One Team, Different Paths
One of the unique things about an individual sport is that no two athletes need exactly the same environment to perform at their best.
At SNØ Racing, we don't believe there's one formula for success. Our goal is to build a team that supports athletes with different dreams, different personalities, and different ways of reaching their potential.
This year, our World Team consists of four athletes spread across different parts of the world. They're training in different environments, working with different people, and chasing different goals. While their paths may look different, they're all part of the same team.
Rather than trying to make everyone fit into the same model, we want to give athletes the opportunity to pursue what they believe will help them improve while staying connected to the team.
We also believe that bringing everyone back together for key training camps and important races makes us stronger. Those moments allow athletes and coaches to share ideas, experiences, and lessons learned from different countries, training groups, and racing cultures. That exchange of knowledge helps all of us grow.
The truth is, nobody has all the answers when it comes to developing world-class athletes.
Some skiers thrive with consistency and routine. Others need a new environment to stay motivated. Some perform best training in the mountains, while others love city life. Some benefit from technical changes, while others need a completely different training approach.
Our job isn't to decide which path is "right." Our job is to support athletes in finding the path that works for them while creating opportunities for everyone on the team to learn from one another.
We're excited to introduce a few of our World Team athletes and Continental Team athletes, share what they're doing this year, and explain how SNØ Racing is helping them pursue their goals.
Photo: (left) Alayna Sonnesyn, Kevin Bolger, Zak Ketterson and Luci Anderson after winning the club relay this March at SuperTour Finals in Craftsbury, VT.
Luci Anderson - building a biathlon career while continuing to grow as a cross country skier.
Luci Anderson skied for the University of New Hampshire before earning the opportunity to join the growing U.S. Biathlon program. Today, she is balancing two demanding sports, continuing to develop as both a biathlete and an elite cross country skier.
We're proud to support Luci as she pursues both dreams while staying connected to the community she calls home.
“I have always wanted to try Biathlon and when I graduated college there was a lot more time in my schedule to try something new. My college coaches encouraged me to talk to another UNH alum skier turned biathlete, Clare Egan, and I realized that it was the perfect time in my life where I could dedicate myself to learning how to shoot, while also keeping my skiing journey alive. I had no expectations going into my professional skiing career and so far I have loved the journey and the challenge of learning something new. SNO Racing has been critical in supporting my ski and biathlon career by providing me with a team to train with when I am home, financial support that pays for flights and training needs and cross country World Cup costs. It’s very important to me to be able to train at a high level in the area that I grew up. Training with SNO allows me to spend more time with my family and friends and be a part of the city and community that I love when 8 months of the year I am away at training camps or on the World Cup circuit. Being home is what brings me the most joy and a happy skier is a fast skier.”
Kevin Bolger - combining life in Trondheim, Norway and Sweden with girlfriend Maja Dahlqvist (Olympic and World Champion) while training to become the best skier he can be at the World Cup and for SNØ Racing.
Kevin is from Minocqua, Wisconsin originally, went to college at the University of Utah and after that has gone on to be an Olympian, he has numerous World Championship starts, World Cup top 10’s and much much more.
“It’s no secret my life has slowly transitioned to spending more time in Scandinavia, due to my relationship with Maja Dahlqvist - but with this I've found a rhythm that allows me to pursue my goals at the highest level while still staying connected to where it all started. Living in Sweden and Norway with my girlfriend, Maja, has given me the opportunity to train alongside some of the best skiers in the world every day. Being immersed in that environment constantly pushes me to improve, learn, and see the sport from a different perspective.
At the same time, the Midwest will always feel like home. “You can’t take me out of the Midwest- but you can’t take the Midwest out of me” No matter how long I'm away, I look forward to coming back whenever my schedule allows. There's something special about the trails, the people, and the ski community that helped shape me into the athlete and person I am today. And every time I’m home in the Midwest I’m reminded why I fell in love with skiing in the first place.
SNØ Racing has made it possible for me to continue chasing my goals while maintaining my connections back home. Their support allows me to train where I can best mix my personal and professional life at this time while still representing the Midwest and giving back to the community that has supported me throughout my career. Whether I'm racing on the word Cup or skiing with friends in the Midwest, I'm proud to wear the SNØ Racing colors and grateful to be part of a team that understands there's more than one path to success.”
Photo: Luci and Kevin before their skate spring starts in the 2026 Lake Placid World Cup races this past March
Zak Ketterson - learning from Norway while staying connected to Minnesota
Zak has been with SNØ Racing—formerly Team Birkie—since the team's beginning in 2021. During his first three seasons, he trained full-time in Minneapolis alongside his teammates, a period that saw him qualify for his first World Cups, World Championships, and eventually the Olympic Games.
As his career continued to evolve, Zak realized he wanted to challenge himself in new ways. Moving part of the year to Norway has given him the opportunity to train alongside some of the world's best athletes, experience a different ski culture, and support his wife's dream of living in her home country—all while remaining deeply connected to SNØ Racing and Minnesota.
“I will always miss Minnesota. It's home, and if anything, spending time away has only made me appreciate it more.
I've wanted to train in different places and learn from different people ever since my first international junior camp. That experience opened my eyes to how big the skiing world really is. I realized there isn't just one way to become a great skier, and if I wanted to become the best athlete I could be, I needed to be willing to step outside of my comfort zone.
That said, I don't think I was ready to make a move like this right after college. It was important to me to first build a strong foundation in Minnesota, train in an environment I believed in, and really understand what I needed as an athlete before making such a significant change.
Now, splitting my time between the Midwest and Norway has given me exactly what I was hoping for. I've gained new perspectives, learned from different coaches and athletes, and experienced a different ski culture, all while continuing to build on everything I learned training with SNØ Racing.
