENTS . TRAILS Publication of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation - Distributed to Foundation members and friends Office & Trail Information City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation John Munger, Executive Director 612 604-5331 (direct) 1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway Minneapolis, MN 55422 Phone: 612 604-5330 Fax: 612 604-5338 Email: [email protected] Website: www.loppet.org Board of Directors: Kate Ellis – President at Adventure Camp Bill Blazar – Vice President Photo: John Swain Scott Gislason – Treasurer Mary Bolla – Secretary Other Directors: R.T. Rybak Piotr Bednarski Mark Bixby, M.D. Mark Raderstorf Bruce Abbett Joseph Duffy Ed Ryan, M.D. Judy Lutter program Director Margaret Adelsman program Coach John Swain Ski Club Coaches Marc Beitz Tom Anderson Gene Kay 2010 Trails Day Volunteers Chief of Stuff Mike Erickson Registration Director Sponsorship Coordinator Rick Budde Mary Sellke Transportation Coordinator Communications Dan Killian Keith Jones Volunteer Coordinators “The mission of the City of Course Directors Peg Galvin (Loppet) Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation is Craig Rudd (Loppet) Connie Baillie (Trail Loppet) to promote and support Andy Turnbull, Marc Beitz and John Schmidt Junior Olympics Crew cross country skiing in the (Tri-Loppet) Kate Ellis – Co-Event Director Minneapolis area, especially Brad Erickson, Larry Meyers, Carl Shaffer, Mike Bono – Co-Event Director among youth.” Kuan Teoh and Damon Struyk (Trail Loppet) Reid Lutter – Chief of Competition Piotr Bednarski (Junior Olympics/Special Events) John O’Connell – Assistant Chief of Uptown Coordinator Competition Bill Dossett Matt Laue – Chief of Stadium Awards Committee Brenda Gauvin-Chadwick – Race Secretary Piotr Bednarski – Chief of Course Jenni O’Link, Amy Rau, Diana Buddy and Web Team Susan Cowsert Tony Mommsen and Ben Kremer – Communications Molly Hillstrom Loppet Day-of Operations Sheryl Golin – Announcing Mitch Vars Gene Kay Heidi Erickson - Merchandising Willy Lee Saturday Events Coordinator Mindy Benton – Social Committee Chair Designer Cristy Leaf Jack and Jane Cheesebro - Hospitality Ben Kremer/Kremer Design LLC Greg Fangel – JO Operations [email protected] 2 Bill Blazar – Sponsorship Committee Chair JO Update continued from front page, This will be a challenging course for the skiers. “We Nordic Ski Foundation are really excited with these changes,” says Junior planning to work together Olympics Chief of Course Piotr Bednarski. “We feel with Courage Center like we have a fun and challenging course that people By Nels Dyste from across the country will enjoy.” For those not familiar with the This year’s event will feature two exciting additions to Courage Center, it is a Minneso- Cross country sit-skiing the national championships: night skate sprints and ta-based rehabilitation center for opportunities this winter include: an adaptive skiing category. The skate sprints, which children and adults with disabil- • January 9 – Sit Ski Open House at Elm are typically held during the day, will begin in the af- ities. While the Courage Center Creek: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. ternoon with the preliminary heats and the quarter- has several branches, the original • January 23 – Sit Ski Open House at Elm finals and will resume in the evening with the semifi- and biggest branch overlooks the Creek: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. nals and finals. This is sure to be an exciting race for cross country ski trails at Theo- • February 5 – Luminary Loppet: 6 – 9 both the athletes and fans as we watch the athletes p.m. dore Wirth – literally less than a compete in the evening under the lights in the newly • February 20 – Sit Ski Open House at stone’s throw away. The Courage expanded stadium at Wirth Park. The adaptive ski- Elm Creek 4:30-6:30 p.m. Center has long run alpine ski ing category is making its Junior Olympic debut in • March 7 – Junior Olympic – programs for adaptive athletes. Minneapolis, and will incorporate standing adaptive adaptive standing category In general, though, the Courage athletes in several races and sit-skiers in the Friday • March 9 – Junior Olympic Classic Mass Center has not run formal pro- individual start race. The sit ski athletes will have an Start – adaptive standing category grams related to cross country ski- opportunity to compete in a separate 2.5km. race in • March 11 – Junior Olympics Individual ing. That may change over the next the stadium area. The stand up adaptive skiers will be Start – adaptive standing and 2.5 Kilo- few years. integrated into the able bodied events and will partic- meter Race for sit skiers ipate in the sprint, mass start classic, and individual Courage Center is working under start freestyle events. a grant from the Operation Liberty Military & Recreation program. It has been working with the Three In addition to the changes in the venue and the in- Rivers Park District on some limited adaptive cross clusion of an adaptive skiing category, the event will country skiing opportunities. For instance, the Courage include exciting activities for the athletes, parents, Center is an instructor training day and sit ski and fans. The theme of the event is “Make a Differ- open houses at Elm Creek Park Reserve. ence. Make Some Noise.” emphasizing social respon- sibility and volunteerism. We are fortunate to have In addition, the Nordic Ski Foundation and the Courage Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page speak at Center are planning to lay the groundwork for more ex- the Opening Ceremonies, providing us insight as to tensive adaptive programming by working collaborative- how a Minnesota Vikings “Purple People Eater” be- ly with existing Foundation events. For example, there came motivated to study law, to become a Supreme will be an adaptive class at the Mayor’s Challenge and, Court Justice, and to develop a foundation that men- for the first time ever, at the Junior Olympics. Equally tors children of color to launch them to college. We exciting, the Courage Center, the Nordic Ski Foundation will hear Olympians share their stories of projects and Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) are planning they are passionate about when they are not skiing or to invite adaptive skiers to enjoy the Luminary Loppet training. Along with the noise and the message, there this year. will be a number of social activities for the athletes The hope is that in future years the Courage Center will and parents at the athlete village in the Marriott City be able to run more formal programs for cross country Center Hotel. The grand finale will be the Awards and skiing. As a start in that direction, the Nordic Ski Foun- Closing Ceremony on Saturday evening. dation is planning to put a bid in for a 2012 Paralympics World Cup. Nels Dyste skied at St. If you or someone you know is interested in sit skiing or being Louis Park High School a volunteer instructor/guide, please contact Nels Dyste at and at St. Olaf Col- [email protected], or Michael Gottschalk at lege in Northfield. He [email protected]. coached cross country skiing at St. Louis Park If you or someone you know is a veteran with a physical dis- High School last year ability and are looking for other opportunities to engage in and he is now the Coor- your community through recreation please contact Cour- dinator for the Courage age Center’s US Paralympic Coordinator JR Mamea at Center’s Sports & Recre- [email protected] or 763-520-0558. Junior Olympics 2011 - Logo: Duffy & Partners ation Department. 