King Vasa Speaks!
2020 Vasa Race Information
Welcome to the 44rd Annual North American Vasa Festival of Races!
Presented by Short’s Brewing Company & Chemical Bank
RACE HEADQUARTERS
The headquarters for Saturday and Sunday races, registra-
tion, and packet pick-up are located at:
TIMBER RIDGE RV & RECREATION RESORT,
4050 E Hammond Road, Traverse City, MI 49696.
Registration is in the main lodge.
Daily trail fee is $10 for use of Timber Ridge trails other than as
part of the race.
PARKING
Parking is available in Timber Ridge’s plowed parking lots.
Vehicles parking outside the resort on residential streets
may be towed and ticketed if they block mailboxes or
driveways, or impede the passage of emergency vehicles.
 Parking is not allowed on Hammond Road, or any side streets
north of Hammond Road
 Parking is allowed on the east side of Six Mile Road, from Ham-
mond to Healey Lane
 Parking is allowed on the north side of Healey Lane/powerline
 Parking is allowed on the North side Dogwood if not posted “No
Parking” No Parking on the South side of Dogwood.
 Parking is allowed on East and South side of Whispering Oaks if
not posted “No Parking” No Parking on the West or North sides
of Whispering Oaks.
 Additional parking is available in the back of Timber Ridge
REGISTRATION/PACKET PICK-UP HOURS
Timber Ridge Resort Main Lodge Building
Friday, Feb. 7, 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 9, 8:00 am - 10:00 am
CARBO-LOAD AT OUR SPONSORING RESTAURANTS!
We would like to encourage you to carbo-load at the Jolly
Pumpkin on Old Mission Peninsula, North Peak, or the Blue
Tractor (both downtown), our wonderful restaurant spon-
sors! Get 20% off at the Blue Tractor throughout the week-
end using the coupon on the last page. These restaurant
sponsors are also providing the yummy, hearty post-race
soups in the Event Tent. Enjoy!
BIBS
Make sure your bib is visible on the front and back, and has
your electronic timing tag affixed on the front side. Note:
Junior Vasa skiers, adaptive skiers and tour participants do
not have electronic timing tags. Your bib includes the VASA
MEDICAL HOTLINE number (231.357.5477) printed on it.
CHANGING AREAS & BAG DROP (Both Saturday & Sunday)
The changing area and bag drop are located in the Banquet
Hall at Timber Ridge (next to the main Lodge). Bags will be
supervised during the race. Racers will receive two tags at
registration to write their bib number on. One tag is for
your post-race clothing bag to be checked in at the bag
drop. The second tag is for your bag of warm-ups that you
may leave at the start just prior to your race. These bags
will be taken to the bag drop area where you can claim both
bags after your race.
SKI RACES ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Saturday Events: Saturday’s ski races are all freestyle and
will run in a counterclockwise direction. The course will be
partially tracked, but since it’s a freestyle race, the tracks
can be skied over. Classic skiers are welcome to join the
freestyle races, but they will be timed with the freestyle
skiers and there’s no guarantee that the tracks will be skia-
ble. 50km skiers must finish the first lap and be back to the
Timber Ridge aid station by 11:30 or they will be pulled from
the event. This is a courtesy to our aid station and emergency
personnel who spend the entire day on the course.
Sunday Events: All Sunday ski events are classic style only
and will run in a clockwise direction this year Skiers are ex-
pected to ski diagonal stride throughout the race. Please,
no skating or you may be disqualified.
Ski Course Signage will indicate fast downhills, sharp turns,
road crossings, etc. There will be decals on km signs to indi-
cate the distances with colors that are consistent with the bib
colors for each race. The km markers will be about every 2-
3km and will count up, indicating how far you have come.
The final 2km of the ski races will be marked each km.
FAT BIKE RACES ON SATURDAY
All tires must be 3.7 inches or wider and properly inflated
(no plus bikes). The recommended tire pressure is 4 – 6 psi,
depending on conditions. See the North American Vasa Fa-
cebook site for recommendations closer to the race. Hel-
mets are required, and absolutely no ear buds are allowed.
There will be a warmup loop in the stadium. Fat bikers are
not allowed on the course before the race. The 35km
course is a 2-lap race, and the short race is a 13km 1-lap
race. There will be one aid station per lap in the 35km race.
For the 35km race, no rider will be allowed to start a second
lap after 2pm. The fat bike races will be marked with Shorts
Fat Bike Series green arrows for the long race and pink ar-
rows for the short race. The courses split and rejoin - know
your course!
 Race Information
JUNIOR VASA ON SATURDAY
Be sure to come out and watch the kids duke it out in the
Junior Vasa. They are the future of the sport! Junior Vasa
skiers must be pre-registered. A parent signature is required.