Most of my racing takes place in Europe, so creating a home base closer to the World Cup circuit has also made sense. It gives me a place to recharge between races while still staying focused on becoming the best World Cup skier I can be.
What makes this possible is the support I receive from SNØ Racing. They've trusted me to pursue the environment that I believe helps me grow while staying connected to the team. Every new experience I have is something I can bring back and share with my teammates and coaches in Minnesota.
I'm an open book, so if anyone ever wants to talk training, racing, or life in Norway, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm excited for another season with SNØ Racing and proud to represent Minnesota wherever I am in the world.”
Photo: Zak racing the 2026 North American World Cup in Lake Placid.
Alayna Sonnesyn - combining personal life and professional skiing living in Vermont. Alayna has split her time between Vermont and Minnesota for a few years now while racing the World Cup and being a part of SNØ racing. Her boyfriend lives and works full time in Vermont, so it makes a lot of sense for her to spend quality time there.
She comes back to Minnesota numerous times a year to train and be with the team, and shares from her experiences with younger athletes and her teammates.
Here are a few thoughts from Alayna about how she combines and finds balance personally and professionally:
“After last season, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted from skiing. I realized I wasn't ready to step away from racing—but I was ready to redefine what success looks like for me. Instead of chasing the same goals I'd pursued for years, I wanted the freedom to explore new challenges, travel, and race because I genuinely love the sport.
That's one of the reasons I'm so grateful to be supported by Snø Racing. Their support gives me the flexibility to pursue new opportunities, whether that's racing World Cups, taking on international ski marathons, spending time in Vermont with my boyfriend, or staying connected to the Midwest ski community. They understand that athletes are more than just race results, and they've encouraged me to build a career and life that feels fulfilling both on and off the snow.
This next chapter is about embracing new experiences, chasing different dreams, and continuing to grow as both an athlete and a person. I'm excited to see where it takes me, and I'm thankful to have Snø Racing in my corner every step of the way.”
Photo: Alayna at the top of the podium at the American Birkebeiner for the 5th time!
Building a Sustainable Future
Not all athletes on the team are doing what’s considered the traditional American pathway—and that's exactly why we believe it's so valuable.
Each of them has chosen to pursue opportunities that fit where they are in their careers. They're exploring new training environments, learning from different coaches and teammates, and experiencing new ski cultures. Just as importantly, they're bringing those experiences back to SNØ Racing. Those conversations challenge all of us to think differently about training, recovery, lifestyle, and what it really takes to help athletes reach their full potential.
One of the biggest challenges in endurance sports isn't developing talented young athletes—it's helping athletes stay in the sport long enough to realize their potential.
Many endurance athletes don't reach their best performances until their late 20s, early 30s, or beyond. Yet many step away years earlier because of financial pressures, burnout, career opportunities, or the challenge of balancing elite sport with the rest of life.
At SNØ Racing, we believe supporting athletes means more than providing training plans or helping fund race trips. It means helping athletes build sustainable careers—ones that allow them to continue pursuing ambitious goals without sacrificing the people, places, and experiences that keep them motivated.
For younger athletes, that often means consistent team training, mentorship, and a structured environment. As athletes grow and their careers evolve, so do their needs. Supporting those changing needs is part of helping them become the best version of themselves.
Photo: Jonathan Clarke roller skiing during SNØ Racing altitude camp in Park City this week.
New member of the team this year, Jonathan Clarke shares his thoughts and experience around joining a professional ski team after college.
“Joining SNØ Racing after college was a logistic choice for me. I knew I wanted to keep racing after college and still had/have some high racing goals of racing fast on SuperTour this year and hopefully internationally some day.
US Nationals is in Cable, WI this year and as a team we have been very fortunate to have access to the rollerski track there so we can have training camps and get comfortable with the course. This will help me reach my goals of performing well and hopefully have some great results.
As for support, it has been amazing to have the resources we have such as the rollerski treadmill at Pioneer Midwest, Swenor rollerskis, and sports nutrition from GU. These have all shown me the that the community wants us to succeed which feels great.
Seeing SNØ racings constant support and ability to help world class athletes is something I admire and gives me something to look up to. Putting a few athletes in the Olympics and on World Cup is so cool because if they can do it, that motivates me to get to the highest level I can get to do with the great resources available to us.”
After all, a happy athlete is often a better athlete.
We're proud that our athletes are helping shape what SNØ Racing can become—not only through their performances, but through the ideas, experiences, and perspectives they bring back to the team.
Continental Team athlete Gretta Scholz shared how much she values having teammates whose paths look different:
“Having Luci and Alayna around is super beneficial for me. I think it is always helpful to have athletes around who are better than you and can push you, and that you can follow and learn from! Alayna has a lot of racing experience and a lot of life and training advice that I really value, and Luci is not only one of the best skate skiers in the country, so very valuable for me to train with and chase her in intervals, but also one of my best friends, so I am always excited whenever she is around! This year it has also been even more crucial to spend as much time training with both of them when they're around, as I am the only domestic girl on the team, and so having those sessions to train with other women, especially those who have World Cup experience and I can learn a lot from, is super great!”
Photo: Gretta Scholz skiing in Park City, UT this week.
The experiences our athletes gain—whether in Minnesota, Vermont, Norway, Sweden, or on the World Cup circuit—make our entire team stronger.
Thank you to everyone who supports SNØ Racing. Your generosity makes it possible for our athletes to chase big dreams in the way that works best for them while staying connected to the community that believes in them.
It truly takes a village. We're excited to continue learning, growing, and pushing the sport forward together.
