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2024 Masters World Cup -- Vuokatti, Finland
Event Dates: February 11-16, 2024 .... AXCS Suggested Trip Dates: February 7-17 but with a potential "add-on" for 2-3 days (see below for more preview info).
Last Update: July 26:
To see the latest Info and Updates for Team USA skiers, please also visit the Team USA Info and Updates page.
As of mid-July, reservations continue to be accepted for AXCS Lodging Packages to the MWC2024. As always, reservations can only be made by current AXCS members. If you are interested in joining us for this fantastic trip and are not currently an AXCS member, scroll to the bottom of this page for a special AXCS membership offer from Summer 2023 until Fall 2024!
AXCS has a limited number of chalet apartments and Break Sokos Hotel rooms still available. We have already filled our original allocation so what we have now is probably all the space we'll get -- thus booking sooner than later is best so that you can stay in the preferred USA lodging spaces.
AXCS Lodging Package pricing info is found here.
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Official Race Organizer Website (race schedule, race maps, registration not until fall)
Vuokatti Sport (all about the sport campus where MWC2024 is based.....and so much more!)
Break Sokos Hotel (AXCS has a large block of single & double rooms reserved for Team USA)
Vuokatti Sport Chalets (AXCS has a cluster of chalet apartments reserved for Team USA) Added note on apartment chalets -- there is a small supermarket 1.6km away walking on plowed multi-user paths over pretty gentle terrain. It's also possible to get a few things in the “sport campus” area as well.
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A Masters World Cup trip designed for those that truly love to ski!
Featuring over 150km of some of the best skiing you’ll ever find; loads of beautiful forests, lakes, and rolling hills to explore; a great track record of natural snowfall and extra blue February temperatures; one of the world’s most robust manmade snow systems; a national training & racing center worth of infrastructure; and an amazing history with big-time events -- when it comes to ski racing and our favorite winter sport -- Vuokatti has it covered and then some!
A year-round resort complex and village, Vuokatti is part of the Sotkamo region in the South Kainuu prov- ince of central Finland. Several villages in the area have a population of 10,500 with tourism being a huge economic force with roughly one million tourist visits every year. The nearest "real city" is Kajaani (35km) with the Helsinki metro area some 350 miles to the south.
Air access is via short regional flights from Helsinki into either Kajaani or Oulu or Kuopio. The latter two options have more flights, but longer airport shuttles.
The big draws to the area are the Vuokatti Sports Institute and Vuokatti Ski Center. The world’s first ski tunnel was built here (an amazing facility) followed by the world’s first snowboard tunnel. Outside are the aforementioned endless ski trails, international biathlon range, not one, but two jump hills, and alpine/snow- boarding slopes. Not to mention ice skating, dog-sled- ding, and even snowmobile safaris. The Sports Institute also has numerous indoor facilities that will be open during the Worlds including a large swimming pool complex and multiple gyms. SuperPark Vuokatti (think the coolest indoor playground ever) and the Holiday Club Katinkulta with it’s massive spa and swimming complex round out local attractions.
Bottom Line... This is a skier’s trip. There isn’t a ton of local shopping, dining or other diversions. Vuokatti is a very small village, but there is enough offered in the Sports Institute resort area that you are hardly going to feel like you have nothing to do when off your skis. But skiing is the big (as in HUGE) prize on this trip!
This trip is also flexible on dates. We can handle a bunch of arrival & departure scenarios with little added cost.
Finally -- AXCS is working with Vuokatti organizers right now on developing a special add-on option that would be essentially a “mini ski across Southern Finland”.
The concept is adding 2-3 days of skiing at attractive ski locations on the way south to Helsinki. You drive a couple hours in a bus, ski as much as you want at each destination, stay in welcoming towns with everything organized. Rinse and repeat. Latest by the early summer AXCS and the Vuokatti O.C. hope to have everything dialed on this amazing add-on option for MWC2024!!!
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As usual, AXCS has done the ground work and reserved a very nice collection of lodging options for USA MWC2024 trip participants.
We have a large collection of rooms at Break Sokos Hotel Vuokatti plus apartment options (2-6 people) also reserved. All lodging is within easy 5-8 minute walking distance over flat terrain to the ski stadium and/or local ski trailheads. So on convenience, it’ll be hard to beat this trip!
Pre-reservation pricing is only available to current AXCS members.
As always, getting very early preliminary reservations from interested USA skiers really helps in case we need to expand our room or apartment selection.
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I'm really interested in this trip, but not a current AXCS member....
For spring/summer 2023, AXCS is offering a special two-year membership to anyone that sets up a MWC2024 Travel Package reservation that is not a current AXCS member. Until our mailing deadline for the Summer AXCS Digest (tentatively last week in August) you can join AXCS for two years (thru 10/31/2025) for just $70. This includes a two year subscription to the AXCS Digest (rated the best masters publication on the planet for masters XC skiers!); eligibility for the AXCS MWC2024 Travel Package; required USA license to race at the MWC2024; exclusive AXCS digital media benefits; exclusive discounts; and much more!
To take advantage of this special offer, go to the general AXCS donation webpage -- process a payment of $70 (or $105 for two people) -- and send a separate email to the AXCS National Office ...... AXCS at xcskiworld dot com ...... with your name(s), postal address, and email address. That's it! AXCS will get you rolling from there!