Vakava Racing is a high-level training program and race team for the Twin Cities' most competitive senior and masters cross-country skiers.
Vakava means “serious” in Finnish – we’re based out of Finn Sisu, Minnesota’s best cross-country ski shop, and we’re definitely serious about our skiing. In the 19 years we’ve been in existence, we’ve become the most successful and recognizable group of skiers in Minnesota.
Vakava meets May through March at 6:30 to 8:00 on Wednesday evenings. Our workouts involve roller skiing, dryland ski imitation, and on-snow skiing, and are generally in St. Paul’s Battle Creek area in the summer/fall and then at Battle Creek or Hyland when we get snow. You get a mix of technique work and physical training, and you can count on working hard in both.
In Vakava, you improve your technique by working with coaches with many years of racing and coaching experience. We focus on both skating and classical technique, building from the basics to the finer points of racing strategy. We use a good deal of video-recording and analysis to help increase your skiing efficiency and translate your physical abilities into skiing speed.
In Vakava, you improve your conditioning by training and racing with a group of like-minded skiers committed to becoming faster and improving their results. Our workouts help to develop your endurance, power, and speed. We'll help you set up an individualized training plan that will put you on a systematic path to reaching your athletic potential.
Coaching is by Dave Christopherson and Mark Ahlers, with Ahvo Taipale concentrating specifically on ski technique through personalized video analysis.
Vakava Racing is sponsored and supported by:
