What is an Uberlegger you may ask? An Uberlegger is an individual who has completed 30 or more years of Birkie ski marathons. This past summer I connected with Uberlegger skier Bob Britz while helping with the 1st Annual Birchleggings Club Golf Classic Fundraiser Event. The following article includes highlights and fun facts from forty-six Birkie events spanning 1978 to 2024! Get ready to be inspired for your next Birkie race!
Over the years, Bob has competed in forty-six American Birkebeiner races. Following each race event, Bob recorded various details about the course, temperature and how the race went for him on the back side of his race bib. For Bob’s 70th birthday, his children put together a memory book with stories of all his Birkie adventures. Throughout the years, Bob recorded the evolution of the Birkie race from a small classic ski one day event to holding multiple events with 15,000 participants.
Bob purchased his first pair of classic skis and bamboo poles in 1977. He heard about the Birkie race from his running friend Roger Knudson and invited his longtime friend Warren LaCourse to do the event with him. The rest is history!
1978 Birkie # 1 with a finish time of 6:01. The ski race was classic tracks through the woods from Cable to Hayward. As the bus approached the starting area at Telemark Lodge, the driver yelled out instructions, “All skiers are to exit the front of the bus, it’s the law.” As our bus came to the start area we heard a cannon being fired. The race had started and we were sitting in the back of the bus. I looked at Warren and said, “Let’s grab our skis, we are going out the back door.” When I pulled up on the door handle all hell broke loose! Skiers were following us out the back like the bus was on fire despite the bus driver yelling “close the door and exit the front door!”
1979 Birkie #2 with a finishing time of 5 hr. 29 min. The race was getting larger and the community was more organized for the ski event. The Birkie was starting to have more activities for the racers and the spectators which made it more enjoyable. We decided the event would be a yearly activity for us.
1980 Birkie #3 with a finish time of 4 hr. 12 min. Our year-round training and knowing what the course was like was making a difference and we now were going up earlier to take in some of the pre-race activities and relax before the race on Saturday morning.
1981 Birkie #4 with a time of 4 hr. 59 min. The race was postponed until March 7th due to a lack of snow and the temperature was in the low 30’s.
1982 Birkie #5 with a time of 4 hr. 16 min. The Birkie started in Hayward and ended in Cable at the Telemark Lodge. The race was more difficult going from Hayward to Cable!
1983 Birkie #6 with finish time of 3 hr. 30 min. The race was shortened to 50 Km because the lake was unsafe due to the warm winter.
1984 Birkie #7 Best finish time of 3 hr. 22 min. The race was shortened because of poor ice on the lake. The conditions were icy and the ski tracks were fast!
1985 Birkie #8 Finish time of 3hrs. 58 min. This past summer I was hit broad side while sitting at a stop sign. Ended up with a broken left leg, broke my pelvis in 5 places, bruised spleen & kidneys, 5 broken ribs, lacerated left arm, & a concussion.
The road to recovery was long and slow. My goal was to ski the Birkie in February, which gave me motivation to work out and try to get myself healthy again. My first 200 yd. walk in July took me over 30 minutes long! By the beginning of February I have been able to ski for about 3 hours, so I am thinking I should be able to make the race distance. It was a great feeling and sense of accomplishment to finish the Birkie. The race was shortened to 48 km and the course was ground-up ice (like skiing in sand)!
1986 Birkie #9 finish time was 4 hr. 33 min. This was the first year that we skated the Birkie. Bill Koch introduced a new style in the Olympics and it has caught on as another way to ski. Two days before this year’s race it snowed 6 to 8 inches and the track was very soft and slow. It snowed another 2 inches during the race, beautiful to watch but tough to ski.
1987 Birkie #10 finish time was 3 hr. 36 min. Due to lack of snow, the only places we could ski train in Minneapolis were on the lakes starting in January. The course was shortened to 44 km due to a lack of snow and warm weather. The groomers ground up the course so it would not be so fast and dangerous. In places on the hills, the snow was two to six inches deep! After completing our tenth Birkie we decided our next goal was to race twenty Birkie events!
