Photos, results: Buena Vista Snowjourn returns after 2-year hiatus

Jan. 18—BEMIDJI — Bemidji's oldest ski event made a triumphant return on Sunday as 49 skiers braved the cold weather to participate in the 2026 Buena Vista Snowjourn.

Held annually at Buena Vista Ski Area, the event was canceled in 2025 and 2024 due to a lack of snow. When last year's event was canceled, participants gathered at Bemidji Brewing for an informal gathering coined "Snow Brew," where organizers were able to present the annual annual Johnson-Jarvi Snowjourn Award.

In a press release announcing the cancellation of last year's Snowjourn, organizers expressed that they were "hopeful that there will be adequate snow cover and reasonable temperatures for next year's event."

And on Sunday morning, that hope materialized as dozens of skiers flocked to Buena Vista despite real-feel temperatures of around -10 degrees. Participants hit the trails, which were covered in a fresh layer of snow, to compete in 12K freestyle, 12K classic, 5K middle school race and 7K tour events.

Here's a look at the results:

Female

1. Andrea Patten, 40, Bemidji, 52:30.2

2. Claire Story, 18, Bemidji, 55:13.3

3. Hannah Vanasse, 34, Bemidji, 1:01:34.5

4. Lisa Boulay, 68, Bemidji, DNF

Male

1. Nick Youso, 22, Hermantown, 39:55.8

2. Ryan Rogers, 46, Bemidji, 46:44.6

3. Elias Hendrickson, 31, Menahga, 50:02.4

4. Sam Schulze, 22, Bemidji, 51:08.5

5. George Patten, 41, Bemidji, 51:25.1

6. Michael Meehlhause, 36, Bemidji, 52:02.4

7. Solomon Benson, 15, Bemidji, 52:15.4

8. Josiah Hendrickson, 37, Bemidji, 54:51.1

9. Craig Moen, 43, Bemidji, 56:15.6

10. Jim Harwood, 61, Laporte, 58:17.2

11. John Mueller, 52, Bemidji, 58:37.8

12. Chris Godwin, 50, Nevis, 1:00:27.3

13. Brent Matzke, 58, Bemidji, 1:01:58.7

14. Hans Kuningas, 51, Crystal Lake, Ill., 1:02:37.8

15. Dan Rogers, 64, Gunthrie, 1:06:02.3

16. Scott Freitag, 62, Nevis, 1:18:30

17. David Carlson, 22, Bemidji, DNF

Female

1. Kerrie Berg, 46, Bemidji, 54:44.2

Male

1. Logan Jensen, 23, Bemidji, 50:01.2

2. Leif Ronnander, 38, Bemidji, 54:44.6

3. Aaron Coburn, 48, Bemidji, 1:08:13.2

4. Jon Shorter, 68, Bemidji, 1:15:47.6

5. David Harrington, 66, Turtle River, 1:19:17.3

6. Jon Laasko, 61, Bemidji, 1:20:10.3

7. Walter Calder, 63, Crystal Lake, Ill., DNF

Female

1. Anna Wick, 11, Bemidji, 41:35.4

Male

1. Cameron Francisco, 13, Cass Lake, 22:55

2. Gavin Eichman, 13, Bemidji, 31:38.8

3. Axel Berg, 12, Bemidji, 37:23

4. Gideon Benson, 13, Bemidji, 1:10:24.2

Female

Susan Fabius, 76, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Rylee Story, 15, Bemidji

Willow Story, 14, Bemidji

Beth Grundy, 33, Cass Lake

Casey Story, 18, Bemidji

Chris Weir-koetter, 71, Bemidji

Krystal Story, 46, Bemidji

Brenda Jarvi, 61, Bemidji

Jen O'Leary, 57, Bemidji

Jill Troutner, 54, Oxnard, Calif.

Male

Matt Oppegard, 35, Cass Lake

Teal Kelsey, 13, Bemidji

Waylon Story, 14, Bemidji

Jesse Story, 44, Bemidji

Roger Jarvi, 75, Bemidji