Polar explorers and adventurers
Since the 1980s, Åsnes has supplied more skis for polar expeditions than any other manufacturer. We’ve supported innumerable expeditions to Spitsbergen, Greenland, Alaska, Canada and to the North and South Poles. It’s impossible to count the number of times our skis have been used for trans-Norwegian traverses. Experience and testing from expeditions allow us to claim that our cross-country skis are the best that can be bought.
Naturally, polar explorers and adventurers have a special history for Åsnes. And they play a special role. Making skis for the most demanding expeditions, we have to be in dialogue with those who set off on them. Collaboration with the world’s leading polar explorers, guides and adventurers brings the opportunity for continuous development; we continue to push ourselves to meet the demands placed on ours skis, ski equipment, and the industry in which we operate.
Cecilie Skog
Adventurer, polar explorer, mountaineerCecilie Skog is one of the world’s leading adventurers. A polar explorer and mountaineer, Cecilie is the only woman to have climbed the Seven Summits (the highest mountains on every continent). She has also reached both the South and North Pole – the Explorers Grand Slam. She has also crossed Greenland and summited Cho Oyu and K2.
Liv Arnesen
Polar explorer; pioneerThe first woman to travel alone and without support or supplies to the South Pole, Liv Arnesen is the veteran of dozens of expeditions and long ski-tours. Liv and Julie Maske were the first women to cross the Greenland inland ice without support. With Ann Bancroft, she was also the first women to cross Antarctica on skis.
Tonje Blomseth
AdventurerTonje Blomseth, known as the Eventyrjenta (“adventure-girl”), has been a full-time adventurer since 2014. She travels through wilderness across the world, writing books and blogs, making films and inspiring via her Instagram profile. An entrepreneur with her own online store, she works as an influencer, ambassador and TV figure.
Børge Ousland
The most important contemporary polar explorerBørge really needs no introduction. The greatest modern adventurer, most lauded polar explorer, Børge is a living legend without true peer. For more than 30 years, Ousland has undertaken ground-breaking expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic, stretching the limits of what was thought possible.
Ousland Explorers
A company of the world’s leading polar explorersBørge Ousland’s best men and womenn- Børge Ousland’s best women and men. An ambitious crew of polar explorers and guides striving for uncompromising safety, precision and joy in polar regions. While they love the adventure, most of all they want to share their knowledge of the winter outdoors and polar regions. If you’re going to the poles, these are the people to get you there. And back – safely.
Aleksander Gamme
World’s most versatile adventurer?Aleksander Gamme: indisputably Norway’s (and perhaps the planet’s) most versatile adventurer in the truest sense of the word. While he’s best-known for having completed the world’s longest ski expedition – 2,274 km to the South Pole – we think it’s more important to remember his remarkable decision to wait for Cas and Jones so that they could cross the finish line together.
Christian Iversen Styve
Adventurer, polar guide and photographerChristian was born and educated in Voss – a true Vossian who grew up with Åsnes skis on his feet. The adult Christian has been expedition leader for some 30 expeditions including the South Pole (three times), has crossed Greenland (several times) and is an avid kiter. There’s a good reason this man has been central to the establishment of Åsnes Academy, and that he’s considered one of the most experienced polar guides in Norway.
Mats Grimsæth
Sailor, adventurer, prize-winning photogrpaher and lecturerWinner of the 2019 Tabuprisen for inspiration and openness concerning men’s mental health and suicide. Has crossed the Barents Sea by sail six times and is an award-winning photographer. While relatively new to skiing, his openness, winning nature and ability to represent the world without filter make him unique and very inspiring in our eyes!
The Polar Academy & Craig Mathieson
Inspiration through masteryThe Polar Academy identifies ‘invisible’ secondary school children aged 14-17, crushed by a lack of self-confidence, and gives them the opportunity to redefine their physical and mental capacity through a thorough ten-month training program before they leave for Greenland. Back in Scotland, each student shares their experiences, speaking to more than 20,000 of their peers in their region. They’re living proof that dreams are achievable and that ordinary students can achieve the truly extraordinary.
Sébastien Lapierre
Adventurer and polar explorerSébastien is a born adventurer, passionate about exploring, the North Pole and winter expeditions from a young age. After several expeditions in Canada, Sébastien decided to challenge himself with a solo month-long Greenland crossing. After that, he paddled the Northwest Passage in a kayak, a distance of around 2,800 km in 57 days, an achievement remaining unsurpassed. In 2017 he became the first Canadian to reach the South Pole alone, unassisted.
Mikael Strandberg
Explorer; documentaristMikael Strandberg (born 1962) started exploring at the age of 16. He made it his profession at 24. He’s dedicated most of his life to travel, documentaries, exploration. He strives, he says, to become a better person every year; today he works as a speaker, motivator, photographer, writer/journalist, guide, blogger and independent documentary-maker. His engaging nature and ability to connect with others all over the world is very inspiring!
Moa Hundseid
Free spirit roaming the globe in search of positive vibesAs a one-year-old, Moa (Monica) had to be carried into the cabin with her skis on. She preferred to ski outside. Nothing’s really changed. Despite her relatively young age, she has a number of exciting tours and expeditions behind her. A true adventurer, Moa works as a polar guide for, among others, Børge Ousland Explorers. A free spirit seeking out the planet’s good vibes, her great passions are high mountains and long ski trips.
