Florida Snowbird Trains for His 2025 Kortelopet

We reached out to Paul who lives in Florida during the winter to share his Birkie Story on how he prepares for his Korte in Florida. 

“We became Snowbirds and legal residents of Florida during Covid. But I remain committed to skiing a Birkie or Korte since getting a serious case of Birke fever in 1983. Now it looks like minimal snow again, so it’s going to be the Korte. Fortunately, Lapham Peak snow makers performed their amazing feat of giving SE WI a viable place to get training time on snow. Three weeks of skiing has been hopefully enough for a training base until I return in February.  It would be nice if there was some real snow in the woods, but we take what we are given these days. 

I was asked to describe how to prepare for the Korte as a Florida resident. Pictures are attached to show in jest my main choice of exercise. But the flat roads and reduced pace riding with my granddaughter, Issabella, down here doesn’t do it. Walking, riding, golfing, and tai chi classes are not like climbing the hills on the Birke trail. My physical therapist suggested I get a pair of old striders and ski on the sand at the beach. He was serious, but that is not going to happen. There are more relaxing ways to enjoy a day on the beach. 

In my experience, cross county skiing is the best from of exercise, and is truly a great way to enjoy our winters, what we have as winters these days. I will be back and hope we have the real stuff for awhile. In the meantime, biking and body weight exercise will have to do. And let’s not forget working on my tan”. 

Posted January 24, 2025 at 10:26 am