Johannes Eklöf, the Swedish Pro Team athlete racing for Team Ramudden, had his breakthrough last winter when he won the Ski Classics event Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge. The achievement and a series of other strong results meant a fifth place for Eklöf in the Ski Classics Champion competition.

Now a busy month of competition awaits, with several rollerskiing competitions, the first of which is the Blinkfestivalen, which begins on August 3. 

For Johannes Eklöf, rollerskiing and rollerskiing competitions are a significant part of the work towards the coming season.

What do you think about the rollerski season and the development in recent years? 

“I think it is good, partly for the sport, that there is interest in the summer and then it becomes very long if you have to train from May to December without racing. It’s nice to have some competitions. You train to compete,” says Eklöf.

What are your thoughts about rollerskiing as a form of exercise?

“Since I switched to long-distance, it’s great, and there’s hardly any difference at all to what we do on snow. I’ve been thinking of rollerskiing into December this year because it’s better to rollerski on real roads than spin on artificial snow tracks. I think that rollerskiing is a very good form of exercise.”

You are from further south than many other skiers. Has that affected your approach to rollerskiing?  

“I think so. We started rollerskiing when I was like 11-12, and if you compare it to the ones who came from the valleys, they started maybe the year before ski high school. It’s always been a big part, and we’ve kind of rollerskied in the winter when there was no snow. It’s a natural part of being a skier from the south.”

Regarding the rollerskiing competitions that have already been held, Johannes says he was very satisfied with the results.

“Totenrullen was surprisingly good. It’s been a bit difficult with illness in the spring, so the competitions proved that there is still some form there.”

Johannes also raced the Swedish Championships week on rollerskis, even though the competitions were freestyle, which he doesn’t train as much since he switched to the long-distance races and double poling.

“It was fun. Now that there weren’t that many skiers from the national team, it turned out that we long-distance skiers were some of those who were up and had to do part of the race. Now we were some of the strongest in the field, but it would have been interesting to see how it would have developed if, for example, Poromaa, Burman, and the others had been involved and started in the race.” 

Which races will you start now in August? 

“Blinkfestivalen and Alliansloppet.”

At Lysebotn Opp you were second last year and had good results in climbing competitions, what do you think about that?

“I aim to do at least as well this year. I’ve been training quite a lot at the beginning of the summer. There at Lysebotn, the turns where there are skate zones or turn technique are quite decisive, so that’s where I think I have to be more involved this year.”

How much do you prioritize results during the rollerski season, or do you prioritize the feelings?

“I think it’s a good chance to practice racing. I go thinking that I want certain results. The point of competing is to get results. If you’re just out and chasing a good feeling, you might as well do it in a regular training session.”

What do you want to take with you in the winter? And what answers do you want to get now during the rollerski season?

“If I may wish, I want it to go well so that I feel that I am in the right zone and can continue on the plan I have. There will be a small check to see if there is something I must change. In the longer races, there will be a lot of rollerskiing at high speed. I hope there is a good base to continue building speed. The idea is to put even more focus on it this fall, but maybe you can get some help from these competitions.” 

Is speed something you feel you want to improve for the winter?

“Yes, absolutely, but also skiing in fast terrain,” concludes Eklöf.