50th Annual North American Vasa Festival of Races
Organizer's Description
WELCOME!
The North American Vasa Festival of Races is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. All races start and finish at Timber Ridge and traverse the wonderful Vasa Pathway and Vasa Singletrack.
The 50th annual North American Vasa is focused on safety and quality competition. The 2026 schedule of events includes Freestyle and Classic ski races for all abilities and ages, and Fatbike races.
What's New for 2026
Age Class winner perks: Each age class winner in the 27K Freestyle race will receive free entry into next year's race. 2nd place finishers will receive 1/2 off, 3rd place finishers will receive 1/3 off. This only applies to the 27 K Freestyle race for male and female racers and you must enter the 27K race in 2027 to receive this discount.
First Time Skiers: Any first time skier entering Sunday's 6K Tour receives a 50% discount, provided you use the discount code Newbie2026 at check out.
King Vasa Viking Club Members: Any skier that has skied in 30 or more Vasa races of 27K in length or more will receive a special permanent bib. Club members will be recognized by starting the George Kuhn 27K Freestyle race on Saturday in their own wave at 9:40 am and at the Vasa Community Celebration. Make sure you register for each race with the same exact name to keep your count accurate.
Vasa Community Celebration: To capture the spirit and excitement of this year's races and to honor the long-standing tradition of the North American Vasa, we are adding the Vasa Community Celebration to this year's event. It will take place at the Park Place Hotel after the races on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 4:00-7:00pm and will feature free appetizers along with a cash bar and live music. Awards* can be picked up for events completed on Saturday and we will acknowledge the King Vasa Viking Club members that have completed at least 30 Vasas. Please sign-up for this event on the RunSignup site in the "Store". Tickets are $5.00 per person. Advanced sales only, tickets will not be sold at the door. There is a limit of 330 people for this event.
*Note: Anyone receiving an award in Saturday's races but will not be attending the Celebration, can pick up their award at Timber Ridge following the race.
Hotel Accommodations
The Park Place Hotel has set aside a block of 20 rooms for race participants at the rate of $129.00 per night, excluding taxes and fees. There are only 20 rooms available at this rate so make your reservations early.
Registration Update for 2026
Skiers will self select the wave/corral they would like to start in during the registration process. If you are a top level skier please place yourself in the Elite wave/corral. Please place yourself according to your ability while also respecting other skiers. For assistance in making a wave selection please click on the 'Wave /Corral Selection Assistance' link at the bottom of this page. The Vasa organization reserves the right to place a skier in a different wave/corral.
- The Michigan Cup Challenge includes the George Kuhn Half Marathon 27K Freestyle Ski Race on Saturday and the Lombard Loppet 15K Classic on Sunday. Register for both events at the same time to receive a $20 discount. Cash awards will be given to the top three finishers, male and female. Rank is determined by combined times of the two races. First Place $600 Second Place $300 Third Place $100
- Fatbikers take note. All tires must be 3.8 inches or wider and properly inflated (no plus bikes). The recommended tire pressure is 4-6 psi, depending on conditions. Helmets are required, and absolutely no ear buds are allowed. There will be a warmup loop in the stadium. Fat bikers are not allowed on the course before the race. The 40km course is a 2-lap race, and the short race is a 20km 1-lap race. There will be one aid station per lap in the 40 km race. For the 40km race, no rider will be allowed to start a second lap after 2:15pm. The courses are the same with a second lap for the long race.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Registration
- Opens Tuesday, October 15th
- Closes 6:00 pm Wednesday, February 5th
Onsite registration is not available.
Friday February 13th
- 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Packet Pick Up
Saturday February 14th
- 8:00 am - Packet Pick Up
- 50k Classic/Freestyle (9:00 am tentative start)
- Okerstrom 12k Freestyle (9:15 am tentative start)
- George Kuhn Half Marathon 27k Freestyle (9:40 am tentative start)
- JR Vasa & Adaptive Skiers (12:30 pm tentative start)
- Family Relay (1:30 pm tentative start)
- Vasa Celebration (4:00-7:00 pm at the Park Place)
Sunday February 15th
- 8:00 am - Packet Pick-up
- High School 6k Classic (9:30 am tentative start)
- Lombard Loppet 15k Classic (9:50 am tentative start)
- Vasa Tour 6k Freestyle/Classic (10:35 am tentative start)
- Fatbike 25k (11:00 am tentative start)
- Awards Ceremony at Timber Ridge
For more information on the North American Vasa please visit http://www.vasa.org/about-us/history.html
