LIVE FROM TRAVERSE CITY: IT’S VASA REGISTRATION!!

Vasa Newsletter - Dog Days Edition - Haley’s Comments

Vasa Nation: Can you believe that Registration for Vasa 2020 is NOW OPEN! Holy ski bones. Unbelievable, you might say. Not so, if you understand that there has been a regime change at Vasa. True dat. Gussie Peterson is now the President of this organization and she is making things happen. So, not only is Registration open, but the entire process has been massaged by board member Skip Miller. Skip looked at several software systems before presenting this new process to the Vasa Board. We were delighted with the changes. More importantly, we know that YOU will have a much more pleasant experience when you are ready to register for one or more of the races. You need to check this out.

So why not REGISTER NOW ?

Do it, and you will be so happy.

Chemical Bank and Short’s Brewing Company are back as title sponsors for Vasa 2020 festival of Races. We love these guys. They do so much more than just write a check.

They have a genuine interest in our community. Plus, their employees actually participate as skiers and cyclists and volunteers. I could go on and on. So I will. Chemical Bank and Short’s have supported Vasa for at least 3 and 6 years, respectively. And consider this relationship between the bank and the brewery: right now the 30 year fixed mortgage rate at Chemical Bank (4%) is within 1% of the alcohol content of Short’s Beach Wheat (4.5% ABV). Coincidence? You be the judge. I say, it’s time to have a beer and refinance!

Who’s on first anyway? Which way is the course going in 2020? Those of you faithful Vasa Nationalists are familiar with how we have changed it up from year to year to make it more interesting. This year is no different. The Saturday freestyle races will run counterclockwise. However, the Sunday classic races will be going in a clockwise direction. At the end of the day, everyone will be going in the same direction - to Short’s of course!

What is driving these changes is our effort to efficiently and clearly provide signage for the trail users - without a lot of clutter. (Imagine trying to sign a a cross country ski course in Ireland.) So this new approach will allow us to sign the classic and freestyle races so that the skiers are not so likely to be confused with sign clutter. Sort of like Marie Kondo meets Gussie Peterson.

NEW FOR 2020 : Our Race Director John Roe has recruited Todd Labonte to roll out a snowshoe race for “Classic Sunday.” It will likely be a 6-8 km course and is guaranteed to be family friendly and fun.

Fat Bike fans will be happy to know that the King Vasa Fatbike Races will feature a 42 km race (Short’s Grand Fat) and an 18 km race (Short’s-n-Fat), which are both part of the Short’s Brewing Fat Bike Series.

Our “Combo Race” offerings will again include the ‘Triple Threat”, the Michigan Cup Challenge and the SkiFatalon. Although the SkiFatalon is a team event, you can sign up all by your lonesome and be the team. The Michigan Cup Race Board has designated the 25 km FS race on Saturday and the 17 km Classic race on Sunday to comprise the Michigan Cup Challenge.

Well, keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. Gussie and I read every one.

Mike Haley

Vasa Board Member

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