World Cup cross-country ski races at Wirth Park get ‘official green light,’ despite warm weather

Organizers of the Loppet Cup passed a major test Friday, when the International Ski and Snowboard Federation approved the condition of its courses for this month’s World Cup races. With two weeks remaining before the event at Theodore Wirth Park, local officials are mounting an all-out effort to protect that little slice of winter from the springlike weather.

Claire Wilson, executive director of the Loppet Foundation, said organizers are in “a race to save the snow” for the sprint and 10-kilometer events Feb. 17-18. She said the international federation, known as FIS, thought conditions were surprisingly good during Friday’s snow-control check. The FIS approval gave “the official green light” for the races to proceed, Wilson said.

Over the next two weeks, Loppet Cup officials will keep the courses fortified with snow that has been stored at Wirth Park, brought in from other locations or made freshly on-site, if the weather is cold enough. Wilson said the only thing that could stop the World Cup races would be if next week’s predicted rain is extremely heavy, or if temperatures during race week are very warm. She doesn’t expect either of those scenarios.

“We have no plans to cancel‚” Wilson said. “All systems are go.

“I think we’re in good enough shape with what [snow] we have and what we can bring in. We’re going to provide the best course we can, given the conditions. It’s definitely not what any of us dreamed of, but it’s going to be a good course.”

Wilson said FIS officials were prepared for bad news after monitoring weather reports from Minneapolis, but the courses passed the final snow inspection. Loppet Cup officials are now stepping up efforts to preserve the surface.

Staff at Wirth Park made and stored a lot of snow during the cold snap in early January. More could be brought in from the Bush Lake Ski Jumps in Bloomington, Wilson said. The Loppet Foundation also will limit traffic on the courses.

The distance races at this weekend’s City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival have been shortened, and no spectators will be allowed on or near the course. Two high school races scheduled for next week will be moved to another location.