Beginning today, Feb. 19 the largest ski marathon in North America takes place in and around Hayward, WI. No, this is not the Winter Olympics, this is the American Birkebeiner.
The American Birkebeiner, or Birkie, is a four-day collection of cross-country ski events, culminating in a 53 kilometer marathon from Cable to Hayward, WI. Three skiers are chosen to carry a baby doll for nearly the entire race, before exchanging the doll for a real baby at the final leg.
The baby and the marathon are an homage to the daring rescue of Prince Haakon, a Norwegian prince smuggled out of enemy territory in 1206. Every year, a new infant is chosen to represent Prince Haakon, along with Inga, Prince Haakon’s mother, and the warriors who smuggled the young prince to safety.
But how did this race begin, and what happens when a "Birkie baby" grows up?
A medieval legend meets a growing sport
The American Birkebeiner began in 1973, but was based on a story more than 800 years old.
In 1206, Norway was in the midst of a civil war, as rival factions vied for power. Following the death of the king, the Bagler faction sought to capture Prince Haakon, an infant who was heir to the throne.
The Birkebeiner faction, allied with the monarchy, smuggled the child out of Bagler territory. Prince Haakon would grow up to become King of Norway. Centuries later in 1932, Norway would host its first Birkebeinerrennet, a 53 kilometer cross-country ski race, to commemorate this event.
Jerome Poling, author of “American Birkebeiner: The Nation’s Greatest Ski Marathon,” says the American Birkebeiner’s founder Tony Wise opened Telemark Lodge after being exposed to cross-country skiing while serving in World War II.
But as skiing became more popular in the United States, Wise saw a business opportunity
“He decided getting into cross-country skiing would be opportunistic because he saw a surge in people interested in the sport in the late 1960s and early 1970s,” Poling says. “So he decides to copy the original Birkebeinerrennet and bring it to the United States.”
The result became the American Birkebeiner. In its inaugural 1973 race, only 54 total skiers participated.
This year’s race will attract over 10,000 skiers.
“All these people from 45 states and 20 to 25 countries come to ski the Birkie every year,” Poling says. “Most are average people who want to ski a long distance [...] but you also have Olympic-level skiers.”
In addition to the hallmark 53 kilometer classic race and 50 kilometer skate races, the Birkebeiner also offers races for everyone from kids to dogs. The result is a weekend-long celebration of all who ski.
“It’s this homecoming, this Olympic moment for everybody who makes it to the finish line,” Poling says.
An infant prince becomes a champion skier
As part of the Birkebeiner’s homage to its founding legend, the race’s organizers choose participants to portray a baby Prince Haakon, the prince’s mother, and the two warriors who carried him to safety in 1206.
In 2010, that baby was Karl Nelson. His mother Josie Nelson played the role of Inga, the original Prince Haakon’s mother. Karl’s father Dave Nelson played one of the warriors, along with Karl’s uncle Grant.
After they were selected, the family trained with Karl, taking him on longer and longer skiing journeys. Both Dave and Josie had decades of experience skiing by this time, and their confidence skiing with Karl grew with time.
By race day, they were ready to make a daring decision. Typically, actors portraying Inga and the warriors carry a baby doll for most of the race before exchanging the doll for the real baby near the finish line.
But instead of carrying a doll until the final moment, Josie was ready to trust Karl to Dave and Grant the way Inga trusted her child to skiing warriors over 800 years ago.
“Since we always skied with Karl anyway, we skied the whole race with him,” she says. “We made sure it wasn’t too cold or icy, and there’s nobody I would trust more to carry my baby than Dave and Grant.”
As prince, Karl knew his role.
“I was a very friendly baby so I would walk around and wave at people and shake people’s hands,” he says.
“He lived it up,” Josie adds.
Whether Karl becomes a king who unites warring Norwegian factions remains to be seen. But 16 years later, Karl is already a champion skier, recently winning the 22-kilometer Seeley Hills Classic. Next year, he’ll be old enough to ski in the Birkie himself, without being carried by Inga and the warriors.
But whatever glory might come from his speed on skis, Birkie enthusiasts will know him by a name 800 years in the making.
“I get recognized by a lot of people who say ‘Oh you’re Prince Haakon.’ So, I think most years they’ll know I was Prince Haakon,” he says.
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