Birchleggings Club Third Annual Golf Tournament is a First-Class Success!

For the third year in a row the Birchleggings Club (BLC) held their “scramble” format golf tournament at CreeksBend Golf Course in New Prague, Minnesota.

The weather on July 23, 2026 was eagle perfect—83 degrees and sunny. The golf course was in beautiful green condition having benefitted from recent rain showers.

Beyond providing the opportunity for summer-season activity and comraderie for skiers and their friends, the event is a key fund raiser that enables the Birchleggings Club to provide charitable grants and support the American Birkebeiner and the Birkie Trail between Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin. During the past two grant cycles the BLC has awarded over $28,000 to seventeen regional non-profit community groups and organizations who promote youth skiing, healthy lifestyles, a healthy climate, and the Birkie. Grant proposals are reviewed in October and April. You can see a list of the grant awards and view the grant-application guidelines here.

Thank you to the golfers that attended in this year’s tournament and to the volunteers that made the event run smoothly. Your support is essential and greatly appreciated!  Your participation in the tournament will help the Birchleggings Club fund groups that apply for grants from the BLC.

76 golfers in nineteen teams competed in a variety of friendly contests. Here are the winners:

The winning golf team scored an impressive 14 under par over 18 holes. Team members were  Jason Stockwell, Noah Pruett, George Allendoph & Matt Fokerda.

There were four teams that tied for second place at 10 under par.  The team captains for these foursomes were: Jody O’Brien, Mathew Edwards, Tony VonBank, and Steve Thatcher.

Champion of the putting-green contest was Ben Nemo.

Woody Woodhaul proved to be best on the big swing, winning the most-accurate drive.

The longest-putt contest was won by Hayden Hughes.

Drew Holbrook was wedge master, winning the par-3 closest-to-the-pin event.

The 50/50-raffle winning ticket was held by Dave Britz.

A new contest this year was the Ball Toss. Participants purchased a numbered golf ball. All the balls were released at once toward a hole on the putting green. It was the ball purchased by Ben Nemo that came closest to the hole, and Ben took home the prize.

A highlight of the event was the silent auction. Participants bid on over 65 items donated for the event. Anyone could bid using an online auction platform for things ranging from skis & ski poles, to running shoes & exercise wear, to golf packages, and even an electric lawn mower!

It was another successful tournament. Thank you if you were a golfer, a volunteer, donated funds, were a hole sponsor, or contributed a silent auction or raffle item. Your contribution is so greatly appreciated! The tournament was able to raise a five-figure profit that will help the BLC continue our charitable outreach.

Special thanks go out to Bob Britz, who once again coordinated the event. Bob will be stepping back from his duties next year so we are in need of many folks to make sure we can continue our mission. How can you help in 2027?  We are looking for Birchleggings Club members, and others, who would like to help administrate and work at the tournament.  If you are interested, please contact golf@birchleggings.com.

Birchleggings Club Third Annual Dakota Trail Bicycle Ride Wrap-Up!

The Third Annual Birchleggings Club Dakota Trail Bicycle Ride held on August 13, 2026 was a big success. We had 24 Riders sign up with 18 riders completing rides of 57, 38, 29, and 13 miles along the beautiful Dakota Trail that goes from Wayzata to Lester Prairie, Minnesota.

The group was made up of 4 Uberleggers, Birchleggers, a number of Birkie and Korte skiers, and Twin City Bicycling Club and community members. Three founding members of the ride from 2024 included Greg Fields, Julia Virkus, and Edward Eroe, who also has been the coordinator of the event for the Birchleggings Club and as an Outreach Ride for the Twin Cities Bicycle Club. Special thanks to Tim Rand who co-led the ride.

Riders started in Wayzata, Mound, St. Bonifacius, and Mayer and all arrived in Lester Prairie for a delicious buffet lunch at the Central Cafe, also known as Mary Kay's Bitchin' Kitchen. Mary Kay served several different sandwiches, corn soup, chips, and desert. She has been running the restaurant for breakfast and lunch 6 days a week for 18 years and is known for making everything herself. Since the Dakota Trail was completed to Lester Prairie it has become a favorite stop for riders as well as folks living in town and coming from out of town.

