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MARQUETTE -- If you think that cross country as a sport is stagnating in popularity, you might want to think again.

A week before the U.P.'s biggest cross country ski event--the Noquemanon Ski Marathon--comes word from an industry survey that cross country is actually growing faster than both downhill skiing and snowboarding.

According to Snowsports Industries America, cross country is growing at a rate of nine percent a year, downhill is increasing at less than one percent, and snowboarding is growing at five percent a year.

In raw numbers, downhill is still king with about 12 million regular skiers, snowboarding is next with about 6 million participants, and cross country follows with 5 million skiers.

Marquette native Don Durst, who founded the cross country ski team at Northern Michigan University back in 1969, believes the growth numbers are real.

"It's increasing," says Durst. "Cross country is more popular than ever; I see that with the thousands of of people competing and all of the youth teams."

Still, Durst is disappointed in the attitude of many young people. "A lot of kids these days don't like to do anything that requires work," Durst said. "With cross country, you have to go up as well as down. That's work."

The average age of a cross country skiier, in fact, is 38. Snowboarders are considerably younger which seems to bode well for the sport's future.

But Chris Frado, who's the executive director of the Cross Country Ski Areas Association, says there are other factors to take into account.

"First, the economy," says Frado. "Cross country is affordable for the whole family. It won't break your budget. Second, our increasing emphasis on wellness and rejuvenating our spirit outdoors. And third, increased attention to obesity. If you've got snow and you've got mobility, you can learn to cross country ski."

Regarding costs, Down Wind Sports of Marquette says its introductory package of cross country gear costs $279. Comparable downhill gear costs $450. Perhaps more important is the cost of skiing a cross country trail--maybe a few dollars, sometimes even free--as opposed to lift passes at downhill resorts which can cost $30 and much more. That adds up fast for a family.

Still, the sport remains much more popular in Europe, in particular, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Italy, than here. Cross country skiing didn't really start making inroads in the United States until the 1960s. It got a considerable boost when American Bill Koch won a silver medal in the 30K Freestyle in the 1976 Winter Olympics. That remains the only cross country medal ever won by an American.

But more of us non-Olympians are out on the trails than ever before. Last year's Noquemanon races attracted a record 1,260 participants. This year, the number could go higher.

Talk to Don Durst, though, and he'll tell you it's not about the competition, although he, himself, at 80 years old, is still competing.

"With cross country skiing, you're releasing endorphins out on the trail," Durst explains. "You're doing this while you're watching the snow glisten on the trees. It's so quiet, you can hear yourself thinking. There's nothing like it."