Vasaloppet ski race celebrates its 50th year in Mora
The Vasaloppet USA cross country ski race in Mora, Minn., celebrates its 50th anniversary this coming weekend, despite the ongoing COVID pandemic and a trend of low-snow winters that a few years ago almost ended the longstanding tradition.
More than 900 skiers are signed up for eight different races scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday, including 48-kilometer freestyle and classic events. All races begin and end in downtown Mora.
The event is inspired by the original Vasaloppet ski race in Mora, Sweden, which is Mora’s sister city. Volunteers in Mora, Minn., first pitched the idea as a way to bring visitors to town in the winter. 96 skiers took part in the inaugural race in 1973, which began in a farm field in Kanabec County.
Over the years the popularity of the race grew, peaking between 3,000 and 4,000 participants, said Vasaloppet USA President Jon Larson, a lifelong Mora resident who skied in his first Vasaloppet when he was 12.
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But numbers dwindled after a series of winters with skimpy snowfall that forced the race to be canceled or shortened — one year volunteers were forced to grind up ice on Mora Lake to create “snow” to ski loops around the lake.
In response, a group of volunteers formed, known as “snow farmers,” who make artificial snow in two giant piles, and then haul it with manure spreaders on to the trail, to ensure that the race will go on despite the trend of warmer winters and inconsistent snowfall.
“So far this year, we have moved just over 1,000 manure spreaders full of snow,” said Larson. That’s enough snow to cover a football field 10 feet deep.
Larson said on average it takes about 15 minutes to fill up a load of snow, drive it onto the trail and spread it. That means volunteers have spent more than 10 full days making and distributing snow to prepare the trail for the race.
“It's a Herculean effort,” said Larson. “And if we weren't doing that, we would have really poor conditions. And in many years we wouldn't have a race. Where now we're pretty much guaranteed, if it gets cold, we can have a race.”
While the race itself will go on this weekend, several accompanying events have been canceled due to COVID-19, including a “Celebration Tent” where participants gather post-race, and a memory night where racers share stories from years gone by.
But Larson said organizers plan to celebrate the 50th anniversary again next year. “And hopefully,” he said, “the conditions will be more ripe for all the celebrations.”