The weather was cloudy and humid, and we did run into a brief shower west of St. Bonifacius, but otherwise a very comfortable and dry day.

A little history of the trail from Wikipedia: The Dakota Trail is on part of the former track bed of the Hutchinson Spur of the Great Northern Railway which was used to bring wheat and raw materials from Central Minnesota to the flour mills, factories and warehouses in Minneapolis from 1885 until 2001. The railway line was also designed to bring tourists to the communities on Lake Minnetonka in the late 1880s.

The line was charted in 1885 by James J Hill, and the St. Paul and Pacific Railway, later Great Northern merged with Northern Pacific Railway, which formed the Burlington Northern Railroad. Burlington Northern sold the line to Dakota Rail in 1985, where it operated both freight and dinner trains. In 1995, RailAmerica purchased Dakota Rail. The last train left Hutchinson in 2001, when the line was abandoned. It was purchased by Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, Carver County and McLeod County.

In 2008, the Three Rivers Park District began building the Dakota Rail Trail in Hennepin County. It was completed from Wayzata to St. Bonifacius in July 2009. In early 2010, Carver County began construction of the section from St. Bonifacius to Mayer. The first trail section ran 7 miles. It officially opened on May 21, 2011. Carver County extended the trail in 2012 from Mayer, west through New Germany to the Carver/McLeod County Line. The second section runs for 5.5 miles.

The trail was gravel only out to Lester Prairie and in 2017, McLeod County accepted a Legacy Grant to fund paving of the trail from the end of the pavement at the Carver County border to McLeod County Road 1 on the west side of Lester Prairie. The trail was paved through the city in 2019. The former railroad property runs west to Hutchinson, but plans are not known at this time for the future trail development west of Lester Prairie.

Two major railroad bridges in Lake Minnetonka were preserved for the trail. The largest one is the Arcola Trestle, built in 1881. It is 550 feetlong. It consists of several spans of trestles with two through plate girder sections. A similar bridge is the Seton Channel Bridge in Spring Park, passing over Seton Channel. This one is 215 feet long.

In m opinion, the Dakota Trail is one of the most beautiful trails in the Midwest. It has a lush canopy and there are several scenic spots to take photos. There are also several places to stop and eat with another favorite being the Minnetonka Drive In in Spring Park, which is right off the trail and is a former A&W that still has great root beer and floats.

All the photos from the ride can be found at the Birchleggings Club Facebook Page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1860324638751995&type=3 Thanks to Doug Forster for many of the photographs.

Submitted by: Edward Eroe, Birchleggings Club Board Member and Twin Cities Bicycle Club Ride Leader.

Cable Community Farm Garden Tour - August 8, 2026

 

Hike up to Mt Ashwabay

  

On a cool and beautiful morning, June 3, 2026, Birchlegger Ted May led a trip from the Bayfield (or Les Voigt State) Fish Hatchery up the Pileated Woodpecker Trail to Mt Ashwabay / Big Top Chautauqua and back.

 

Two Birchleggers (Connie Meek and Jeff Commisford) joined Ted on the 6-mile hike, enjoying the wide variety of wildflowers, trees and birds along the trail. This 50 foot bridge crosses the creek to access the Boardwalk through the rich Ostrich Ferns and other lush growth adjacent to the creek.trail up to Mt Ashwabay.

 

The trail was put in two years ago to provide additional hiking opportunities for people living 
or visiting the Bayfield area. The three of us reflected on the active lifestyle that allows us to continue enjoying such activities (along with the Birkebeiner) into our 70s and beyond. Helping with trails is a nice volunteer opportunity for Birchleggers wherever they live.

