In the cyclical nature of winter sport, patterns begin to emerge. August is typically the largest volume month of the season. Temperatures are still hot, summer vacation is winding down, the sun sets noticeably earlier and thoughts begin to inch toward the winter ahead. For international competitors, the cycle has a longer horizon … Olympic Games every four years, World Championships every two. Then there’s the World Cup year. The year where there are no Olympics. No World Championships. That is 2020. The year when winning the overall World Cup Globe carries a little more swagger. 

For many US ski fans, this 2020 winter is something special. The first World Cup is being held on US snow since Soldier Hollow in 2001 .. the test event for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. This year’s event is unique, because the top World Cup skiers should all be in attendance, aiming to collect as many points as possible in pursuit of the Globe. All eyes will be on the Loppet trails in Minneapolis, where the 14,000-square-foot Trailhead building has been open for barely a year, along with stadium and ski trails will host the World Cup event.

In the event preparation cycle, event organizers often build new infrastructure at least a winter before their big event. Oberstdorf, Germany will host the 2021 Nordic World Championships for the third time (1987, 2005). Oberstdorf is best known as a ski jumping venue, familiar to many as the “agony of defeat” jump; the intro to “Wide World of Sports” when Vinko Bogataj falls on the inrun. The ski flying hill is home to at least 20 world record jumps and the ski jump venue is the first stop on the annual Four Hills Tournament. The cross country trails in Oberstdorf are also a regular stop on the Tour de Ski. In 2020, however, there will be no Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, as they are hosting a full World Cup weekend in late January, as a test event for the 2021 World Championships.

I visited Oberstdorf recently to check out the trails and venue for the upcoming Lumi Experiences Best of Bavaria Trip. A portion of the trip proceeds benefit the National Nordic Foundation. The race trails were in the midst of construction to expand the stadium and improve the flow. The race trails are only a small part of the 75km trail network in Germany’s southernmost town. The pedestrian friendly streets of the old town connect directly to our hotel and the ski trail network, which is about a 3 km ski along the Stillach brook to the World Cup stadium. Join us this winter to explore this southern corner of Bavaria and experience skiing on the newly renovated trails. Of course, you’ll get an early peek at the World Cup action as athletes collect points for the 2020 World Cup and prepare for the next event in the World Championship cycle: Oberstdorf 2021.