Birkie is a year-round lifestyle choice for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. From its signature Nordic ski race--the legendary American Birkebeiner, now in its 37th year--the Birkie has grown to include an exciting array of racing, training, fitness and recreational events and resources, all on the remarkable Birkie Trail.

It’s that yearly craving for the excitement, camaraderie and challenge that can only be satisfied by clicking into a pair of skis and lining up at the start line with 7,500 other ski pals from around the world. It’s a lifestyle that keeps you fit and healthy year-round. It’s an annual test of personal endurance. And it’s something no skier wants to shake. Some of the symptoms?

• Your home is filled with Birkie paraphernalia.
• Your television is permanently set to the Weather Channel.
• You think about wave placement in the heat of summer.
• You pray for snow long before winter sets in.
• You register the first day the new entry form is made available.
• You train endlessly, no matter the time of year.
• You notice the “B” word invades conversations within 15 minutes.
• Birkie Fever?
  

See you at the start, race you to the finish...hoping to have the time of my life along the way! ~Jim Reker

To me the day is close to a religious experience…you are excited but respectful, almost reverent to the course and the challenges of the day. The people you are skiing with are all comrades on a mission to soak up the day and dig within to see what we all have down deep.

“Better than Christmas. I will be skiing the Birkie every year I’m alive on Earth. It’s that special."