The Big Top Chautauqua lies at the jumping off point for a network of close to 50-km of trails in the Mt Ashwabay trail system.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cable Community Farm Grant Update

This is an update from Le Sedlacek, the Cable Community Farm Liaison thanking the Birchleggings Club for our $1,000 grant.

I am writing to again say thank you to the Birchleggings Club for supporting our project. As we have done spring clean up, we have seen a number of places where rodents, mostly ground squirrels, have tunneled under the fence. Last year, trapping these guys was pretty time intensive. We are hopeful that the kestrels, hawks and owls will now have easier hunting with the project nearing completion.

I am happy to report that both nesting boxes have been installed. One is on the fence. The other is on a tree on the property line, designed more for small owls. The four hunting perches have been installed on the fence line.

We have some remaining funds that we will direct toward a long-lasting bird bath and some additional vegetation to support habitat. We have a bird bath on loan that is being used frequently as there is no water source close to the field. All labor for installation was done by garden volunteers.

The Tiaga Nomad Snowmobile Donated to the Birkie Being Used for Various Work

In 2023 the Birchleggings Club donated a Tiaga Nomad Electric Snowmobile to the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation! Our president, Paul Thompson, spent some time with the Birkie Crew on Birke Race Day on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

While talking to Jeff Tumbleson, part of the Trail Operations Staff talked about how valuable the Tiaga Nomad is to their team. Jeff told Paul the following:

"Erik Blow, Chief Groomer, and I both really enjoy the Taiga Nomad that our Birchlegger friends have graciously supplied to us for use/tasks on the Competition Trails up north and the Birkie Trails. It’s a

great “runner” and light towing machine. It’s the machine I always reach for. Thanks!!!"

 

 

 

 

Birchleggings Club 2026 Annual Awards Breakfast Wrap-Up

 

The annual gathering of veteran and new Birchleggers took place at the Hayward Steakhouse and Lodge the day after Birkie 52. The staff at the Steakhouse once again put on a great and welcoming feed that helped to refuel the energy and spirit of the racers after their marathons.

The silent auction for a 50th-anniversary Birkie quilt and ski bag, both made from repurposed race bibs by Julie Virkus and Nancy Bauer, continued from the Birkie expo.

BLC President Paul Thompson welcomed the Birchleggers, skiers, and guests. He introduced the members of the board of directors who each gave a quick description of his/her role and activities with the club. Several additional members were introduced and praised for their involvement and leadership that guided club activities over the past year and are in the planning stages for 2026.

Paul’s quick review of 2025 highlighted how the Birchleggings Club continues to work towards its mission of supporting the American Birkebeiner, the Birkie trail, youth skiing, healthy lifestyles, and a healthy climate. Over $14,000 was awarded in October to nine projects that corresponded with the club’s purpose and mission. Events planned for 2026 echo the priorities that members identified in a recently-emailed survey. Members said they wanted to have events that help the skiers of our age demographic to maintain and improve our active lifestyle. Topping the list is a June 5-7 weekend at Minocqua Winter Park that includes mountain biking, hiking, disc golf and fitness, strength and mobility sessions led by Dr. Jim Mullen, a long-time Birkie skier. More hiking, biking and disc golf events will happen over the summer including a return of the Dakota Trail bike ride. A flyer highlighting the events and dates was distributed and can also be seen at: https://www.birchleggings.com/2026/02/birchleggings-club-2026-activities.html

 

Lousie Dreossler, Development Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation and Ben Pop, Executive Director of the ABSF. Gave an overview of the vision that the ABSF has for the future of the Birkie and related events. The foundation has a goal of 250,000 outdoor-enthusiast visits to the Telemark area per year by 2031.

The Tony Wise Spirit of the American Birkebeiner award was presented to two persons this year, Ernie St. Germain and Steve Carmazon. The Spirit Award is given for outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the American Birkebeiner and the sport of cross-country skiing. Ernie’s legendary completion of every one of the first 50 Birkebeiners, his dedication to the Birkie, and his devotion and service to the local Lac Courte Oreilles youth and community echo the spirit of Tony 

Wise. Steve Carmazon, with 49 Birkie finishes, has been an untiring advocate for the Birkebeiner. He has been involved as a board member of the Birchleggings Club since it was established in 1992. Steve has volunteered in many ways to promote the Birkie, improve the trail and preserve the legacy of the race. He is the go-to person when someone has a question about the history of the race.

