Birch Legacies

Jon Peterson

We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perseverance, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more American Birkebeiner ski races.

  1. Aug 19

    Scott Smith - Skier, instructor, and Birkie singer

    Send us Fan Mail Scott Smith was the oldest person completing a full Birkie in 2026 and it's his goal to become the oldest to ever do cross the finish line in a few years. Amazingly he only began skiing the Birkie at age 49 and now has 24 Birkies under his belt. He even took a 'break' and skied 8 Korte's once he reached Birchlegger status. But he's back to skiing the big one because, as he says, "I'm paying for the whole thing - I might as well ski it!" Scott has some great tips for keeping fit into your eighties and maintaining the energy and enthusiasm for the sport over the years. He is an inspiration to all of us and he even sings! The episode ends with Scott singing his original Birkie song (adapted from a John Denver tune) 'My Sweet Birkie Trail Paradise". Be sure to listen to the end. _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  2. Apr 30

    The Ski and Tea group - Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail Years ago a small band of women in the Hayward area formed what became the Ski and Tea training group. Since then it has grown to include hundreds of women who support each other year-round and in various ways. First and foremost, it creates a community. Every Friday they gather in groups from a few to fifty to ski, run, bike, listen to a speaker, or just workout according the day's plan. In this episode (the second of two parts) we speak to Gretchen Lindgren, Jeanine Evenson, Mary Menk, Carolyn Senty, Julie Virkus, and Deb Vomhoff. They explain the purpose of the group, their own personal Birkie experiences and how meaningful the Ski and Tea group has been in their lives. _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  3. Mar 18

    Leave no Woman behind - The Ski and Tea training group

    Send us Fan Mail Years ago a small band of women in the Hayward area formed what became the Ski and Tea training group. Since then it has grown to include hundreds of women who support each other year-round and in various ways. First and foremost, it creates a community. Every Friday they gather in groups from a few to fifty to ski, run, bike, listen to a speaker, or just workout according the day's plan. In this episode (the first of two parts) we speak to Connie Meek, Sue Scheer, Alyson Chapman, and Nancy Bauer. They explain the purpose of the group, their own personal Birkie experiences and how meaningful the Ski and Tea group has been in their lives. _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  4. Feb 17

    A skiing life with Nancy Bauer

    Send us Fan Mail Nancy Bauer has built a life around skiing. Through their family ski adventures, a cabin near OO, high school, college, club, World Cup and even Olympic competition, the Bauer family has done it all. After 25 Birkies and 10 Korte's, Nancy continues to mentor, coach, volunteer and grow the sport through her tireless dedication and love for skiing. Nothing gets her more excited than to help someone see the joy of being outdoors doing any kind of exercise. She especially loves to support other women of all ages and to build a sisterhood they can rely on.  Look for her in her funny costumes, repurposed Birkie bib outfits or just cheering you on. She is one of the real legends of our sport! _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  5. Feb 9

    Birchleggers Stats with Jim Coors

    Send us Fan Mail Jim Coors had a question. How does Birkie performance change with age? As a Birchlegger (36 birkies) Jim was in a unique position to find the answer. He is an agronomy professor with a lifetime of experience analyzing large data sets. Jim took the last 25 years of publicly available Birkie results, crunched the data, and found answers to his question and even answered a few more. Jim and I talk about his personal Birkie history and then dig into the results he found from his research. The data is linked here so you can dig in after you listen or even follow along as we look into the magical effect skiing has on our long-time performance. The poem we talked about in the episode: 'A Solitary Ski Track' _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  6. Feb 2

    A river running through our lives with Mike Sund and Scott Clements

    Send us Fan Mail College buddies, Mike Sund and Scott Clements first took on the Birkie challenge as UW Madison students. Now, about to ski their 38th Birkie over 40 years later, they reflect on the meaning the Birkie has brought to their lives. Through several moves, now grown families, and cabins in the Hayward area, both Mike and Scott are committed to keeping the Birkie flame burning brightly for themselves and the many people in their lives who have joined them. Almost everyone I've met has close friends who got them started, or who motivate them to keep going. I'm thrilled to share this enduring friendship as an example of such a relationship. _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  7. Jan 27

    The Birkie Slam - Kelly Skillicorn: Champion of all 4 Birkie events

    Send us Fan Mail Winning the Birkie once puts you into the history books. Winning the skate Birkie, the classic birkie, and both the skate and classic Korte's makes you a legend in the long history of this great event. Kelly Skillicorn is the only person to have won all four major Birkie events. Another aspect of her feat is that her two Birkie wins were 20 years apart: 1988 and 2008. Kelly's story begins in high school in Blaine, Minnesota in the early 80's (before skate skiing) and continues today as she lines up for her 25th Birkie in 2026.  Her description of those winning races and other memorable Birkies is fun to hear for those of us not in the lead pack. She appreciates  those special days when the course is like a snow globe and when all the factors - wax, skis, temperature, and body - are working in your favor. _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

  8. Jan 19

    Find Your People with Kurt Schroeder

    Send us Fan Mail Kurt Schroeder of LaCrosse, Wisconsin is the perfect example of a Birchlegger who just enjoys the year-round camaraderie of like-minded people who want to stay fit. His 'EMAG' group in LaCrosse is an inter-generational bunch of men and women who will go out with headlamps at 5:30 in the morning to bike, ski and run together. Kurt's philosophy is to just enjoy the experience and not worry about your place in the race. Now, with his 45th race just ahead, he is looking forward to starting in the 'Spirit of 35" wave and looking back on the many experiences that brought him to the front line.  _______________________________________________ Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.  If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form  Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member Birkie Website Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling Available at the ...

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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perseverance, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more American Birkebeiner ski races.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Peterson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Birch Legacies
  • Show Website
    Birch Legacies

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