1988 Birkie #11 finish time of 3 hr. 39 min. Around 6,000 skiers participated in the Birkie this year! The night before the race the temps dropped to five below zero with one inch of new snow. The Birkie was a great personal challenge of both will and endurance.
1989 Birkie #12 finish time of 3 hrs. 21 min. The race seemed to go fast this year, people were very friendly and polite which makes the race an enjoyable event to return to year after year. I was excited to finish in under 3 hours and 30 minutes!
1990 Birkie #13 finish time of 3 hrs. 53 min. The race was shortened this year due to warm weather, with the race starting in Rosie’s Field just east of Lake Hayward. Temperatures were -2 degrees with NW winds 20-30 mph – Burr! We had four inches of fresh snow which made the track slow. Of the previous 12 Birkie’s, this was the most difficult character-building race.
1991 Birkie #14 The race was shortened to 48 km this year due to warm weather, with the race starting at Rosie’s field. During the race, we received about 6 to 8 inches of new snow. The snowfall was beautiful, but the 2nd half of the race was difficult as the snow was over the top of our ski boots!
1992 Birkie #15 The Tracks were hard-packed with some fresh snow to top. It was a perfect ski day with the best conditions in years.
1993 Birkie #16 The race course was in great condition. The Birkie updated the course by widening the powerline area. This eliminated a bottleneck for skiers, which allowed you to ski at your own pace. The weather made for a hard packed track that they tilled up (maybe too much) the night before and it was deep in some spots. It was a great weekend of skiing.
1994 Birkie #17 Around 6,500 skiers competed this year! The trail was in good condition but the cold conditions made it slow and tough to get good glide. Following the race we put our stocking hats on and sat in a hot tub outside overlooking Lake Hayward. We ate pizza, drank some beer, and watched the last skiers go across the lake to the finish line. We were glad we were in the hot tub and not skiing.
1995 Birkie #18 The wax we used this year was Rex Blue which was good during the whole race! During the last one third of the race it was snowing lightly making the pine trees beautiful. It was a great day to be skiing in the woods.
1996 Birkie # 19 The temperature was 25 degrees with five inches of new wet snow and rain before the race. At mid-day on Saturday, the temperatures rose to around forty-seven degrees which made for a slow ski race.
1997 Birkie #20 The temperature was eight degrees with perfectly groomed trails. The race organization is getting better at grooming every year as well as making improvements to the trail. Warren & I hit the milestone of completing twenty Birkie’s, and were now officially Birchleggers! Our next goal was to complete 30 Birkie’s.
1998 Birkie #21 This was a bad snow year and the race was shortened to end at double OO.
1999 Birkie #22 The Temperature was 36 degrees with some new soft snow. The course was in good shape and skied well during the first half of the race, but started breaking down in the second half with the soft and deep snow on the hills.
2000 Birkie Race Cancelled! Warren and I arrived on Thursday afternoon with temperature in the forties. The course had over twelve inches of snow so we were optimistic about the race on Saturday. Friday morning the race was still on but the weather was very warm and the snow was melting fast.
We went up to Telemark Lodge Friday morning to pick up our race materials and as we entered the lodge they told us the race would be shortened to 25 Km. By 5 o’clock it had been raining all day and it did not look good for the race conditions. As we listened to the news Friday evening it was apparent that the race was going to be cancelled.
2001 Birkie #23 The Wax was HF6 with a top coat of Cera 100 (new waxes for warm weather). We had three to four inches of fresh snow on Friday night and another one to three inches during the race on Saturday. It was a beautiful day with snow flocking the trees and covering the ground in a white blanket. As the race started it was snowing very hard making for a tough day of skiing. This was the HARDEST race for me in twenty-three years of skiing. All skiers had times of forty-five minutes to an hour longer than normal.