3 including only the kids who really want to be at prac- Anwatin Ski Team Enjoys a tice, the coaches are able to coach instead of spending New Beginning their time dealing with students who are not there to By John Swain learn in the first place. With the smaller team and selec- tive format, there are higher expectations for Anwatin On October 19 the ski season began for the Founda- Ski Team members this year. Skiers will be expected to tion’s Anwatin Ski Team. While dozens of students at- attend practice regularly and compete in races. tended the first few practices, in the end the team will be pared down to a more manageable number. So far, the coaches report that the new format is work- ing well. There is already much better attendance and To understand the paring down, it is necessary to look the quality of practice has improved dramatically. Ac- back to last year. The 2009-2010 Anwatin Ski Team tivities have included hill bounding, strength exercises, was set up with the idea that no one would be turned running, , and occasional games of Ulti- away; that in order to produce a few dedicated skiers, mate Frisbee and capture-the-flag. The team is look- it would be necessary to retain a large pool of students. ing quite promising and will compete in a full schedule All the kids were encouraged to come to ski races and of races throughout the season, including a number attend practice, but there was no penalty for absence of high school junior varsity races, the City of Lakes and was not required. Junior Loppet, the Mayor’s Challenge, and Midwest This approach was not entirely successful. Although Junior Championships, which will be held directly af- there were thirty six kids on the roster last year, many ter the Junior Olympics this March at Theodore Wirth times only twenty students would show up to a given Park. practice, and not necessarily the same twenty skiers each time. And while there were many kids on the team Trips for Kids and Farview Ski from less privileged backgrounds, most of those kids Team did not participate in races or develop an interest in By John Swain skiing beyond a superficial level. In the end, accommo- dating these various levels of participation and having It is almost winter, which marks the end of a successful optional races resulted in the opposite of the intend- first season for the Foundation’s new program, City of ed effect. Instead of providing a good ski experience Lakes - Trips for Kids and the birth of a related pro- for the entire team, the strategy resulted in too much gram, the Farview Ski Team. City of Lakes - Trips for structure for unmotivated kids and not enough struc- Kids is the Minneapolis chapter of the nationwide non- ture for kids with a real interest in skiing. Moreover, profit organization Trips for Kids, which is dedicated because of the volume of students the coaches were not to providing experiences to under- able to devote more time and energy to retaining kids privileged youth. The City of Lakes program officially from diverse backgrounds, resulting in a more homog- started in May of 2010 (having succeeded the Quality enous group of skiers. Bike Parts-driven Trips for Kids – Twin Cities branch) with the goal of using as a method In order to address these problems, the team was re- to introduce inner city kids to lifetime outdoor sports. structured for the 2010 ¬2011 season. The biggest change this year was to restrict the team size to about The main group that participated in Trips for Kids rides was a group of boys ages nine to fifteen from the John Swain leading 16 kids and to hold tryouts at the beginning of the sea- neighborhood surrounding Farview Park in North the Anwatin Ski son. The goal of the tryout period was not to select the team in training fastest skiers or the most athletic kids, but instead to Minneapolis. The Foundation worked with the Minne- - Photo Margaret select the students who showed up to practice every apolis Park Board at Farview recreation center to run Adelsman day, tried their hardest and had the best attitudes. By the program. Farview Park recreation center provides

4 extensive programming and activities for the youth from the surrounding neighborhood, many of whom spend a large amount of the time when they are not in school at the park. The Park Board’s established rela- tionship with the community made it possible to con- sistently recruit kids. Using a Park Board van, Farview youth coach Louis Oatis drove kids from Farview to Theodore Wirth and helped lead the bike trips. Trips for Kids provided mountain bikes, helmets, water bot- tles, coaches and Cliff bars. Starting in May, kids began biking twice a week. The group rode on the single track trails maintained by the Minneapolis Off-Road Advocates (MOCA), which are built specifically for mountain biking. The trails are narrow paths – in some places Louis Oatis and the Farview Team - Photo: John Swain only a little wider than the handlebars of a bicycle, built The Farview kids also participated in two of the Foun- on the rolling hills of the park and include log and rock dation’s Loppet Adventure Camps; weeklong outdoor obstacles for riders to bike over. sports day camps for kids ages 9-13. The kids received At the start of the program kids were instructed in the scholarships to attend the camps out of a grant the basics of mountain biking, including trail etiquette, Foundation received from the Finish Line Youth Foun- and how to brake safely, shift gears and ride over ob- dation. At the camps, the kids mountain biked every stacles. As the kids became more accomplished riders, day as well as roller-skied, played ultimate Frisbee and coaches began taking them on longer rides and then capture the flag, orienteered, ran and swam. introduced speed workouts and time trials to give them The Farview kids went into the camps as mountain a taste of racing. bikers, but came out experienced roller-skiers, runners, With regular practice, many of the kids became avid and paddlers. Some of the kids had so much fun that and skilled mountain bikers. Mr. Oatis, the Farview they participated in both the July and August camps. Park youth coach, said “[we] started out with a group This winter, the Foundation will build on the kids’ of kids who had never done off road biking. The first summer enthusiasm with the new Farview Ski Team. time the kids had a ball and took to it right away. It’s Using the Trips for Kid’s model, the Park Board will something that’s not only a great but challenging help recruit kids and transport them to Wirth Park for for them and I fell in love with it as much as they did. practice twice a week. The Foundation will provide ski Now they are about to tear our arms off every time we equipment and coaching for the team. As the team will are going biking.” be able to practice at Wirth, the skiers will be able to On August 8, a group of the Farview kids headed to the take advantage of the lighted loop for ear- Bontrager Border Battle, in River Falls Wisconsin and ly season training. Once the kids have some on-snow competed in a five mile long mountain bike race. The time, Farview will be able to race with the nearby An- kids had the opportunity to meet and bike with Jack watin Ski Team as preparation for the main events of Hinkens, a young biking (and high school skiing) star the year: the City of Lakes Junior Loppet, the Mayor’s from Eden Prairie and Hopkins High School who re- Challenge and the Midwest Junior Championships. cently raced for the at the World Moun- The coaches expect many of the kids who participated tain Biking Championships in Mt. St. Anne, Quebec. in the Trips for Kids program and Adventure Camps to Hinkens helped the team get registered and pin on join the ski team, which would be a significant bench- their numbers for their race, and then hung out with mark for Foundation programming. If the Farview Ski the team afterwards. The kids sat on the tailgate of his team becomes a success, it would complete year-round pickup truck while he answered questions about inter- outdoor sports programming for a group of inner-city national mountain bike racing and showed them a few youth. Hopefully, the Farview bike and ski teams will bike tricks, including hopping his entire bike in the air give the kids the skills, confidence and passion to en- from a wheelie. Then Hinkens set up a set of station- joy a lifetime of outdoor sports. Louis Oatis, who will ary rollers and let the kids try riding in place while he again be a liaison and coach for the program, is opti- helped them balance. The team had a great time racing mistic: “I didn’t know that these city kids would take to and meeting Hinkens. mountain biking as well as they did, and I hope that it Oatis said “It was a big thing for the kids to be in an or- can lead into winter activities like cross country skiing ganized race and meet a professional so that they could Louis Oatis and the Farview Team - Photo: John Swain for them as well. I will be looking forward to it.” 5 see that there was prestige in biking.” Director Notes contin- want to see happen in Theodore Wirth Park over the young people to skiing and mountain biking each year. ued from front page, years to come. And with events, the Foundation has ad- But to change the longer-term habits of disadvantaged opted a long-term plan calling for continued high-level youth, it is frequently necessary to help the truly in- events like the Loppet, Tri-Loppet and Trail Loppet, the terested with things like transportation, perseverance possible addition of a large mountain bike event, and and reliability. In other words, like the parent of any more national and international events like the Junior adolescent, we need to drag the kids out of bed on oc- Olympics. Organizationally, we have started our