For those who participated in the Vasa Ski Club’s WeSki,
Nordic Flyers, Nordic Sparks and Nordic Rocks programs,
fees will be paid for by the Vasa Ski Club using the provided
code.
ADAPTIVE SKIER RACE ON SATURDAY
For more than 20 years, the Adaptive Skier Program encour-
ages young adults with a range of mental and physical disa-
bilities to challenge themselves to various ski distances. They
will be doing their laps on the Junior Vasa course. Come
cheer them on!
SNOWSHOE RACE ON SUNDAY
New this year! This 8km, 2-lap race course will meander on
untracked snow through the woods – just follow the signs!
There will be one aid station after the 1st lap, located within
Timber Ridge.
AID STATIONS
Each aid station (noted on race maps) will provide energy
drink, as well as water, bananas and cookies. Ski scrapers
and a limited number of ski poles are also available at aid
stations. Please return borrowed and orphan poles to
Timber Ridge.
MEDICAL SUPPORT
Medical support is provided on the trails by the National
Nordic Ski Patrol (NNSP), and by medical personnel in the
medical tent near the finish line. If you encounter an injured
racer, stop and ask if help is needed. If so, call the Vasa
Medical Hotline at 231.357.5477. If you don’t have a phone
or signal, then notify a NNSP member or aid station volun-
teer. They will need to know the racer bib number and
location. If you become injured, call the above medical
hotline, which is printed on each race bib.
DROPPING OUT
If you are unable to complete your race, report to the near-
est aid station or Ski Patrol member and give them your bib
number. OR, report to the medical staff at the finish line.
Any participant who exits the course without giving notice
will be charged if there is a resulting search and rescue
operation.
COURSE MAPS
Course maps for Saturday and Sunday are posted online at
www.vasa.org, will be in your race packet, and will be on
display at Timber Ridge's lodge. Racers are ultimately
responsible for knowing the course!
PHOTOS
Our official photographer, Roger Hagerman and his team, will
be taking photos at the start and finish areas. His photos
from the previous year will be shown in the Event Tent. 2020
photos will be posted on our Facebook site and are available
for sale. You are invited to share any of your event photos
with us. Send them to vasainfo@vasa.org, or post them on
our Facebook or Instagram sites.
EVENT TENT
Our cozy Event Tent will be located near the Banquet Hall.
You and your family and friends are encouraged to join us
there for post-race food, drink, awards and festivities
throughout the day. Thanks to 307 Events and Tents for
their help with the tent, as well as Team Bob’s and Tri-Gas of
Traverse City for providing heat for the Event Tent.
POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS
Your race bib or volunteer hat will allow you access to post-
race food in the Event Tent. Others can purchase food for
the special price of $5. Thanks to Blue Tractor, North Peak
and the Jolly Pumpkin whose hot soups will warm you,
Cherry Republic, whose renowned snacks will be available
for all racers and spectators, as well as Pepsi products donat-
ed by Pepsi Bottling Company and fruit from Olesons. Great
Lakes Potato Chips will also be served, and Short’s Brewing
Company will have craft beers and hard cider available for
purchase at $5 per glass to those with proper identification.
Beer sales and consumption will be limited to the Event Tent.
GoGoSqueez and Cherry Republic cookies will be available
for the Junior Vasa kids.
AWARDS
Age group categories can be found on vasa.org. The Saturday
skier awards program will begin at approximately 10:00 am
in the Event Tent. The fat bike race awards program will
begin at approximately 1:30 pm. Awards on Sunday will
begin at approximately 10:00 am or soon after the conclu-
sion of the races. The top three overall finishers for each race
will be recognized on the podium. Age group winners will be
invited forward to be recognized. Please pick up your award
at the awards booth in the Event Tent. Unclaimed awards
will not be mailed.
VOLUNTEERS
This event would not be possible without the help of 350+
volunteer crew members. Please thank them for their help!
And we can always use more help. If you, a friend or family
member want to join the crew, go to Vasa.org and click on
the orange Volunteer button.
 Wave Assignments Race Information
PROTESTS
Saturday Races Protests must be submitted to the Race Director, John Roe,
at the finish line within one hour of completing your race.
Event Wave Start
Time LOST, FOUND, LOANED
Okerstrom Marathon (50km) Freestyle Elite 1 8:30 am When possible, clothing and items left or borrowed at aid
stations will be returned to Timber Ridge. Other lost/found
Okerstrom Marathon (50km) Freestyle 2 8:35 am and borrowed items should also be brought to the Timber
Ridge Lodge.
Korteloppet (12 km) Freestyle Elite 3 8:40 am

