Live on location, it's the Todd Alba Show.
And now, pursuing truth wherever it may lead, here's your host, Todd Alba.
Across Wisconsin on the Civic Media Radio Network and streaming worldwide on the Civic Media app.
Good afternoon, everybody.
I'm Todd Albaugh here in beautiful Hayward, Wisconsin, home of the 51st annual American Berkebiner.
Back at the World Headquarters in Madison, our producer, engineer, Aaron Zommers.
It is six past the hour of 12 noon on this Thursday, February 20th, 2025.
It is not just a great day to be a Wisconsinite.
It's a fantastic day to be a Wisconsinite, everybody.
Welcome in.
We appreciate you being here.
I'm going to introduce my special guest to just a minute, but Mr. Zommer's much different than a year ago when we were up here and it felt like spring.
The ground talk came really early this year.
It actually feels like winter.
It feels like a brick and binder, not a cloud in the sky.
Temperatures are chilly enough to keep the snow on the ground.
It's beautiful, my friend.
It's your kind of weather because you run hot.
You'd love it here.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm sure I would.
And it looks, it does look beautiful, it's great to hear.
I know right now nobody listening can hear it, but as we were setting up, I could hear behind you on the loudspeakers, just the people who are running the event and everybody seems to be having a great time.
Yeah, it really is.
Things are underway.
You're going to hear some of the background noise.
We are just off of Main Street here, which is the main drag for the for the Birkenbinder, the finish line, basically.
We're just outside of our studios on the street, a WBZ-H AM910 and FM 96.9, the buzz of the north as we're known up here.
And also we have sister stations who provide lots of great music and joining me right now from the bed of my truck just off the main drag in downtown Hayward.
the one, the only big G of our stations up here.
Big G, thanks for being here.
Hey, you bet, Todd.
Thanks for having me here.
Boy, you got a nice setup out here.
Say it's a beautiful day.
Right?
I mean, it's just beautiful.
And, you know, we're proud to have our talk news station, sports station, BZH here in Hayward.
We also have a brand new music station here in Hayward called Muskie101.fm.
Tell us a little bit about that.
WHSM Muskie 101.1 has been a mainstay in Hayward and man we're going to be we got some new clients on there and we're going to be doing a live broadcast on there Saturday with a big finish to the Berkebeiner.
That's great so you and Gray from our station on our music side are going to be here broadcasting live on Saturday so if people want to continue their coverage over the weekend, guess what?
They can go right to the free Civic Media app.
load it if they're not here in the Hayward area and simply go to Muskie101 FM on your on your on your app and you can hear a big G and gray.
We were starting out right on cable right in the morning there with the main track there for they also have the 10k and the 20k there are all sorts of events going down there.
I don't know if you've ever been down to the actual track they had.
I didn't get there
last year, no.
Well, that's incredible.
The way they build that track, and of course, you know, last year, like you were talking, we didn't have the snow in Hayward.
Right.
So all the events kind of stayed down in Cable, which Hayward kind of lost out on a lot of activity here and a lot of things.
But hey, this event brings 15,000 people to the area.
15,000.
Wow, over the world.
That's why I was struck by last year when we were up here.
It's the first time I've been here at the event last year.
And even though there wasn't any snow here, you just the international flair to it.
But boy, what a completely different and even cooler feel to actually have snow in downtown Hayworth.
Yeah, we're just a little ways away from the finish line here.
And I heard the kids coming in.
The Barney Berkey was just here.
man lots of fun kids are having fun and just a lot of people milling around here they got food trucks and
Totally different atmosphere this year than it was last year because, you know, it's coming to Hayward.
Right.
It's so much fun.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Big G. How long have you been in the area?
I know you're one of our great, technically, you're a pavement pounder, as you say,
a
sales
account
executive, but you're an institution up there.
I walk into places last year.
I said, yeah, I'm here at Big G. Everybody knows Big G. How long have you been here?
I've been up in this area since I live in Phillips, Wisconsin, but I've been up in the area of self-employed and I'm on a motor business over in the Price County area for almost 40 years.
So I've been up in this area over 40 years.
So you get to know a lot of people and a lot of folks and everybody's running up here.
You walk down the sidewalk, they say hi to you.
So it's a great community, it's a great organization, and civic media, like I say, we've got stations all the way from Hayward all the way to Waukesha, two FM signals right here in Hayward.
great community, great organization and certainly enjoy being part of it.
