In his migration to the tropical paradise, Kristensen brought along his roller skis, integrating them into his training life in Thailand. Yet, it was in 2011 that he embarked on an extraordinary journey, skiing a remarkable 1.000km from Chiang Rai in the North to Pattaya for a charitable cause.

Once Kristensen moved further south, he piqued the interest of local kids who wanted to try; reflecting on this, Kristensen remarked, “Quickly, it escalated to becoming a big club with many kids joining. We only had a little bit of equipment at that time, so people were lining up to try.”

See the rest of our interview with Karl Fred Kristensen below:

Roller skiing is a well-known activity in Norway, but it’s likely unfamiliar to most people in Thailand, where some may have never seen snow. What motivated you to introduce roller skiing to Thailand?

“The first few years I spent a lot of time, energy, and money on the athletes at my club in Chumphon. I had friends bring old equipment from Norway for us to use, bought 2nd hand roller skis, and we even brought 4 kids to Norway for a summer ski camp. All this effort got more and more attention here in Thailand. First just word by mouth, and people started coming to visit us from other provinces. Then on social media and even on TV. People came to visit us from further and further away because they were interested in this exotic winter sport they could practice here in Thailand.”

“Then one day I was contacted by the Ski & Snowboard Association of Thailand (SSAT). They were interested in what I was doing and wanted to get involved as well. SSAT had resources and things started happening faster. They purchased cheap equipment from China and gave it to new clubs to help them get started. And I ended up traveling all over Thailand to help kids and coaches learn the basics of skiing. It was a very exciting period!”

In 2018 we arranged the first Thailand National Championship. It happened in Chumphon where it all started. There were 61 athletes competing that first time. For the last event in March 2024 – which was only a junior event for people under 18 – there were 239 athletes. It gets bigger and bigger every time and the upcoming event this June will surely be the biggest ever.”

The national championships are coming up in June, tell us a bit about the event? And what are the goals for the future of the event? How many people take part in the event? What is the events record? 

“It is SSAT that arranges all the events now. They are doing a great job! They have a big team of people interested in skiing and winter sports, and they have invested in all necessary equipment and training to arrange proper FIS-races. And everything is broadcasted live on Facebook so everyone can follow the events. They have great sponsors and highlights are regularly shown on national tv.”

“For the June event it will happen on the Kaeng Krachan Circuit which is just around 50km from Hua Hin. The Kaeng Krachan Circuit is normally used for motorcycle racing but will be great for roller skiing too. It has uphills and downhills and many turns. And there will be FIS-races and races for all age groups. And foreigners are welcome to join. This will be super exciting and the best event ever in Thailand! For the June event, I expect there to be over 300 Thai athletes, and I hope many visiting athletes from across the world.”

What are your goals for the future xc skiers of Thailand? 

“With the support of SSAT the best athletes get to travel internationally to join in roller ski events and cross-country skiing events around the world. Just earlier this year we had athletes competing in the Youth Winter Olympics in Korea in both biathlon and cross country. The dream for SSAT is to have athletes able to make it to the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026. I think this is possible!”

“Roller skiing is now an official event in the Thailand National Games, meaning it is recognized as a national sport on par with everything from Track & Field to Football to Thai Boxing and more. And in 2025 it will even be in the ASEAN Games (Southeast Asia Games). So, it is really growing not only in Thailand, but all over the region. I had many meetings with the Philippines team already.”

“My personal dream is to see our athletes be among the best in the world in roller ski, and I also would love to see them in Ski Classic events. My dream is that Thailand can build a special track just for roller skiing and arrange events for the FIS Roller Ski World Cup. We keep dreaming and working hard to make it all come true!”

See SSAT Website for more on the National Championships, 20^th– 26^th June, 2024: (https://www.ssat.or.th/2022/02/01/thailand-roller-ski-national-championship/)

The Roller Ski Guide 2024

Are you interested in roller skis? Below you can find more about our Roller Ski Guide 2024.

A new training year is coming up, and it’s time to update your roller ski fleet or perhaps buy your very first roller skis. ProXCskiing.com has produced a guide to kick off the roller ski season. Here, you get help choosing the right roller skis, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced roller skier.

The Roller Ski Guide 2024

The guide has been developed in collaboration with eight of the most famous brands where they have had the opportunity to select three pairs of roller skis from their range that they recommend for training at different levels. We go through classic roller skis recommended for the beginner, classic roller skis for the experienced skier and roller skis for skating.

Also Read: The Big Roller Ski Test