World Snowshoe Championships coming to Ariens Nordic Center in Brillion

Rich Palzewic

Staff

December 30, 2024

BRILLION – In large part because of its capacity to guarantee snow, the Ariens Nordic Center, located at 1111 Round Lake Road in Brillion, is hosting the 2025 World Snowshoe Championships from Feb. 27 through March 2, 2025.

The U.S. Snowshoe Championships and the Open Championships will also take place over the four-day event.

“We are extremely excited to be chosen to host this type of event,” Monica Ariens, managing director of Ariens Nordic Center, said. “When we set out to build Ariens Nordic Center, it was kind of a pipe dream of ours to be able to host a national-level event, let alone a world event. It’s what we had our eyes set on for the future, but with being only in our third year of existence, that makes it even more special.”

Held annually since 2006, Matthew Dougherty – executive director of North Country Sports Council – said the World Snowshoe Championships and the U.S. Snowshoe Championships have a rich history of promoting the sport and bringing together snowshoe enthusiasts from around the world.

“We are proud to bring these championships to Ariens Nordic Center,” he said. “This venue exemplifies the qualities we look for in a host location: outstanding facilities, breathtaking trails and a commitment to excellence.”

Jackie Hering, director of the U.S. Snowshoe Association, said she is also excited about the upcoming event.

“We are thrilled to host the 2025 U.S. Snowshoe Nationals alongside the World Snowshoe Championships in Brillion,” she said. “This historic collaboration offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for athletes from around the globe to come together and celebrate the sport of snowshoeing in a truly unique setting. By bringing both the national and world championships to Brillion, we are not only elevating the level of competition but also highlighting the camaraderie and spirit that define the snowshoe community.”

Great for competitors, community

Monica said Ariens Nordic works closely with the North Country Sports Council – the nonprofit organization that supports sports, events and entertainment.

“They have been leading the world snowshoe events and were trying to find a home for the 2025 championships,” she said. “The North Country Sports Council knocked on our door and asked if it would be something we would be interested in hosting this year, as they were trying to find a venue to host it that provided them a guarantee to pull it off with snow.”

With the potential for colder weather in late February/early March, Monica said Ariens Nordic’s confidence level in hosting the event is high.

“I know anything can happen with Mother Nature,” she laughed. “Things get a little dicey more so at the end of March, but we should be good with having the event at the end of February. We probably won’t be making snow at the end of February anymore, but the snow that we have made should stay and stick around by then for sure. We should be in a good spot to host it. Ultimately, you can’t control the weather, so it’s not something we can worry about right now.”

The average highs in late February/early March in Brillion are typically in the low 40s, with lows dipping into the upper 20s.

Monica said the U.S. Championships were held in Eau Claire last year – “with no snow.”

“Last year, the competition ended up being a running event because there was no snow for them,” she said. “I think the national folks are excited to have us host it this year because they know we can guarantee they can be on snow for the competition.”

Monica said in addition to the world and national championships, the open competition will allow community members to take part as well.

“First and foremost, with hosting the world and national competitions, we thought it would be great for community members to come and watch that,” she said. “But then we thought, ‘We really should offer an open category so community members can actually participate in the snowshoe races.’ A lot of people probably don’t even realize snowshoe racing is a thing. We’re excited to give people in the community the opportunity to participate in a snowshoe race – maybe for the first time – if they sign up for the open category.”

Monica said the open portion of the event will be held Sunday, March 2.

“I think it will be a learning experience for everyone, myself included,” Monica said. “The North Country Sports Council is making sure we are ready from a venue standpoint.”

Monica said Ariens Nordic is expecting competitors from around the world.

She said with Brillion being a smaller area (with one hotel), she expects most competitors will stay in Green Bay or Appleton.

“We also have quite a few Airbnbs that have popped up in the Brillion area,” she said. “Having airports in both Green Bay and Appleton has made us a fairly accessible venue. A lot of venues like us out east or west are not the easiest to get to. I know people will also fly into Milwaukee, too.”

Monica said when Ariens Nordic hosts events like the snowshoe championships, it’s always the goal for them to return in future years.

“The more we can repeat events, the better,” she said. “We’re hopeful and confident that if we have a successful event in 2025, there are hopes of being able to bring it back here in future years.”

The future is now

Though they hoped and expected Ariens Nordic to “eventually get to this point,” Monica said “it’s come a little quicker than we expected.”

“We had hopes and dreams, but we really didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “To be completely honest, we’ve had two consecutive mediocre weather seasons where we’ve learned very quickly about the value we have and what we offer the community by being able to guarantee snow. Ariens Nordic has become a venue that different organizing bodies are seeking because we can take that risk off the table.”

It’s not just about the venue’s ability to make snow, though, Monica said of hosting world-stage events.

She said it’s one thing to hear about the positives of Ariens Nordic online or via social media, but it’s another to see the facility in person.

“Not until people put their boots on the ground at Ariens Nordic do they realize what we are, what we offer and how incredible it really is,” she said. “We encourage people to check us out because a lot of people have never experienced a Nordic center before. There’s not really anything quite like what we have in the Midwest. It’s a unique and different experience that is open for people to engage in outdoor recreation.”

More than snowshoeing, skiing

Monica said Ariens Nordic is an all-purpose center, and doesn’t just specialize or focus on a single discipline.

Though most known for its winter recreation, she said Ariens Nordic can be used year round.

“We built Ariens Nordic in a way where people can engage in outdoor recreation 12 months of the year,” she said. “We didn’t build it in a way where we only activate in the winter months. In addition to that, we also created the Nordic center to offer all types of outdoor recreational types, whether it be cross-country skiing and roller skiing, biathlon, running or walking. We also offer some winter fat bike riding if the weather permits.”

In addition, Monica said “people are hot on our heels about asking about mountain biking, too.”

“That is something we’re exploring for a future addition,” she said. “We’re really trying to offer a variety of activation with different sports, and additionally, we’ve also created it in a way where it’s for all ages and all skill types. We don’t want to build the Nordic center where it is only satisfactory for those who are seeking to be elite skiers.”

In addition to the snowshoe championships, Monica said in 2025, Ariens Nordic will also be hosting:

• Jan. 12: Biathlon winter race series
• Jan. 12: Nordic Demo Day
• Jan. 17-19: CCSA NCAA Qualifier
• Jan. 31 through Feb. 2: Wisconsin Nordic Ski League Sprint Championships
• Feb. 8: Snow Crown Series U.S. Fat Bike Open Race
• Feb. 14-16: Biathlon Festival – U.S. & Canadian Masters National Championships
• March 8-9: Wisconsin Biathlon Regionals

For more information on Ariens Nordic Center, updates on snow conditions and to view all events, visit ariensnordic.com or its Facebook page.