Summit 2 Senja on Sunday, April 2, will end Ski Classics Season XIV. Five Pro Team Directors have been nominated for the award of Best Pro Team Director of the Season. 

The award recognizes Pro Team Directors with extraordinary directorial skills, unwavering dedication, and unconditional love for long-distance skiing, working correctly to develop Ski Classics. 

In Season XIV, five nominees will be presented during this week. They are all in the race to win the award. Nominee #4 is Arnt Nyborg, the Pro Team Director of Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso.

Arnt Nyborg is a highly skilled Pro Team Director who manages not only one but is involved in two teams: Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso and YC Rør Sjusjøen Ski Team. Nyborg’s exceptional leadership skills are evident in the success of his teams. He strongly focuses on youth development and has successfully attracted international Pro Tour athletes.

In a recent interview, Arnt shared his thoughts on what motivates him in his role, how he wants to develop the sport and his challenges.

The Pro Team Director for Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso has been in the long-distance skiing scene for several years, both as a Pro Team Director, coach, and athlete.

The journey started back in 2012 when Nyborg, together with some friends, started long-distance skiing. Nevertheless, he missed having a leadership role, and it was the start of what we see as Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso today. In 2015, the team was first registered in Ski Classics.

“I attempted a feat in 2012. The aim was to complete Birkebeinerrennet in under three hours. I finished that race in 2:59:59. It motivated me to share that foundation with others and the joy and inspiration to go for long races,” says Nyborg.

As the Pro Team Director, Nyborg aims to achieve top ten positions and secure a top ten ranking among the Pro Teams. 

“We always have a goal of top ten positions. We also want the team to be among the top ten Pro Teams. We are in seventh place now so it will go very well. We hope for a podium place when we go into the final weekend. With guest appearances from Andrew Musgrave and Thomas Maloney Westgård, and also Kati Roivas, we might have a chance.”

Nyborg’s role as a Pro Team Director is a hobby for him, as he works full-time as a construction manager. 

“For me, this is a hobby. I work 100% as a construction manager, and all this happens in my spare time. It’s a lot of work, but I like it.”

However, Nyborg mentions that the job requires a lot of time and effort, with many logistical challenges.

“The job takes a lot of time. There are a lot of logistics that not everyone sees. For Vasaloppet, we had a traveling group of 28 people. It is a large group of skiers, servicemen, leaders, and support apparatus. Next year we are investing in staff with an assistant team leader.”

Looking into the future, Nyborg sees Ski Classics as a growing competitor for the World Cup, with increasing interest and statistics to support it. He also has a long-term goal for the team:

“We want to reach the top of Vasaloppet in 2025. Nevertheless, we see a challenge in having an attractive enough offer for the best athletes. There are many good teams now, so there is fierce competition to secure the best athletes.”

What have been the best moments this season?
“We have achieved top ten positions in Marcialonga, Birkebeinerrennet, and Vasaloppet. In addition, the team competition before Christmas was a great experience. We finished fifth there. It was big,” says Nyborg and continues:

“There is a great environment in the team. It is incredibly motivating to work with such a great group. It gives the enthusiasm to be part of the scene.”

In summary, Arnt Nyborg’s passion for long-distance skiing and his leadership as a Pro Team Director has contributed to the success of Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso in Ski Classics. With a long-term goal and continuous improvement plans, Nyborg and his team are set to make a mark in the long-distance skiing scene.

Next up is Reistadløpet on April 1 and Summit 2 Senja on April 2. The events mark the 13th and 14th Ski Classics stages and the final weekend of Season XIV.

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

• Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 68km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.