Because last week’s 25k ski race was not humbling enough, I decided to sign up for a ski orienteering race. It’s an orienteering race with a map, just on skis.
All the participants, maybe 50 in total, got into a bus and we were driven to the start line. We started on a frozen lake. By now it had warmed up to a balmy 7 degrees. I decided that my warm up jacket would be my racing jacket as well. There was no way I would take any layer off.
![]() |
Still working on the setup for my map while the competition is going for the first checkpoint |
![]() |
Map for the short course |
![]() |
Few checkpoints of the course |
The green lines are ski trails. The pink line is the shortest way from one check point to the next, yet that does not mean that it is the most preferable.
For example, from CP 1-201 to 2-202 the pink line would leave over a bridge. Thus, for an orienteering race, you most likely race more than the given distance.
The race went over a few lakes in downtown Minneapolis. It was a great venue.
Oh yeah….and me stumbling passed all of these events with a map around my neck looking lost.
![]() |
Where am I? |
“And this must be Ali, the world-ranked ski-orienteering athlete…wait, the bib number does not match. Who is this racer? Let’s find out!”
They asked me who I was and how I was able to beat Ali. While I clarified that I raced less than half the distance of Ali, she was approaching the finish line behind me. (Apparently, my cross-country ski technique must have improved so astronomically that I got confused with a world-class racer!)
I had done the 11k race. Ski orienteering is so much fun and there are not many (if none at all) ski orienteering races around. A lot of kudos to Peter W. and his team to put on such a unique race in Minneapolis!
![]() |
Posing with Ali. The finish line is in the middle of a shopping street. |