Spokane’s premier cross country ski race, Langlauf, turns 40
Bridget Burns, 14, flies by the competition at the start of 39th Spokane Langlauf cross-country ski race, Sunday Feb. 10, 2019. Burns was the first female to cross the finish line with a time of 37 minutes and 37 seconds. ELI FRANCOVICH/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW. (Eli Francovich / The Spokesman-Review)
Skier Sam Schlieder crosses the finish line with a frozen beard during the 2018 Langlauf 10k Cross Country Ski Race on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, at Mt Spokane State Park.
Tyler Tjomsland/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
Zackary Mayes of Cheney negotiates a downhill turn with a pack of cross-country skiers in the first kilometer of the 10k race Sunday on Mount Spokane. More than 370 skiers competed in the annual event. Nick Bauer won this year's race with the fastest time in the Langlauf's 14-year history. skiing cross country (Shawn Jacobson / The Spokesman-Review)
A young racer falls near the starting line of the 39th Spokane Langlauf cross-country ski race, Sunday Feb. 10, 2019. ELI FRANCOVICH/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW. (Eli Francovich / The Spokesman-Review)
Just after the start of the 19th Annual Langlauf Cross Country Ski Race, elite entrants jockey for position on the trail. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive)
Before the start of Sunday's Langlauf event, cross-country racers like Bob Besser faced a sticky challenge: finding the right wax. Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review (SR)
Cross-country ski racers kick into the groove Sunday at the beginning of Langlauf '97, an annual race held at Mount Spokane State Park. Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review (SR)
On Sunday, Spokane’s cross country skiing race, Langlauf, will celebrate its 40th birthday.