When you take to the course at the City of Lakes Loppet events, you can be confident that the Loppet’s medical team will be ready for any emergency that might occur during the races and family events, from a lost child at the Luminary Loppet to a heart attack during the 35K Freestyle race.
A team of doctors, nurses, medical students and ski patrollers will be on the course and ready to assist at every event and venue throughout the weekend. The medical team is coordinated by Drs. Mark Bixby, Peter Hanson and Mike Broton, and ski patrol director Hans Erdman, and consists of over 35 volunteers from the allied health professions, particularly Sports Medicine, and volunteer ski patrollers from the Backcountry Trail Patrol from Isanti and Zimmerman, the Viking Nordic National Ski Patrol from the Three Rivers Park District and American Birkibeiner, the Afton Alps National Ski and Snowboard Patrol, and for the Penn Ice-Cycle Loppet, the MORC (Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists) Mountain Bike Patrol.
For Saturday events, there will be medical staff, ski and mountain bike patrollers available at the competitive events, and ski patrollers and doctors will circulate throughout the course for the Luminary Loppet, to help skiers to enjoy a beautiful evening. Ski patrollers can also give pointers and “mini-lessons” to new skiers if needed.
For the races on Sunday, emergency medical personnel will be stationed along the course at Aid Stations at the start at Wirth Park, Wirth Beach, at the crossing of I-394, on Lake of the Isles and at the Finish. Ski patrollers will be stationed along the course at regular intervals, particularly in areas that have a record of challenging racers. EMS personnel can be easily identified by their orange “EMS” vests or red ski/trail patrol jackets, and are fully trained to deal with any problems the racers may encounter, including frostbite, hypothermia, dehydration, traumatic injuries and medical emergencies, as well as minor problems such as cuts, scrapes, frostnip and blisters.
The EMS team would like to encourage all Loppet participants in all events to feel free to ask the medical and patrol staff for help for any medical or safety related issues that might arise, and hopes that everybody has a safe and enjoyable time at this year’s City of Lakes Loppet.
