Support Fellow Birchlegger, Paul Thompson, in the Cool Planet Skiers Initiative on Climate Change!

Cool Planet Skiers Converge on the Birkie

Feb 18-21, 2016- Cable to Hayward Wisconsin

Cool Planet Skiers (CPS) will be skiing in the 43rd running of North America’s largest Cross Country Ski Event, the American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon on Saturday February 20.

CPS  with partners I AM PRO SNOW and Citizens’ Climate Lobby are forming a coalition of Climate Solutions and Winter and Snow Protection organizations. They will be hosting a booth at the Birkie Expo in the Hayward,  High School Gym Thursday 2/18  from 1-8 pm and Friday 2/19 from 9 am-8 pm signing up skiers to be Cool Planet Skiers, pledge their support for the  100% Committed project of I AM PRO SNOW, and building the network of CCL chapters around the country (now over 300) to propose federal legislation (Carbon Fee and Dividend) to price carbon pollution at its’ source and return all collected fees to American households.

Paul Thompson of Edina MN the founder of Cool Planet Skiers and Birchlegging Member (skiers with over 20 Birkies completed) says:

“Having completed 35 Birkies I have seen the struggles our ski community deals with all over our country and world with consistent winter weather. We attended the recent Paris Climate Conference and the agreement made there now gives us the starting point to take local action to cut our emissions and to implement the new technologies available that can drive our economy toward climate and snow friendly policies. All that is missing is the political will and skiers are in the crosshairs of this opportunity.”

Please join us at the Cool Planet Skiers booth at the Birkie Expo, visit our web site and follow the action at our facebook page as skiers and their famlies tell us why they are “Pro Snow”

For more information or to schedule an interview contact Paul Thompson at paul@coolplanetmn.org or 612-810-4664

Membership Drive Drawings Winners 2016!

The following Birchleggings Club members have won prizes in our random drawing:

Marty Mattes –     2016 Raceday Parking Pass

Ralph Thornton – 2016 Raceday Parking Pass

Choice of Birchlegger T-Shirt, Ski Hat or Ball Cap

======================================

William Butsic

Bob Walsh

Todd Ostrander

Mark Gherty

Dale Janz

Vic LaPort

Dick Roeber

Jon Mommaerts

Gary Herdrich

Timothy Klima

Erik Minge

Jeff Pike

John Heimsch

Per Johnsen

Bruce Harshberger

Congratulations  !

Birchleggings Club 2016 Annual Awards Breakfast Meeting - February 21, 2016

The Birchleggings Club 2016 Annual Awards Breakfast Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 21, 2016 at The Steakhouse & Lodge in Hayward, Wisconsin from 09:00-11:00am!









The address is:

15860 T Bone Lane
Hayward, WI 54843
GPS Coordinates: 46.002364, -91.486133
(off of Route 27 South of Hayward)

Phone Number: 715-934-4411

The Breakfast Price is $10 payable at the door.

Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner Partners with Birchleggings Club for Museum Exhibitions

This was just published in the December Holiday Edition of the American Birkebeiner Carpe Skiem.

Gale Otterholt, Birchleggings Club President, Tom Rowley, Vice President, and John Kotar, Board Member and Birkie Founder present ABSF Executive Director Ben Popp with a check for $2,000 for exhibits at the Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner. The Club has joined forces with ABSF to raise money for the Museum in a unique way that will help the Club grow and build support for the museum.

For more than 15 years the Birchleggings Club has worked with the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation to honor skiers at the Birchleggers Sunday Breakfast with awards for 20, 30 and 40 years of racing. Additionally, the Club provides the Tony Wise Award in recognition of contributions to the growth and success of the race, and has provided the funds for the warming hut at Mosquito Brook Road. Now the Club has another feather in its (ski) cap: a $2,000 gift to the Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner, scheduled to open in 2016. “I am proud and excited that the Birchleggings Club can be part of this project,” said Gale Otterholt, Club President. “It meshes with our mission so well, which in part is to enhance the race traditions of the American Birkebeiner.”

In addition to the Club’s gift, the Club’s Board of Directors has been involved in an effort to seek individual gifts for the Museum from all skiers who have skied twenty or more Birkebeiners. As an incentive, donors of $100 or more – called Museum Founders – will receive a one-year complimentary membership in the Club. “This is a win-win for all of us,” continued Otterholt. “Our Club is growing with a significant number of new members, Club members are renewing their membership early, and we’re getting in on the ground floor of something big – a museum that will honor our race and its legacy.”

Those who took advantage of the complimentary membership offer will be included in the Club’s own membership drive incentives, which includes drawings for prizes, including race-day parking passes. In early November, letters were sent to all skiers who’ve completed 20 or more Birkebeiners. Please contact the ABSF (715-634-5025) if you did not receive a letter, or need a replacement or other information. Contributions may be made at www.birkie.com/museum. In addition to the aforementioned perks, Museum Founders will be permanently recognized in the Museum, and receive a nifty plaque, a nice addition to those twenty, thirty, and forty year awards in one’s trophy case.

2016 Birchleggings Club Clothing Now Available!

The 2016 Birchleggings Club Clothing is now available in the Birchleggings Store. Click here or go to the Website Navigation Menu and click on Birchleggings store.

Birchleggings Club Membership Drive!

Birchleggings Club Membership Drive!