Well, I just enjoyed so much.
You have a great team up here.
You also serve our station over WPFP and Park Falls over there as well.
And you and Gray and Darla and the entire team up here in the Northwoods.
I mean, this is what local radio is all about.
And it's one of the great reasons that I'm proud to work for Civic Media.
But as we go around the state, the phrase we keep using is what makes Wisconsin great.
And I think for those of us
of growing up in southwest or south-central or southeast Wisconsin, we kind of think about, well, the north woods, you go up there to the cabin once a year, but it's a vibrant community 12 months a year.
Sure, definitely, yep.
It's the people up here and the people are a lot of, you know, small businesses, a lot of mom and pop businesses, and like I say, everybody's friendly, and it's a great community, a great place, you know, if you're looking to move up into this area, we got some great properties, beautiful lakes, obviously.
and a great place to raise a family.
Yeah, it really is.
Tell us a little bit about, since you've been here for so long, tell us if people are listening.
Well, there's plenty of time because this thing goes through Sunday, correct?
Yes, yep.
So if people are listening anywhere across the state, want to get in their car, come up this area and enjoy maybe a day or two, what can people expect when they come to Hayward, the cable area for the Birkenbinder?
Well, if you, like I say, if you, it's like you all across country ski events.
And my niece folks go all out.
the people on WHS talking a little bit about, you know, they dress up in costumes.
This is a, this is a main event for them.
I mean, there are people from all over the world.
I don't know if you care if it's Sweden or all over Europe and stuff.
They come up here to Hayward, Wisconsin and ski for five days.
This is there.
I was just taught, I just was at a restaurant here, the Lakewood Cafe, one of our sponsors, and some folks were in there.
Unfortunately, one of, he was one of the skiers and he broke his tibial this morning.
But I could see him on the phone and he said,
So this is my pride and joy.
I come up here every year.
I'm not sure where you're from.
My audience is my pride and joy.
And so people really have a passion for it.
This is what you'd have to say.
And all the business owners, they get involved in it.
And we're going to have, like I say at Saturday, we're going to have the studio open here.
Come on in.
Have some refreshments.
Meet myself and Gray.
And some of our great team here at Civic
Media.
Yeah, absolutely.
Let's just mention our great sponsors for this event through the entire week here.
The big one, the name sponsor, Big Fish Golf and Die Hard Sports Bar and Grill, located on Tru North Lane.
Well, I believe we're going to have someone you've been so gracious to set up something to stop by in hour number two here.
Tell us a little bit about Big Fish Golf and Die Hard Sports Bar.
Well, if you like the golf like myself, it's a beautiful course.
If you like it hit the ball long, it's an excellent course.
I'm a hacker, but I love doing it.
18 holes beautifully surrounded there by woods and nice wide open fairways.
And they have all sides of activities going on there all year round.
They have trivia nights on Friday night.
It's free to play trivia night The teams of three you bring they give you away $25 a gift card from big fish They got in the winter time, of course, you can't be on the course to get beautiful huge golf simulator in there They got golf leagues and stuff for that so you can come in there and do that and of course the diehard the diehards sports bar and grill got great burgers pizzas
sandwiches, and they deliver.
They're delivering this week, seven days a week.
I bet they got four-wheel
drive.
Oh yeah.
You're staying at the Seven Winds Casino.
Anywhere within a 10 mile radius, they'll deliver food.
That's great.
Well, we really
appreciate the... They're going to be Joel Mori and some of the representatives are going to come up here in probably 1.30, I think, this afternoon.
Yeah, with them.
And we have some general sponsors also that step forward.
Shelby from Lori Kardon GIFs.
She's just down a couple blocks down here on the left.
Beautiful GIF shock, GIF shop, Hallmark Crown Store there.
beautiful gifts for any occasion, flowers and so forth.
And then of course we've got Coops Pizza, that's one of my favorites there.
All you can eat, one of my favorite words, all you can eat Todd.
I was there
last year, I can't wait to stop it tonight.
All I can eat pizza buffet and salad bar there.
Sunday through Thursday.
I got great roasted chicken recipe there.
And you know, if you're not in Hayward, Wisconsin, they have a distributorship where they have their family recipe.
Coops pizzas
all
over Wisconsin here.
So, uh, and if you're, uh, if anybody's looking to go out there, have a Coops pizza and, uh, and, uh, check them out.
Uh, great place right here at Hayward, Wisconsin.
