Two American skiers, Joe Dubay and Chris Parr, are taking on the legendary 90km Vasaloppet in Sweden next week.

But they’re not just skiing Vasaloppet the regular way—no, they’re doing it in tandem. That’s right, two men, one pair of skis, and a whole lot of determination (and maybe some chaos). Chris Parr shares the story behind this wild idea and how it all came to be.

The Origin of the Idea: A Birkie Mix-Up

Chris originally planned to ski the American Birkebeiner in 2012 but decided against it to save his energy for another important race. Meanwhile, Joe wanted to ski but hadn’t registered in time. The solution? Chris gave Joe his bib.

“I’ll give him my bib, and he can ski it,” Chris says. “Little did I know that he would win the race.”

Joe’s unexpected victory stirred up quite a controversy in the Midwest cross-country skiing community. “It caused kind of a big stir, so we got banned for two years from the Birkie and had to pay a fine,” Chris recounts. “Then we returned about 10 or 11 years later to tandem ski it together.”

After their Birkie adventure, the duo sought an even bigger challenge. “We wanted to do something bigger and better,” says Chris. Their ski shenanigans even landed them in the White Castle Hall of Fame, where Joe made a bold announcement: they would be skiing the world’s largest race—Vasaloppet.

The Tandem Skiing Tradition?

“We aren’t the only people to do this,” Chris explains. “There’s another tandem group that’s been skiing for 23 years. We hope to meet them there. I’m sure we will—somewhere out on the track.”

The Art of Crashing in Tandem

Skiing together is one thing, but what about falling together?

“Yeah, we are learning that technique, actually,” Chris admits. “We’ve been experimenting with how to fall together. Basically, the technique is that I have to recognise when Joe is about to fall, and then I have to crash with him.”

He adds with humor, “If we can succeed in that, I think we’ll be able to tandem ski forever. And if we don’t, well… we’ll never tandem ski again.”

Training for the Ultimate Test

Since their last tandem adventure, the duo has taken training to the next level.

“Yes, we started tandem biking, but we noticed that was more of an activity for the elderly,” Chris jokes.

Determined to up their game, they built tandem roller skis and spent the summer training together. “I enjoy tandem skiing more than normal skiing now,” he says.

Chris also gives credit to Joe’s impressive ski background: “Joe was one of the best at the time. I would compare him to a male Jessie Diggins back in 2008. They both won state in the same year. They were kind of our next big hope for U.S. skiing.”

What’s Next?

Their Vasaloppet adventure is sure to be entertaining, and fans can follow their journey online. Watch the YouTube clip and stay tuned for their next video after the race!

Whether they cross the finish line smoothly or end up tangled somewhere on the 90km track, Joe Dubay and Chris Parr are set to make this Vasaloppet one to remember.

Read More: Tjejvasan live streamed on SC PLAY this Saturday from 8:55 CET!