Awarding the milestone recognition of skiers is always a highlight of the breakfast. This year was no exception. In addition to awarding 20, 30, and 40-year achievement plaques, the Birchleggings Club gave recognition awards to Combi Skiers, those racers who may not have Birchlegger or Skiløper status but nonetheless have completed a total of 20 Birkie+Korte finishes.

All during the event as skiers exchanged their stories of this year’s race and events from the past, it was clear that the socializing and camaraderie was the “frosting on the cake” that made the 2026 awards breakfast a good one from start to finish.

To see additional photographs from the breakfast as well as ones from Birkie 2026 go to the link below on Facebook. You do not have to be a Facebook member to view them.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.1711595920291535&type=3 

 

Four Birchleggings Strietzel Brothers Skied the 2026 American Birkebeiner on Wood Skis!

Tom, Joe, Mike, & Mark

Four Strietzel brothers skied the 2026 Birkie on woodies to celebrate all four now having skied 20+ American Birkebeiners. During several of the 20+ Birkies the brothers and several friends and family have worn U.S. Navy Foul Weather Hats in honor of their father, a WWII Navy veteran, and as a way to easily find each other during and after the race. Dozens of fellow racers recognize the hats, say hi and visit before, during, and after the race each year.

 

The brothers started, skied the course, and finished the 2026 Birkie together. Before the race, there was concern that someone would break a more than 40 years old wooden ski. A repair kit with duct tape, plastic, and metal splice material was carried the entire way. Fortunately, the only mishap was early in the race when the tip on one of Tom’s bamboo poles broke. Since none of the aid stations had bamboo poles, he decided to ski almost the entire race with the damaged bamboo pole. There had also been concern that the lingering effects of Lyme disease would affect Mike’s ability to finish the race, but he set a comfortable pace and finished feeling well. Mark talked to dozens of fellow skiers as he leisurely cruised down the trail. Joe enjoyed and appreciated the beautiful Birkie trail surroundings in a way not possible when pushing hard towards Hayward. At one point an owl flew over all four, directly up the trail with a mouth full of twigs, something they probably would not have noticed when intensely skiing. A safe, fun ski and wonderful way to celebrate 20+ Birkies for all four.

Birchleggings Club 2026 Annual Awards Breakfast

 

Join Your Fellow Birchleggers (New & Veteran) at the Annual Breakfast Enjoy a celebration of dedicated skiers during Birkie 52 at the annual Birchleggings Club Awards Breakfast! RSVP up via RunSignup using the link below. All skiers and their families are invited. Pre-registration is encouraged so we can plan on the number of attendees.       Sunday, February 22, 2026      Doors open at 8:30 am, breakfast served at 9:00 am      Hayward Steakhouse & Lodge      Highway 27 South, in Hayward New 20-year Birchleggers, new 20-year Kortelopet Tuje Skiløpers, and new 20-year Birkie+Korte “Combi” race finishers will receive a free breakfast. Cost for others is $20.00 plus tax and the RunSignup processing fee. Children 5–10 years old are $10.00 plus tax and fees, and children under 5 are free. You may also attend and pay at the door, but preregistration is preferred. Register Here for the Breakfast At the breakfast we will: - Present 20-30-and 40-year Birchleggers their awards - Present the Tony Wise Birkie Spirit Award for 2026 - Hear race summaries from Ben Popp and others - Get updates on Birkie and Birchleggings Club events and developments - Provide opportunities to help support the Birkie, the Birkie Trail, youth skiing, healthy lifestyles, and winter climate health.   Come to the breakfast and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow Birchleggers and skiers. Get involved with club projects to promote and improve the Birkie and its events.

