Rollerskiing, Off-Season Birkie Training

It's 122 days until the Birkebeiner. Cross country skiers in Duluth continue to train while anxiously awaiting the snow's arrival. "Getting ready for Winter, it's starting to feel like snow's coming so we got to get our ski legs back," said Jason Kask of Duluth. "We're out here rollersking today, basically the best method of training we have for cross country skiing in the summertime," said Andre Watt. "A little bit in the summer, but then definitely in the fall you do more and more and once the snow comes you just start skiing all the time," said Nikoli Anikin, of Duluth. "They're the best ski imitation we can find," adds Jason Kask.

Andre Watt, Nikoli Anikin, and Jason Kask work together and train together. With the help of rollerski's, the Continental Ski Guys can emulate the cross country skiing action, allowing them to train without snow. "We are pretty anxious now. We are starting to amp up our training," said Watt.

Four months out, they are gearing up for the American Birkebeiner. "It's the biggest race in North America and it's probably the most fun. It's the great course, the great snow conditions, the atmosphere of the race, everybody comes, it's many thousands of people," said Anikin. "The Birkie is almost like the Olympics of the Midwest, you have to do it."

Duluth native, Andre Watt is a part of team CXC, the Midwest elite team out of Hayward Wisconsin. "Last year my team member Matt Liebsch won the Birkie and I was sixth place. Our team worked great together throughout the race, did a lot of drafting and really worked together as a team and it showed in the results," said Watt.

When the snow has not yet fallen on the Birkie trails, it's the pavement around Lester Park that feeds their desire to ski. "Rolling terrain, relatively decent pavement. We go to a lot of places in Duluth but we do use this 100 kilometer network of good rolling terrain around here so this is a very popular place," said Anikin. "It's an excellent place for rollersking. It's really easy to get out of town and ski on nice rural roads like this. It's not nearly as much fun, but it's a necessary evil to get to ski season," added Kask. "I like the fact that you can do it in shorts and a T-shirt for three months out of the year. And then it's a warm sport, you don't have to bundle up," said Watt.