Cross Country Headquarters Ski Team Brings the Michigan Cup Back Home

Well it was a long road this shortened season but the Cross Country Ski Headquarters Ski Team brought the Michigan Cup back home on Saturday at the Michigan Cup Series Relay Race held at XC-SKI-HQ on the East side  of Higgins Lake. There were 50 teams for the relay races made up of skiers from all over Michigan and Ohio. Each team had a Classic Skier (diagonal stride) and two Skate (or Freestyle) skiers. The race started with the Classic skier  and then they tagged off to the next skier on their individual relay team.  Cross Country Ski Headquarters had 19 Relay teams and it was the efforts of all the relay teams that brought home the cup. The youngest skier on the team was Kyle Roberts 7, from Lake City, MI, and the oldest was Jack Caldwell, 72, from Ann Arbor.  The Michigan Cup is won by the "team" that amasses the most points during the season and it was a very close finish. To quote XCSHQ Team Captain Frank Rynalski 52, Bay City; "The best thing about winning the cup was that we did it as a team."  Team Name         Relay Points Season Total 1 Cross Country Ski Headquarters     4,521    30,384 2 NordicSkiRacer                                3,254    29,423 3 Strait Striders                                   1,375    22,176 4 Grand Rapid Nordic Ski Team         1,543   20,970 5 Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop    847   20,736 6 Traverse Nordic Ski Club                        0   17,134 7 Ohio Nordic                                             0     4,250 Says Mr. & Mrs XCSkiHQ, Bob & Lynne Frye, "Thanks to all 50 teams who turned out for one of the largest Michigan Cup Relays ever. Thanks also to all the volunteers who helped make the day a great memory. Thanks to Frank Rynalski and his fellow team members for their endless work, organizing, recruiting and leading the Cross Country Ski Headquarters Team not only to a victory at the Relays but also to the 2007 Michigan Cup Championship ! Way to go team! You won it in 2004 and now you have bought the Michigan Cup back home!" The Relays - always a festive race - were made more festive by the bright tents and banners set up by Fischer and Salomon featuring demo skis.