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The Beginning
The seeds for Minocqua Winter Park were planted more than fifty years ago by a circle of friends. These “pioneers” discovered the exhilaration that comes with skiing amid the still landscape of Wisconsin’s North Woods. With each season their passion for the sport grew and they wanted to share the joy it inspired in them with others. By devoting many hours of labor and pooling their resources, soon a series of trails took shape followed by a modest downhill course. They called it Squirrel Hill. Just as Minocqua Winter Park is today, Squirrel Hill was a place where people can embrace the often long Wisconsin winters finding fellowship while skiing and other “silent sports” of the season. But, in the seventies, development of downhill ski resorts were on the rise as were associated costs to run them and sadly, Squirrel Hill was one of several operations to close.
Middle Years
The hills and trails weren’t silent for long. It wasn’t more than a year or two before a new group of old friends returned to Squirrel Hill. Several were sons and daughters of the original founders. For the next several years, the second generation of Squirrel Hill skiers continued the tradition set by their parents. Along with their growing families, they started their own ski club. An existing structure became the clubhouse. Members both paid for and performed the general upkeep and all trail grooming. In 1981, the group formed the Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation Inc. The non-profit organization has operated and cared for Minocqua Winter Park for almost 30 years now. The park serves several thousand winter sports enthusiasts each year, making a significant contribution to the local economy.
Today
Today, Minocqua Winter Park is one of the most popular Nordic Center’s in the Midwest. 75 kilometers of trails are impeccably groomed by an experienced staff using state of the art equipment. 10,000 visitors come to the park each season to cross-country ski, snowshoe, and skijord amid the solitude and beauty of a sizable wilderness area. MWP’s edge on the competition is its center on the family, a professional staff and most importantly, it’s superior grooming. The Park still relies on a solid base of volunteers, a foundation laid back in the 1950’s by a circle of adventurous friends.
Tomorrow
2010-A new ice skating area is under development.
2011-Minocqua Winter Park will be one of the select ski centers in the Midwest to participate in The CXC Adaptive Program. Created in 2005, the CXC Adaptive Program is committed to providing year round cross country skiing sports specific recreational, training, and competitive athletic programs for individuals with physical disabilities.
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Background Information and Data |
One in four leisure travelers in the U.S. include some form of outdoor recreation on their itinerary. Clearly the recreation travel market is a substantial one in this country. Further, 76% of leisure travelers reach their destination by car. This affords Minocqua Winter Park with its North Central Wisconsin location the ability to draw visitors from metro areas within a days drive. (See distance and drive times here.)
It’s difficult to envision Minocqua Winter Park & Nordic Center without a sense of the greater area in which it’s found. The Town of Minocqua is a forested lakeside community. There are varied explanations for it’s Ojibwe (or Chippewa name – the third largest group of native North Americans in the United States,) one of the most popular being that the name derives from the town’s unique geographical character- an island surrounded by several lakes (aqua)
Residents of Minocqua often refer to their home as “Island City.” A portion of the town is indeed situated on an actual island accessible by a bridge on Highway 51. Minocqua is located in Oneida County and is one of three recreational areas described on The Minocqua-Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Chamber of Commerce website.
The site has extensive accommodation listings from rustic cabins to luxury condos. A popular four season destination, winter travelers are delighted to find the many amenities demanded by savvy outdoor travelers are in place including like a variety of dining and shopping destinations.
In addition, visitors to the charming villages in Wisconsin’s Oneida County are surrounded by some of the most pristine wilderness in the country.
Simple numbers like those listed below tell all.
Minocqua, Arbor Vitae-Woodruff area has-
- 233,000 acres of public forest land
- 1,300 pure glacial lakes
Minocqua “stats” include-
- Less than 5,000 (according to 2000 census figures) year-round residents
- Population Density – 32.2 per square mile
Minocqua Winter Park & Nordic Center –
- 6,500 acres of Northern Wisconsin forestland
- 75 kilometers of groomed trails
- Features highest point in Oneida County- Squirrel Hill at 1735 square feet.