That's great.
We also have a Pine Point Realty, a
liquid.
Pine Point Realty, Brooklyn.
Book and CJ over there, family owned really good office there.
They do real estate, they do property management.
You know, maybe you got a summer home up here and need somebody to manage it.
Give them a call there at Pine Point Realty.
They're right on Highway 63 there.
And you'll hear them, you'll hear some of their ads and really a family affair.
They've got their kids involved on their ads.
That's great.
So yeah, great, another great real estate organization right here at Hayward.
And then Lakewood Cafe.
And then Lakewood Cafe at breakfast there.
Thank you to Andy.
Thanks Andy.
The order you bought me breakfast this morning.
Wow.
We can just eat our way through the burger
bar.
We really so much appreciate
it.
It's right on Railroad Street there.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, anytime.
The menu's huge.
If you can't find something on that menu, you don't want to eat.
Basically.
Well, a good time had by all as they say for anybody who wants to come up to Hayward and the cable area.
We thank all of our fine sponsors.
We'll hear from them throughout.
the show and throughout the week, both here on WBZH Buzz of the North and also on Muskew 101 FM where Gray and Big G are going to be broadcasting all day Saturday as well.
Talk about a little about a minute and a half here before the first break, Big G. Talk
just
a little bit about the economic impact for this area for the Birkenbiter.
It's huge, like I say.
It brings 15,000 people to town.
They're going to be eating in the cars of the Lakewood Cafe or Coops or any of these defined restaurants we got up here in Hayward.
It even branches out the cable and even beyond because obviously
15,000 people on top of Hayward.
The restaurants are going to be pretty crowded.
You've got
all your fast food, Chinese, McDonald's and stuff, but lots of like Angler's Bar right down here, right down here on the one way right past the finish line here.
Great burgers and stuff down there.
We talked about Coops Pizza already and of course the big fish out there.
So there's eddies on main, I mean there's any kind of dining you want here basically.
You want to just go for a sandwich or if you want something a little fancier, I mean.
It
really is an event that this area relies on every year, and I know there was some concern last year because of the lack of snow that
maybe
fewer people came, but still quite a few folks came
out.
Still, all those people are, you know, even if they're on cable, they're coming to Hayward to, you know, to do stuff and to get gas in their vehicles or whether they stay in the motels.
I mean, hotel rooms around here, you can't find a room.
You can't find a Roman at Berkabutter.
Well, you're sleeping in the studio.
I stayed on the futon of the studio, which was fine.
Come on back.
We're going to take a quick break.
We are live from downtown Hayward at the 51st annual American Berkabutter Big G. Todd Somers back at home.
Talk more about this and take your phone calls as well.
It's the Todd Allball Show live from Hayward on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome back to the Todd all ball show live from downtown Hayward, Wisconsin at the 51st annual American Birkenbeiner along with Big G. I'm Todd here Zommer's back at the home studio back in Madison.
What an absolutely beautiful day Big G and you found us some guests here.
I just kind
of crowd some folks here and pull them over to the pickup truck here and looks like there's some pretty
Active skiers here in the Berkey, so we were curious how their experience was, and they can tell us a little bit about themselves.
Yeah, we'll start the closest one and go down.
You guys all have Berkey hats on.
You all have ribbons and metals here.
We're going to start with each of your names first, so tell us your name, please.
Yama.
All right.
I'm Chloe.
I'm Finn.
All right, where are you guys from?
We're from Madison, Wisconsin.
So I'm from Richland Center, but I came up from Madison.
So did you guys all ski today?
Yeah, we did.
We did the half kilometer.
Really?
And was this your first year doing
it?
Yeah.
It
was our first year.
Was this your first year as well?
All right, and you?
Yes, first year.
All right.
And have you guys skied?
How long have you been skiing before?
We've been downhill skiing for like, like,
Very long time, but
then
cross-country skiing we kind of just started like last year
Wow And how did you do today?
I did really good
good for you.
That was an exciting That's awesome and and for you.
Did you enjoy it as well Finn?
Yeah, I got first.
Got first!
Holy cow give me five
Nicely done!
Nicely done!
We have a first place winner!
That's your first year?
Yes.
Wow.
Would you think that you might want to continue this and continue to do it?
Yeah, next year I'm going to do the three kilometer.
Three kilometer?
I talked to a guy before we went on the air.
