The Blink Festival starts today with the uphill race Lysebotn Opp, attracting many of the top Ski Classics Pro Team athletes and traditional cross-country skiers to the start line for both double poling and freestyle events.

Running from August 6 to 9, 2025, this year’s Blink Festival features four days of intense competition. The opening race, Lysebotn Opp, is widely regarded as one of the most demanding on the program.

Lysebotn Opp is a 7.5-kilometer-long uphill race in which the athletes make it to the top via 27 hairpin turns at an average gradient of 10%. The event is contested using two techniques in separate races: freestyle and double poling.

Star-studded start lists

A strong presence of Pro Teams is confirmed for this year’s double poling edition. The complete lists can be found below, but the start lists include Ski Classics stars Emilie Fleten, Silje Øyre Slind, Julie Kvale Støstad, Hanna Lodin, Karolina Hedenström, Alvar Myhlback, Johan Hoel, Johan Tjelle, Amund Riege, Thomas Joly, Petter Stakston, Max Novak, Petter Northug, Emil Persson, Kasper Stadaas, Amund Hoel, and Andrew Musgrave, among many others.

For the skating event, top athletes are also set to compete, including Astrid Øyre Slind, Heidi Weng, Nadja Kälin, Caterina Ganz, Gina Del Rio, Harald Østberg Amundsen, Simen Hegstad Krüger, Emilien Jacquelin, Hugo Lapalus, Ireneu Esteve Altimiras, Calle Halfvarsson, and Perttu Hyvärinen.

Lysebotn Opp Start Lists – Senior Athletes

• Lysebotn Opp Start List – Double Poling Women
• Lysebotn Opp Start List – Double Poling Men
• Lysebotn Opp Start List – Freestyle Women
• Lysebotn Opp Start List – Freestyle Men

Ski Classics Pro Teams

• Lager 157 Ski Team
• Team Eksjöhus
• Team Kaffebryggeriet DRIV
• Team Burger King Northug
• Team Aker Dæhlie
• Team Ramudden
• Team Ragde Charge
• Team Engcon
• Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino
• Ski Team Göhlins
• Team Synnfjell
• Team Rustad IL Oslo
• Team Nordic Expérience
• eD system Team

Also Read
Musgrave and Øyre Slind winners at the Lysebotn Opp double poling race 2024
Weng freestyle winner at the Lysebotn Opp 2024
Hegstad Krüger freestyle winner at the Lysebotn Opp 2024

On Thursday, August 7, it’s time for Blink Classics, a 50-kilometer roller ski race in classic technique.

On Friday, a 10/15 kilometers mass start race awaits the cross-country skiers, and a super sprint for the biathletes. On Saturday, a sprint race for the cross-country skiers and a mass start for the biathletes.

Also Read – Blink Festival 2025: Complete calendar

FACTS: BLINK FESTIVAL 2025

• Who: Cross-country skiers and biathletes at national and international levels, as well as junior classes and age-specific classes for younger athletes
• What: Summer ski festival, cross-country skiing, biathlon, and long-distance skiing, held for the first time in 2006
• Where: Norway
• When: August 6 to 9, 2025
• Website: Blink Festival

Program

Wednesday, August 6:  BLINK Lysebotn Up, 7.5km uphill race (More information can be found HERE and HERE)

• 11:00 CET: 1km and 2km girls and boys
• 11:45 CET: 7.5km skate women senior and women junior
• 13:30 CET: 7.5km double poling women and men senior
• 15:00 CET: 7.5km skate men senior and men junior
• Prize giving at Øygardstøl after the finish

Thursday, August 7:  BLINK Classics at Ålgård (More information can be found HERE)

• 15:00-23:00 CET: Folk Festival at Ålgård – activities for children and young people
• 15:00 CET: Jæren Sparebank Kid Camps opens
• 15:00-15:45 CET: Children’s entertainment with Fire Bear Bjørnis
• 17:00-17:45 CET: Children’s entertainment with Fire Bear Bjørnis
• 18:45 CET: Start BLINK Classics
• 20:45 CET: Estimated finish time BLINK Classics
• 21:15 CET: Free concert with DDE

Friday, August 8: BLINK in Sandnes Sentrum (More information can be found HERE and HERE)

• 7:00-14:20 CET: Competitions for age groups and juniors 
• 12:00-21:00 CET: Rogaland Sparebank Kid Camp: Activities for children and young people in Rutenparken
• 14:00-14:45 CET: Children’s entertainment with Fire Bear Bjørnis
• 14:30-15:15 CET: Shooting – biathlon elite
• 15:30-15:50 CET: Cross-country skiing – prologue women and men
• 15:55-16:50 CET: Biathlon – shooting duel women and men
• 17:00-17:45 CET: Children’s entertainment with Fire Bear Bjørnis
• 17:10-18:25 CET: Biathlon – super sprint qualification elite women and men

18:25-18:55 CET: Cross-country skiing – 10km mass start women

• 18:55-19:45 CET: Biathlon – super sprint final women and men
• 19:45-20:25 CET: Cross-country skiing – 15km mass start men
• 20:45 CET: Award ceremony
• 21:00 CET: Free concert with Postgirobygget

Saturday, August 9: BLINK in Sandnes Sentrum (More information can be found HERE and HERE)

• 7:30-14:20 CET: Competitions for age groups and juniors
• 11:00-12:00 CET: Free brunch
• 12:00-21:00 CET: Rogaland Sparebank Kid Camp: Activities for children and young people in Rutenparken
• 12:00-12:45 CET: Children’s entertainment with Fire Bear Bjørnis
• 14:15-15:00 CET: Prize-giving ceremony for age groups in Rutenparken
• 14:30-15:15 CET: Shooting – biathlon elite
• 15:30-15:44 CET: Cross-country skiing – prologue women and men
• 16:05-17:28 CET: Biathlon – Quarterfinals mass start women and men
• 16:00-16:45 CET: Children’s entertainment with Fire Bear Bjørnis
• 17:44-19:20 CET: Cross-country skiing – quarterfinals and semifinals sprint women and men
• 19:22-20:08 CET: Biathlon – semifinals mass start women and men
• 20:10-20:23 CET: Cross-country skiing – finals sprint women and men
• 20:25-21:05 CET: Biathlon – finals mass start women and men
• 21:25 CET: Awards ceremony
• 21:45 CET: Free concert with CC Cowboys

For a comprehensive Blink Festival events program, click HERE

The Roller Ski Guide 2025 

We invite you to delve into our comprehensive Roller Ski Guide 2025.

Read More: Roller Ski Guide 2025

Are you interested in training for roller skiing, long-distance, and traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.

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