WE WERE THE HAPPIEST TEAM OUT THERE FOR SURE.

“We have never put a Canadian men’s team on the podium dating back to the 1920s,” said Kershaw, who finished second overall in the 2011/12 World Cup standings. “Cross-country skiing is an Devon Kershaw uptight sport, so you might as well have a little fun and play a fake riff or two.

“If it’s only going to come around once every 85 years or so, you better take the time to enjoy it.”

Alex Harvey has 21 World Cup medals on his resume, but this one is different. “We’ve been chasing this feeling since I’ve been on the team and for some reason, we just could never get all four of us on the same day,” Alex Harvey said. “When you do this together, it’s so emotional.”

Canadian wax technician Yves Bilodeau and coach Ivan Babikov broke down in the finish area. “We have wanted this for so long,” Valjas said. “Dancing to the music just cranked in the wax room is something I’ll never forget. We were the happiest team out there for sure.”

Norway captured the gold in 1:06:47.5. Sweden seized silver in 1:06.48.

The only other time Canada won a World Cup crosscountry relay medal came 30 years ago when the women’s foursome of Angela SchmidtFoster, Carol Gibson, Jean McAllister and Marie-Andrée Masson nabbed bronze in Canmore, Alta.

The World Cup circuit travels to Falun, Sweden next week. Kershaw is leaning toward taking a pass to hopefully meet his first son or daughter.

“I’m not just happy to stay home — I want to be there for my family,” he said. “I think there are more important things in life than Nordic skiing. This is the most important thing in my life. Ever.”