Official 2016 Event Poster and T-shirts Available Now
HAYWARD, Wis. — Earlier this year, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), hosted design contests for the official Birkie 2016 event poster and t-shirt. The ABSF is pleased to announce the contest winners and to share their creative designs which will become the face of the 2016 Slumberland American Birkebeiner, North America’s largest cross-country ski race.
Winner of the first official Birkie poster design contest is Christopher Schmidt of Minneapolis, MN. Schmidt’s design was selected by a panel of ABSF judges. As part of Schmidt’s prize package, he will receive two complimentary race registrations for any Birkie skiing event; VIP parking at the Birkie race start; and use of his design on numerous official 2016 Birkie materials. Official 2016 Birkie posters are available at the Birkie Store in Hayward, or online at www.BirkieStore.com.
The official Birkie poster image serves as an icon for each specific year’s race and festivities and its announcement is awaited by participants worldwide. The poster design graces the cover of the ABSF’s pre-race Birch Scroll magazine, the annual ABSF participant race-guide, as well as on official ski stickers given to every participant of the American Birkebeiner race. Not only is the design printed into a full-size poster, it is also printed into a much smaller version for use by area businesses and Chamber of Commerce members throughout Hayward & Cable, WI.
The ABSF is pleased to announce the official 2016 Slumberland American Birkebeiner t-shirt design contest winner is Brooke Wentland from Madison, WI. Wentland’s design was selected through on-line voting at www.Birkie.com. She originally caught Birkie Fever during the Kortelopet in 2011 and plans to compete in her first Birkie in 2016. The official 2016 Birkie t-shirt is available for purchase online at www.Birkie.com/store and will soon be in the Birkie Store in Hayward, WI.
The Birkie Store, located at 10527 Main Street in Hayward, WI, is open just in time for holiday shopping. Birkie Store hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm and 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday. Shoppers will find a variety of branded Birkie merchandise, including wearables, posters, books, and gift items in the store and will be able to see the future space of the Tony Wise Museum of the American Birkebeiner slated to open in 2016.
The 2016 Slumberland American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon is North America’s largest cross-country ski marathon and the third largest in the world. Spanning 51 kilometers from Cable to Hayward for skate skiers, and 55K for classic skiers, on the 107K Birkie Trail, the race attracts over 10,000 skiers each year. The Birkie is part of the Worldloppet circuit of 20 international ski marathons. Over 250,000 skiers have finished Birkie ski events (Birkie, Kortelopet, Prince Haakon) since the races began. An estimated 45,000 spectators and skiers are expected to gather in and around the Hayward area for the annual Nordic sports festivities from February 18 through Sunday, February 21, 2016.
About the American Birkebeiner® Ski Foundation and Birkie® Events
Located near Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is known for its signature American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon held each February. Today, the Birkie brand has grown to encompass a year round lifestyle that provides healthy, active events for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts of all levels. From the iconic Birkie ski race to the Birkie Trail Run & Trek, and Fat Bike Birkie race, the ABSF and the Birkie Trail attract skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite superstars. Birkie. Ski. Run. Bike. Live! Visit www.Birkie.com to learn more.