Registration is open for the 2019 Great Bear Chase, which will take place Saturday, March 9. The organizing committee has expanded the age range for those receiving a fee discount to age 19. All skiers 19 and under pay just $40, no matter the distance or when they register.
“These young skiers represent the future of our sport,” said organizing committee member Dean Woodbeck. “We want to do everything we can to encourage their participation. Our surveys told us that some high school racers, for example, make their decision to register fairly late in the game, depending on how their seasons go and whether they qualify for the Junior Nationals.”
The Great Bear Chase has also added to the prize money offered for the 50km skiathlon. Previously, the top three finishers of each gender received prize money. Starting in 2019, the fourth place finisher will also receive a cash prize ($100), with the fifth place earning a free entry to the 2020 Great Bear Chase.
The next registration fee increase will come on December 31, 2018. The Great Bear Chase is held on the Swedetown trails in Calumet, Michigan, which averages more than 225 inches of snow annually. Last year, a record 740 skiers participated. The Great Bear Chase is also the concluding race in the CXC Ski Marathon Cup, which includes six of the biggest cross country ski events in the Midwest.