Vasa Nation, Listen Up!

Mon, Jan  31, 2022 - By Gussie Peterson

Operation Vasa is fast approaching! All systems are go. The snow has been ordered and has been arriving in steady bits. The courses are shaping up nicely. We’ve made some amazing changes and are looking forward to seeing everyone again after two years!

Covid has presented some challenges and we are working hard to bring you a fun event, with all the appropriate safety and health precautions in place. Because of these changes, please take care to educate yourself on them by reading our updates and referring to vasa.org.

The number one thing you need to know right now is that registration closes for good on Wednesday, February 9, at 6:00pm. There will be no onsite registration. We simply will not have the means to register you after the Wednesday online deadline. Please spread the word!

If you are registered but want to transfer to a different race, you can do so before the registration deadline by contacting [email protected]. Transfers to another racer, however, is not in the stars.

The next thing you need to know is that race fees go up on February 1. Just think, the $$ you save by signing up before then can be used to buy more beer at the Short’s beer truck!

When you do register, please consider signing up for both of our signature ski races, the 27K George Kuhn Half Marathon Freestyle on Saturday + the 15K Lombard Loppet Classic on Sunday. Together, they make up the Michigan Cup Challenge. This combo race will identify the best all-round male and female skiers of the Vasa, and they will be crowned King and Queen Vasa for 2022! Cash prizes will be given to the top three places, male and female. Signing up for both races at the same time gets you a nice discount – again, that’s more Short’s beer $$ for you to spend!

If skiing is not your thing, we have options! We are proud to be a part of the Short’s Brewing Fat Bike series (www.sbfbs.com) again this year, offering 35K and 17K races on Saturday. And for the second year, we will hold our Vasasaurus Snow Shoe Race on Sunday. The Junior Vasa on Saturday will be bigger than ever, showcasing the future stars of XC skiing.

This year’s Vasa will be 99% outdoors, so plan accordingly. Bring plenty of warm clothes for the after-race celebration (the best part!). There will be fire pits and patio warmers to keep the chill at bay. There will be an outdoor bag drop, and a heated changing trailer, but consider changing in your car if possible. Then join your fellow racers at the Short’s Celebration Spot located in the finish area. There you can sip on your brew (cash sales only!) while cheering on finishers, pick up your awards, and tell tales of race triumphs.

Wave assignments will be announced on Thursday, February 10 after 12:00 noon on runsignup.com, or you can get your wave placement at packet pick-up. Your wave placement is based on the expected finish time that you submitted when you registered.

Speaking of packet pick-up, it will be in a new location this year at Timber Ridge. Instead of the Lodge, it will be in the Banquet Hall which is next to the Lodge. In fact, the Banquet Hall is race headquarters for all Vasa business that weekend.

Volunteers! Ah yes, we can’t live without them! If you aren’t racing or have time between races, please consider donating a couple hours to help out. It will earn you a much-coveted “Vasa Crew” cozy knit hat, a coupon for use at the food truck, AND the undying gratitude of all racers! To sign up, go to the home page of vasa.org and hit the VOLUNTEER button.

We are excited to welcome a couple of new sponsors! Our newest Gold Sponsor is Cambium Analytica, a full-service provider of regulatory compliance testing, product research & development, and quality assurance/quality control services for the cannabis industry. They are based in Traverse City and will have a team of competitors racing during Vasa weekend.

Mission Cycles is located on Eighth Street in Traverse City. They offer bikes, cross country skis and snowshoes, as well as stone grinding and waxes for your skis. Check them out! They will have a display tent during the weekend including product samples, and are the new sponsor of the 6k snowshoe race on Sunday.

Hope to see you at the North American Vasa this year!