meta- casion. To do that effectively, we opted to work with morphosis from a small one- or two-person operation fewer kids, but the kids we do work with we work with in a tiny office space to a more robust Foundation with more intensively. staff taking up more of the slack than in years past. Building on the lessons of Trips for Kids, Loppet Ad- Programming venture Camps and the Anwatin team, the Foundation Over the past year, the Foundation has seen significant has put together a vision for the youth programming change in both its current programming and its long- that we would like to be doing – the Loppet Adventure term goals. Program. The idea is to change the life trajectory of kids by introducing them to lifetime activities, helping Both the Foundation’s youth and its adult program- them to continue pursuing lifetime activities over time ming have grown, expanded and changed. This first and, in the end, making them passionate about lifetime year of the Trips for Kids program was a great success. activities so that by the end of the program they con- Our suspicion that mountain biking is an excellent tinue the lifetime activities without outside prompting. method of attracting young people to lifetime sports To do this we would establish more ski and mountain was confirmed. The kids that mountain biked loved it. bike teams in the community, help the kids overcome They came back again and again. The lure of mountain barriers like transportation and lack of parental un- biking attracted the kids to Adventure Camp, where derstanding (and prompting), and, importantly, try they, by all accounts, enjoyed all of the various activi- to change the culture in the community so that there ties. And they really enjoyed mountain bike racing. would be a stronger appreciation for lifetime sports (See Trips for Kids article). and activities generally. We are working with potential The Adventure Camps themselves were also successful. funders to try to make this Program a reality on a larger We were able to mix middle class and disadvantaged scale. youth to great effect. We established a new model of On the adult side, Foundation programming has also youth camp – based in the city and based on lifetime grown. The Loppet Run Club was bigger than ever this sports and an appreciation for nature in the city – and past summer. Both Loppet Ski Clubs are at peak num- we taught the skills and the passion for lifetime sports bers – with more than 50 participants in each. And, that will, hopefully, cause many of these children to en- thanks to Tony and Kathy Mommsen, we are even add- gage in these activities for years to come. ing a Thursday night classic ski for Foundation mem- Adventure Camper We revamped our Anwatin Ski Team and started a bers. The larger goal here is to establish a culture of ski- Oshay Cole competes similar team out of Farview Park. The revamped An- ing and a community of like-minded people. Thanks at the Border Battle watin program starts with the premise that more is not to the yeomen work of coaches like Marc Beitz, Gene Photo: John Swain always better. We can – and do - introduce hundreds of Kay, Tom Anderson, Mike Bash, John Swain and many more, we are well on our way there. I would be remiss not to mention Margaret Adelsman here. Margaret continues to be the steady guiding light for our programming, the person who always does the little things that make such a big difference. She hires and trains the various coaches for the six elementary schools that we work in. She makes sure that every child has equipment that fits (which is no small feat when there are 600 feet to size). And she works tire- lessly with the schools to accommodate for the needs and wants of the individual schools. We are lucky to have staff like Margaret that set out organization apart and make our programming special! Trails This is an exciting time for the Foundation and for Wirth Park. Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of 6 individuals, families and businesses, the Hap & Judy Competition Loop is in the best shape ever. Between the mountains of snow that have fallen from the sky and the maturation of our snowmaking and lighted loops, Wirth is as close to a winter wonderland as it has ever been. The one sore spot is the continued trouble with grooming. Yes, it is mostly good. But mostly good is really not what we are looking for. We will of course continue to work with the Park Board in the years to come but we still look forward to the day when the re- sponsibility for grooming might rest on our shoulders. Thinking more long-term, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board recently started a citizen’s advisory committee process to examine Theodore Wirth Park as a whole. The Foundation has been heavily involved in that process. The Park Board has set up three “study groups” that will construct plans for individual por- tions of the park – one group for the course/win- ter recreation area, one group for the Twin Lake area, 2010 Loppet was argu- Bryn Mawr students smiling on . and one for South Wirth. Because there are ski trails in ably the best ever, with Photo: Margaret Adelsman all three of these areas, the Nordic Ski Foundation will nearly 7,000 partici- have a representative on all three study groups. pants and tens of thousands of spectators and fans – truly a Minneapolis festival of winter. The Tri-Loppet The Foundation’s goals through this process include was a bit soggy (had to abbreviate the bike course be- eliminating the dilapidated features of the park (of cause of flooding), but people had a wonderful time which there are many), avoiding the destruction of nonetheless. The Trail Loppet grew to nearly 600 par- the natural character of the park by avoiding rampant ticipants and the new Nordic Walking event was gener- development throughout, and adding a silent sports ally well-received. With 30” of snow on the ground in center in the golf course/winter recreation portion of December, Loppet registrations are way up and we are Wirth Park. By reconfiguring the 18-hole golf course expecting record registration – with several events fill- and possibly re-purposing the land currently used for ing completely. In other words, we are waiting for the the Par-3 course, the Park Board can improve the golf other shoe (ski) to drop. Hopefully it will not happen operation while simultaneously creating a node for si- this year... lent sports activities. In addition to our regularly scheduled events, the This node would include improved snowmaking and Foundation is well on its way to regularly scheduled lights on a world class cross country trail system, a new, special events. With all of the natural snow and a great more accessible stadium area with a view on Theodore year of snowmaking, we are feeling very good about Wirth Parkway, expanded mountain bike trails, poten- the Junior Olympics. We have a fantastic volunteer tially a BMX course and/or a pump track, a permanent crew led by Mike Bono and Kate Ellis, but we could cyclocross course, disc golf and a silent sports welcome use even more volunteer help. Please contact our Vol- center with a great room space, a bike shop or station, unteer Coordinator Mary Luoma (763-772-5017 or maybe a coffee shop or restaurant, and office space for [email protected]) if you want to be part of the non-profit entities with a mission of reaching out to festivities. North Minneapolis youth in order to engage them in silent sport type activities. We are also looking forward to hosting a Paralympics World Cup in 2012. Joe Walsh and Julie O’Neill of the These concepts are described in greater detail in “A Vi- U.S. Olympic Committee were recently in town to re- sion for Wirth,” a document that provides a roadmap view the venue and start putting a plan together. This into the future for the Nordic Ski Foundation and for may lead to a partnership with the Courage Center, Wirth Park generally. Find this document on the web at whose central office overlooks the Judy Lutter Loop. cityoflakesloppet.com or at loppet.org. And please call This will be our first foray into an international event or email with questions or thoughts. Now is the time to and we are thoroughly looking forward to it. make our voices heard. Foundation Events With growth in so many directions, we have had to be- Director Notes con- It has been another good year for Loppet events. (Please come a new organization. Up until the recent past we tinued on page 8, knock on wood now so as not to jinx ourselves). The 7 Director Notes continued from page 7, oppet Ski Camp were essentially in start-up mode. We did whatever was necessary to L By Margaret Adelsman and John Swain help the volunteers do