The American Birkebeiner 2024 - Chad Salmela race recap
Two-time and defending American Birkebeiner champion, David Norris of Team Birkie, faced one of the strongest fields ever to take 3rd in the marquee 50km Elite freestyle event. Due to a low-snow wrinkle in programming, Norris was also able enter the shortened 30km Classic Elite, held Sunday, in which he also finished 3rd.
He was the only skier to stand on the podium in both races.
Elite 50k Freestyle:
Norris and Team Birkie teammate, Zak Ketterson (also USST), covered all moves in the weekend’s marquee event for the men.
David crossing the finish line to a great podium!
Zak and David during the race - both in the black and blue suit we love.
Zak crossing the finish line Saturday in the 50km skate.
Gus Schumacher (APU/USST), fresh off an historical world cup win in Minneapolis just six days earlier, opened about a five-second gap on eight chasers with less than 2 kilometers remaining. Ketterson, with Norris, Canadian National Teamer Sam Hendry, and Alaskan, Scott Patterson in tow, looked to be taking back a little of the gap Schumacher created, but Ketterson fell in the variable ice and soft snow on the final tricky downhill with roughly 400 meters to go, dashing his chances at a podium finish.
Norris, Hendry and Patterson stayed up right and fought it out for the final podium spots, with Hendry crossing 2nd, Norris third, just a split second ahead of Patterson in 4th.
Elite 30k Classic
Due to the scheduling wrinkle with this year’s Birkie happening over 4 days on a 10km loop, the Sunday Elite 30k Classic opened up a unique opportunity for some of the elite skiers to race both days.
Norris and Patterson were two of the big names from Saturday’s 50k Elite race to toe the line again Sunday.
The elite men and much of the elite women’s field simply left the kick wax in the wax box and double-poled the three 10km laps.
It wasn’t a world cup winner who thwarted Norris’s hope of a classic victory. It was a rested Reid Goble (BSF) who took the win over German loppet specialist, Christian Winker a split second behind in second place, with Norris a second behind in third, Patterson another 3 seconds back in 4th.
Norris’s double-podium finish in 2024 on top of his two victories in 2023 and 2016, further solidifies his Birkie legend.
An Important Day In A Challenging Winter
From Pro Team and Ambassadors, to Marathon Team and staff members, Birkie weekend is a big one for us. Mother Nature has given everyone a big challenge this year, but the effort of the American Birkebeiner to pull off the event was simply a well-needed salve on what has been a sparse competition season, especially for our marathon team. It made us very proud of our team’s namesake.
Team Birkie athletes preparing for races around the world, around the country, and for regional races that have been largely modified or cancelled altogether, has challenged us all at Team Birkie to keep a positive focus on what we all love about this sport. The unique nature of this edition of the American Birkebeiner was at once a sad reality and challenge, while also being uplifting.
We are in a challenging sport as it is, so when the uplift is real, it’s a very welcome thing in an otherwise frustrating winter of limited cold, limited snow, limited race opportunities, and endless repetition of gerbil loops on manmade snow. It has all stretch limited patience and worker-hours of our team, and we recognize that it has done the same to the entire community.
So when Loppet pulls of last weekend’s world cup, and the American Birkebeiner pulls off last weekend’s Birkie, we need to stop and offer thanks. Thanks to those who have made our own nearest snowmaking loops possible, open, and operable. Thanks you!
We are also truly proud of all our Team Birkie skiers and staff. In the glow of David’s enormously successful headline-making weekend, we want to highlight all of our Team Birkie skiers—both athletes and staff—who competed on the trails this weekend.
TEAM BIRKIE FINISHES IN THE 2024 AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER.
50k ELITE FREESTYLE
MEN
David Norris 3rd overall
Zak Ketterson 6th overall
Zach Nelson 70th overall
WOMEN
Jessica Yeaton 11th overall
Lindsay Williams 28th overall
Jessica in the 50km Skate finishing at an awesome 11th!
Lindsay during the Skate 50km Saturday.
30K FREESTYLE
MEN
Jake Stiele 120th overall
WOMEN
Jenna Neslon 49th overall
30k ELITE CLASSIC
MEN
David Norris, 3rd overall
Sam Holt 12th overall
Piotr Bednarski 34th overall
WOMEN
Julie Ensrud 5th overall
Jessica Yeaton 6th overall
Delaney Fitzpatrick 11th overall
30k CLASSIC
Katie Susong 6th overall
Sam smiling in the sun during the 30km classic Birkie Sunday finishing with an awesome 12th.
Pictures from Skinnyski.com.
Thank you to everyone out there cheering on our athletes, staff, volunteers, racers, Team Birkie supporters and the American Birkebeiner foundation for a great weekend!
Delaney double poling in Sunday’s 30km Classic Birkie earning a great 11th.
