Manchester Ice & Event Centre will be race headquarters during the Masters World Cup 2008 event scheduled for Feb. 28 through March 7 in McCall.

The ice will be melted at the center to allow the floor to be used as the nerve center of the event.
Opening ceremonies will begin on Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. at the rink with a parade of athletes that begins behind the McCall City Hall on Park Street.

2008 Masters World Cup McCall, Idaho

The athletes will follow horses down Second Street to the front of the ice rink, Masters World Cup 2008 Executive Director Erin Roper said.

The ceremony will move inside the center where event Organizing Committee President Ed Allen will give a welcoming speech.

Then World Masters Cross-Country Ski Association President Thomas Heckmann of Germany will also give a speech to welcome the athletes to the event.

The speeches will be followed by a performance by the Nez Perce Tribe dancers. The opening ceremony should conclude at about 6:30 p.m., Roper said.

The center will also house several vendors during the event. Merchandise and exhibits will be featured in the center during the event.

The center will be the site where the 1,222 registered U.S. and international Nordic skiers have to come to pick up their race packets, race bibs and credentials on Feb. 28-29.

The center will be open to the public March 1 through March 7 from 1 to 7 p.m.

Award ceremonies will held at 6 p.m. at center ice on the main stage with the lake in the background after each day of racing.

The race center will have about 400 people working in it every day of the event, Roper said.

Vendors will be open for business in the center each day. The Masters World Cup 2008 merchandising booth will have T-shirts, hats and Western wear signifying the event.
"Once it is gone, it's gone," Roper said.

Racers will be able to come to the race headquarters to purchase photos of their races each day of the races.

The McCall-Donnelly Education Foundation will be selling its "Images of McCall - Valley County and Beyond" book at its booth in the race headquarters.

Idaho First Bank will have a booth to provide currency exchange for the international skiers and their family and friends at the event.

Both the Masters World Cup 2009 and 2010 event cities will also have booths to pass out information about their events in the race center.

Next year the event will be held at Autrans, France, and in 2010, the event will move to Falun, Sweden.

The event will also have vendors located at the racing venue at Ponderosa State Park.