their creative work. Volunteers dreamed up events like the Luminary Loppet, snow sculpture contests, After the success of the past summer’s Loppet Adventure Camps, races, the Tri-Loppet and on and on... The dreaming up is fun, and the Foundation is extending the youth adventure camp format to its implementing is even fun the first time or two. But routines are not first Loppet Ski Camp. The ski camp will be held over winter break quite as fun. And routines in an environment of chaos (read start-up at Theodore Wirth Park as a day camp for kids ages 7-13, offering a mode) are even less fun. fun and active outlet on the days away from school as well as a con- venient option for busy parents. The ski camp will serve as a useful That realization, combined with the additional resources available tool for getting kids excited about skiing as well as improving their after a few good snow years in a row, hundreds of members and do- skills. nors, grantors like UCare, the Pohlad Foundation and Medica and a dedicated cadre of sponsors, has led us to attempt a swift change Like the summer adventure camps, the plan for recruiting kids is in course. Our volunteers still lead our efforts. They manage volun- to draw from traditional skiing families as well as inner city youth teers, plan the events, create new aspects to our events and set a high from lower income families who may not be as familiar with skiing. bar generally. But we are trying to move away from 75-hour-vol- In addition to reaching out to families who may have already par- unteer work weeks for our leaders (oftentimes in addition to their ticipated in previous Loppet events, skiers will be recruited from the “real” jobs). To do that, we have hired new staff like Mike Erickson, Foundation’s six elementary ski programs, the Anwatin Ski Team Mary Sellke and Keith Jones (see article on new employees - page and from Farview Recreation Center in North Minneapolis. The 13), with the idea that their organizational skills can hopefully take hope is to bring together a well-rounded and diverse group of ski- some of the pressure off of the leadership team so that our talented ers, both in ability and in background, for a great week of skiing. volunteer leaders stay with us in the years to come. For the newer skiers in particular, the camp may serve as a conduit for information on extended skiing opportunities for them above The challenge will be to stay creative and fresh even while creating and beyond the local school grounds or neighborhood park. Once systems for some of our routine elements. But we feel pretty good the possibilities are realized, skiers can be encouraged to consider about that. We are adding a national championships element to our the wide array of youth training opportunities available to them in skijoring event. We have tweaked the Rossignol Junior Loppet and Minneapolis, including the Minnesota Youth Ski League and vari- the Finn Sisu Sprints and we are hoping to add an element or two ous youth ski training groups. The Foundation hopes to serve as a to the Luminary Loppet. With expanded programming and the re- connecting point for these newer skiers to the exciting racing and development of Wirth Park, we expect the Foundation to continue life-long skiing opportunities that exist. evolving over the years to come. The youth ski camp will take place from December 27 to December We hope you are along for the ride – or the ski. We expect it to be a 30 at Theodore Wirth Park. The Foundation is expecting up to 60 good one. youth ski participants. In the event there is no natural snow, the snowmaking loop will provide excellent skiing and challenging ter- rain for the camp. Kids will be split into small groups based on ski- ing experience and age and will rotate through stations throughout the day. Each station will be an activity or game designed to teach a skiing skill and develop enthusiasm for the sport. As breaks from the exertion of skiing and the cold, kids will have a chance to watch ski technique videos and warm up at bonfires with warm refreshments. They may also learn to wax skis and take a break on the hill. Advanced skiers will learn how to perfect their skate technique, take longer “adventure” skis and participate in time trials. Far beyond the standard “go out and ski a 1km loop,” ski camp direc- tor John Swain has pulled together a unique array of fun activities for skiers throughout the week, including downhill slalom skiing, playing on the ski-ter totter, ski ball, relay races, time trials, ski ori- enteering and long adventure skis on the extensive Theodore Wirth Park trail system, as snow conditions allow. Youth of all levels of ability will have a chance to improve on their own skill sets through the small group settings and fun atmosphere. As a special extension of the ski camp, the Minnesota Youth Ski League will sponsor a par- allel “Keep up with the kids” adult camp from 9-12 each day. This mini-camp will teach coaching fundamentals to parents of younger Farview Ski team member Wauneen summer train- skiers so that they can become integral parts of the ski learning ex- 8 ing at Adventure Camp - Photo: John Swain perience. As the Foundation ap- proaches its first winter Foundation Needs Foundation Memberships youth ski camp, the pic- As the Foundation grows, the Foundation’s needs Membership runs from June 1 to May 30. To ture of broader youth continue to grow. Some of the Foundation’s specific avoid a lapse in membership, please renew your program goals begins to needs include: membership now. Note that all contributions to emerge. Moving beyond • Storage space in the Minneapolis/Golden Valley the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation are tax ski programs that interact area; deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. with area youth for a few • Take on a leadership role or just volunteer to months out of the year, the help with the Junior Olympics – March 6 – 12. Foundation is now poised ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION • Help with the Tri-Loppet, Trail Loppet and June 1, 2010 – May 31, 2011 to offer a more continuous Loppet (jobs big and small) Name: ______framework of youth ad- • Committee chairs or committee work for vari- venture camps and athletic ous committees, including: Address:______opportunities year round. • Race Director for the Trail Loppet in September City:______From summer adventure • Race Director for the Midwest Junior Champi- State:______Zip code:______camps to mountain bike onships in March Phone:______adventures with Trips for • Database management Email:______Kids to Minne-Loppet Sponsors ° Club/affiliation:______youth programs and Win- ° Members Birthdate:______ter Ski Camps, the Foun- ° Contributors dation can begin to work ° Event participants The City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation is a • Join the sponsorship committee with area youth in a diverse 501(c)3 non-profit. Join the Foundation in order • Join the marketing committee and ongoing way. Not only to support youth programming and trail develop- • Chair or volunteer with website committee (we can kids be excited and en- ment in Minneapolis. gaged about an experience have many websites): they just had, they can be ° Cityoflakesloppet.com Basic Level - Member entitled to newsletters, at- encouraged to continue ° Tri-loppet.com tend and vote at Annual Meeting, free high-resolu- that activity and become ° Trail-loppet.com tion photo file, 5% discount at Finn Sisu and 10% ° Jo2011.com better at it through ongo- discount on clothing at Gear West. ° Mayorsxcchallenge.com ing Foundation programs. Premium level - Newsletters, Annual Meeting, ° Midwestjurniorchampionships.com discounts, free high-resolution photo files, plus ° Loppet.org $25 stone grind and thermo-bag treatments at • Volunteer with Foundation youth programming Hoigaard’s ($70 value). ° Elementary programs during the winter ° Trips for Kids mountain bike rides during the Memberships: summer Basic Individual $30 $______Interested in helping? Send an email to info@cityo- Basic Family $50 $______flakesloppet.com or call Margaret Adelsman at 612 Premium Individual $70 $______604-5332 or John Munger at 612 604-5331. Premium Family $100 $______Business $100 $______Tax-Deductible Contributions: Youth Programming $______Snowmaking/Trail Development $______Athlete Development Fund $______Total Amount of Payment: $______(make checks payable to COLNSF) Please return this form to: City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation 1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway Minneapolis, MN 55422

Call 612 604-5330 or email [email protected] for more information or to volunteer.