He said he was almost 90 and he had done the Birkenbeiner for 30 years.
Isn't that crazy?
Our Poppy right here.
He's 70 and he's done it.
He's this is his 40th Berkey this year.
Oh, is that is that a fact?
Yeah,
that's great.
What's your name, sir?
Scott Cooper.
That's great.
And you've been
doing I'm Poppy to these guys.
Well, that's great.
Did you are you doing the Berkey button this weekend then?
Yes, of course.
All right.
That's how many years?
40.
40.
This is my son, Burke, B.I.R.K.
and his wife, Kristen.
Burke was born.
I had to miss it that year.
So that's
where the name came from, huh?
You broke the streak.
Yeah.
So my name's Burke.
And so now, you know, the namesake, I kind of have to do it, you know?
Of course.
That is absolutely, you guys literally, is that your dad then?
Yeah.
And so he was named after the Birkenbeiner.
Yes.
So you really had no choice but to participate, right?
Yeah.
Is there any besides skiing, is there another favorite thing that you liked about the Birkenbeiner so far?
My
favorite thing was that my brother won his first tie.
How is that for family love?
How cool is that that you're encouraging your brother like that?
Is there any particular food you guys have had yet that you really liked?
Oh, the cookies.
And we're gonna get donuts.
And then we're gonna go to a candy shop.
And we're also gonna get pizza for lunch.
Ooh, boy.
And for you?
Yeah,
for us.
All the food groups here are my favorites.
Yes, I agreed with Emma.
It's a great place to get.
I was here last year, my first time.
The food is fantastic.
It's really good.
Did you guys see the dogs?
The burky bark this morning?
No.
But our dad told us
about it.
Oh yeah.
That's pretty cool, isn't it?
Yeah.
Well, I thank you guys for stopping by and thanks for taking the time.
Congratulations to all of you for being winners.
Congratulations.
And thank you for coming.
And congratulations.
Number one first place your first year.
Thank
you.
And maybe we'll see you in the Olympics, say, like in, you know, 20 years or something like that.
That'd be pretty, you got your start right here at Hayward Wisconsin.
Well, have a great Birkenbeiner, everybody.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you.
Thank
you.
Our pleasure.
All right, look at that.
Look at that.
Now, that's the kind of the fun that you have here at the American Birkenbeiner.
You never know who you're going to run into.
And right there, an entire family of first-time Birkenbein skaters and one of them gets first place.
Thanks a lot.
And the Sun's even named after the Birkenbeiner.
That's fantastic.
I wouldn't say old man at all.
You look like you're in fantastic shape.
So thank you so much.
Right there, G. How about that?
I don't know.
I think we should end the show because I don't know what a better example of this event is of that family right
there.
That's called passion there.
Right?
Yeah, name your son there.
The only one you miss is that you're your son is born.
You have to name name Burke after the book and buy her.
Well, I think that's just fantastic.
But I think that's for people who are listening.
It doesn't matter whether you walk in Shaw, Richland Center, Madison, Eau Claire, wherever you are today, Green Bay.
Come on up.
I mean, I mean, it is beautiful out here right now.
We're right across from a kids food court type of thing where there are outdoor activities.
There's kids food.
So this is truly big GF family event.
It is, yep.
And the town's all decorated up, businesses all got specials going on, so I'll be sure and check out downtown Hayward.
Yeah, it's clearly our sponsors among them, but people connect with the food.
Oh, definitely, yep, definitely, yep.
after my own heart,
right?
You and me both, my friend, and you walk up and down the street here.
It is truly even the stores have some of their doors open.
You smell all of these great candy stores like the kids were saying the burgers, the pizza.
I mean, this is this is really like a little mini Olympics.
Oh yeah, yeah, you bet.
Yep, you betch.
It's just so fun and a completely different vibe this year with the snow.
Definitely, definitely a completely different vibe, different ambiance.
Yep,
you
bet.
So glad that we were able to be up here and bring folks some of the sights and sounds.
Just a couple of minutes here before the break, Big G, anything that we haven't talked about, you want to make sure people know from you before you head out here.
Nope, I just want to say thanks to our big sponsors for our live broadcast on Saturday.
I want to invite everybody out there that's listening to come on in and check out our studios right here in downtown, right downtown here, right next to River and Raines right here in our studios there.
We're going to have some cider and some refreshments there.
