The annual Don Allen Saskaloppet is set to go next week in La Ronge. A dry start to winter sparked the question of whether there would be enough snow to have the loppet this year, but snowfall this month has allowed the event to happen.
“It was the driest January on record but then we did get quite a bit of snow in early February and that snow has stuck around so our volunteer groomers and the parks have been out grooming the trails I’d say about 90% of them are in really good shape,” said Promotions and Sponsorship Chair for the Saskaloppet, Nichole Robinson.
The LA Ronge Ski Club was formed in the 1970’s and as the club grew, volunteers began cutting ski trails by hand. Don Allen of English Bay played a big part in the early development of many of the trails around La Ronge. 1982 is when Allen and his friends decided La Ronge was ready for their own loppet and carried out the event the following spring.
In 1983 Allen was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and passed away in March of 1984 just a week before the second loppet. That year his son Vern competed with some of Saskatchewan’s most skilled skiers and crossed the finish line in first place.
Over the years, the Saskaloppet which is now named in Allen’s memory has grown to be the largest loppet event in the province and has a trail for every level of skier.
“We’ll have people skiing with chariots carrying their babies, we’ll have three-, four- and five-year-olds doing those smaller events and right up to last year we had someone I think he was 92 doing the 7km, so we see quite a broad range of ages and there’s definitely something for everyone,” explained Robinson.
The event has over 50 kilometers of ski trails which will be groomed for both classic and skate skiing. There are eight different route distance options ranging from 2km to 55km, as well as an overnight winter camping event.
The 40th annual Don Allen Saskaloppet will take place on March first and second and registration is open until February 28, but to register without having to pay a $10 late fee, participants must register before February 26.
Don Allen Saskaloppet – La Ronge, SK
(Photos courtesy of Warren Kelly.)