Campers and counselors with their medals - Photo: John Swain 9 Thanks to the Donors and members of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation. Donors: Members: $1000 and above Becky Anderson and Joan Janice and Charles Lloyd Business Leppke-Hennig Barb Basic Individual Estate of Brian E Anderson McNaughton Katharine Lord Maplelag Karen Bebchuk Brendan Abrams Kate Ellis and John Harrer Karen and Bud Mixon James and Emily Luby On the Run Piotr and Laura Bednarski Kathryn Abrams Bill Blazar and Mary Hunstiger Larry and Debby Myers Judith Luchsinger Judy Bell Heidi Adelsman Judy Lutter Michael Nali Jan Muellner and Jim Premium Mindy and Steve Benton Dan Alms Jenni and Ed Ryan Carol and John Nellis Mallinger Individual Catherine Shreves and Tom Jon Anderson John O’Connell Martha McGann Phil and Anne Zink Jim Agre Bird Miles Anderson Bob O’Hara Lorelee Miller Chizek Family Foundation Aaron Albertson Mary Bolla Charles Anderson Ron Okenfuss and Jenneke Michael Miller Allan Amis Bruce and Char Bostrom Randall Anderson Oosterhoff Kenneth Dodge and $250 - $999 Tom Anderson Rick and Diana Budde Dean Bachmeier Bill Oyler Maureen Moo-Dodge Jeanne and Hunt Davis, Jr. Connie Baillie Matt and Teresa Callahan Steve Bakken Merle and Ellie Peden Don and Nancy Muellner David Delforge Kara Bancroft Suzanne Q Carson Dennis Bealka David N. Pedersen Maureen Murphy Charles Fazio Steve Befort Marc Beitz and Amy Kathleen Bennett Andrea Breen and William Barb Owens Michael Gotzsche Dave Bitner Cichanowski Maria Bergman Perkiss Joe and Caroline Owens Collen Graham Phil Bode Janis Clay Michele Bevis Richard and Sharon Purcell Mary Jean Pearson Fredric and Nancy Hall Mike Bono Richard Pike and Barbara Diane Birkeland Edgar and Judy Rainin Amy Rau Dick Hedenstrom Anita Chavez Conti Nancy Birrell Scott Rake Larrie and Lou Ann Reese Mark Bixby and Keelin Kane Jack Cheesebro Ed Corazalla Paul Bloomberg Jay and Jonell Richards - Greg Reinhiller Carlton Kittleson Leonard Coequyt Jay and Page Cowles Craig Bowron Maplelag Tom and Alice Ressler Michael Kosmak and Michelle Michael Coriale Barb Livick and Dan Killian Carolyn Bramante Judith Roe Susan Richardson Larsen Susan Cowsert Rowan and Chris DeBold Robbie Bray Karen Roesler Paula Rivers John Lavelle Christopher Davis Brad Bart and Susan Diem Jennifer Brown John Schmidt Erik Sass Barb and Thomas Leppke-Hennig David Delforge Bill and Lori Dossett Brenda Butler David Scott Ken and Magdalene Schaefer Sarah Martin Lindsay Dickson Lisa and Tom Egger Danita Carlson Kathleen Shankwitz Joan Schmidt Steve and Susan Merkle Patrick Dowling Mike and Heidi Erickson Erin Carlyle Patricia Skinner John Schneider John and Diana Munger Nancy Duwenhoegger Skip Fay Stephen Casey John and Marsha Soucheray Dan Silvernail Brent and Michele Oja Julie Ellingson Charles Fazio and Sallie Fazio Tereza Cervenka Jim Standefer Stacey Skinner Jon Severson Brad Erickson Quammen Dave Cole Karrin Stoehr Jon Stinson Margaret and Dan Shulman Greg Fangel Chuck, Sue and Alice Alison Colton Andy Turnbull Craig and Kira Stolen Damon Struyk Greg Fields Flanders Eve Commerford Marise Widmer Otto and Audrine Strack David and Cathie Tilman David Gorman Marilyn and Greg Franzen Peyton Cook Pat and Teri Wolfe Linda Strande Mary Vancura John Gronquist Sue Funk Tyler Danielson Wanda Yelle Elly Sturgis Sarah Gutknecht Peg and Hal Galvin Bill Dean $51 - $249 Data Trace Publishing Geraldine Timmons Leslie Hale Robert and Sheryl Golin Eleta Donaldson JoEllen and Paul Abraham Company Christopher Volker Adam Himes Zach and Vanessa Handler William Drake Jim Agre Eden Prairie Foundation Timothy and Rebecca Bill Hooke Karen and Richard Hauser Richard Dubay Jon Anderson Waldeck Genevieve Johnson Bob and Kathleen Steve Eberly Tom L Anderson Up to $50 Jon and Maricarol Wallace Jerritt Johnston Hendrickson Courtney Ehlers Beverly Anderson Paul and Jeanne Arsenault Raizel Weinberg Keith Jones Douglas and Lori Henrich Sheila Eldred Connie Baillie Marian Barry Elizabeth Williams Clayton Keim Martha Hickner Todd Ellison Dennis Bealka Nancy and Bill Bauer Johanna Winters Jeff Hilligoss Steve Befort Kathleen Bennett Mike Kosowski Jonathan Faust Alan Witebsky Steve Kotvis Mark Bixby and Keelin Kane Carolyn Fletcher David and Sheila Bennett Marin Byrne and David Gene and Jane Kay Stacey Boggs Bitner Matt Laue Suzanne Gilbert Willy Lee Michael and Michelle Michael Gottschalk Mary Bolla Paul Bloomberg Kosmak Dennis and Elaine Boom Phil Bode Kathy Loeffler Alan Grahn Reid Lutter Barb and Tom Leppke- Jeffrey Greenwood Richard & Jill Bosler John and Sandy Bonneville Hennig Kevin Brochman Roy Carlsted Maddie McAlister Michael Haggerty Tim McConville David Bryan and Anne Dick Hedenstrom John C. Burton Craig Schulz and Karen Longfellow John Callahan Chandler Tony Mommsen Ellen Heine Kevin Murphy Thomas Meyer David Herring Nancy Holm Callas Michael Aronow and Rob Ogren and Carrie Michael Bono and Kathie Margaret Chaplin Michael Nali Curt Hillstrom Scott Nelson Mikulich John Hoch Constantine Charlotte Collier Michael Gotzsche and Mary Richard Pike and Barbara Conti R.B. Cornwall Darby Nelson Norton Holschuh John O’Connell Moench Kurt Holtze Page and Jay Cowles Jim and Candy Cotone Mike and Jan Moulsoff Susan Cushman Steve Eberly Bob O’Hara Reid Howe Jenni O’Link Larry and Debby Myers Holly Huso Christopher Davis Mark Engstrom Ken and Marcia Nelson Bill Dean Bryant and Susan Evarts Kathy O’Neill Beth Ihry Bill Oyler Ron Okenfuss and Jenneke Rich Iwen Rowan and Chris DeBold Charles and Jeanine Evenson Oosterhoff Brad Bart and Susan Diem Haerr-Hartmann Family Jennifer Pearson Sara Jensen Jake Priester Barb Owens Julie Jereczek Joe Duffy Liz Wagner and Greg Fangel Mary Faist Pekala Connie Foster Greg Filice Mark Rabinovitch Tim Johnson Scott Rake Andrea Breen and William Gary R Johnson Steve and Kathy Gaskill Chuck, Sue and Alice Flanders Perkiss Gary and Lael Gerding Jeff Greenwood R.T. Rybak Lena Jones John Schmidt Carleton Perry John Joyce Joe Glaccum Susan Hamamoto Richard Pike David Gorman Bjorn and Kristin Hanson John Schneider Ian Kees Carey Sirianni Amy and Brody Rau Paul Kellett James Hancock Richard Hauser Jeff and Linda Richards Stuart Hanson Martha Hickner Tony Stamson John Kirby Mark Stange Martin Richmond Kaia Knutson Mitch Vars and Molly Hillstrom Bill Hooke George Boody and Ann Risch Conrad and Christine Hoigaard Janice Hoye Paul Stewart Patricia Kohls Elly Sturgis Craig and Kim Rudd Gerald Kollodge Reid Howe Dennis and Jan Hughes John and MaryLou Schmitt Peter and Barbara Huot Gerald and Joan Jacobsen Dale Vaillancourt Robb Lageson Diane Vornbrock Jonathan Scott Denise Lee Kathy Ingraham Alice Lightner Johnson and Carl Shaffer John Joyce Todd Johnson Marty Wandzel Michael Lee Dan Webster Brian Milavitz and Sue Christine Lehman Jake Priester and Susan Katner Robert and Jeannine Julson Smokler Ed Swain and Mary Keirstead William and Carole Kenny Mary Winger Chris Lenhart Frances Wise Jon and Linnea Swenson Matthew Lichty Arne and Miriam Lagus Dawn and David Kittleson Tellekson Patrick and Emily Lanin Kathleen and James Koch Alan Witebsky Nettie Magnuson David and Cathie Tilman Lori Mans Kristina Lund Arvid Krogsveen Premium Family Ellen and Jim Van Iwaarden Bjorn and Anne Lasserud Dennis Mashuga Marcus and Gina Magnuson Bruce and Barbara Abbett Molly Hillstrom and Mitch Andre L’Heureux Jamie McBride Sandy Martin Steven E. and Rachelle Vars James and Jane Lincoln Mike McCloskey Vivian Mason Anderson Kathy Steinberger and Jim 10 Jacqueline Lindskoog Tom McComas Paul Arbisi Young Kelli McCully U.S.S.A. Homologation The U.S. Ski & Association (USSA) held a “homologation” seminar in the Twin Cities on the weekend of November 19-21. “Homologation” is the fancy Cynthia McDonald Ed Swain and Mary Keirstead word for certification for ski trails. To use a trail for national or international com- Shaun McKinlay Steve Eberly and Marian Klein David Melcher Thomas Kleven petition, a trail needs to be homologated. Generally, homologation standards are Shanti Mittra David Kranz Randy Mork Martin Loken not set in stone, but are, instead, a series of guidelines on how wide a trail needs to Marnie Myhre Marcus and Gina Magnuson