Bill Parks tackles Norway

By David Cederstrom, Chronicle Staff Writer

Bill Parks, the 73-year-old retired Glens Falls High School teacher and long-time coach, will travel to Norway in March to compete in the historical 33.55-mile Birkebeiner cross-country ski race that annually draws up to 17,000 participants.

Besides competing, Mr. Parks is making it a fund-raiser for The Friends of Cole’s Woods, which maintains the cross-country ski trails adjacent to Crandall Park.

“For more than 50 years I have trained, coached, learned to cross-country ski, and groomed trails in Cole’s Woods,” Mr. Parks said. “It is natural that I would want to pay back Cole’s Woods for all the fun, beauty and exercise I have enjoyed there.”

Mr. Parks, who many years ago served as president of the Friends of Cole’s Woods, said he will donate $10 per kilometer of the race that he completes. He hopes others who enjoy the Cole’s Woods trails will contribute, too. Donors of $25 or more receive a Friends of Cole’s Woods membership.

Mr. Parks said the Birkebeiner commemorates a Norwegian cross-country skiing feat from the winter of 1206.

After King Haakon Sverresson died, two rival factions, the Baglers and the Birkbeiners, fought to control the country.

To keep the king’s infant son, Haakon Haakonsson, from being killed by the Bag-lers, two of the best Birkebeiner skiers carried the child over the mountains to safety.

The young prince grew up to become the king who united Norway.

The modern race began in 1932 at the suggestion of author and forester Haakon Lie. Competitors must carry a pack weighing at least 3.5 kg (7.7 pounds), representing the infant Haakon Haakonsson.

The Birkebeiner takes place on March 18 and spans 54 kilometers (33.55 miles).

It starts in the town of Rena and follows a mountainous route to Lillehammer (which was the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics).

Mr. Parks said he will be in the first wave of racers, age 65 and up, “which I think of as the ‘venerable division’ but some refer to as ‘the really old guys.’” They’ll start at 7:30 a.m.

The elite women racers start 15 minutes later, followed by the elite men 15 minutes after that, then everybody else another 15 minutes later.

“With a 45-minute head start, maybe I can stay ahead of the mob scene!” Mr. Parks said.

“There’s apt to be nothing earth-shattering about my performance,” said Mr. Parks. “My motto is, ‘lunch in Lillehammer,’ hopefully not a late one….If I get there by noon, I would be very enthusiastic about that. As long as it’s not a ridiculous time for lunch, I would be satisfied.”

“I’m trying to train vigorously,” but lack of snow before Dec. 12 limited him.

“I used to race quite a bit starting in the 70s,” Mr. Parks said. He said he competed in the 55-kilometer Vermont Ski Marathon twice, and recalls finishing about 53rd out of around 1,000 skiers, “but I was also an hour behind the winner.”

He said he’s been to Norway twice before. On the second visit, he and his brothers wanted to do some cross-country skiing near Lillehammer, but even months in advance had a hard time finding a hotel.

“At some point the dim bulb came on over my head,” and he realized lodging was scarce because it was the week of the Birkebeiner.

The managed to find a hotel north of town and did some skiing in the mountains. “When I saw what the countryside was like,” said Mr. Parks, he got the idea of joining the race “to ski with all these equally enthusiastic cross-country skiers.”

Mr. Parks had a hip replacement in November 2015 and he decided not to try for the March 2016 Birkebeiner. Now, he says, “We’ve gotten that all taken care of,” so he’s now ready for the 2017 race.

Mr. Parks, a Harvard graduate, taught social studies at Glens Falls High from 1967 to 1999. He’s coached cross-country skiing, cross-country running and track at the school, about 35 years each. He’s now retired as a head coach, but still serves as an assistant coach for the ski team.

Contributions can be mailed to: The Friends of Cole’s Woods, P.O. Box 294, Glens Falls, NY 12801. A tab for online donations is being set up at the Friends’ website, http://coleswoods.weebly.com/.

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