Scheduled Events Hosted By the Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club

Posted Wednesday, November 17, 2021 6:50 pm

Event Update: Duluth's Grand Avenue Nordic Center to host first SuperTour event (⇐ Link) of this Olympic Winter! Save the date: December 4-5, 2021

Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club Hosts the Duluth SuperTour XC Ski Races, Dec 4 & 5, 2021: [Duluth, MN] – The Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club (DXC) will host the first event on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour calendar, the premier cross-country racing series in the U.S. These elite races will take place at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center at the base of Spirit Mountain on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 & 5, 2021. Sprint races on Saturday and individual distance races on Sunday will be filled with the best XC ski racers in the country as they vie for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team heading into the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

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DXC is proud to bring the SuperTour to Duluth for the first time. The snowmaking capability at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center makes this venue a perfect choice for the first elite-level XC ski racing competition on the U.S. skiing calendar. The Duluth SuperTour will attract teams of athletes like the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team from Vermont, the pro team of Jessie Diggins, Olympic Gold Medalist from MN. Other teams from Alaska, Montana, Utah, and Idaho will attend along with the Team Birkie high performance racing team. International racers will be attending, from as near as Canada and from as far as Ireland and Mongolia. Hundreds of athletes, support staff, and spectators will swarm Spirit Mountain that weekend. The public is invited to come out and watch the best in the country race on Duluth’s only XC ski trail with snowmaking.

Siiri Morse, Head of the Organizing Committee, said, “Spirit Mountain is a terrific venue for these races. The trail just over 3 years old has already hosted two Junior National Qualifiers and a CCSA (Central Collegiate Ski Association) regional championship. Coaches and athletes like to come to Duluth. Our regional junior athletes will have an opportunity to race with the best in the Nation as they try to qualify for Beijing 2022.”

Mark Wallis, DXC President, said, “DXC is honored to be the host club for this high level cross country ski race event. This event brings the Midwest’s top youth skiers and their families to Duluth for the weekend. This event is extra special in that the nation’s elite skiers will travel to Duluth to compete for spots on the Olympic Team. We hope that area hotels, restaurants and businesses extend a warm welcome to these athletes and their families. DXC would like to thank Spirit Mountain Recreation Area for their help in hosting this event on their world class Nordic trail system at Grand Avenue Nordic Center.” You can learn more about the Duluth SuperTour at the host website: https://www.duluthsupertour.com/

Welcome to the Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club! 2021-22

PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS, WINTER 2021-22

We all know why the last few winters were rough. We plan to bring as many events and programming back to our membership as we can this year. We are looking to include more adult programming this year for skiers of all levels, too. Stand by for those details. So far, here is what you should see this year, in-person:

Banff Mountain Film Festival (⇐ Link)

Nordic Spirit Ski Race (Classic technique)

Tour DuLuth

DXC SkiSparks (formerly KidSki)

DXC Passport

Tuesday Night Hikes with Ski Poles (Lester-Amity Chalet) (until snow)

Wednesday Night Hill Bounding at Chester Bowl (until snow)

Wednesday Night Racing Series

In more exciting news, right off the bat: DXC and Spirit Mountain host First Elite Races leading into Olympic Year! This is a big deal! The Grand Avenue Nordic Center at Spirit Mountain will be the site of the first SuperTour races of the 2021-22 season! The event will take place on Sat-Sun, December 4-5, 2021.

Skate Sprints on Saturday and Skate Individual Starts on Sunday. All levels of licensed racers will be participating. But all eyes will be on Duluth as the elite level racers try to gain points to earn their way on to the US Olympic Ski Team. That means Duluth will be the early center of gravity on an Olympic year and this will be an outstanding chance for us to see the very best at work!

In other news for racing at Grand Avenue Nordic Center, CXC Youth Championships will take place there on March 5-6 (Sat-Sun), 2022. The best young skiers in the Midwest region will be duking it out here that weekend. Both of these events are great news for Duluth and the Grand Avenue Nordic Center as we emerge as a popular cross-country skiing venue. And a reliable one due to our snowmaking infrastructure.

Save the Dates!

SuperTour! December 4-5, 2021

CXC Youth Championships! March 5-6, 2022

LET'S MAKE THIS WINTER A GOOD ONE! COME OUT AND SKI WITH DXC!

OUR MISSION(⇐ Link)

The mission of DXC is to promote health, fun and fitness through cross-country skiing.

DONATE (⇐ Link) DXC is fundraising to improve the cross-country skiing experience in Duluth! Click here to find out about this and future projects.

GET INVOLVED (⇐ Link) DXC offers many ways to join the ski communty. Attend an event, particiapte in a program or help maintain the trails. We look forward to seeing you in the woods!