Come on down and meet myself and Gray and some of our super civic media staff.
down here so I made everybody down the whole weekend I got events going on you can see there's a huge list of races today yet that are coming right through downtown Hayward here and I get a chance to get out the cable and check out the track they got out there and cable and yeah just everybody enjoyed a weekend and man.
We, uh, it's, uh, lords bless us with a beautiful weekend and, uh, get enough snow now so that folks can enjoy, uh, both, uh, both cable and
Hayward.
Yeah.
You, you said it so well.
Uh, we're awaiting the junior Berkey here on the main street in Hayward.
That starts at one o'clock.
We'll be here for that.
But to stay with us, a quick update for the ag markets from the Midwest farm report, weather and sports, local news, then we'll come back live from Hayward right here.
The American Berkebinder is the all balls show on the civic media radio network.
Thank you, Big G.
Thank you,
Todd.
you
Bird keep fever Got me here as a beaver Got me waiting for winter Got me praying for snow Bird keep fever
I'm a true believer Just give me to the start line I'll be ready to go
Give me to the start line I'll be ready to go
And welcome back to Hayward, Wisconsin.
We are live on location at the 51st annual Berkey, the Berkebinder, American Berkebinder.
Yes, we have Berkey Fever.
We have people over here that have Berkey Fever.
You guys want to come over and say hi?
Yeah, come on over.
We're gonna interview somebody.
See, this is a great thing.
Ms.
Pardon?
Okay, all right.
These are the kids that want to be interviewed, but where are you from?
Milltown.
Milltown?
All right, very good.
We'll welcome.
All right, Duluth.
All right, very good.
We'll welcome all of you.
You never know who you're going to run into, Mr. Zommer's here in downtown Hayward at the America Birkabiner.
Thank you for pulling that song once again.
Tell people how we found that song a little bit about it.
How did we find that song again last year?
Was it I mean, I think Catherine Lake ran into somebody that told us about it wasn't that's right
I thought it was something like that.
I just didn't want to
say the
wrong thing with that.
I think
it was Catherine So this year Todd is in a nice place to interview random people on the street as he's going But last year we had some person on the street interviews from our station manager in here in Madison Catherine Lake Also spanning a great range of people of all ages coming from all over the world and one of them
told us about that song.
And so, of course, we looked it up and yeah,
it's
solid.
And there's
actually several Berkey songs.
Are they
really?
Well, at least
three.
At least three.
At least three songs.
Well, I three songs but thousands of people that that come and we we appreciate each and every one of them We are waiting here in downtown Hayward right now the start of the junior Berkey So you have which is a lot of people think it's just one race right on Saturday or Sunday No, it started actually yesterday on Wednesday and they open with a 50
K state classic open track and then so there were races yesterday and then races today that started with the bar key.
Birkey.
That was really cool.
They had so you have people bring their dogs and they'll do a certain length of the race.
They finished downtown here and the announcers were calling out the racer and the breed of the dog.
And so they said, I think this is the first Rottweiler of the year.
So that was pretty cool to see that this morning.
And now we're getting ready for the, there was the Barney Birkey, which are the real little kids.
I think that was the one that our last guest, Finn, who was
just on here.
He got first place in his first year.
So that was pretty amazing.
And then we got the one o'clock here at the top of the hour.
We have the junior Berkey, which I am assuming is middle school and high school kids and then the giant ski on Main Street tonight at 5 PM or this afternoon.
At 5 p.m.
So that's all going on Later on and then the the big on Friday there are events out at a cable and then on Saturday is the slumberland American Birkebeiner and the start times range from 8 15 in the morning until 10 10 in the morning So that is the the great big race is on Saturday and then on Sunday the on snow ski and bike demo from 9 until 1 p
That's another thing that I think a lot of people don't realize.
I didn't really until I came up here last year and was here for the event that there's a snow bike racing.
And if you've seen these kind of, this is something called fat tire bikes, I think.
Yep,
that's
it.
Yeah, or snow bikes.
And so they have these really fat, literally a fat tire, wide tire.
and they have big treads on them.
And after the actual skiing is done, then they take these bikes on this same track.
And that's really entertaining to watch as well.
And then in the off season, when they don't have snow during the summer, they actually use these same trails for mountain biking and the fat bike racing and all that kind of stuff.
So the American Berkebinder Trail is both a cable and down here to Hayward.
These are utilized year round.
But we only really hear about it across the state and other places about the big American Burkabiner ski race, which is going to be here on, as we said, on Saturday from 8.15 until 10.10.
