Kistapinanihk Classic Loppet to return to Little Red River Park

Herald File Photo. A skiier at the 2022 Kistaphinehnik Classic Loppet

After a lack of snow caused the 2024 event to be moved to Cooke Municipal Golf Course, the Kistapinanikh Classic Loppet will be back at Little Red River Park in 2025.

The loppet is hosted by the Prince Albert Nordic Ski Club and is the biggest event on the club’s calendar for the season.

Organizer Mike Horn says while Cooke did an excellent job at hosting last year, he is excited that the event is back at Little Red this year.

“Little Red is ultimately our main Nordic ski area. It’s nice to be in the hills and the trees. Our terrain is a little more expansive out there and we’ve got so many great trails that we get to feature the 32.3km distance which basically skis all of the classic trails at Little Red. It’s quite a tour through the park, which is quite nice. We’re very fortunate to have the Cooke Municipal Golf Course ski trail as well, because it’s handy for a lot of people and it’s a pretty awesome loop, but nothing beats Little Red.”

The loppet will have five different predetermined loops of various distances consisting of the Jackrabbit Quest (1km), Winter Wanter (7.4 km), Nisbet Forest Journey (17.5 km), Fresh Air Experience Tour (25 km) and the PA Nordic Challenge (32.3 km).

Horn says the loops will give skiers the chance to take a trail equal to their skill level.

“It’s nice because there’s lots of different skill levels and people’s comfort levels with certain trails at Little Red (are different) because there’s some pretty challenging stuff. There are some nice trails for the novice skier so we really wanted to give a mix of everything.”

While the event is returning to Little Red for the first time since 2023, Horn says participants can expect the loppet to be similar to year’s past with a few minor changes.

“It’s not going to change a whole heck of a lot. It’s a pretty awesome event as it is. We’ve kind of added one more kind of category or distance for the skiers. We’ve got a fairly good range and option for distances for different ability levels and skill levels. We’re going to have our post event meal at the Knotty Pine again this year. We’ve got a wiener roast organized for the jackrabbit kids. We’ve got some good prizes lined up for door prizes for everybody. It’s going to be another great day out at Little Red River Park.”

The name of the loppet Kistapinanihk comes from a First Nations term used to describe the land surrounding Prince Albert. Registration for the event is open online. Registration and bib pick up is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sunday, February 2.

sports@paherald.sk.ca

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