Birchleggings Club 2026 Activities Announced!

Download the Flyer  

Birkie Stats - New Website by Jim Coors Showing Stats from 1999-2025!

 

Who did this and why?

 https://xcskistats.info/

I am a retired professor of agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has skied the Birkie 36 times. I’d like to ski the Birkie at least 4 more times, but I’m 75 and nearing the point where every new year is more an act of serendipity than a planned event.

I have always enjoyed working with large datasets, and this comes from my UW years when I was a research geneticist/biostatistician/plant breeder. Most of my work involved field-based research evaluating extensive plant germplasm collections over multiple years and varied environments. I enjoy creating summaries from large datasets that capture performance potential in meaningful ways.

Only now, instead of plants, I want to focus on summarizing the performance of thousands of skiers over decades of the Birkie. The challenge is just as great given the tremendous variation in weather conditions, alterations in course/race management, and demographic shifts. I’ve started to do this in this website, but “started” is the operative word.

All statistics are bare bones at this point, but there is good potential for a more thorough undertaking. This project has benefitted greatly from the help of Dave Armstrong, Liam Johnston, and John Oman.

I would welcome additional help from anyone who is willing and qualified to move this effort to higher level.

I would also like to recommend the work of Paul Anderson and Ralph Bovard who compared the health and behavior of Birkie skiers to that of a representative swath of Americans. That data had been collected starting in 2014 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

As a last note, I’m obviously enamored of the long tradition of the Birkie, and I want to make sure the long tradition becomes ever longer.

Support the Birkie Endowment!

Jim Coors

skilongtime@gmail.com

Birchleggings Club 2025 Fall Foliage Cornhole Classic Wrap-Up

 

The Fall Foliage Cornhole Classic, the final event on this year’s Birchleggings Club Year Round Activities calendar, was held on October 9, 2025, at Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Ladder ball was added to Cornhole and all participants were pitching for pumpkin pies provided by organizers, Gus and Julie Virkus. A big thanks to both of them for this fun 2nd annual fall activity.

 

The Cornhole game was hotly contested with Bob, Steve, Adam, Larry, Paul, and Edward, and the Ladder Ball had fun matches with Gus, Adam, Paul, and Adam.

Sweet treats, warm sun, and good company made for a most pleasant, sunny afternoon. Now it’s time to start dryland training, hit the weights and think snow!

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birchleggings Club Annual Meeting 2025 Wrap-Up

 

The Birchleggings Club Annual Meeting was held on September 26, 2025, from 11:00am - 02:00pm CDT, at the Samuel Johnson Family Outdoor Center at Double 00 on the American Birkebeiner Trail in Seeley, Wisconsin.

The meeting included music by the BLC Strummers, which included Edward Eroe, Tim Burke, Jim (JT) Tenorio, and Randy Lueth during lunch before the meeting started.

After lunch, Paul Thompson, Birchleggings Club President, called the meeting to order at 12:00pm. He introduced all Birchleggings Club Board Members and had all members and guests introduce themselves.

The financial report was provided by Tom Rowley, Treasurer, and the Membership and Communication Committee report was provided by JT, Secretary. Louise Dressler provided an update on the American Birkebeiner Foundation and the clubs' relationship. Bob Britz, Vice President and Fundraising Chair, provided an update on the very successful Birchleggings Golf Outing, and Edward Eroe, Webmaster, provided an update on the Birchleggings Club website and the 2nd Annual Dakota Trail Bicycle Ride.

Other reports included Disc Golf by Paul, the Grand Committee and Corn Hole Event by Gus Virkus, The Birchleggings Club Awards Breakfast and Tony Wise Award by Steve Carmazon, Membership Chair, and Connie Meek. Julie Virkus also talked about all the clothing and ski bags she is making with old Birkie Bibs! Nona Goertz provided an update on the revised Birchleggings Club Bylaws, which are found on the website. Additionally, Jim Anderson, BLC Member, introduced the attendees to his series of books that chronicle his quests to ski in races and run marathons around the world.

