Eau Claire to Host 2021 U.S. National Snowshoe Championships
Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth
Next February promises to be a powder-pounding good time in the Chippewa Valley for top-tier snowshoers: For the second time in recent years, Eau Claire will host the U.S. National Snowshoe Championship, which will be Feb. 26-28, 2021, at Lowes Creek County Park.
Visit Eau Claire, the Eau Claire Sports Commission, and CORBA – local group dedicated to off-road recreation – announced this week that the city had won a bid to host the competition, which was also held at Lowes Creek in 2015. The 2021 event is projected to have an economic impact of $81,000 on the community, according to Visit Eau Claire, the region’s tourism-promotion agency. Eau Claire’s selection was officially revealed last weekend at the 2020 national championships in Leadville, Colorado.
“We are thrilled that the (U.S. Snowshoe Association) chose Eau Claire for Nationals again,” CORBA member Jereme Rauckman said. “We had an incredible turnout in 2015 and expect 2021 to be even better. Trail running and snowshoeing have really taken off locally, and CORBA and Eau Claire County continue to put a lot of effort into the trails. What a great opportunity to show them off.”
According to a press release from Visit Eau Claire:
CORBA has proven itself as a successful host to several non-traditional sporting events as the group annually hosts the Red Flint Firecracker, the Powder Keg Snowshoe Race, and Fall Back Blast Trail Run. The 2020 Red Flint Firecracker Festival combines all of your past favorites along with a new format with a variety of events that both spectators and participants will love. The Powder Keg just recently completed its 10th year, while the Fall Back Blast Trail Run is the newest edition going on its sixth year of existence in 2020. For more information on their events, go to corbatrails.org. …
The snowshoe championships, which, prior to Colorado, have been held in locations such as Cable, Wisconsin (2019), Bennington/Woodford, Vermont (2018), and Bend, Oregon (2017), are comprised of Junior National 5km championships, Senior Men’s and Women’s 10km championships, Kid’s Kilo Run/Walk, Citizen’s 5km Run/Walk, and a 4x2.5km Snowshoe Team Relay event.
