• Thursday-What'sUP January 4 - 06:35 am

The Nordic National Cross Country Ski championship races started here in the Copper Country on New Year's Day, with the first of four races. Skiers total around 460 and represent over 30 colleges and various ski clubs across the nation, along with the U.S. Ski team. Last year the teams faced the challenge of the low snowfall we received, so the course was changed some to accommodate that. Mike Abbott, chair of the organizing committee said, "This year the skiers will see much more challenging terrain, with more screaming downhills and tough climbs back to the top." The Classic competition will be taking place today, including the men's, women's and the sit-ski races, which start at 9:00 a.m.

The various races continue through Sunday, when the competition comes to a close. You can find the complete schedule here: 2008 U.S. C.C. Championships Schedule. For up-to-the-minute results of the races click here: 2008 U.S. C.C. Championship Results. If you're in the area and would like to watch in person, you can find directions here: Visitor Information. And lastly, if you can't be there, you can do the next best thing by checking out the Webcams they have set up for the event: Streaming video race Webcams. Thanks to Jeffrey Kalember for the Cross Country pics from his Guest Gallery Album.

Good Morning

Houghton you did it again..Last week there were many write ups on the Huskies hockey team and today the Free Press page 3C is dedicated to the cross country and sitskiers competing at Michigan Tech.

Remember saftey on the slopes is important as the bottom picture shows "a former top-level snowboarder" now a sitskier after suffering a injury on the hill.

Personally I don't understand how they have elevated the skateboarding group from behind the Krogers store to an Olympic sport.

All the skiers have been jogging up and down Shelden Ave all week (and making us in the office feel guilty about not being so good about the exercise). I bet they are enjoying the Copper Country.

I suppose there's not a motel room to be had eh.

Oh wow, do those two shots make me homesick!!! I used to do a lot of skiing (cross-country) and ice hockey when I lived UP there. Houston isn't real conducive for winter sports. One of the favorite sayings in New Mexico and Colorado is "If God meant Texans to ski, he would have made BS white!!" I tend to agree; Houstonians just don't get winter sports........

hey, that picture was taken in MORA SWEDEN !! To be honest, it could be a picture straight outta the UP too, no wonder our immigrant relatives decided to come to the UP, it looks just like their homeland.

and if you look at my buddy's headwear its an official MTU ski team hat!

That looks amazingly like Michigan Tech's new lighting on their Nordic ski trails. They are lit up tonight, maybe associated with the championship trials that are going on this week:
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/cams/trails2/still.html