JT presented the results of the Board of Directors election results. Bob Britz and Steve Carmazon were re-elected, and Ken Schoville was elected for the first time.

The following day, on Saturday, was the Birkie Trail Run with over 800 runners and hikers. Paul staffed the Birkie Green Sustainability Booth with JT and Deb Tenorio. On Sunday, Gus, Connie, and Paul teamed up at the Team Birkie golf scramble at Lakewood's Forest Ridge Golf Course.

It was a full weekend for the Birchleggings Club, as we continue to grow our presence and impact with the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, and the race that brought us all together.

The photographs from the annual meeting taken by Edward and Paul are on our Facebook Page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1580989423352186&type=3

 

The Birchleggings Club Annual Meeting is one week away!

 

Birchleggings Club Membership Join Donate The Birchleggings Club Annual Meeting is one week away The Birchleggings Club of the American Birkebeiner (BLC) will be holding its annual meeting for 2025 next week. On Friday, September 26, 2025, come to the SC Johnson Family Outdoor Center at the OO Trailhead of the Birke trail near Seeley, WI from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. The annual meeting is a great way to learn more about the club and find ways to get involved that fit your interests and talents. Join or renew your membership on the spot! Following a picnic, the annual meeting will conduct club business that will include a review of the past year's club activities and accomplishments, introduce and solicit ideas for the upcoming year, conduct voting for important club decisions and announce the results of the election of Birchleggings Club Board of Director members. All current dues-paying members of the BLC were sent online voting instructions for the Board of Director elections via email from Birchleggings Club Membership on September 1. Or... members may vote in person at the annual meeting. Please RSVP for this free event below if you will attend so we can plan food and beverages for the picnic: RSVP for the Annual Meeting here! We encourage you to attend the annual meeting to make and renew friendships with other Birchleggings Club members and take part in guiding your club’s and the Birkie’s future. ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ Financial grants available from the Birchleggings Club As part of its mission to support the American Birkebeiner, encourage healthy lifestyles, and preserve our winters, the Birchleggings Club has once again provided monetary grants to several organizations. Here are some recent recipients:       -       Nordic Rocks Program, developed by CXC. Grant to provide cross-country ski equipment to schools, clubs, parks, and community organizations that have programs to introduce youth to cross-country skiing.       -       Wisconsin Nordic Network. Grant to provide Kortelopet entry-fee “scholarships” to high school cross country ski team athletes.       -       American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. Grant to purchase new durable trash and recycling bins for ABSF events.       -       American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. Grant to the Mount Telemark Village Capital Campaign. If your non-profit organization’s mission matches ours as described above, we encourage you to apply for a grant. The deadline to apply for fall-season awards is October 1. The deadline to apply for spring-season awards is April 1. Grant applications and instructions may be downloaded using this link: Download Grant Application Here! ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ Join Jessie in celebrating Sun Day around the globe and with the ABSF at the Hub-- Right after the annual  meeting! Sun Day is a national day of action, celebrating the power of clean energy. Our 50th American Birkebeiner female champion Jessie Diggins is an ambassador for this national event.  The clean energy revolution is here. Solar, wind and batteries are the cheapest form of power on the planet, lowering costs, creating new jobs, and strengthening our communities. But some politicians and industries are trying to hold it back. On September 26 at 4:30 pm, right after the Birchleggings Club annual meeting, we’ll celebrate the progress we’ve made and push for more. At Telemark Village, visit the newest building, The Hub, and solar installation by the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation and learn about how we are working to be more sustainable and inspire others to do the same. Hear from Birkebeiner staff, and the local Citizens Climate Lobby Partner and get an up-close view of the solar array and the underplanted native plant garden. Together, we’ll make the sun rise on