News & Stories

Adventures Programs Kick Off for the Winter!

The bikes have been put away and the canoes are hibernating. To go trail running, you now need lots of layers to stay warm. For the Loppet Foundation, these changes mean one thing: winter is here!

While the snow has yet to fall, our Minne-Loppet and Junior-Loppet programs are busy getting ready for the season. Here’s a quick look at what’s been happening in the worlds of our middle school and high school programs.

Minne-Loppet Program Continues to Grow

In the 2016-2017 school year, we have grown to now encompass nine Northside schools and one Brooklyn Park school. We are excited to be working at all ten schools throughout the winter, providing coaching, equipment, and even a groomed trail for practicing.

Before Thanksgiving break, our Minne-Loppet programs began learning about the basics of cross-country skiing as well as proper nutrition skills. They will continue working on their technique and building confidence in the following weeks.

The Minne-Loppet lesson plan is 10-weeks-long. After the program is complete, the students are invited to take part in the Minne-Loppet event at the City of Lakes Loppet. The Minne-Loppet is a non-competitive ski event that brings together students from all of the participating schools. We are expecting nearly 500 skiers from 3rd to 5th grade!

We are also excited to offer Family Fun Days at Wirth Park again this year. This is a day where we introduce the family members and teachers of our Minne-Loppet skiers to outdoor adventure in the winter time, free of charge.

Junior Loppet teams gear up for their season

The Loppet Foundation’s Junior Loppet programs in Anwatin, Franklin and Northeast middle schools have started sizing boots and skis, going over V1 and V2 skating techniques, and perfecting their snow dances to bring us a long and snowy ski season.

All of our Junior Loppet teams are growing in size. At practices these days we regularly have more than 20 skiers. We are excited to see what these large numbers do as the teams move through their busy schedule!

Over the course of the winter, the three teams will come face to face at five different races: The Fairview Sprints, North Minneapolis’ own middle school ski race; The Pre-Loppet; The Junior Loppet during our City of Lakes Winter Festival; the time-honored Ski-Ball Championships; and the Midwest Junior Championships.

On top of their busy schedule, the teams are also planning trips to the Iron Range and other snowy destinations this winter, which will give the students the opportunity to grow as skiers and as teams.

No matter how much action we pack into the winter, it always seem to fly by. So, we always make a point to enjoy each snowy and cold day because, after all, this is our season!