- 3 loop trails developed especially for kids
- Impeccable grooming using state of the art equipment, maintained by a professional staff employing the finest techniques in the industry.
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Minocqua Winter Park is a not-for-profit town park operated by the Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation. Our mission is to provide a quality silent sport experience for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages through the protection and maintenance of our trail system.
TBD - MWP Manager
715-356-3309 – business
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dan Clausen- MWP Ski School Director, Ski Shop Owner
3504 lke Walton
Lac Du Flambeau, WI 54538
715-356-1099 – business
715-588-3568
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Bio- A certified ski instructor for 27 years including 8 years in Australia, Clausen served four terms, a period of 16 years on the elite PSIA Nordic demo team. Team members must first be nominated by their peers and then undergo a rigorous try-out. An avid outdoorsman, he also teaches canoeing, sea kayaking and windsurfing. He’s led many trips on Lake Superior and in 1994 led a sea kayaking expedition around the Whitsunday Islands in Australia.
Dave Sconzert- Head Groomer
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A Round-up of Amenities & Activities |
ACTIVITIES- Minocqua Winter Park is a family-centered winter recreation and nature center focusing on cross country skiing, (classic style and skating,) as well as other “silent sports” like snowshoeing and skijoring-gliding the trails with harnessed dogs.
Especially important during these economic times are MWP & Nordic Center affordable rates. Families can buy a pass for as little as $25.00 Kids five and under ski for FREE and there are special reduced rates for seniors. For the most passionate skiers full season and off-season passes are available.
The skijoring trail has been lengthened to 5.5 km and is open six days per week.
MWP offers an open telemarking slope as well as a 2km lit base loop for night skiing.
There’s a unique snow playground, MINWINPA-LAND for toddlers up to 8 years of age.
An ice skating area is under development.
Amenities- MWP & Nordic Center has a chalet and café serving food and drinks to the hungry outdoors enthusiast, waxing room and heated day lodge.
The ski shop offers retail sales, equipment rental and a certified ski school. Child care is available, as is free WI-FI.
SPECIAL EVENTS- The year’s organized events start off with a New Year’s Sledding Party.
Early in the season, the park’s Silent Sport Demo Days event is one of the largest on-snow cross country skiing demos in the country. It offers participants a chance to try the latest gear, talk to the manufacturers and learn the latest techniques.
2010 marks the 35th Lakeland Loppet Race on Feb. 28. This is one of Wisconsin’s longest-running cross country ski races. Citizens of all ages participate in this fund-raising event to benefit the Minocqua Winter Park Trail Fund, a 501(c) 3 non-profit.
New events this year include a new competitive race, The Minocquabeiner and the park’s own version of Inga-Lami.
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Studies show active kids grow to be active adults, a key element of a healthy lifestyle. The park is designed to both foster a healthy lifestyle in children and to instill in them an appreciation for the wondrous beauty of Wisconsin winters. Minocqua Winter Park & Nordic Center introduces toddlers to teens to the joys of winter outdoor sports by engaging them in several fun activities and programs. Below is a sampling of what they offer.
MINWINPA-LAND: An On-Snow Playground for Kids 8 & Under
A great place for winter play! Playground components include a ski-ter-totter, Nordic tee-pee, ski thru hoops, igloo, and more. Set up within easy view from the chalet, parents can supervise their kids from indoors.
THE COOKIE TRAIL
New in 08-09 season and a real hit with the kids. “The Cookie Trail Loop” encourages children to ski 5 km with stops at 5 stations to get a card punched. Cards with five punches are redeemed by kids in the chalet for a cookie.
NORDIC KIDS
Kids 5-13 years old enroll in a six week program (each Sunday, January-March,) of on-snow-play and skill development through ski touring and games, emphasizing skiing as a lifestyle with all the related physical, social, and cultural benefits.
