Announcements/News
December 10, 2024 General Meeting Announcement
January 14, 2025: Doug Edmonson, "Story of Norm Oakvik, co-founder of North Star Ski Touring Club". The author of "Inconspicuous Coach" will tell stories of Norman Oakvik, a selfless Norwegian American who took time off each winter to help young skiers become champions. Norm Oakvik gave of himself for over 50 years, but he never took credit for these champions. He went on to coach countless North Star Ski Touring members and organized yearly lessons. He was the Inconspicuous Coach to many. Doug will briefly discuss the history of Minnesota Nordic skiing from 1930s to 1980 and the state high school champions that became junior national, college, senior national champions and sometimes, Olympians and the coaches that helped them become great.
It is also the story of Oakvik's fellow competitors and how they succeeded but also gave back to Nordic skiing. People like John Burton, Charlie Banks, Mike Marciniak, Norm Kragseth, Lars Kindem, and many others who gave of themselves. Some were high school coaches and some were just part of the small fraternity of Nordic skiers.
6:30pm: Social & Meet
7:00pm: Club business and speaker
> Location: Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls
> This is a hybrid mtg: in-person or join virtually via Zoom NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link
Regular Club Meetings: 6:30pm (Social); 7pm (Program); 8:30 (End)
- 2nd Tuesday of the Month, October to March
- Hybrid Meetings: Attend in person or virtually online * (link below).
- Location: Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls
- Month-to-month meeting program descriptions: Link
- Join virtually: NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link
Video recordings and documents from NSSTC meetings
- December 10, 2024: Lee Frelich, Director MN Center for Forest Ecology, U of MN, Effects of climate change on forests, habitat and ski trails Video link
- November 11, 2024: Clair Wilson, Executive Director of Loppet Foundation, "Challenges, Lessons and Successes of the Loppet Cup 2024" Link to video
- October 8, 2024: Stephanie Croteau, a North Star member and Worldloppet Master x2 shares her world nordic travels and tips on planning group trips. Link to video
- December 12, 2023: Bob O'Hara, legendary North Star member, shares the 'serendipity' of his far north trips and recent Greenland trip. Video link
- February 13, 2024 Greg Breining, Wolf Island: Discovering Secrets of A Mythic Animal. A prolific Minnesota author, discussed his recent book on wolves of Isle Royale.Link to video
- November 14, 2023 Deb Diggins: A Ski Family's Journey from Mini-loppet to World Cup: Link to video
- January 11, 2022: Favorite Place to Ski: East, West, and Midwest, Four X-country skiing clubs across the U.S: North Stars, Nooksack Nordic, Bellingham, WA; Capital Area Ski Touring, New York State Video link
- February 8, 2022: Changing Climate of Minnesota, Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld of the MN State Climatology Office,"Phantom Winters, Unexpected Throwbacks, and New Precipitation Extremes: The Changing Climate of Minnesota". Video link
Club Zoom meetings now in Documents Library!
To see slides from "Trails of the North Shore" (December, 2021 meeting), go to "Resources" on the status line above, then "Document Library", "Folders" and on the bottom of the list click on "Club Zoom Meeting PDF's".
Coming Soon: New Book About Norm Oakvik
Due to be released in November on www.thebookpatch.com, the book covers Norm’s life, his competitors, and the dozens of Minnesota State HS Nordic champions he coached, plus a detailed list of Minnesota high school ski champs from 1935 to 1980. The book includes interviews, stories, newspaper clippings, and dozens of photographs of many of those champions and Olympians, and a chapter about the founding of the North Star Ski Touring Club.
Norm was one of the founders of our club in 1967. His dedication to teaching and encouraging skiers fueled the rapid growth of our club and the sport. Norm made many contributions to the growth of cross country skiing in Minnesota. His generous bequest to the NSSTC upon his death in 2015 continues to enhance cross country skiing in Minnesota and Wisconsin through the North Star Grant Program, which has, to date, awarded $195,000 in grants to ski clubs and other organizations to grow and enhance the sport of Nordic skiing.
The author, Doug Edmonson, was a Minnesota state champion in cross country skiing in 1966. Norm Oakvik was his coach.
Doug will be be the speaker at the NSSTC general meeting on January 14, 2025.
“Norm Oakvik: The Inconspicuous Coach and Book of Champions”, Hardcover, 7 in x 10 in, 420 pages, $53.95.
It would be a great stocking stuffer!
