Established in 1987, the Marinette County Cross Country Ski Association is a USA Federal and State of Wisconsin registered, non-profit organization dedicated to the stewardship of cross country skiing and cross country ski trails and related activities.
Over a span of 30 + years (activities began before the club’s official inception in 1987), with the cooperation of local government, private landowners, Marinette County, and Wisconsin Public Service, the MCCCSA designed, constructed, developed, and maintained the Sandstone Rapids, Kirby Lake, and Seymour Rapids cross country ski trail systems, providing free, quality cross country skiing over a connecting network of over 35 miles of cross country ski trails.
The early MCCCSA worked with Dale and Judy Paust of Paust’s Resort and Norm Lentz of the "Platter Restaurant" in creating, developing, and running the Thunder Mt. Classic cross country ski races. Moving beyond, expanding ski racing in the Crivitz area, the MCCCSA created, developed and administered the “Sandstone Ski Chase,” the “Thunder Mountain Run,” and "Crivitz Ski Colosso” cross country races.
The MCCCSA was pivotal in the inception and growth of the "Great Lakes Challenge Ski Series," combining resources statewide and beyond in developing an integrated, organized calendar of race events which grew to be the largest cross country ski race series of its kind in North America.
The MCCCSA created and administered nine consecutive, annual “Tour de Colour” bicycle tours, drawing recreational cyclists from throughout the Midwest.
The MCCCSA played an active role in the land transaction of the WPS land sale to the DNR, now called the “Peshtigo State Forest,” over which approximately 70% of the MCCCSA ski trails run.
Today, the MCCCSA has retired, for the interim, from physical trail maintenance and snow grooming ski trails. Land ownership transactions, municipal and private business budget restraints, and a number of consecutive low-snow level years have combined to create a situation where operational and maintenance costs prohibitively exceeded income.
Today, with a membership of roughly 200 businesses and individuals from throughout the Midwest, the MCCCSA works in a new, "stewardship" status with Marinette County, the DNR, the village of Crivitz, and area businesses and individuals in a combined effort to enhance, maintain, and further opportunities for quality cross country skiing in the Crivitz area.