2025 Bluesky Loppet
February 9, 2025
Your choice of skate or classic technique
9 and 18 km options
1.3 and 3 km options for youth (Chocolate Bar Races!)
More information and registration details coming soon!
A Short History of the Bluesky Loppet
The North Bay Nordic Ski Club has a long history hosting "Loppets", which is a Scandinavian term for a long-distance endurance race, or cross-country skiing event. The Club hosted its first loppet (the Langlauf, which is German for "a cross country ski race"), on February 16, 1980. The start area was formed on Trout Lake a few hundred metres down from Northshore Road. Skiers raced to the shore, up the road and behind the clubhouse onto the trails.
The Loppet has evolved and run almost every year since 1980. The common theme has been to race the club's longest and most challenging trail, the 18 km Green Trail.
The Bluesky Loppet came to be in 2006 as a two day event (skate Satudray and classic Sunday). A 36 km option was added, and in some years there was a 36 km skate race on Saturday and a 36 km classic race on Sunday! Formats have varied from year to year, but the spirit of the Loppet remains - a fun "race" event for all ages!
The first "Loppet", circa 1980: 
The 2024 running of the Bluesky Loppet, held only on the extended Blue 9 km loop due to unusually poor snow conditions