Team Edux is a Finnish Ski Classics Pro Team that now carries the responsibility of representing the blue-and-white colors in the world’s toughest long-distance skiing series as a lone wolf.

Many readers might wonder: What kind of company is Edux, and who is behind it? In this article, Edux CEO Arto Viitala shares why he invests in a long-distance ski team, why skiing is close to his heart, and what should be done to prevent the decline of the sport.

Finnish long-distance skiing has made clear progress over the years, but unfortunately, there are now signs of some regression. At its peak, there were three Finnish teams competing in the Ski Classics Pro Tour. For several years, Ylläs-Levi was the final race of the entire Pro Tour, and the long season’s closing celebrations took place in the stunning landscapes of Levi. Now, Ylläs-Levi is no longer part of the calendar, no Pro Tour events are organized in Finland, and only Team Edux continues its persistent journey as the sole Finnish Pro Team in the Ski Classics series.

The origin story of Team Edux stems from the skiing enthusiasm of the CEO of the company that bears the team’s name – Arto Viitala. Arto competed in skiing in his youth alongside his brother. His enthusiasm faded when his brother continued on to win national medals and even a silver at the Junior World Championships in relay.

Arto founded Edux Oy at the age of just 21. The family company, owned by Arto and Mika Viitala, manufactures door products such as exterior, interior, and public space doors across Finland. Norway is the company’s main export market, and the firm employs about 65 people in Nivala.

After setting skiing aside and becoming immersed in a busy business life, Arto experienced a so-called lifestyle wake-up call, and the spark for his beloved old sport reignited.

“After running my own company for over 20 years, I became aware of the excess weight and poor well-being I had accumulated over the years. The scale showed over 120kg at that point, so something had to change. The sport I knew from my youth, skiing, came back into the picture. A new circle of friends with similar interests inspired me to get excited about long-distance sports like skiing and rowing,” Arto told Maastohiihto.com and continued:

“What fascinates me about long-distance skiing is the extreme endurance! It tests both physical and mental strength, and you really push yourself. When you cross the finish line or reach your goal, there’s a tremendous feeling of satisfaction that carries you into the next challenge. It takes real effort in training to achieve your goals. When preparing for such a major endeavor, stress and other worries disappear completely into the background.”

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As his passion for skiing grew, Arto became inspired to support a Finnish Ski Classics Pro Team, which now is the only Finnish squad on the Pro Tour. The current situation worries the business leader, who is deeply dedicated to skiing.

“Long-distance skiing is close to my heart. My hope and goal are to help Finnish skiers succeed in this sport. And now that we’re the only team left in Finland – if we didn’t exist, Finland’s visibility would be zero. That burden would fall on individual skiers in foreign teams. I would really like to see new teams emerge in Finland so we could reignite domestic competition between teams.”

The relatively low appreciation for long-distance skiing in Finland and uncertainty about its future lead Arto to suggest potential solutions. He also calls for a domestic Pro Tour event that is professionally organized and attractive to elite skiers – not only built around the needs of recreational athletes.

“Right now, there is not a single race in Finnish long-distance skiing that would raise the level of the sport. For example, Vasaloppet is light years ahead of races in Finland, and the value of long-distance skiing is highly respected there – not to mention the huge number of participants. Even though the Ski Classics calendar is demanding, we should at least consider organizing a national championship in long-distance skiing, where medals would go to the toughest and strongest skiers. Would that energize and boost long-distance skiing and Finnish endurance skiing overall?”

This deep reflection leads the analytical and thoughtful skier to also start drafting new ideas for Ski Classics.

“Could the Ski Classics series end with a tour-style event in Lapland – spanning Finland, Sweden, and Norway? In the 1980s, the ski season would end with the Lapin Kulta Cup in the northern parts of Scandinavia, attracting the best skiers in the world. Today there is the Lapponia Ski Tour, but it’s mainly a national event. Cross-country skiing has the Tour de Ski, but its timing is poor. Even ski jumping has the RAW AIR tour to end the season. A new kind of ‘Lapland Tour’ could become a globally significant season-ending event for skiing. It should have its own prize and be part of the Ski Classics overall standings, even if each race still awarded its own points.”

Arto also suggests that the Ski Classics series should better support smaller teams, as they are now being overshadowed by bigger, wealthier teams. He floats the idea of giving smaller teams bonus points in the Pro Tour – similar to how ski jumping offers wind compensation.

The problems for small teams, he explains, include the larger impact of illnesses due to limited rosters. They are also at a disadvantage when it comes to equipment and service. In the early years of the Ski Classics, the teams were much more equal. Now, Swedish and Norwegian teams dominate with their money and appeal, putting the future of teams from smaller skiing nations at risk.

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The future of cross-country skiing in general also appears uncertain, and Arto doesn’t hold back his criticism of Finnish skiing.

“In the big picture, Finnish endurance skiing based on volunteer work is in crisis. The work of ski clubs and districts, traditionally built on volunteerism, has been in steady decline for decades. The Finnish Ski Association has forgotten the power of club-level volunteerism and hasn’t come up with anything new to replace it – they haven’t even really thought about it. The number of competitive skiers has collapsed, and this is now visible in the number of long-distance skiers as well. The Ski Classics series has brought skiing a new opportunity, based on the combination of volunteerism and professionalism. Could the Finnish Ski Association even learn something from this approach?”

Cross-country skiing – like all endurance sports – is battling against other sports and hobbies. Kids no longer play outside like they used to, and teenagers get hooked on the endless stream of phone content. Time-consuming and mentally demanding hobbies are easily pushed aside, while trendier sports draw stronger interest.

Arto highlights the turning point in 1995 when ice hockey captured the heart of our nation. Skiing was no longer the number one sport in Finland, and nowadays skiing is no longer a given for young people like it used to be in the old days.

“There should be youth ski teams established in Finland. Couldn’t the Ski Association also do more to reach out to young people, talk about the opportunities in the sport, and even encourage participation and organize long-distance races? The big question now is how we can compete with team sports. The Ski Association needs to roll up its sleeves and take action so that all talented youngsters don’t drift into team sports. With my message, I don’t want to provoke resistance from any party, but we need to be able to work well together across all sports and develop Finnish grit and endurance sports! And let’s not forget the team sports either,” Arto sums up his vision for a better future in Finnish sports.

With powerful words and forward-thinking ideas, it’s time for the closing statement, and Team Edux’s “father figure” wants to encourage everyone to challenge themselves in their own way. The man himself has a big goal: to ski the world’s longest mass-start ski race next winter – the 220km Nordenskiöldsloppet in Sweden.

“Everyone should challenge themselves or get a group of friends to do it together. Goal-oriented training helps even in the toughest challenges. Young skiers also shouldn’t be afraid of training their endurance. This way, together we can bring Finnish grit and fighting spirit to the world—and let it be seen!”

With true Finnish grit, Team Edux and Arto Viitala are sure to take long-distance skiing to new dimensions, and the day may come when our national anthem is played for a Vasaloppet winner. Perhaps that would shine the spotlight on long-distance skiing as it deserves, inspiring both the young and the old to rediscover the unquenchable spark that could help improve the world, one ski trail kilometer at a time.

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