Thousands of people here.
That's something that I think is really cool is that not only is it this one time event, well, every year, this annual event that brings in tens of thousands of people from all around the world, it has real use all year round.
Yeah, it really does and and it's a vital part of the north woods economy up here If you're not familiar exactly where where Hayward is that no worries?
I mean, I think a lot of us that didn't grow up here like well It's up north somewhere.
All right Pat Crite low, of course, we know exactly where it's at But if you go just north of Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls and the highway 53 a little over an hour and 45 minutes or so and then it's south of course from Lake Superior so
maybe we're about an hour ish, a plus south of Superior.
So kind of between Superior and Eau Claire, that part of the truly the North Woods up here, just a beautiful, beautiful place to be any time of the year, but especially today here in Hayward, Wisconsin for the 51st annual Berkebeiner ski race.
We talked about this a little bit last year and if you'd like to call in and offer any of your own thoughts on outdoor sports and a lot of
people across Wisconsin are loving this snow.
We've finally gotten this year for cross country skiing.
downhill skiing, of course, you can make that as long as it's cold enough, make the snow.
And then, you know, particularly up here in the North Woods in tourism, snowmobiling is so vitally important as well as ice fishing.
So if you have a thought, a memory, something you'd like to share in terms of Wisconsin winter sports, the great outdoors here in Wisconsin, give us a call 855-752-4842-855-752-4842 as we continue to broadcast.
here live from downtown Hayward at the America Burkabiner.
So, Mr. Sommers, we talked about this last year.
This all started with kind of this homage, so to speak, to Norway, to Scandinavia.
And each year, three skiers, and this happens a little bit later on this weekend, each year, three skiers and an infant dressed in full costume as the original Burkabiner warriors, Inge,
who was the mother of Prince Hocken and Prince Hocken the adult ski the entire race on wooden skis and in full historical garb in the final stretch they swapped their dial for the real infant
quote unquote, Prince as they ski across the finish line on Hayward's Main Street.
So that's always a really cool thing just to recreate this legend in Scandinavia that, you know, these Prince and Princess were saving their infant son and ski through a snowstorm.
And that was the very first as legend has it, Birkebeiner.
And then that tradition was carried over here into the United States and recreated every year here in Hayward, Wisconsin.
So
just kind of cool with all the Nordic lure and Scandinavian lure that goes with it each and every year.
A couple other facts for you.
Let's see here.
Oh, we have a phone call.
Let's go.
Let's go to the phone lines.
855-752-4842.
I believe we have Whistler from WRCE in Richland Center.
Whistler, thank you so much for listening and calling in.
What are your thoughts on winter sports in the America Berkebinder?
Well, my funny thoughts on winter sports.
I've never been in Hayward during winter time.
But I do remember going camping many years ago, shortly after Sally and I got married.
And in the summertime playing golf on a golf course that had sand, grease.
Really?
Yeah.
Some were up around Hayward, Eagle, campsite, campground, and they had a golf course, nine whole courses.
And all the greens were made of boiled stance.
Wow, that's pretty cool.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's just a part of the state that those of us from the southern part of the state, we haven't explored it, so I haven't explored it nearly as much as I should have or could have.
And we find all these cool hidden gems up here.
So I would say, Whistler, if you ever get a chance, go ahead.
What?
We were heading up to Superior, up to, you know, see the Great Lake up there.
Yeah, I know.
Oh
sure.
Stop over
it.
Wow, that's really cool.
I appreciate your call and sharing that.
It is a great, you know, if you're going up to Superior or Ashland or Bayfield, it is a great place to either just take a pit stop or you'll spend a couple hours or overnight here and, you know, have some fun while you're here on the way up to Ashland and Superior and Bayfield area.
So I appreciate the call, Whistler.
Thank you so very much.
855-752-4842.
855-752-4842.
I'd like to call in, share some stories about the beautiful Hayward area, the Birkabiner, or just in general, winter activities, outdoor activities here on an absolutely picture perfect day in downtown Hayward, Wisconsin.
Yeah,
I actually
learned something about the Birkabiner yesterday.
Do you know where the name comes from?
Boy, I think you stumped the band.
From Gray.
Yes, another Northwoods Wisconsin Radio Mainstay.
Yesterday
on the
Maggie Dawn Show.
It turns out Birkebinder means birch bark leggers, which is birch bark leggings that the Norwegian Warriors wore for protection and warmth.
