Cory Curtis: A Loppet Master in the Making

One of our Clients, Cory Curtis, recently traveled to Estonia and Finland to compete in two different Loppet races. According to Cross Country Canada, “a loppet can be defined as ‘a great gathering of skiers who ski on a specifically groomed trail either classic (diagonal stride) or free (skating technique) of various distances.’ Usually, there’s an after party and celebratory banquet with awards and prizes.” We had the opportunity to speak with Cory on his goals, highs and lows, and overall experience as he works to become a Loppet master.

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Which Loppet races did you do, and what countries? 

We raced in the Tartu Loppet in Estonia and the Hiihto Loppet in Finland. Both of them have been going for more than 50 years so there is a lot of history and a lot of community support. 

What was the highlight of your entire trip?

I hadn’t skied distances that far since high school so I was anxious about two back to back marathons with thousands of racers. Crossing the finish line at the first race was a huge highlight. I knew I’d be able to do the next one! The Finland Loppet ended in a large stadium with a giant ski jump right above it. Skiing down into the stadium was a very cool experience.

The community vibe of the races is really exceptional. There are skiers from around the world, with a large contingent of skiers from the host country. It feels like a big community celebration! Locals line the course and build little fires to stay warm while cheering on everyone.

They have both classic races and skate races. We did the skate races.

Did anything unexpected happen during either race?

The feed stations along the course are plentiful and feature local foods. There was blueberry soup, warm pickles, chicken broth, and lots of bread. A warm pickle was not at all satisfying after skiing for a few hours.

Speak more on your goal of becoming a Loppet Master!

Once you compete in 10 long races (ranging from 42 to 90 km long) in ten different countries and on at least two continents, you qualify for Master Loppet! It really means nothing other than that you are a bona fide nordic ski nerd! But it just seems fun to be called a Master Loppet. You carry a little passport and at the end of each race you go to a very official desk and they stamp your passport and register your time in the Worldloppet database. It will be fun, at the end of this journey, to flip back through all the races and countries. 

I expect it to take ten years to reach my goal.

What were the ski conditions like in each country, and was your gear in good condition?

It was blistering cold—so cold that they pushed start times back so that it would warm up a little. I’ve never been colder than I was in Finland. The snow, like too many places this winter, was thinner than usual, but the courses were in great shape.

How did you feel about your performance in each race?

I beat my goal time by 30 minutes! It was really a ballpark since I had no idea what to expect. I know how long it takes me to ski that distance when I’m alone, but when you are navigating 5,000 skiers I wasn’t sure how that would impact time. 

My husband and I also ended up skiing each race together—we had agreed that we would split up if someone was feeling stronger, but it worked out that we had the same pace. It was nice to have a familiar face in some of the long sections.

Did you learn anything new about your skiing or training?

Ski Fit paid off! Working on balance and endurance in the off season was definitely noticeable on the race course. I couldn’t have done this a few years ago before I started working at Wright.

What was the toughest part physically or mentally?

The mass starts were nerve wracking. Because 5,000 people are skiing so close together for the first several kilometers, there are lots of broken poles, swear words, people skiing over the top of your skis, falls, etc. At the 3rd kilometer they had volunteers handing out replacement poles which fortunately we didn’t need. 

Finland is the birthplace of the sauna and sauna culture is dominant. At the end of each race there were group saunas, which were large, heated, walled tents where several hundred people at a time could sauna. 

Would you go back and do those races again?

There are 20 races worldwide so we’ll hit others before going back. Though both countries were charming. 

Do you have any future plans??

We signed up next year to race in the Marcialonga Loppet in Italy and the Dolmitenlauf in Austria, so I’ll keep plugging away at filling my Worldloppet Passport.

Thank you Cory for sharing your experinece with us! It is clear that these events are so much more than just races; they are cultural events that bring you so much closer to the local pride of the area! Even more importantly, he shows us how the effort that he put into his training during Ski Fitness payed off big time!! Keep up the great work in and out of the gym Cory!