MINWHIPPERSNAPPER TIME TRIALS
Each Sunday morning, kids 13 and under race a short, just for fun, timed, one lap course. Kids “race” one at a time and upon finishing are rewarded with a Gold Chocolate Medal.
BASE-LOOP INITIATIVE
Kids ages 5 and under ski the 2.2 km MWP Base Loop independently…without direct assistance for the very FIRST time and receive a special certificate and ceremony back at the chalet.
JUNIOR MINWINPA-SKIER
It’s like a Junior Ranger program, but for young skiers. Complete all the activities listed in a special booklet (It’s ok to get help from Mom and Dad,) and a MWP staffer certifies you as a Junior MINWINPA-Skier!
YOUTH SKI FESTIVAL (ongoing)
An ongoing celebration in which kids fun ways kids can move on a pair of skis. Radar gun speed skiing, ski-ter totter, obstacle course, barrel sprints, and lots more.
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Many pros agree the most important resource for getting started in any sport is to take live lessons from a good instructor. MWP Ski School Director, Dan Clausen and his staff are all certified PSIA instructors. Dan is also a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Nordic Demo team and is recognized among his peers as one of the best-
“Dan’s a great instructor...and phenomenal athlete, but more importantly, he knows how to communicate skills and confidence to pretty much any level of skier. I had a clinic from Dan maybe five years ago and still count it among the best ski lessons ever. ” Jonathan Weisel, widely-published writer and expert on Nordic skiing.
Clausen has developed his own effective style of teaching, a method involving observing several details allowing him to teach each student according to a set of existing criteria. He puts it like this:
"Teaching skiing for 25 years has given me the experience to watch literally thousands of skiers of all abilities. The dynamics of body types, physical ability, and equipment, terrain, and snow conditions dictates the skier's experience. It is finding the right balance of these dynamics that make skiing enjoyable. That is my job, helping people reach that balance." Dan Clausen, Professional Ski Instructor Association National Team Member, Owner MWP Ski Shop
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Recent Press and Story Ideas |
Looking for a story idea?
Our most recent press releases are posted here, but there are plenty of other angles for writers to explore whether the piece centers on Minocqua Winter Park & Nordic Ski Center or incorporates it within a feature on winter sports or Wisconsin. Of course, professional staff members are available to writers seeking expert testimony on each facet of the sport or industry from “A day in the life of a professional snow groomer,” to the latest techniques and gear of the industry.
Writers from the trade press, travel and outdoor writers, journalists from each medium can find ideas below.
Skijoring – Skiing behind harnessed dogs or horses. Interest in this sport is on the rise. Former Managing Editor of Wisconsin Trails Magazine, Laura Kearney wrote about her first-hand experience with the sport calling it “a thousand times better than an amusement-park ride.” A sport relying on the connection between people and their pets ties in to the nationwide trend of the importance of pets in our lives.
Volunteerism- MWP and Nordic Center provide an excellent example of how effective grassroots planning and volunteering are in building successful operations and businesses.
A good sport for seniors- Cross country skiers are less prone to injuries or accidents than the more risky alpine version of the sport. In fact older skiers often report the easing of arthritic symptoms or nagging pain from an old injury after training on Nordic trails.
Kid Related- Where else can a family find so many programs and activities that revolve around kids. From toddlers to teens, MWP has a full agenda for kids who want to get outside in the winter. Especially unique is Minwinpa Land, a unique concept for play in the outdoor woods. Playground components include a ski-ter-totter, Nordic tee-pee, ski thru hoops, igloo, and more.
Other possible cross-country skiing story angles to consider include:
- Choosing a destination
- Getting started in cross-country skiing
- Fitness benefits
- Honeymoon getaways
- Adaptive Cross-Country Skiing-Engaging persons with disabilities in this exhilarating winter sport.
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