Enquiry on Vasaloppet's start system

collected and edited by Lars Vagle

November 29, 2009

Vasaloppet is one of the worlds most popular skimarathons and attract thousands of skiers each year. Still there have for many years been complaints about the bottleneck at the start. Some have liked the start as it is and some have disliked it and want to change it. The International Association of Worldloppet Skiers (IAWLS) wrote in 2009 an open letter to Vasaloppet organizers and pointed out the problem with the start and how it could be improved. Vasaloppet replied but did not have the same opinion about the start. So during the summer and fall of 2009 IAWLS organized a poll among its members about the start.

The poll-participants are what we would call the most suitable experts in this matter that you can find. Among IAWLS member list of 326 members a little over 100 of them replied to the “Vasaloppet Start-system Poll”. The experience of these skiers are impressive. The average number of Worldloppet races done by them are 30. This makes them experienced Worldloppet skiers and capable of comparing races and telling what is good and what is not so good.

The questions of the poll were the following:

1. How many times have you participated in Vasaloppet? (number)
2. What wave do you usually start in?
3. How many Worldloppet races have you performed? (circa number)
4. Are you satisfied with today's start system of Vasaloppet?
5. Do you prefer that Vasaloppet changes the start system and adopts a time interval wave start or the so called "Ideal Start"?

The numbers are clear.

As many as 84,5% do not like the Vasaloppet start as it is. They are not satisfied. From another poll-question we see that 84,5% want Vasaloppet to change it’s start into a timed interval wave start. 3% are not sure if they want a change and they are both supporters and not of today's solution. Each poll-entry is verified against IAWLS member list. Spams, fakes and duplicated entries have been removed.

To look deeper into the results we present some more “pivot-tables”.

Table 1: This table shows answers to question 4 and 5. The rows show if skiers were satisfied with the start system and compares this with the columns that show how the skiers would like to change the start system.

Table 2: This table shows the relationship between skiers start wave in Vasaloppet (shown in rows) and their opinion of changing the start system (the column headers). That’s question 2 and 5 combined.

Table 3: This is a bit more complicated table. The columns headers first show if the skiers are satisfied with today's start system (yes,no). Below each of these “Yes” or “No” we can see the opinion about changing the start, relating to the previous yes or no answer. These columns are then compared with the row headers that show how many times a skier has skied Vasaloppet.

There does not seem to be a correlation between the skiers' experience in VL and the way they answered. 85% of the 48 skiers who had skied only one VL wanted a change and 83% of those 6 skiers who had skied more than 13 VL wanted a change.

Bottom line:
This poll is a clear proof that a large majority of skiers are not satisfied with the Vasaloppet start and they want to have it changed.

Comments.
On the poll the participants were able to give their comments about the start. Here are some of those in an unedited format:

