Mora’s Enchanting Slopes and Skiing the Vassalopet USA

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Susan France-Weber and Jon Larson, president and former president of the Mora Ski Club (respectively), talked to Lincoln Marketing about what makes Mora such a special place to ski. Both have skied many Mora races throughout the years, including the Vasaloppet USA and the 42K classic race. This is what they shared:

What do you like best about skiing in Mora?

SFW: I like that the Vasaloppet USA is citizen-run. Everyone who works here, except one person in headquarters, is a volunteer. I know all the people at the soup stops, and that is really special.

JL: It’s a family atmosphere, a friendly and welcoming event. The course is beautiful. It runs through interesting terrain and is not terribly long, but does make you remember you’re working out.

One unique thing about the Mora Vasaloppet is its finish line on Main Street. What was it like to ski down Main Street?

SFW: The whole finish is very nice. Going up the hill, hearing bells on the bell tower hill, then hearing little bells, hearing the crowd, and hearing my name announced upon finishing. Being given a completion medal. There’s a celebration tent, new last year, with refreshments and food. Hopefully the tradition of a celebration tent will continue and get even better in coming years.

JL: It’s really interesting to finish on Main Street. Other races finish around fields and lakes. This way, because of the buildings, it forces the crowd up to the finish line, so you have a denser crowd. It ends up being a real lively environment. It’s real blurry when you finish: that’s why they give you a medal, so you can remember you did it.

Have you met anyone who came from another country for the Vasaloppet Skiing Exchange (which includes Sweden, China, and Japan)?

SFW: I’ve met several. Every year we have a group of Swedes who come. They’re called “veterans” because they completed the Swedish Vasaloppet, the granddad of all races (90K), thirty times. I travel to Sweden a lot, along with my husband, who skis the Swedish Vasaloppet. We have a lot of friends there, as well as new friends from the ski races every year. I have also met quite a lot of skiers from Japan and a few from China. The Mora Vasaloppet is unique because of our ties with other countries, and inspired me to travel to many places I might not otherwise have gone.

JL: I personally have hosted some skiers from Sweden and Norway. It’s really enjoyable to meet these people. It’s incredible that they travel to America in winter, and especially the north shore, to ski with us.

What’s one thing skiing has taught you that you’d like to share?

SFW: Skiing is a great winter sport. In March, the snow melts during the day and freezes at night. IT’s beautiful to ski on something that is full of glide and to be surrounded by nature. My favorite times to ski are late February and early March.

JL: Skiing is a lifelong sport. You can do it at any age. There are veteran skiers from Sweden who have skied the Vasaloppet in Sweden their whole lives. That’s 90KM each time! It’s not an easy task to ski even a 15K. It helps you appreciate the outdoors and the woods. You get to see critters you’d never see outside the zoo.

Visit www.moraskiclub.org for more information about ski events in Mora and to find out how you can join.

Image courtesy of Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

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