Coffee Fact Friday: Catch the Birkie Fever

In March 2000, Women and Men who Cross Country Ski and Drink Coffee (WAMXC COFFEE) recognized that training for cross country skiing must begin in early spring, long before the first snowfall.  Their training motto includes LSD  (Long, Slow Distance) and quality coffee.  To perfect their sidestep or herringbone, WAMXC COFFEE recognizes that “terrain and proximity are critical as is availability of good specialty coffee.”   These avid skiers and coffee enthusiasts favor independent coffee shops along their training routes.  And they caught the Birkie Fever.
What is Birkie Fever?  It is the craving for snow in July, so they can begin training for the American Birkebeiner, held for the past 38 years the last weekend in February. Cross Country skiers have packed their skinny skis, checked wax reports and are ready to traverse Wisconsin slopes in the legendary ski marathon.
Before racers click on their skis, they Doubled Poled to the Worldloppet Breakfast to fuel up on steaming mugs of coffee and pancakes and then their off, doing the kick and glide.
The Birkie, a four-day event, is the longest and one of the largest cross-country ski races in North America.  Northwood’s promoter, the late Tony Wise started this premier event in 1973 to acknowledge Norwegian history and tradition.  The American Birkebeiner honors the perseverance and courage of “two warrior soldiers, called Birkebeiners, who skied the infant Prince Haakem to safety during Norway’s 1206 Civil War. WAMXC.org

http://www.birkie.com/

Tags: Feb. 25 Worldloppet Breakfast, The American Birkebeiner, WAMXC Coffee