Join during our membership drive from Dec 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016 and become eligible for fine prizes in our random drawing.

 How do I get my name into the drawing? Pay Birchleggings Club dues for 2016 by January 31, 2016 and your name will be put into the drawing. See the Membership Menu.

What are the Prices?

 2   Grand prizes – 2016 race day parking passes

15   Other prizes – choice of Birchlegger ball cap, ski hat or T-shirt

Celebration of Joan Pedersen's Life - November 18, 2015

We are very sorry to communicate the passing of Joan Pedersen, wife of Birchlegger Paul Pedersen, who has completed 31 American Birkebeiner ski races. 

On behalf of the Birchleggings community we wish to express our deepest sympathy to Paul and his family. 

A Celebration of Joan's life will be held on Wednesday. Nov. 18, 2015 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM, at the Lumberjack Steakhouse off of Highway 27 at 15860 T Bone Lane, Hayward, Wisconsin 54843.

Outdoor Ventures Offering Special Discount to Birchleggings Club Members!

Outdoor Ventures has just announced that it is offering a 20% discount on all regularly priced skis, boots and poles to Birchleggings Club members. You must show your membership card and be current with your club dues to take advantage of this offer!

Birchleggings Club Annual 2015 Meeting and Board of Directors Election - November 14, 2015

Birchleggings Club Annual 2015 Meeting and Board of Directors Election

Per the bylaws of The Birchleggings Club Inc, one-third of the 9 Directors are to be elected each year at our annual meeting.

This year, the nominees for the Board election are the three incumbents – Gail Otterholt, Jim Tenorio, and Tom Rowley.

The Birchleggings Club Inc annual meeting will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 1:00pm CST. All members are welcome to attend. Address is:

5340 Harold St

Eau Claire WI 54701 

Method of Voting.

(a) Absentee Ballots. Download and print the Official Ballot and mail to Dave Balsiger (address below).  Your name must appear on the envelope for voter registration purposes. Completed ballots must be received by November 4, 2014.

(b) In person. Individuals who choose not to vote by absentee ballot may cast their vote in person at the Annual Meeting.

(c) Proxies. There are no votes by proxy.

Mail ballots to:

Dave Balsiger

5703 Lincoln Rd

Oregon WI  53575

Questions to: dbalsiger@aol.com

Tony Wise Birkie Spirit Award and Pictures from the Birchleggings Club Breakfast and Awards Ceremony 2015

John Kotar with Nina Kotar accepts the 2015 Tony Wise Birkie Spirit Award at the Birchleggings Club Breakfast and Awards Ceremony on February 22, 2015 in Hayward, Wisconsin!

Steve Carmazon, Birchleggings Club Board Members said these words in introducing John.

Other than our parents, there are two people responsible for us being here today. 

We're going to look at their legacies. The First is Tony Wise. Tony was known for, and successful because of at least 4 major traits.

1. He was extremely gregarious, he loved people, and wanted them to succeed and prosper in life, and he wanted to provide winter jobs, in a time that was primarily a summer resort recreation economy.  Being a ski resort owner, he loved to see people living a healthy lifestyle.

2. He possessed great leadership skills, on what should/could be next, and was extremely creative.

3. He had a great pioneering Spirit, he wanted to be first at what he did, he wasn't afraid to try new things, and even lose money, hoping to make it up elsewhere.

4. In everything he did, he wanted to do it first class, or not at all.

His Legacy changed the Landscape in Nordic skiing, both in America, and the World, with the American Birkebeiner, the Birkie Trail, and the Worldloppet, All His Creations!

John Kotar, our recipient today, is also a creation of Tony's. Tony liked to recognize and reward accomplishment, John and 9 others were designated founders in 1982, the 10th year of the Birkie, after they had skied the first 10years.

In 1992, John Kotar, concluded that were other skiers who deserved recognition for their accomplishments, so he wrote a letter to the ABSF, stating that, the result of which is our Purple, Gold, and now Spirit of 35 Bibs. All of us who wear those bibs have him to thank for that.
The Birchleggings Club is his Creation.

When the idea came forth to build warming huts attached to storage buildings at various food station sites on the Birkie Trail, John was there, as a member of The ABSF Board, to help build OUR Legacy, by saying that the Birchleggings Club would Pay off the construction price, if we could put our Logo on it.

OUR Warming Hut at Mosquito Brook Road is a Tangible, Permanent statement of who WE are, and OUR Commitment to The Birkie Trail, the Sport, and the Race, and being a food station site, the volunteers Serving There Love It, as they have a place to warm up.

When it came time for John to step aside, and let others take charge, in 2013, and 2014, he shepherded us through the Steering Committee Process, which led to forming a board of directors, with by-laws, incorporating, electing officers, and becoming a tax exempt organization.

And now we're off to forming our Legacy, with our first ever expo booth, but we wouldn't be here without his vision, and creativity.

One more thing: He came up with the concept of the Tony Wise Birkie Spirit Award, and He Exemplifies All of Tony  's Attributes and Accomplishments!

On behalf of the Nominating Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Birchleggings Club, it is my Great Honor and Pleasure to announce the Recipient of the 2015 Tony Wise Birkie Spirit Award is our Founder: John Kotar.

To see pictures from the 2015 Birchleggings Club Breakfast and Awards Ceremony please go to this link 2015 Birchleggings Club Breakfast and Awards Ceremony Pictures.