Lourdes grad finishes a close second in renowned Birkebeiner ski race
Rochester native Ian Torchia was the top-finishing American at one of the crown-jewel events of cross-country skiing this past Saturday, putting the cap on what was already a weekend filled with Rochester connections.
Torchia, a 2014 graduate of Lourdes High School, took second overall in the 46th annual American Birkebeiner ski marathon, with a time of 1:59:03.3. Torchia was 1.6 seconds from taking the top spot, which went to Norway’s Niklas Dyrhaug.
The performance adds to an already-extensive résumé for Torchia. As a skier at Northern Michigan University, he won the 2018 NCAA national title in the 20K freestyle and took home six All-American honors. In addition to his skiing prowess, Torchia was an accomplished cross-country runner in his high school days. In his senior campaign for Lourdes, he finished third in Minnesota’s Class A state invitational, with a time of 15:56 in the 5K.
After graduating from Northern Michigan in 2018, Torchia signed with SMS T2, an elite cross-country team that sends skiers across the globe to compete in events like the Birkebeiner.
More Rochester Connections
Three Rochester residents served as an important part of the American Birkebeiner’s tradition, which dates back over eight centuries.
Norwegian folklore states members of the Birkebeiner faction in the civil war of 1206 captured infant Prince Haakon (who was to become the king of Norway) and skied him to safety, from Lillehammer to Trondheim. Each year, the American version — held in northwest Wisconsin — honors that journey by selecting four people (one baby) as honorary starters of the race, who then ski the full course in period clothing.
This year’s Prince Haakon was a Rochesterite, as were two of the skiers taking him to safety.
The Pinckney family (Vergil, Tasha, and baby Caelan) won the yearly contest, which requires entrants to submit an essay on why their group would be the right fit. Tasha had skied in nine previous Birkies before 2020, and was elated when the panel of judges (always the previous year’s winners) let her know her family had won.
The Pinckney family re-enacts the 800-year-old legend that inspired the creation of the American Birkebeiner / credit: 2020 American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation
“When I found out we won, I couldn’t stop smiling,” Pinckney said in a news release. “I started thinking about training on wooden skis, what costumes we would wear, and when the elite skiers might pass us!”
The Pinckneys, as is tradition, will now serve as the judges for next year’s contest. The 2021 Birkebeiner runs February 25-27.
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
Cover photo: Ian Torchia (center) / 2020 American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation
