Finlandia booming

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Feb. 19, 1999

By Devlyn Brooks

The devastation the town of Mora endured losing its vaunted Vasaloppet cross-country ski race last weekend has produced a giddy-like optimism among Minnesota Finlandia officials.

The Vasaloppet -- a 3,000 skier race considered to be the second largest in the nation -- was canceled due to a lack of snow and an inability to make a safe trail on Knife Lake, the town's final alternative.

"I was telling people last week (canceling the race) felt like somebody died," Vasaloppet President Wade Weber said. "The town was pretty mournful. It's the absolute last thing you want to do."

The cancellation, in turn, has forced some -- although it's unknown exactly how many -- of the nation's competitive elite skiers northwest to Bemidji's 20th annual Minnesota Finlandia.

As of Thursday night, about 200 races had pre-registered for the 1999 Finlandia races, an increase of more than 30 racers at the same time in 1998. And Finlandia officials say they had 200 walk-on registrants last year, bringing the total to about 360 racers.

Factor in those 200 walk-ons in addition to a few new ones, and this year's number could break records, said Bill Grundy, who is managing Finlandia's registrations this year.

Overall, he added, the final tally could come close to 500 racers.

"The Finlandia phones have been ringing off the hook (since the Vasaloppet was canceled)," Minnesota Finlandia Director Andra Vaughn said Thursday amidst preparing for this weekend. "We're averaging 30 to 50 calls a day inquiring about Finlandia."

But Vaughn added, the increased number of racers, however sweet for Bemidji and the Finlandia, is a bitter pill for cross-country skiers in general.

The Finlandia, Vasaloppet and eight other ski marathons across the country all belong to the American Ski Marathon Series, a circuit of cross-country ski races that competitive, professional racers travel.

When one race is lost, the others suffer as well, she said.

"All the races have to work together because we have to have a quality series to attract the quality skiers," she said.

Setting allies aside though, Vaughn said she knows the increased participation in the Finlandia can only lead to an increased awareness of Bemidji skiing in general.

"We hope our numbers are close to 500 by the time we're done," she said. "We have the best skiing in all of the Midwest, and I think (the racers) don't know it. We need to let people know that."

Traditionally, the Finlandia -- although considered one of the two major races in Minnesota -- has been forgotten by big skiing promoters and media outlets from the Twin Cities, Vaughn said.

Therefore, any "word of mouth" exposure this year's increased participation can generate is a bonus for Finlandia.

"We hope they spread the word not only about our race but for what else Bemidji has to offer," she said. "We want the racers to come back this summer, fall and for next year's race."

Mora's Weber agreed saying attracting more racers to Bemidji would be a good thing.

"I think it would be wonderful if more people found out about the Minnesota Finlandia," he said. "(In the future) they could ski our race and then head up there the next weekend. People do want to race, and they're looking for a place to ski."

That would be fine as far as Vaughn and her cohorts feel.

"We're hoping to break some records," she said. "It's our 20th anniversary, and we want to do it in style."