• The only WL race I did not complete. I will not return to race the Vasaloppet again unless the start is changed.
• I haven't done the Vasaloppet but I dearly hope they fix it before I do!
• Because of the congestion in Vasaloppet, I have decided to do the open track event in the future. This past season, I did both the open track and the Vasaloppet and found the open track to be much more relaxed.
• All the big races evolved in the sense of the quality, except the vasa which gives the impression of a event of the last century. The tradition costs only if it adapts itself to the modernity.
• It is time for a change. 
• Wave starts have been very successful at the American Birkebeiner for years.  I fail to understand how the organizers of the Vasa are unable to visualize how much more smoothly their event would run utilizing an 'ideal start' system.  I will be hesitant to make the long journey to Sweden from America until a better starting system is adopted.
• I think, a start system like "Birkebeinner in Norway , would be better.there is approximately the same number of skiers(14000)
• I have stopped participating because of the ridiculous start. I raced the Oppet Spar once and enjoyed it tremendously. Unfortunately it cannot be done anymore because it is on the same days as the Finlandia OR no time available to travel from Finland to Mora. For me Sweden/Vasaloppet is one country not on my list anymore. In 1986 I was in wave 4 and estimated it cost me 15min on my predicted time <5:30 . I only just made the gold medal instead of comfortably.
• A lot of my fellow Swedes think that the frustrating queues are part of the experience and "charming". I think they are stupid.
• I skied the Open Track Vasaloppet race to avoid the start problems with the Vasaloppet.
• It's possible to start at 7h40 - 7h45 instead of 8h and to have 18 waves 
• Next time I will do óppet spar
• The stand after the start make cool and nervous
• I've done the Oppet Spor instead of the Vasaloppet because of the problems with the start.
• I would participate more frequently if the start system were improved.
• The current system appears to be largely a revenue raising exercise for the race organisers from those who start in the last wave as few can hope to complete the race within the time limits
• I won't participate again to Vasaloppet as long as the start will not be changed... even if I was very proud to participate to this well-known race of the world !
• I defenitely would prefer a wave start similar to the Marcialonga. Great solution ! Best regards Jochen (1 vasa 3 øppet spor)
• I my experience of almost 20 worldloppet races, I was most disappointed in the start of the Vasaloppet.  The Vasaloppet to me is the pinnacle of cross country skiing and world loppet and thus my expectations are high. Having a bottleneck so close to the starting line doesn't make sense and as has been recorded elsewhere concern. I am even unsure if the "ideal start" would be sufficient given the proximity of the bottleneck to the start. Perhaps move the starting point.
• I was greatly impressed by the fluid start and easier hill climb of the Oppet Spar in 2004.  The start and hill climb of the Vasaloppet definitely need to consider the participants in later waves.  Happy skiing.
• One VL race only as I usually do Oppet Spar to avoi bottleneck
• I would like to do the Vasa again using a wave start. In the meantime I will do the oppet spar at least once. Subject to that experience i will decide my future trip plans. I will not do another Vasaloppet unless the system improves.
• I have participed at the oppet spar and I think that is a good formula to avoid the traffic jam. We can inspire it.
• Going a long way to that sport event  (cost & time), and especially at my age (59) I have also to consider it as a party and a friendly event. So I consider that spending hours in the departure area is quite unfair!
• will not do the race again until they change the start system to the "ideal" or Italian system. I was at the Marcialonga the first year they used it and it was really good. Great way to start a race,
• I take part in the Oppet Sp¨¨or just to avoid the Vasaloppet's bottleneck
• I participated in the Oppet Spar in 2006, intentionally avoiding the Vasaloppet due to all the bad stories of other skiers I've talked regarding the start.
• There are multiple reasons to change the start of the Vasaloppet.  The inability of the racecourse to accomodate the thousands of skiers starting at once causes a notorious back-up; creates frustration and hostility that is counter to the spirit of Worldloppet; and causes skiers to become cold while waiting and potentially injured; as well as damage to equipment -- I had a ski pole broken by another skier stepping on it in my very first Vasaloppet.
• The problems at the start are the only thing that keeps me from returning. Other than the start this is the best citizen race in the world
• The present system is unfair to all beginners in 8-10 groups who have a 30-45 minutes delay standing in the first hill, and can hardly improve the seeding to better groups!
• As a small female I find the current vasaloppet start system threatening. I just try and survive without getting run over by the enthusiastic skiers behind me who are able to sprint short distances to the hill but then end significantly slower than me by the finish of the race. Marcialonga and Birke starts are significantly less threatening and allows me to go at my own pace from the beginning to achieve my best result.
• Make the start as in Poland 2009 it was perfect
• I have not yet done the Vasa but the change seesm to make sense.

On the other side. This are some of the comments from the skiers satisfied with the Vasaloppet start:

• I'm an Elite skier, but, it's unfair for non Elite skiers to start in wave 10. Even wave 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2 blocks up on the long uphill 1km after the start. The waiting and extremely slow progress on that long and interminable uphill is not fair. I know about from friends who aren't seeded up front. It's Vasaloppet biggest turn-off.
• I feel that each Worldloppet Race has its own character, which is what makes doing the Worldloppet so interesting.  Therefore, I think the Vasaloppet should continue with its present start system.
• Today system is part of Vasaloppet its unforgetable.They have also  very good seeding system what helps a lot.
• I think it's part of the tradition and 90 kms is long enough to let the race sort itself out.
• C'est parfait....
• I only participated in the short Vasaloppet race (the Kortvasan) & generally happy with the organisation.

This page was last revised on February 14, 2010