And that name was originally derogatory because it'd be like, oh, here comes those stupid birch bark pants idiots again.
But then they embraced it.
That's really cool.
I appreciate you sharing that.
Appreciate Grace sharing that as well.
I guess it was somewhere back in my mind.
I just forgotten it.
But yeah, that was the you're right That was the original in Scandinavia the original way to protect their legs and these long ski trips just from frostbite or whatever birch bark like that.
So Yeah, hey, I mean, I think people up here probably proud to be birch barkers at the birch compiler But no, thank you appreciate you sharing that the other cool factoid there Also, we have over 250,000 skiers
have participated in the American Birkenbeinersky Foundation events since its inception of the first race in 1973.
It takes 3,125 volunteers.
Let me say that again.
Over 3,125 volunteers to welcome the world to northern Wisconsin.
Last time they had the actual numbers in 2023.
It'll be updated as more numbers come in for the Birkebinder week.
What else can we tell you here?
The first, they call it the court had 19 participants.
The first Birke had only 35 participants.
So certainly it's grown a lot since then.
The highest point on the trail, 1,733 feet or 528.
meters.
The 100-kilometer American Birkabinder trail is used by skiers, runners, bikers, Nordic trackers, and hikers.
You're around, as I said a little bit earlier.
Also, Ernie St.
Germain is the only skier who has skied in every Birkabinder ski race since 1973.
Going on his 21st American Birkabinder ski race.
Absolutely incredible.
Now, here's a little fact to it.
I think it's fantastic.
The only states not
represented.
Only states not represented in the American Binder ski race are a Birkenbinder week are Mississippi, Louisiana and South Carolina.
How about that?
Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina.
Otherwise, every single state is represented here in the America Birkenbinder and also
A lot of countries as well, people from all over the world, we've seen flags here, people in attire from Germany, from Denmark, from Sweden, from Norway, things that really come to mind, Canada, of course, as well.
And I think in these times when, well, shall we say that American diplomacy and international respect is dwindling and not at a high right now, it is still refreshing.
to come to an event like this to see people from all over the world, all over the United States.
Everybody's getting along.
Everybody's here to have fun.
Everyone's here to support one another.
And just like our earlier guest, those young kids, happy when other people do well.
It renews your faith in America and renews your faith in Wisconsin.
And it's just a blast.
So if you have a chance, get up here and join us here at the America Berkabiner.
If you're in the area, if you're listening to WBZH Buzz of the North here in Hayward, stop in and see us as well.
We have a couple of prizes we could probably give away to you.
Not probably.
We will have some bandanas and the like.
So stop in and check those out as well.
You're listening to the Toddleball Show live here at the America Berkabiner.
in downtown Hayward, Wisconsin.
We are going to come back and kind of talk a little bit more.
Take your phone calls as well.
855-752-4842-855-7524842.
If you'd like to call in and talk about the Birkenbeiner American or outdoor sports, winter sports, we are here for it.
Also a what's worse winter activity coming up and we'll talk to more of our sponsors in hour number two.
Don't go anywhere.
We are live from the American Birkenbeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin.
right here on the Civic Media Radio Network.
you
And welcome back to downtown Hayward, Wisconsin, the home of the 51st annual American Berkabiner ski race.
I'm Todd Albaugh live on location outside of our studios in beautiful downtown Hayward, WBZH, the buzz of the North 9 10 AM.
Thanks to all of our staff up here, all the great folks who are helping make this possible.
Our sister station, Muskie 101 FM.
And if you want continuing coverage of the American Berkabiner, you can tune in most of the day Saturday beginning in the morning.
Big G along with Gray are going to be broadcasting from cable to Hayward.
You're going to see the start here, the start and the finish of the entire race talking to a lot of great folks as well.
You can hear it on Muskie 101.1 FM.
And if you're not in the area here in Hayward, you can still listen simply download the civic media app and you can enjoy it for free Just go to your civic media app and go to musky101 FM and listen to gray and big G all day on Saturday It's just it's just so much fun being up here and and this atmosphere of the great outdoors and again, it's just a great chance to breathe literally and
Decoratively, sunny skies, and get away from all of the news just for a couple of days.
As it turns out, the world will keep on turning whether we are doom-scrolling on our devices or not.
And it doesn't mean we ignore what's going on.
It doesn't mean that we just decide we're not going to pay attention anymore.
