Fans gather at the Loppet Cup in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - 20,000 cross-country ski fans descended upon Theodore Wirth Park to watch the fastest skiers in the world face off at the Cross-Country World Cup this weekend.
"Just about everybody is here that’s been on the circuit… you’re seeing the best in the world here today," fan Diane Pattridge said. "It’s great, I’m so proud of Minneapolis."
"There’s a lot of elite skiers that it’s so fantastic to be just feet away from the course," fan Linda Evert said. "How exciting it is to have this in our backyard."
A slight dip in the forecast on Saturday was uncharacteristic of what has been an otherwise abnormally warm winter. Leading up to this weekend, the only layers needed were more layers of snow.
Then, a Wednesday night storm brought just that.
"The gods came through with the snow, [and] snowmaking [here] is great, so [it’s been a] perfect day," fan Brian Gustin said.
2024’s competition marks the first time the races have been held on U.S. Soil for more than two decades.
"We’ve been waiting a long time for this," Evert said.
"I had tickets in 2020, and I was heartbroken it was canceled for the pandemic," fan Megan Olson finished.