What happens when two Americans take on the legendary Vasaloppet track, with only one pair of skis?

Pure, chaotic, and slightly painful history. Joe Dubay and Chris Parr, the duo behind the infamous tandem skiing adventure, have now officially completed the legendary Vasaloppet. Their reflections? A mix of triumph, regret, and maybe some misplaced confidence.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime… or Never-Again Experience?

“The Vasaloppet was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Chris. “But like many things that only happen once in our lives, I don’t know why we did that.”

Joe is a man of few but impactful words: “It was very painful. I don’t know why we did that.”

Despite the existential crisis mid-race, like many who take on the 90km Vasaloppet, the pair did cross the finish line together.

Chris proudly confirms, “Yes, we finished together! Thankfully, our legal advisor, Kyle Hellman, skied the entire 90km Vasaloppet with a spare pair of tandem skis in case anything went wrong. We had a thoughtfully prepared plan for almost anything that could have gone wrong and finished with great success.”

The Challenge of Staying Upright (And in Sync)

One might assume that balancing two people on one set of skis would be the toughest part of the race. However, according to Chris, their greatest challenge was not mowing down innocent skiers in front of them:

“The biggest challenge was making sure we didn’t crash into the backs of any other skiers because we were so powerful and strong.”

Joe had a slightly different take: “The biggest challenge was skiing 90k because we haven’t worked out in months.”

But against all odds, the crash technique they had been practicing wasn’t necessary. Not because Joe didn’t try.

“Surprisingly, we didn’t crash,” Joe admits. “I tried many times, but Chris would not let us crash. Instead, he chose to just go down very sketchy hills.”

Chris, as the official ‘stroker’ (the tandem skiing equivalent of a brakeman), maintains that Joe, the ‘captain,’ had full control: “Joe steered us perfectly around every bend and descent on the course, and we never crashed. Because he is in front and decides where we go, I have no say.”

The reactions from fellow skiers and spectators ranged from shock to admiration—at least, that’s what Chris and Joe assumed.

“The tandem skiing awareness in Sweden is off the charts,” says Chris. “We received countless encouraging comments from both the skiers on course and spectators on the sidelines. I will say it was tough to make out what they were saying as we don’t speak a single word of Swedish.”

Joe had his own interpretation: “We received many comments on course. However, as I don’t speak Swedish, I can’t be sure. But I roughly translated what I heard many times as, ‘You’re going the wrong way.’”

Undertrained but Undeterred

Unlike their American Birkie attempt, where they had at least some preparation, the Vasaloppet was an “off-the-couch” effort.

“We were much less prepared both physically and mentally,” admits Chris. “Thankfully, 90km isn’t that far, so we made it just fine.”

Joe describes their race strategy: “We can refer to this race as an ‘off-the-couch 90k tandem ski.’ It’s like skiing almost 40k, then doing a Birkie—which I suppose is good because we got a good warm-up.”

A Rivalry That Never Was

A highly anticipated meeting with the legendary tandem skiers who have been at this for 23 years never materialised.

“We unfortunately did not meet up with the other two tandem teams,” Chris says. “But we look forward to defending our tandem skiing title in a future competition if they want a rematch.”

Joe offers his theory: “Somehow, we were placed in the second start group, which put us quite close to the elite skiers. I’m not sure what happened, but they must have realized how strong and powerful we are.”

However, the lack of training caught up to them: “Unfortunately, we didn’t work out at all to prepare, which meant many others passed us.”

What’s Next for Tandem Skiing?

Now that they’ve tackled the world’s biggest ski race together, will they keep the tandem dream alive?

Chris is fully committed: “Joe and I have solidified our tandem skiing partnership and have agreed that we can—and will—tandem ski forever, until death do us part.”

Joe? He has other plans: “I want to tandem ski through the drive-through of a White Castle. I can think of no greater endeavor.”

Read more: Birkie winner goes tandem for Vasaloppet