When Ellen Rayne learned how to cross-country ski in 2020, it cleared a previously snow-covered path for her and her father Peter Rayne, both of whom are Ellsworth natives, to create lifelong memories through global skiing adventures.

Peter Rayne has a long-standing history of cross-country skiing that dates back to the early 1990s when he began competing in some of the most famous races in the world.

While his kids dabbled in skiing throughout their childhood, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic halted everyday activities that his daughter Ellen, a student at the time, began learning a new skill while the world came to a standstill.

That’s when she decided to learn the intricacies of the sport, particularly skate skiing, which allowed her to share her love of the sport with her dad.

The Ellsworth father-daughter duo quickly bonded like never before as they explored trails throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota as Ellen’s love for cross-country skiing grew seemingly by the hour.

By the early months of 2022, Ellen’s adoration of cross-country skiing resembled that of her father and they began competing in some of the world’s biggest and most challenging races together. Ellen spoke about her beginnings with the sport and her first major race.

“During COVID I had a lot of free time because I didn’t have to go to school during the day,” Ellen said. “That’s when I learned how to skate ski. Then last year we did the American Birkebeiner which is in Hayward.”

The American Birkebeiner is the largest cross-country skiing race in North America. Every February, more than 10,000 skiers race from Cable to Hayward in a competition that spans more than 30 miles and is regarded as one of the most beautifully challenging experiences in the sport.

The American Birkebeiner is a member of the Worldloppet, a prestigious collection of 20 annual cross-country skiing races throughout the globe that receive special designation by the Worldloppet Ski Federation.

Only the most challenging and historically significant races receive the distinction. Because of their historic status, people from around the world travel the globe competing in as many Worldloppet races as they can. Ellen and Peter have become two of those individuals.

In the late 1970s, the Worldloppet Ski Federation established a program called the Worldloppet Masters. The objective was deceptively simple: anyone who completes 10 of the 20 Worldloppet cross-country races is given the designation of Worldloppet Master.

After completing the American Birkebeiner with her father in 2022 – which checked one of the Worldloppet Master boxes – Ellen enrolled in a study abroad program through the University of Wisconsin-Madison which sent her to Norway for school.

Coincidentally, nearly half of the Worldloppet races are located in Europe, which further developed her desire to compete with her father in some of the most famous cross-country skiing races in the world.

“I’m studying abroad in Norway right now and knowing that there is the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet, I wanted to start doing my Worldloppet,” Ellen said. “I started getting into it like my dad and now we’re both deep into the sport.”

Their love for cross-country skiing reunited the father-daughter duo in person less than a month ago on the third weekend in March. That’s when Peter flew to Europe to meet Ellen so that they could compete together in the annual Birkebeinerrennet race in Lillehammer, Norway.

The Norwegian world-famous race featured thousands of skiers from around the globe – including Ellen and Peter – who spent approximately six hours completing the 34-mile competition. Peter spoke about the experience and what made it such a special weekend.

“The course was beautiful and the landscape was very stark,” Peter said. “We skied over two mountains and it was a sunny day, so it was incredibly bright. The landscape was just remarkable and the Norwegian people were so hospitable.”

Although breathtaking, the annual Norwegian race is not for the faint of heart. The first nearly nine miles of the competition was a consistent uphill climb. As if that wasn’t enough, each competitor was required to carry a nearly eight-pound pack on their back in keeping with a tournament tradition that dates back to its inception nearly a century ago.

“It’s fun to be able to ski that long of a distance with my dad because I know a lot of people never get to do something like that,” Ellen said. “At the end of the course it gets long, but it’s really something special seeing all of those people.”

Ellen and Peter crossed the finish line together and completed the 34-mile journey in 6:48.58, which secured 74th and 330th places in their age brackets respectively. Both had their Worldloppet passport stamped upon completion. It was Ellen’s second and Peter’s fourth.

As Ellen and Peter continue to collect stamps in their Worldloppet passports, their appetite to compete in some of the most renowned races in the world continues to grow. Ellen spoke candidly about her desire to fill up that passport alongside her dad.

“Yes, that’s for sure the goal,” Ellen said with a big smile. “My sister just learned how to skate ski last year, so she’s done the American Birkebeiner now, but since I was the first one to do it, I have to be the first one to be a Worldloppet Master.”

The Rayne family has made the American Birkebeiner a staple of their annual racing schedule. However, both Ellen and Peter are looking for other Worldloppet races that will help them get closer to becoming Worldloppet Masters.

There are approximately 5,500 Worldloppet Masters as of April 2023. Ellen spoke about some of the potential races that are on the horizon for her and Peter.

“We have to do the American Birke every year, but thankfully the Gatineau, which is the Canadian Worldloppet race, is only a week after the American Birke,” Ellen said. “We have our eyes on both of those. After that, we want to do another Worldloppet. As soon as we get to 10 we might stop, but it’s a good excuse to travel too.”

Regardless of when Ellen and Peter decide to hang up the skis for the final time, there’s no question that through their experiences they’ve created memories that will last for the rest of their lives.