A warm Saturday morning brought excellent attendance from both spectators and racers. All photos by Tryg Solberg

By Tryg Solberg - Boreal Community Media - August 7, 2023

The North Superior Ski and Run Club hosted their 35th year of races at Pincushion Mountain Trails on Saturday morning as a part of Fisherman’s Picnic weekend of events. Nearly 200 participants ran in ¼ mile, 1-mile, 3 or 5-mile races on the mowed ski trails. Organizers were impressed with the above-typical attendance and hope for continued event growth in the future. 

Proceeds from the races go towards maintenance and grooming operations at Pincushion. The trails host multiple events and practices for the local high school ski team and a Minnesota Youth Ski League chapter every year. 

Chris O’Brien, the president of the ski and run club, talked about their hopes to raise money for a newer PistenBully snowcat groomer. Their 35-year-old groomer is starting to lose power on the steep climbs of the ski trails and it leads to lower quality trail conditions and additional time spent grooming. 

To fund the purchase, the club has organized a Ski Grooming Equipment Capital Campaign. They have completed over ⅔ of their goals to raise money for the purchase of a 2015 PistenBully groomer that costs about $200,000. With the ski season fast approaching, O’Brien is hoping to wrap up the campaign in the coming weeks. 

To contribute to the campaign for improved grooming conditions in the coming winters visit the link below: 

https://www.pincushiontrails.org/checkout/donate?donatePageId=64b55fc30c5d7d0c2e77beb7