This winter marks three years since he secured his first and only victory in Ski Classics. “I still believe I have what it takes to win again,” says the 29-year-old from Småland, who is now continuing with a smaller budget, reduced support, and an entirely new team. The upside? He has his childhood friends by his side.

Ski Classics Pro Team athlete Johannes Eklöf will never forget January 9, 2022, when he won the Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge in Italy—a unique race with a grueling, steep climb in the final kilometers leading to the finish.

“It was a double race weekend. First, a 60 km race on Saturday where my then-teammate Max Novak won. His victory really boosted the team spirit, and I knew Sunday’s race suited me. I could feel it the moment I woke up,” Johannes recalls, reminiscing about his big day.

“As usual, I left the hotel late—just 45 minutes before the start. The pace was high at the beginning, with Martin Johnsrud Sundby setting the tempo. I felt strong until the climb began,” he remembers, continuing: “We wanted to drop those using kick wax, but Johan Hoel managed to stick with us. However, he quickly faded, and the lead group got smaller and smaller as we climbed.”

By the end, it was just Novak, Gjerdalen, Hoelgaard, a Russian skier, and perhaps one or two others. “I had skied the course a few days earlier and picked a spot where I planned to make my move. It was about 1,000 meters from the top, but with strong headwinds, I felt it wasn’t the right moment.”, he says.

“I waited a little longer, and just as the course flattened slightly, I launched my attack. It likely caught the others off guard because no one could respond. A few hundred meters later, our sports director, Gustaf Korsgren, who had no phone signal, was visibly surprised,” says Johannes, who was terrified someone might catch up from behind.

“That’s why it was such a huge relief to cross the finish line.”

The Impact That Didn’t Come

Many expected that Johannes Eklöf’s victory in Ski Classics’ toughest finale would lead to more podium finishes during his time with Team Ramudden. But that didn’t happen.
“I’ve only been on the podium once since then, in the Jizerská 50 in the Czech Republic in 2022, after recovering from illness,” affirms Johannes.

He continued saying, “What happened in 2023 and 2024, I’m not entirely sure. I tried to train harder and looked at what skiers like Andreas Nygaard and Emil Persson were doing. However, I was always tired during the summer, and my interval sessions were consistently poor. That approach didn’t work for me, and I regressed in the summer of 2023.”

Since then, results have not met Johannes’ hopes. Ahead of the upcoming season, he realized his spot in Team Ramudden was at risk due to new Ski Classics regulations requiring more non-Nordic skiers and women on teams.

Ski Classics – Back to Basics

For the new season, Johannes chose to join Ski Team Göhlins, a group of friends from Gnosjö in Småland, reuniting with childhood buddies from IF Hallby in Jönköping. He’s revamped his training and feels he’s back on track: “Now it feels like I’ve found a balance where I’m constantly challenging myself without getting overly tired. It’s not easy, but I hope it’s working better now. I eat more and focus on enjoyable training. For example, I’d never used a ski erg before. I also double-pole more on climbs and train extensively on uphill and downhill terrain. It’s not always fun, but the fun part is challenging myself.”

Johannes considered joining an international team but ultimately opted for the familiar surroundings of Ski Team Göhlins. “These are my old friends, and I already know everyone. There’s less hierarchy here, and we all participate in decision-making. Our budget is perhaps a tenth of what we had at Team Ramudden, but we’re very good at using the money wisely.” states Johannes.

Watch Ski Team Göhlins in Ski Classics: Ski or Die

Feels Like Coming Home

“For me, it feels a bit like coming home. It also feels natural, and I receive great support. People in Gnosjö and Småland are engaged and follow along.”

Now, Johannes eagerly awaits the Ski Classics premiere in Bad Gastein. Ski Team Göhlins will compete in every race this winter, and there’s one event Johannes is especially eager to win.

“Marcialonga is at the top of my list. I think I have the best chances there and in the Jizerská 50. They’re two tough but very different races. Marcialonga has a fast pace with a hard finish, while Jizerská is the opposite. You need to be a well-rounded skier to win there.”

When it comes to climbing ability, Johannes points to his performance last summer.

“I proved I still have it at Lysebotn Opp in Norway. It was my first podium in two years, with only Musgrave and Augdal finishing ahead of me. My time was also better than the year I won in Ski Classics”, says Johannes proudly.

The season opener was promising. Johannes placed 22nd in the 10 km classic in Bruksvallarna and 28th in the 10 km freestyle, finishing just over a minute behind the winners in both events.

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