Korteloppet (12 km) Freestyle 4 8:45 am OFFICIAL RESULTS

Saturday and Sunday unofficial results will be available on
6 km Freestyle - Boys 5 8:50 am touch pads in the Event Tent. Results will also be posted on
www.vasa.org, and will be printed in the Monday edition
6 km Freestyle - Girls 6 8:55 am of the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Timing is provided by
George Kuhn Half Marathon (25km) 7 9:00 am Newton Timing and Race Services.
Freestyle - Elite
George Kuhn Half Marathon (25km) Free ANNUAL PINS
8 9:05 am
All finishers of events are eligible for a souvenir Vasa pin
George Kuhn Half Marathon (25km) Free 9 9:10 am showing the number of Vasa race years completed. Pick up
your year pin inside the Event Tent. Those who have done
Skate Fun Tour (6 km) Freestyle 10 9:15 am 20+ years of Vasa races can pick up a special patch as
members of the prestigious King Vasa Viking Club. See
Short’s Grand Fat(35 km) Fat Bike 11 11:50 am
www.vasa.org for a complete list of current members.
Short’s-n-Fat (13 km) Fat Bake 12 11:55 am
CLASSY VASAWEAR
Junior Vasa, Ages 5 to 7 - 1 lap 13 12:00 pm
Floodwell Print Studio is an area clothing business that will
Junior Vasa, Ages 8 & 9 - 2 laps 14 12:10 pm have some cool Vasa threads to purchase. A portion of the
sales goes back to the Vasa. You can also purchase items
Junior Vasa, Ages 10 to 12 - 3 laps 15 12:20 pm when you register, picking them up during race weekend.
Adaptive Skiers F 12:30 pm
SKI CLINICS
Nationally renowned XC skier, ski pole entrepreneur, ski
instructor and author Andy Liebner will be on hand to give
Sunday Races two ski clinics. On Saturday, February 8, 1:00 pm, he will do a
skating clinic. On Sunday, February 9, 1:00 pm, he will do a
Event Wave Start classic clinic. Meet in the main Timber Ridge Lodge. Non-
Time Vasa racers will need to purchase a Timber Ridge Trail pass.
Lombard Loppet (35 km) Classic-Elite 16 9:00 am No need to reserve a spot – just show up! A $25 donation is
suggested for each clinic. It will be worth every penny!
6 km Classic - Boys 17 9:10 am
WORLDLOPPET PARTICIPATION
6 km Classic - Girls 18 9:15 am
Chemical Bank (17 km) Classic- Elite 19 9:30 am The Vasa’s 50km, 34km and 25km ski
races are events on the new Worldloppet
Chemical Bank (17 km) Classic 20 9:35 am Global Ski Calendar of popular races and
Chemical Bank (17 km) Classic 21 9:40 am skier ranking which was launched in
September of 2019. Visit the new global
Fun Tour (6 km) Classic 22 9:50 am calendar of top tier events at
Vasasaurus Stomp Snowshoe Race 23 10:30 am https://www.worldloppet.com/globalcalendar/
 SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO:
Chemical Bank and Short’s Brewing Company
for their title support of the North American Vasa

The team at Timber Ridge, host of the North

American Vasa
The DNR for their support of forest recreation
The dedicated trail grooming team from TART;
James Hart, Chief of Course; and the Northern
Michigan Mountain Biking Association (NMMBA)
The Vasa Ski Club
Iceman Cometh
Bay Shore Marathon
TART: Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation
And to the hundreds of volunteers whose help
makes the North American Vasa possible!

We are grateful to all our sponsors

Shorts Brewing Company—Co-title Charter Media Northern Michigan Sawmill
Cross Country Ski Headquarters North Peak
sponsor
Flight Path Creative Oleson's Food Stores
Chemical Bank—Co-title sponsor Floodwell Print Studio Operating Engineers Local 324
GoGoSqueeZ Pepsico
Cherry Republic—The Official Snack Grand Traverse Resort & Spa Pure Water Works
Provider of the North American Vasa Great Lakes Potato Chips Running Fit
307 Events and Tents Hagerman Photography Serra Subaru
9&10 News Hagerty Insurance Suttons Bay Bikes
AIS Construction Equipment Interlochen Public Radio Traverse City Record-Eagle
American Ski Marathon Series Jolly Pumpkin Team Bob's Heating, Cooling,
Jerry and Sharon Glenn Kwik Print Plumbing
Bay Bread Mad Mikes Computer Repair Tri-Gas Distributing
Bayshore Resort Marathon Automotive US Ski Pole Co - A. Liebner
Blarneystone Broadcasting Michigan Apples West Front Primary Care
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Michigan CAT – Kalkaska WTCM – Ron Jolly
Blue Tractor Barbeque Munson Healthcare
Brick Wheels –Tim Brick NordicSkiRacer.com

Thank you for supporting our sponsors