2002 Birkie #24 The temperature was thirty-two degrees at the start and around forty-three degrees at the finish. Five inches of wet snow fell during the race. It was another tough year for training in Minneapolis due to the warm weather and lack of snow. We were able to train on the lakes but not very much in the parks as the snow was very thin. The race ended at Rosie’s field which was 46.5 km this year due to warm weather and poor lake conditions. Many skiers were stopping along the course to rest and gather themselves and looking forward to getting to Rosie’s Field.
2003 Birkie #25 Training was difficult this year due to the lack of snow to ski on until mid-January. The Twin Cities is talking about creating a man-made trail up at Elm Creek. As I was finishing my race on Main street, my daughter handed off my granddaughter Maddi in the backpack. It took a few strides to get my balance and we were off towards the finish line with the crowd cheering me on.
2004 Birkie #26 The temperature was in the twenty’s with five inches of fresh powder making a picture-perfect day!
2005 Birkie #27 Low snow year but we were able to ski on the man-made snow, which consisted of a small loop at Elm Creek in Maple Grove. The Birkie trail was in very good condition firm for most of the race.
2006 Birkie #28 Around four to five inches of fresh snow fell the night before the race which made for tough and slow conditions. The Birkie is very unpredictable when it comes to weather as it can change from one day to the next, but that is what makes it exciting. Racers need to have a positive mindset to be able to adjust on Saturday morning and take whatever it gives you.
2007 Birkie #29 The race was shortened to twenty-five km due to lack of snow. This year I stayed at the Telemark Lodge, so the morning of the race was quite relaxing being able to walk fifteen minutes to the race start. The Lodge has everything we need under one roof; our room, restaurant, game room, and a recreational area.
2008 Birkie # 30 Mentally this year was struggle. I lost my dad in early February and it was tough to do much without thinking of him. Race day weather was around ten degrees with great snow conditions.
2009 Birkie # 31 Friday activities included youth ski events, ski and wax vendors, visiting with skiers by the fireplace in the Lodge, and carbo-loading! Race day weather was -14 degrees with about one inch of snow during the race. While going down a big hill near Rosie’s field, I lost control and did a header. I bruised my shoulder, cut my knee, and lost my hat and sunglasses. By the time I was able to gather myself and find all my gear, around one-hundred or more skiers passed by me!
2010 Birkie # 32 Race day weather was 15 degrees with light snow making ideal ski conditions.
2011 Birkie #33 We had news that the lodge was in trouble financially and would not be open this year. Later the lodge decided they would be able to open up for the skiers. Race day weather was around -9 degrees with about five inches of fresh snow during the week and a little during the race. We all had a good time, but are going to look for alternative housing in the future.
2012 Birkie #34 The race day weather was between 12- 25 degrees with 3-4 inches of fresh snow during the day. After about 15 km the lack of training was becoming evident. It was going to be a day to ski steady and finish the race. Some of the athletic sayings that we tell our student-athletes were coming to mind today:
- “If you like what you are doing it’s not work”.
- “Set your goals, monitor and adjust, and go for it!”
- “CC skiing is simple but also complex!”
- “Have as good a time as you can”!
2013 Birkie # 35 Friday before the race it started to snow with a total accumulation of over eight inches. I had several falls during the race and broke my pole when another skier fell on it. I skied about 8 km with one pole before I was able to get a spare to finish the race. It was a good day to tour the race due to the difficult conditions. The Birkie is having more activities Thursday through Saturday that make it more than just a race. Sunday we are on our way home thinking of next year’s Birkie.
2014 Birkie #36 After a few weeks of searching, we were finally able to get a hotel room in Hayward (the lodge has officially closed). Saturday morning we woke up to about 15 inches of fresh snow and 3 degrees with a wind chill of – 25 degrees. After skiing this many Birkies we knew what to expect so it was going to be a year to tour and adapt to the conditions.
This year the Birkie decided to honor a group called the “Spirit of 35” in honor of the first 35 ski racers to ski the Birkie at its inception. I qualified to be in that group which meant starting the race off before the elite skiers. What a year to get a start with all the fresh cold snow! It was beautiful, but very slow conditions in the deep snow. It was different being on the course for the first 10 – 12 km without thousands of other skiers.
