1978 US National Championships – Anchorage, Alaska

The 1978 US Naitonal Championships were held in Anchorage, Alaska, beginning in the final days of 1977.  The first event was the relay, held on a course with few hills at Russian Jack Springs Park.  After the relay, the races moved to Kincaid Park.  The program included 30K, 15K and 50K for men and 10K and 5K for women.  The races started and finished on Little Campbell Lake.

Some of the courses were in what was then called “New Kincaid” – the most up-to-date trails.  Now those trails are classic-only.  Among the memorable features on the trails were “Niagara” – a steep drop, “S Curve” – a winding descent back to the finish on Little Campbell Lake, and “Compression” – a steep, straight descent into a sharp transition into an uphill.

The races were sponsored by the now-defunct Prinz Brau Brewery, who supplied beverages for the final banquet.  These races served as selection events for the 1979 World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland.

• Host Community: Anchorage, Alaska
• Host Organization: Nordic Ski Club of Anchorage (now the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage)
• Competition Venue: Kincaid Park (Russian Jack Springs Park for the relays)
• Chief of Competition:
• Technical Delegate: