Warming Up for a USA World Cup

The best cross country ski racers in the world have arrived at Wirth Park in Minneapolis ahead of the sprint races on Saturday and the 10-K on Sunday, the first time FIS World Cup nordic racing has been in the US for more than 20 years. And, Minneapolis, which has had virtually no snow all winter, got several inches last night, so under sunny skies today skiers enjoyed the new snow and warmed up for the races to come. The courses wind through a beautiful, hilly urban park under the wavy branches of big oaks. Today was part one of the complicated process of setting up for a World Cup event: volunteers shoveled, guided, and organized as teams from every skiing nation checked things out. Media and fans from around the skiing world are starting to arrive. And US fans in particular will have a lot to cheer for because, as the host country, there will be many more American racers than usual. It’s going to be an unforgettable few days.