be, how big the stadium needs to be, how many hills a course needs, how much to- Becca Nelson Duncan McBean Kristine Oberg Jim and Stephanie Miner tal climb, etc. At the suggestion of Foundation volunteer Matt Laue, who serves on Odd Osland Bill and Jane Minge the USSA homologation committee, the Twin Cities homologation seminar was Cynthia Osterling Diana Munger Deneen Owen Nancy Nelson focused on the Hap & Judy competition loop at Wirth Park. Seminar participants Jesse Pearson David Nelson were to homologate the course as an exercise as part of the seminar. Unfortunately David N. Pedersen Greg and Pat Pratt Pamela Peterson Angie Robinson for the participants, about ten inches of wet snow fell on the day of the exercise, Timothy Piehler Jonathan and Gretchen Sage- Julie Reddan Martinson ironically making it very difficult to ascertain the measurements necessary to ho- Lisa Regalla Keith and Nancy Sjoquist mologate. Greg Reinhiller Jim and Deanna Sokolowski Pam Richmond Sue Schroeder and Jim Syverson In the end, full homologation based on the seminar will probably not be possible. Susan Rickert Mary Beth Tuttle Erik Riese Rob and Julie White In general, feedback was mixed. The Norwegian homologation expert who led the Jeff Roberts Peter Woeste seminar loved the sprint course and all agreed that the trails flowed well and were Karen Roesler Youth Jennifer Roos generally challenging enough. But the stadium was still deemed to be too small for Brian Ross Lachlan Anders-MacLeod Wayne Sather Kaj Anders-MacLeod large mass start races and there is not one single climb of at least 30 meters – the Brian Schaffer Michelle Andruss minimum necessary for an “A” climb. The result is that the course will probably be Greg Schmidt Hannah Andruss Dana Schroeder Alex Barkmeier homologated for sprint races, lower level individual start events (in other words, Herb Schulte Nina Bart Susan Schultz Ellen Bart not a World Cup type event) and lower level mass start classical races. Ralph Schwartz William Beck David Scott Jonah Beck Kathryn Sedo Cullen Bode Mary Sellke Torsten Brinkema Josh Brown Marc Shapiro 2km Shira Shapiro Jaxson Brown Allahjawon Burgess Gardar Sigurdsson 3km Icis Burgess Sprints course Joshua Simonson 5/10/15K course Jim Smith Unique Burgess Maria Soruco Codell (Cody) Christensen Michael Stay Kaylee Crawford Heidi Stay Soren Davidson Karrin Stoehr Sararosa Davies Glory Duda 4km Naomi Strom Warm-up Michael Sweet Emma Fink Loop Kathy Tatone Hanna Fink Matt Thill Tyler Goodwin-Melo Susan Thomas Sofia Goodwin-Melo Rolf Thompson Adele Gordon Freeman Hickman Ken Valley Wax Robin Voreis Bjorn Holm Testing Peter Holmquist Kristen Wagner Start Kurt Ware David Hovis Finish Gretchen Wartman Quinn Ingram Stairs to Stadium Adam Weber Tom Ingram Nico Kaye P Megan Webster Wax Cabins James Wellbrock Madeline Kaye Chalet Curt Werdal Amy Lundell Xavier Mansfield Kim Whelan 0 50 100 Meters Olivia McCauley Marise Widmer Scale: 1:4,800 1km Patrick McCauley Stephen Wilbers Junior Olympic Courses Raymond Wilkinson Langston Mercedes Joel Woodward Yardena Meyerhoff Tom Wright Ellie Munger To become fully homologated for any international type event, it may be necessary Paul Wyatt Jonathan Perzel to move the stadium to a new location and add about three meters to the climb Emma Powell Basic Family Annalise Schaaf coming into the current stadium. This sounds daunting but may not be so bad JoEllen and Paul Abraham Miki Schiefelbein Bruce and Margaret Adelsman Katarina Schroeer in the end. There is a readily apparent new stadium site just outside of the Par-3 Carie and Bruce Alexander Karl Schultz building that might work better for everyone. This stadium site would be accessible Walter and Virginia Bailey sarah shapiro David Barrett Adlai Sinkler from the road, bigger, more flexible (could use the flatter Par-3/Back-40 trails or Stacey Boggs Alison Sutta the Hap & Judy Trails), better for skiers with adaptive needs, and closer to a build- Bonnie Carlson-Green Yoni Sutta Rick and Jeanne Carter patricia Trotter ing and parking. And while it is a complex topic involving many moving pieces (see Craig Schulz and Karen Chandler Matt Villalta R.B. Cornwall Will Villalta Vision for Wirth on www.loppet.org) , it may be possible to add a hill or a bridge James DeRoma Michael Villota in the current stadium area that would make the current stadium-hill-climb into Jeff and Cheryl DuBois Mattie Watts Penelope and Mark Greene Cedric Williams an A climb. With those changes, the course would be fully homologatable (how is Conrad and Christine Hoigaard Amelia Wilson-Jackson that for a big word?). Ron and Kathy Jackson Charlie Wilson-Jackson 11 new cut-off for the Junior Olympics sprints courses. 2010 Trail Work With the cut-off skiers will skip roughly the first 250 2010 was another busy year for Foundation trails. Most meters of the course as it winds through the relatively of this year’s work was done in preparation for the up- flat woods to the north of the stadium. coming Junior Olympics. Perhaps the easiest way to Skiing forward into those woods, the swooping left- describe the various improvements is to walk (or ski) hand turn into the woods is now wider with less of a through them in order. bottleneck. Starting at the Chalet it- The course is unchanged for the next kilometer plus, self, the Park Board and until reaching the catwalk coming back from the Par-3. the Nordic Ski Foundation The catwalk was widened in order to accommodate the worked with Tree Trust to nine-meters required by FIS for hosting national and complete the stairway up international events (up-hill sections need to be nine to the stadium. Tree Trust meters wide). Similarly, the last climb – from the tenth extended the stairs at both fairway into the stadium – was also widened to accom- the top and the bottom – modate FIS requirements and to make snowmaking a and they now run from the less arduous process. employee parking lot ad- jacent to the Chalet all the Skipping to the Judy Loop (the trail section extending way to the access road just toward Courage Center and Golden Valley Road that below the stadium. This forms the second half of the Junior Olympics compe- will make it much easier to tition loop)... Last spring the Foundation discovered get from the Chalet to the that the Hap & Judy competition loop was about 500 stadium for the Loppet, meters short of a five kilometer loop. This summer for the Junior Olympics the Foundation added three trail segments: the first (where coaches and ath- extended the trail along Bassett’s Creek so that it now letes will need to quickly comes out of the woods between the 11th green and a get from the waxing area small foot-bridge over Bassett Creek. The second pro- 2010 Trails Day Volunteers Kuan and ceeds up a large hill on the east side of the 11th fairway Garrett Teoh and Damon Struyk (tall) in front of the Chalet to the stadium), for high school and passes through the woods overlooking the creek. races, and for everyday use. The last segment takes skiers through another section of woods, this time on the west side of the 11th fairway. Once on the access road, you will see a small new park- Together, these changes make for a better, more chal- ing lot. This lot is designed to provide easier access for lenging and less golf-course-like experience. coaches setting up races, for emergency vehicles, and for adaptive skiers who cannot climb 100+ stairs. Next stop, the stadium itself. Another couple thousands yards of dirt later, the stadium is bigger and better than before. The stadium has been rotated counter-clock- wise so that the near-90 degree corner as skiers exit the stadium is now a gentle curve. The bottle-neck at that curve has also been eliminated, leaving a stadium that should work well for the Junior Olympics. Not visible yet is a new timing building, hard Craig Rudd - Course Cheif - Competing in the 2010 and v-board. The Park Board is working with local ar- Loppet Sprints - Photo: Steve Kotvis, f/go Photography chitects (and Loppet sponsors) LHB Corporation on the design of the tiny new building, which will sit along Trails Day 2010 the finish line, on the southern edge of the stadium. Another very successful trails day this fall. More than That building should be going in in mid-January, just 120 volunteers worked more than 400 hours to im- in time for the Mayor’s Challenge. Similarly, Founda- prove the trails. Volunteers trimmed brush, raked and tion volunteers Jeff Richards, Piotr Bednarski, Mike leveled dirt, picked rocks, planted grass seed, placed and John Kosowski, and Brandan Ostroot construct- erosion control mats, and generally buffed the trails ed new fencing and the Foundation purchased new out in preparation for winter. Course Chief Craig Rudd “Loppet blue” v-board. Once up, the stadium should led the operations. “We accomplished a lot. I’m always be very pretty... surprised how many people show up to help out. I guess it really shows that people care about the trails.” 