For all of his many years, efforts and countless hours spent furthering the sport of cross country skiing, Jan Horak, Tofte, is being honored by the Minnesota Nordic Ski Association. Photo courtesy of Greg Fangel, Mn. Nordic Ski Association
Jan Horak, 71, of Tofte, will receive the annual Master Skier award provided by the Minnesota Nordic Ski Association (MNSA) on Sunday, April 7 at the Mora Nordic Center in Mora. Horak is a long-time cross country skier and his contribution to the sport and accomplishments will be recognized.
Jan started skiing at an age of 6 or 7, when his parents gave him a pair of wooden skis with a leather loop for a binding. Jan’s father had skied in the war in Czechoslovakia and wanted Jan to ski as well. Jan grew up in Bayport, Minnesota, went to college at Gustavus in Minneapolis, and graduated with a degree in elementary education.
After graduating, he got a job at Cook County High School in 1975, where he started the first cross country ski team. He coached the team for 18 years and one of Jan’s athletes, Dave Eckel, still skis with Jan every year at the American Birkebeiner, where Jan finished his 40th Birkie this year.
During Horak’s coaching career, he started a cross country ski program at Birch Grove School in Tofte, where children skied on school property with Jan’s donated skis. Later, the school obtained a complete set of skis for all students. Jan was one of the first groomers of the Sugarbush ski trails in Tofte, starting in 1980 and grooming for about 10 years.
For many years, Jan’s goal was to ski 1000 km for the season. This year he has skied over 800 km, mostly on the Sugarbush ski trails in Tofte. Many locals will see him skiing almost every day. Jan loves to be active and supports cross country skiing in many ways.
The award ceremony is open to the public: It will be held Sunday, April 7 at the Mora Nordic Center, 400 N. Ninth St., Mora. The social hour will be at 1:30 p.m. with keynote speaker Amy Chichanowski, executive director of Minnesota Youth Ski League, speaking at 2:30 p.m. The awards ceremony will be held at 3:45 p.m.
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