Dec 8, Tues- North Star Zoom Meeting 7:00pm
Nordic Ski Heritage in the Upper Midwest With Ryan Rodgers Hear Ryan talk about the Arrowhead Derby ski race of 1938 and Dashed Hopes for a Cross-Country Revolution: Ever since Norwegian immigrants founded the first ski league in Minnesota in the 1880s, cross-country boosters had been trying to promote their sport. Ski jumping, however, with its ready thrills, was a popular mainstream sport in the early 20th century, while cross-country remained a niche activity practiced more for pragmatism than sport. By the late 1930s, though, cross-country was experiencing modest gains in popularity. In what would be the highest profile cross-country event for decades, the 1938 Arrowhead Derby ski race, done in conjunction with the St. Paul Winter Carnival, ran from Duluth to St. Paul over five days. Tune in to hear about the grueling race and its dedicated skiers, and how the coming war would halt not only the rise of cross-country’s popularity, but the once favored Nordic sport of jumping as well. Then hear how dedicated skiers brought it back. Contact: Laura Baker
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