12 Now skiing, on the left as one exits the stadium is a information all in one “easily accessible” John Schmitt continued place. “We are not quite there yet with Sales from front page, Force, but we’re trying,” adds Mary. Because John has been so spe- Keith Jones is trying to tackle Foundation cial to the Foundation for so communications. With the growing amount many years we organized a little of activities, kids’ programs and advocacy surprise for him. Kate Ellis and that the Foundation is engaged in, and the John Harrer hosted a party at growing number of outlets to disperse in- their home. Our intern Bridget formation (web sites, social media, newslet- Adelmann put together a slide ters, emails and print media...) keeping up show and people gathered for on information dissemination is a big job. the big moment. We were all in for a happy surprise though... It Keith has been volunteering with the Foun- turned out that John’s doctors dation literally since day one. “Keith helped were wrong. He does not have Mary Sellke and Mike Erickson at the Fall/Winter shovel snow for the very first Loppet course ALS. They determined, instead, Loppet Ski Club - when we were stuck on the Chain of that he has had Lyme’s disease Photo: Mike Erickson Lakes,” recalls Director John Munger. Over for the past fifteen years. He is the past several years Keith has coordinated now on a six-month course of Welcome New Staff all of the Foundation’s print media, literally antibiotics, he is feeling good This year the Foundation added three new part-time saving thousands of dollars on brochures and is planning to do the an- staff members: the very talented Mike Erickson, Mary and mailings. nouncing in full force once again Sellke and Keith Jones. Mike, Mary and Keith are looking forward this year! Mike has been working with the Foundation for years. to a great year and we are excited to have John’s many friends and family He has been the Loppet’s Finish Line Coordinator for them as part of the Loppet community. contributed over $10,000 toward the past several years and, in addition, has coordinated rian Anderson Passed the John Schmitt Fund, which sponsor benefits for the past two years. This year Mike B helped with the completion of expanded his role; he is now Chief of Operations. He Away This Year the Hap & Judy Lutter Competi- manages all the Foundation’s various equipment and The Loppet community lost a strong sup- tion Trails for the Junior Olym- “stuff.” Examples include the Trips for Kids bicycles, porter and friend this past summer. Brian pics. To commemorate John’s trailer and shed, the Foundation’s snowmobile, 1,200+ skied every Loppet until he contracted Leu- great work, a plaque honoring buckets for making luminaries, the “water cow,” 1,000 kemia and was forced to sit out the 2010 John Schmitt will be placed on feet of fencing for the Junior Olympics... this list goes event. Not only did he ski every Loppet, the new timing and announc- on and on... through his work as editor-in-chief of Mpls- ing building going in for the Ju- “I’m in charge of all the Foundation’s back-end stuff St.Paul Magazine Brian was the first sponsor nior Olympics this winter. John’s – all the things that you would never think of but that of the Loppet – way back before the Loppet friend John Lavelle playfully calls are critical to making the Loppet, the other events and was anything but a wild idea. Through the this the “Schmitt House!” the programming happen,” says Erickson. “I like the years “Brian advised and counseled us at ev- title G.L.B.S. – General Loppet B___ S___,” Mike adds, ery turn,” commented Foundation executive with his dry sense of humor. director John Munger. “He even invited me to attend events at the Swedish Institute, in Mary is the new Sponsorship Coordinator. Her job is hopes that the Loppet could find additional to work with the sponsors to make sure that they have sponsors among the Scandinavians. Unfor- a good experience. Mary comes with the cachet of be- tunately, I wasn’t Swedish enough for that ing the event organizer for Surly Beer. She organizes crowd.” Surlyfest and Darkness Day. And even after passing away, Brian has con- New to skiing, Mary is enrolled in the Fall/Winter tinued to help the Foundation. Brian had group of the Loppet Ski Club. “I’ve been doing mara- designated that $25,000 of his estate pass to thons and the last few years – this whole ski- the Nordic Ski Foundation. While the Board ing thing is definitely something new – but I’ve dedi- has not yet determined how to allocate those cated myself to taking down the Loppet this year,” she funds, rest assured that Brian’s spirit lives on says with a laugh. Mary recently completed an iron- every time we take to the snow... man in just twelve hours – so Caitlin Comp- ton – beware! So far Mary has been trying to decipher Sales Force – the Foundation’s attempt to organize its sponsorship 13 KidSki Programs Stone Johnson Community School, Loring Commu- tion to focus its efforts on a total of six schools that continued from page 1, nity School and Bryn Mawr Elementary, Cityview and lie in relatively close proximity to its “Home Base” at Elizabeth Hall will complete a circle of North Minne- Theodore Wirth Park. The combined elementary ef- apolis schools connecting families and students with forts will also include UCare-sponsored programs at cross country skiing. Pillsbury and Bryn Mawr as well as a 2nd year program Principal Mardella Milton at Cityview and Physical ed- at Loring Elementary. All schools will receive ski coach- ucation teachers Jacki Wincek and Mark Schuck have ing instruction for students from a select number of showed great enthusiasm for bringing the ski program 2nd through 5th grade classes. They will additionally to their location. “Our students are not offered this receive a UCare inspired curriculum of short nutrition type of unique opportunity very often,” commented lessons previously used with success by the Foundation Ms. Wincek. “We are very excited to work with the ski to encourage healthy eating as well as an active lifestyle. program and get our kids outside in the winter.” As in past years, students will be encouraged through- out the programs to set their sights on the Minne-Lop- pet youth event on February 5, 2011. With recent discussions surrounding North Minne- apolis schools and the potential restructuring process of elementary schools as well as high schools, the sig- nificance of bringing cross country ski programs to schools such as Cityview and Elizabeth Hall has taken on a new light. For students and families, discussions of school closures and shifting boundaries can bring feel- ings of divisiveness and uncertainty. The Foundation’s Minne-Loppet ski program offers an avenue for posi- tive inroads in these school communities, emphasizing our concern for students’ well-being and long-term health outcomes. Each student can find a level of ac- complishment that is theirs alone. They can experience something entirely new to them or build on skills that they may already have. Coaches can share with these Nellie Stone Johnson Cityview offers a large athletic field for students to get kids enjoying early the feel of skiing and will also take advantage of Per- new skiers their own love of the sport and understand- season snow kins Hill Park immediately to the north of the school. ing of the challenges