Summer is ski season for Alaska Pacific University athletes

By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: June 2, 2022 Published: June 2, 2022

From left, Kelsey Johannes, Kendall Kramer, Marit Flora and Aila Berrigan head west through Kincaid Park. (Marc Lester / ADN)

About 100 roller skiers from the APU Nordic Ski Center’s various training programs participated in the 50-kilometer Rollerskiathon on Wednesday. The event started and ended at the APU campus and followed the Moose Loop, a course that includes the Campbell Creek Trail, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and the Chester Creek Trail.

This was the third annual Rollerskiathon, an event the Nordic Ski Center launched as a way to bring visibility to roller skiing to promote safety.

Erik Flora, director of the Nordic Ski Center and coach of its elite team, said the event serves another purpose.

“It’s a good chance to get out and get some distance training,” he said. Flora said the Moose Loop, about the length of the longest cross-country skiing event, has proven a valuable resource for year-round training.

From left, Kelsy Johannes, Aila Berrigan, Marit Flora and Kendall Kramer take a break for ice cream at Westchester Lagoon, about 40 kilometers into the 50-kilometer APU Nordic Ski Center Rollerskathon on June 1, 2022. (Marc Lester / ADN)

APU Nordic Ski Center director and coach Erik Flora, center, speaks with skiers Natalie Hood, left, and Lily Pannkuk during a brief rest at Westchester Lagoon during the annual Rollerskathon. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Skiers head east on the Chester Creek Trail during APU Nordic Ski Center's Rollerskathon on June 1, 2022. (Marc Lester / ADN)