We had many complimentary and encouraging comments from the elite women and men ski racers when they passed us around 10 km. Crossing Hayward Lake into a headwind was challenging with 20-30 mph wind which slowed your forward progress to a crawl! With completion of Birkie number 36 in the books, I am thinking #40 is within sight!
2015 Birkie #37 This is a special Birkie in memory of my long-time skiing partner Warren LaCourse who passed away suddenly in September. Warren and I had skied the Birkie for thirty-six years. I carried Warren’s race bib and a few other items during the race.
In 2015 the Birkie rerouted the course and added additional hills by Fish Hatchery. In addition, they added a bridge as you come off the lake to cross over Highway 63 and enter the downtown area. The view at the top of the bridge is beautiful with a sea of colors down Haywards Main Street lined with thousands of spectators. This was a very special race finish because Warren and I did it together one last time! I was physically tired as well as emotionally spent.
2016 Birkie #38 The second half of the course was soft and dirt came through in places. I felt good during the race but from 39 Km to the finish the hills were very challenging.
2017 Birkie #39 The weather was in the 40s and 50s before the race. Close to Birkie weekend, there was a chance of a big snowfall which did not happen. The race was cancelled but the foundation put on a big celebration at the new race start to ski on a short man-made loop.
2018 Birkie #40 On Thursday it snowed 10 – 12 inches followed by another 6-8 inches on Saturday evening. The Birkie has a new start area. Cold start temps of 3 above and warming to 30 degrees made for good ski conditions.
2019 Birkie #41 Beautiful day, but tough skiing on 4 inches of fresh snow! During the race, my shoulders and legs were as tired as I have ever been. I had never cramped up skiing until this year. It was a fun weekend seeing old friends with a fantastic atmosphere for skiers and fans alike. Thousands of people lined a four-block stretch in downtown Hayward for the skiers as they finished the race.
2020 Birkie #42 It was very rewarding to be a Birkie Ambassador on the race course this year (ski the day helping and encouraging other skiers). It was a “heaven on earth” kind of day with perfect snow and great temps! I classic skied for the first time in over 30 years. As an Ambassador skier, my race perspective changed as I talked with more skiers and was able to enjoy the scenery.
2021 COVID Birkie # 43 Due to Covid I decided to do a virtual Birkie at the Mora Vasaloppet course. The classic trail was in very good condition from start to finish, with temperatures that started below zero and ended in the low teens.
2022 Birkie #44 This will be the first year of the Open Track option to ski the Birkie. I decided to ski the race as an Ambassador. This was a great experience as there were skiers of many different levels of abilities that I encountered which made it very interesting and rewarding.
2023 Birkie #45 This will be the second year skiing the Open Track category. The classic trail was in great shape for the race. During the second half of the race I had very little kick and had to double pole the majority of the race. My shoulders were very tired from all the double poling.
2024 Birkie #46. 50th Anniversary Snowless Birkie This turned out to be a one of a kind Birkie. Temps during the week ranged from below zero to the upper 50’s. The course was on a man made 10 km loop near the trailhead. The Birkie did an outstanding job being able to make the event happen due to the lack of natural snow.
The race is being adjusted to 20 km’s for the Wednesday Open Track ski race. At the end of the first loop, on Bauer hill another skier ran into me and we both went down hard. My right shoulder and ribs were not feeling too good, but we went on as best as we could. Of all the Birkies this was the toughest one due to the conditions and the fall. A few weeks later, I found out I had a complete rotator cuff tear, a torn bicep tendon and a cracked rib! Spent most of the summer recovering and we will see how #47 goes!
I hope Bob’s story has inspired you to keep on racing in the next Birkie! After talking with Bob, a have a new fire in my belly. I am set on a new goal of reaching Uberlegger status (only four more Birkie’s until I reach 30)! Bob’s reflections over the years have also made me appreciate the improvements of man-made ski venues in the midwest. Hope to see you on the ski trails.
Kim Rudd, Endurance Adventures Owner