associated with trying something Photo: Margaret Foundation groomers Marty Wandzel and John Gron- new. And ultimately, we can all celebrate the successes Adelsman quist will provide mobile grooming to many of the el- of these children, large and small as they experience the ementary programs this year, including Cityview and wonders of a Minnesota winter through cross country Elizabeth Hall. As a result, students won’t have to make skiing. their own tracks but can experience on oppet Adventure Camps groomed trails at each location. L This past summer the Foundation tried something Elizabeth Hall Elementary sits just a few miles south new: Adventure Camps for kids ages 9-13 years old. of Cityview, also in the Highway 94 corridor. Physical Mountain biking, roller-skiing, , paddling, Education teacher Bill Bryand and Principal Bennice ski waxing, hill-bounding, capture-the-flag, gardening, Young have also supported the Foundation’s efforts to nature hikes, and even Ultimate Frisbee – bring to the ski program to their elementary students. the camps had it all. One-week day camps, the idea was At the urging of the Pohlad Foundation’s Terry Egge, to introduce youngsters to a variety of lifetime sports who also volunteers her time at many of these schools, – all in Theodore Wirth Park. Principal Young sought out information about the ski program. A few phone calls later, Foundation staff be- Thanks to a late start on advertising, the camps started gan to roll equipment carts into the school in prepara- slow, with only seven kids attending the first camp. The tion for the fast-approaching first day of the program. second camp had 15 kids and by the third camp we Students at Hall will ski right on the school property, were turning kids away. taking advantage of a small but tree-lined stretch right “The kids really loved these camps,” commented Pro- outside the school door. gram Director Margaret Adelsman. “Whether boys or The addition of Cityview and Elizabeth Hall to return- girls, there was something for everyone. Some kids ex- ing school Nellie Stone Johnson brings to three the celled at mountain biking, other at orienteering – but number of elementary ski programs supported by the everyone was good at something.” 14 Pohlad Foundation. This support allows the Founda- Margaret was the key to the success of the camps this summer. She procured a $5,000 grant from the Finish Loppet Ski Clubs Grow Foundation Goes Line Youth Foundation for scholarships. This allowed and Expand... Facebook... the Nordic Ski Foundation to recruit kids from all A few short years ago the Foundation The Nordic Ski Foundation has three walks of life. Thanks to Louis Oatis at Farview Park, had one ski club – with just over 20 Facebook pages – one for the Founda- the Foundation was able to recruit a number of youth hardy members. Now, after three good tion generally (www.facebook.com/ from North Minneapolis. Louis picked the kids up at snow years with snowmaking to guaran- loppet) one for the upcoming 2011 Farview each morning and dropped them off again at tee skiing, there are about 50 members Junior Olympics (search for 2011 Ju- the end of the day. While the kids were initially attract- in the Introductory group and another nior Olympics) and one for the City ed to the program by the promise of mountain biking, 50 in the Fall/Winter program. It helps of Lakes chapter of Trips for Kids they ended up loving all of the activities. By the end of to have quality coaches and facilitators (www.facebook.com/tripsforkidsci- the week, they knew the ABC’s of lifetime sports and like Tom Anderson, Marc Beitz, Gene tyoflakes). To keep up on all the latest were ready to go on to bigger and better things. Kay and Mike Bash, among many other and to impress your friends with your “I can’t say enough about how excited these kids were generous souls that have volunteered internet savvy, become a facebook fan with the whole thing,” said Louis. “I love what the Nor- their time to help others learn our sport. of one, two or all three pages. Invite dic Ski Foundation is doing, and look forward to the This year the Mommsens – Kathy and friends to become fans, post pictures next Loppet experience.” [Louis has volunteered to Tony – decided that they wanted to have or stories. drive the Farview van for the new Farview Ski Team a night when they could bring people as well.] out classical skiing. “We mostly just The mix of kids was great for everyone. The campers want an opportunity to ski with a great were split up into groups of six to eight kids with a group of people, maybe with a little in- counselor assigned to each group. The various groups struction now and again,” says the ever really bonded together. Games like capture-the-flag positive Tony. and going through the various adventures together The Foundation set this up as a ben- helped with team building, so the kids who started efit of membership; become a member together really got to know each other by the end of and join the classic ski group. The clas- camp. sic ski group meets Thursday evenings. In the long term, the hope is that the Adventure Camps Now there are opportunities to ski with will continue to grow. “We see the Adventure Camps as a Loppet group most days: Monday a great way to bring new people into the silent sports evenings with the Introductory group, world,” commented Adventure Camp Director John Tuesdays with the Fall/Winter group, Swain. “Whether lower-income or in an ethnic mi- Thursdays with the Mommsens’ classic nority group, boy or girl, there were a number of kids group and Saturday and Sunday long who had never been exposed to these activities before. skis with the Ski Club groups. Hopefully they will be joining ski teams, going moun- tain biking, or becoming an active person for life after Kathy and Tony Mommsen participating in these camps.” For the last camp this year the Foundation worked with Jamie McBride and MaryLynn Pulscher of the Park Board. Jamie provided canoes and paddling in- structors and a naturalist to talk to the kids about their outdoors experiences. They even helped the kids make fresh snacks from the JD Rivers Garden Project. For in- stance, one group of kids made home-made salsa from the garden that everyone had an opportunity to enjoy. The Foundation looks forward to working with Mary- Lynn and Jamie again this next summer. The plan is to run four camps next summer. Visit www. loppet.org for more details or to sign up your child for one of the camps.

John Swain teaching technique to the Fall/Winter Loppet Ski Club group Photo: Mike Erickson 15 n this I ssue: I Foundation KidSki Programs Expand to Cityview and Hall Elementary Schools John Schmitt Fund 2011 Junior Olympics Update Notes from the Executive Director Nordic Ski Foundation planning to work together with Courage Center Anwatin Ski Team Enjoys a New Beginning Trips for Kids and Farview Ski Team Loppet Ski Camp Foundation Needs Foundation Membership Foundation Members and Donors U.S.S.A. Homologation 2010 Trail Work Trails Day 2010 Welcome New Staff Brian Anderson Passed Away This Year Loppet Adventure Camps Loppet Ski Clubs Grow and Expand... Foundation Goes Facebook...

2 4 4 9 9 1 1 1 1 8 Have an idea for article? Want to place an advertisement in this publication? Contact Ben Kremer (612 387-2002) or John Munger (612 604-5331). 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 10 11 Page - Mayor’s Challenge Challenge - Mayor’s - City of Lakes Festival Loppet Weekend - Junior Olympics - Junior - Tri-Loppet - Trail Loppet Loppet - Trail ity of L a k es N ordic Sk i oundation C alendar F oundation January 22-23, 2011 January 22-23, February 5-6, 2011 February 5-6, March 6 – 12, 2011 6 – 12, March June 25, 2011 25, June September 10, 2011 10, September C

Orienteering atAdventure Camp Photo: John Swain

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CITY OF LAKES FOUNDATION US POSTAGE PAID YOUTH . EVENTS . TRAILS MINNEAPOLIS, MN City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation PERMIT NO. 31307 1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway Minneapolis, MN 55422 612 604-5330 612 604-5338 (fax) www.loppet.org [email protected]