The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Cross Country SuperTour, the top domestic circuit for American nordic skiing, will include races in Anchorage next season that will also serve as the Olympic Trials and the national championships.
Anchorage will be one of eight stops on the SuperTour, which last season featured overall points titles for Anchorage's Scott Patterson and Girdwood's Chelsea Holmes. Also, Caitlin Patterson of Anchorage finished second among women's in points.
The races in Anchorage are scheduled for Jan. 3-8, 2018, with four races for each gender. The men will ski a 15-kilometer freestyle, freestyle sprint, 30K classical race and a classical sprint. The women will contest at 10K freestyle, freestyle sprint, 20K classical race and classical freestyle.
Many Alaska racers and Alaska-based racers, such as Olympians Kikkan Randall and Sadie Bjornsen and Erik Bjornsen, will be among the elite racers competing.
The SuperTour also will include stops in Montana, British Columbia, Vermont, Quebec, Michigan and Wisconsin. The SuperTour Finals will be March 23-28 in Craftsbury, Vermont.