our clean energy future. Follow Jessie’s lead and be a part of this day of action. RSVP at the link below: RSVP for the Sun Day Solar Tour Learn more about the national event (focused around Sunday September 21) or find a local Sun Day event close to you at: Learn more about this national event ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ Team Birkie Golf Classic is the day after the Birkie Trail Run Event location: Forest Ridges Golf Course, Cable, WI Event date: Sunday September 28, 2025 @ 10:00am – 3:00pm CST Get ready to "putt" your best foot forward and join us for the inaugural Team Birkie Golf Classic at the award winning 18-hole golf Forest Ridges Golf Course in Cable, WI presented by Lakewoods Resort! This is the event everyone's talking about, and trust us, you don't want to be "left in the fairway”! Sign up for the Golf Classic Here! Team Birkie is a Midwest-based professional cross country ski team formed through a collaboration between the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, The Loppet Foundation, and Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC). With athletes competing at the FIS World Cup, U.S. SuperTour, and regional marathon levels, the team is dedicated to advancing skiing in the Central Region. With its home base in Minneapolis, MN, Team Birkie promotes partnership and community engagement, striving to set higher standards in the sport and inspire the next generation of Nordic skiers. In addition to supporting the Team Birkie athletes, enjoy a great day of golf, camaraderie, and opportunities to win great prizes. If you’re unable to attend the event, you can still make a meaningful impact by supporting our athletes with a donation: Donate to Team Birkie Every ticket sold for this event will be matched 1:1 by the Knicker Nordic Foundation!  SCHEDULE 9 am Registration 10 am Shotgun Start  Lunch & Awards at conclusion of play ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ Fall foliage fun - Cornhole Classic coming on October   Get ready to renew friendships and enjoy some spirited competition at the 2nd annual Birchleggings Club Fall Foliage Cornhole Classic.   This free event will be held at the permanent cornhole pits at Hyland Park in Bloomington, MN near the chalet. This event is free and open to everyone. Feel free to invite family and friends. You do not need to be a Birchlegger or a member of the Birchleggings Club to attend. We do ask you to register through RunSignup using the "Sign Up" link below.     We will have three courts set up for you. There is no need to bring any equipment. A picnic shelter is right there for our use. We will provide beverages and snacks. Incentives:  You’ll be “Pitchin’ for Pumpkin Pies”.  Enjoy some pie on site, then get lucky as five more large pumpkin pies are given away in a drawing.   Come and join in the fun! Sign Up for Cornhole Here! ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ Time to renew your membership in (or JToin) the Birchleggings Club Get ready for the 2026 Birkie season and our year-round events by renewing your membership. Membership in the BLC is an optional opportunity for all Birchleggings and for 20-year Kortelopet finishers. In addition, we welcome “Combi” skiers whose combination of Korte and Birke finishes totals 20 or more! Benefits of Birchleggings Club Membership:       ·      Be recognized for your dedicated accomplishment of 20(+) races.       ·      Honor skiers at their 20, 30,40, and 50th anniversary finishes at the annual BLC Awards Breakfast.       ·      Receive a BLC “My Deals” Discount Program membership for excellent nation-wide discounts.          •      Enjoy year-round BLC events with fellow Birchleggers.       ·      Participate on a BLC volunteer team, Grants, Birkie One, Birkie Green, others.       ·      Have a direct impact on the future of the next 50 years of Birkie history.       ·      Help continue the youth skiing, ABSF, Birkie Trail, and community projects we support.       ·      Join our community and tell your Birkie story--details on our website: Birchlegger’s Birkie Stories Project. New member bonus! New memberships joining this fall will include the entire 2026 calendar year! Use the link below to access the membership page. Membership is accomplished as follows using your RunSignup (RSU) account that you use to register for Birkie events:       1)    Click on the membership link below.       2)    Select your level of membership (one-year, five-year, or lifetime)       3)    Confirm your payment-option amount       4)    Click on “log in here” at the end of the first paragraph       5)    Log in to your RSU account and complete the registration process. Join or Renew Your Membership Birchleggings Club Membership Powered by RunSignup, © 2025 Unsubscribe | View in Browser