But I think it's really healthy for our mental health, our physical well-being, if we remind ourselves to get outside, even those little chilly bundle up like I have here today, buy yourself an electric vest if you can, because as it turns out, Mr. Thomas,
The tree tree is not always right about everything, but I will tell you he was spot-on with this electric vest
Yeah, he is right about a lot of things maybe not everything a lot of things but a lot of things
Yeah, I went to Cabela's last night in the way up and it's very cozy.
It's very cozy Yeah, if you like to call in share your memories of
of the American Birkenbeiner if you've ever been here or just winter sports outdoors doesn't have to be sports, but just hiking sledding ice skating ice fishing What what do you like about Wisconsin in the winter outdoors 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 mr. Resomers I think we had some people watch you on Facebook YouTube and Twitter Who I wanted to a weigh in here.
Let's take a look at those if we could please PJ on YouTube saying too bad snow
Isn't a sport.
Well, that's true.
That's true PJ.
I would have done the okay in that Also, we have blue gold 94 on YouTube.
We appreciate you watching blue gold says I think Todd should return to a sports casting roots tonight and head over to the Hayward Sports Center and broadcast the Hayward girls hockey playoff game Now that is a fantastic idea.
I might have to go over and check that out.
That is
sport that I never have broadcast.
Never done a hockey game.
I would need to call our colleague and friend Chad Holmes of WXCO over there in Wausau who was an expert high school and college hockey broadcaster.
So, maybe have to check that out a little bit.
But yeah, hockey is a game.
I've done a broadcast wrestling, football, baseball, softball, volleyball.
Those are the big ones that I've done on the on the radio and TV, but never never done a hockey game LA Tom watching on YouTube says my parents have gone to the bricky for years and took my niece and nephew.
Well, that's great LA see that's
I think it's just one of those things.
If you if you live in Northern Wisconsin or from this area, you've gone to at least once.
And if you're like me, who came from Southwest and South Central Wisconsin, maybe you haven't maybe you haven't made it up here.
Tony, watching on YouTube says Blue Gold sounds like Chad.
Yeah, maybe it actually is
Chad Holmes trying to get you to call the game.
Chad Holmes, if that's true, let me know.
I'll I'll come over and carry your gear for you.
I'm not sure I can broadcast, but I could.
I could.
to help you carry your gear if you'd like.
Or if you're here in town, my gosh, come on over and say hello.
We'd love to have Chad Holmes here.
And we also have a caller.
Matt in Middleton.
All right, very good.
We have Matt in Middleton on the line, 855-752-4842.
Matt, thanks for calling in, listening on WMDX.
What do you have for us, Matt?
Hey, Todd, me and my girlfriend rented a cabin for three days up in Northern Dark County up on the peninsula there.
about three weeks ago and I just wanted to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed winter vacationing in Wisconsin being outside I got my toe warmers on my boots and everything
nice
and doing some snowshoeing just walking out looking at all the ice formations and the best the funny part was how nice the people at the small businesses and locals were they just seemed really happy to see us because they didn't get much tourism I guess or something
But we
were
treated extra nice, so I just wanted to voice that to people that it's better than you think it's going to be, you know.
Yeah,
absolutely.
I appreciate you calling in so much, Matt.
Thank you so much.
That's what what part of Dork County were you in?
I mean that already holding up.
That's fine.
But no, I think that makes a good point, right?
I mean, just bundle up a little bit.
You know, I splurged a little bit on this electric vest, but I also have my parka inside the truck here I can put on if I need to.
But no, just bundle up a little bit.
Like today, we're downtown Hayward here, and there's virtually no wind right now.
So that makes it really nice.
The sun is out, so you'll sun your back and face.
Bundle up and just get out here.
Enjoy it.
It is so beautiful out here.
And now we're going to come back.
have a winter themed what's worse for you.
And we're also gonna talk to one of our fine sponsors at the bottom of the hour as well.
Big Fish Golf Die Hard Sports Bar and Grill located on True North Lane.
Here in the Hayward area, also Coops Pizza, Lori's Cards and GIFs, Pine Point Realty and Lakewood Cafe.
They're all helping make this broadcast possible and also our broadcast on Saturday as well on Muskie 101.
Come on back.
Hour number two is straight ahead.
We are live in downtown Hayward, Wisconsin for the 51st annual America Birkenbeiner.
It's the All Ball Show on the Civic Media.
Ready Network.
