The winter season has started, and many thrilling races are now happening in many parts of Europe. Beitostølen and Bruksvallarna have traditionally been the season opener in Norway and Sweden, respectively, where many of the world’s best skiers show up in top shape, and this year was no exception. Many traditional and long-distance skiers were part of the race and test form at the beginning of the season. 

For Petter Soleng Skinstad, Pro Team Director and athlete from Team Coop, the Beitostølen premiere is probably the race where the athletes are at their best. 

“The season opener in Beitostølen might be the ski race with the highest overall level, with many traditional skiers in top shape. But many top long-distance skiers didn’t race,” says Skinstad.

Read More: Klæbo and Kalvå 10km Classic Winners At The Beitostølen Premiere

However, looking at the top 30 results, not many long-distance skiers challenge traditional skiers in this type of competition. Despite both classes of skiers showing up in top shape, the 10-kilometer classic race was more suitable for traditional skiers, especially when compared to Bruksvallarna or Gålå, where more female and male long-distance skiers managed to reach top positions.

“I would say that’s the main reason for not seeing many skiers from Ski Classics in the top 30,” says Skinstad and continues: “the new loop in Beitostølen is not ideal for skiers who mostly double pole. If you look at the results from Gålå, where more long-distance skiers took part, the 2.5 kilometers loop is more suitable for double poling. And things are different there.”

More Long-Distance Skiers At The Top 30 In Bruksvallarna

On the same weekend, the season opener also took place in Bruksvallarna, a ski resort in the heart of Sweden. Just like it happened in Norway, the elite of the Swedish cross-country skiing scene showed up in top shape. However, the number of long-distance skiers who conquered the top 30 places was significantly higher than in Beitostølen.

Max Novak, Alvar Myhlback, Oskar Kardin, Alfred Buskqvist and Emil Persson even managed to be top 20 on the men’s side, while Ida Dahl, Jenny Larsson, Frida Erkers, Karolina Hedenström and Sofie Elebro did the same on the women’s side.

Read Also: Ebba Andersson and Eric Rosjö 10km Classic Winners At The Bruksvallarna Premiere

As mentioned before, one of the reasons for this may be the 2.5-kilometers loop that is more suitable for double-poling, where long-distance skiers are stronger. But Skinstad believes there may be another explanation.

“Looking at the men’s class, the level of the top 30 skiers in Beitostølen is higher than the level of the top 30 in Bruksvallarna. Just look at the results from championships, World Cup and Scandinavian Cup the last years, and you will see that Norway has a different level both in the top and in depth, so of course it’s two different things to be the top 30 in the Norwegian and Swedish season opener,” concludes Petter Soleng Skinstad.