Men's Skiing | 3/24/2017 4:34:00 PM

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Fans around Fairbanks will have a chance to catch the Alaska Nanooks men's and women's Nordic ski teams in action next week, as the Nooks are set to compete in the 2017 SuperTour Finals and USSA Distance National Championships at Birch Hill Recreation Area trail systems Mar. 27 – Apr. 2.

"We're super excited that the best skiers in the country are coming to Fairbanks this year to end the racing season," Alaska Nanooks head coach Nick Crawford said on Friday. "Fairbanks is an ideal place for this series of races because while most other parts of the country have lost most of their snow by this point in the year, the conditions at Birch Hill are at their absolute best. Fairbanks is also able to host the skiathlon event that is very logistically challenging, as it requires two courses for skate and classic, as well as a big stadium for the mass-start and ski exchange. Our trails are ideally suited for this event and it will be the first time this event is raced at a major US championship in recent memory."

According to the USA Nordic Ski Team website, "The SuperTour is a series of International Ski Federation (FIS) sanctioned cross country ski races taking place across America, produced by the U.S.  Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), together with its divisions and clubs. The Tour is a vital piece of the USSA's development program, providing top level racing at key cross country centers around the nation."

The 2016-17 SuperTour, which started its first of four periods Dec. 3-4 in Bozeman, Montana, concludes their fourth and final period and season at Birch Hill in Fairbanks. Together, with the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (NSCF), the 2017 SuperTour Finals and US Distance National Championships will be held in Fairbanks for the third time in history.

The Alaska Nanooks will be competing in the following events:

• Monday, March 27
  • Women's 7.5km Classic + 7.5km Freestyle Mass-Start Skiathlon – 5pm start
  • Junior Women's 7.5km Classic (simultaneous start)
  • Men's 11.25km Classic + 11.25km Freestyle Mass-Start Skiathlon – 6:15pm start
  • Junior Men's 11.25km Classic (simultaneous start)
• Wednesday, March 29
  • National Championship Sprint Free Qualifiers – Men 1.51km & Women's 1.47km – 4pm start
  • Sprint Freestyle Heats (6 minute intervals between heats) – 6pm start
• Friday, March 31
  • National Championship Mixed Gender/Mixed Technique Relay – 6:30pm start
• Sunday, April 2
  • Women's 30km (1x5km + 3x8.3km) Mass-Start Freestyle & Junior Girls 13.3km (1x5km + 1x8.3km)  Mass-Start Freestyle – 10am Start (simultaneous start)
  • Men's 50km (1x5km + 6x7.5km) Mass-Start Freestyle & Junior Boys 20km (1x5km + 2x7.5km) Mass-Start Freestyle – 12:30pm (simultaneous start)

"We would like to thank the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks for bringing this race to Fairbanks and all of their hard work in organizing this event," Crawford concluded. "We don't have it in our budget to travel out of state for this event that after the NCAA Championships, but having it brought to us is a huge benefit for our team."

For more information on the 2017 SuperTour Finals and US Distance National Championships, check out their website here: https://www.supertourfinals2017fairbanks.us/

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's and women's Nordic ski teams, follow @AlaskaNanooksXC on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks XC team page on Facebook.