Ambassadors
At Åsnes, we consider our ambassadors to be part of our extended family. So it’s important that we get along well, and that they represent the values we stand for. This means we’re relatively picky when choosing who to work with. It’s not the number of likes or blog traffic that counts – our ambassadors are true outdoors-folk, real, honest, genuine and tough. This group both helps to keep our feet firmly on the ground and contributes much to testing, feedback… and generally just being around and inspiring!
Line Victoria Sverdrup
Adventurer. Passionate about life under the open skiesLine Victoria is a Bærum girl pursuing her dream of the outdoors with her dog, Sarek. A direct descendant of the polar explorer Otto Sverdrup, she has a heart filled with adventure, a love for polar dogs, and Norwegian nature. A conventional career has never really appealed. She’s keen to be under the sky as much as possible. This isn’t conducive to the fattest wallet. But nature experiences are priceless.
Åste Innleggen
A true child of the wilds!Åste’s walked the length of Norway, the length of Sørøya, Seiland National Park and Øvre Pasvik National Park. Crossing and re-crossing Finnmarksvidda has become a yearly tradition for her. She has no ambition to return to a conventional career. The first thing she said to her partner when she stood on the Nordkapp plateau was (to his dismay) “I’m going to cross Iceland”. In 2022, she did that, too.
Anders Møller Vestergård
Guide, photographer and Dane who out-skis Norwegians!Anders Møller Vestergård is a man of many talents. Active in Volda, climbing and skiing, he’s also a skilled photographer, a media producer and a former diving instructor in tropical waters. And, what’s more, Anders is Danish. Danish mountain-people are rare, that’s true – but we truly appreciate having Anders on the team.
Line Victoria Sverdrup
Adventurer. Passionate about life under the open skiesLine Victoria is a Bærum girl pursuing her dream of the outdoors with her dog, Sarek. A direct descendant of the polar explorer Otto Sverdrup, she has a heart filled with adventure, a love for polar dogs, and Norwegian nature. A conventional career has never really appealed. She’s keen to be under the sky as much as possible. This isn’t conducive to the fattest wallet. But nature experiences are priceless.
Åste Innleggen
A true child of the wilds!Åste’s walked the length of Norway, the length of Sørøya, Seiland National Park and Øvre Pasvik National Park. Crossing and re-crossing Finnmarksvidda has become a yearly tradition for her. She has no ambition to return to a conventional career. The first thing she said to her partner when she stood on the Nordkapp plateau was (to his dismay) “I’m going to cross Iceland”. In 2022, she did that, too.
Anders Møller Vestergård
Guide, photographer and Dane who out-skis Norwegians!Anders Møller Vestergård is a man of many talents. Active in Volda, climbing and skiing, he’s also a skilled photographer, a media producer and a former diving instructor in tropical waters. And, what’s more, Anders is Danish. Danish mountain-people are rare, that’s true – but we truly appreciate having Anders on the team.
Roger Atle Kårstad
Fartsfykar, psykolog, «linselus» og gledesspreder av dimensjoner.Roger Atle Kårstad is always looking for new and appropriately steep slopes to descend at the greatest possible speeds. While his preferred mode of travel is Åsnes skis, he turns to mountaineering in the summer. Kårstad collects peaks for fun in his spare time. A real joy-spreader who has gradually become a central figure in the speed-skiing community, he can be found in the Westland mountains at every practical opportunity.
Åsnes Ski Team
Our team of skiers contributes enormously to the development and testing of skis designed for alpine touring and free-ride. They’re important references when we develop new skis. Many of us here at Åsnes have a traditional alpine background, so the input and feedback from new-school skiers, with their particular approach to skiing, is priceless. This is why we put together a team of young, forward-looking, playful freestylers and skilled free-riders.
The telemark skiers in the Åsnes team that sped down the slope at Lillehammer during the opening ceremony of the 1994 Olympics while the Crown Prince lit the flame were on on specially designed Åsnes skis. You can still find the clip in NRK’s archives (13 minutes into the video). Per Einar Roth (born 1959), the leader of the Åsnes Team, was, together with Åsnes, central to the telemark renaissance and the revival of the Galdhøpiggen Ned telemark race in the ’80s and ’90s.
There’s a long tradition behind the Åsnes ski team, once something of an institution for telemark skiing and instrumental in the birth of what we know today as freeski and free-ride. So it’s exciting that we again have a good team up and running. Who knows what the future’ll bring with this crew!
Klaus Finne
Freeskier, farmer, action manKlaus has sat atop the free-skiing world for a while now, hoovering prizes in competitions and placements such as the X-Games and (especially) Big Air. His other day job is as a sustainable farmer. He’s recognised both for his practical jokes and for being an iron-hard worker. Every year, Klaus organises the Open Klasse with some friends, an invitational freeski competition with a focus on play, fun and sociability.
Sondre Folkedal
One of Norway’s most entertaining and established free ridersSondre is one of the most entertaining free-skiers in Norway. You rarely (never?) see him ski in competition without having executed spins or flips, preferably both at the same time. In recent years, he has consistently been placed at the top of the rankings in the Norwegian Cup (freestyle), and is no stranger to the podium. He’s been with us at Åsnes for a few years now, contributing useful feedback. He can often be seen with Åsnes prototypes on his feet!
Dag Sandvik
Skitalentet som aldri la skiene på hylla!Not only one of the country’s greatest skiing talents in his younger years, Dag, a well-known figure in Voss, continues to contribute to the development of new talents. An essential part of Åsnes’s testing, he skis with such skill that almost every turn is caught on camera. Also one of Europe’s most notable river paddlers, he’s an (undercover) top athlete and local patriot of rank!
Johannes Finne
Freestyler, free-skier, aerialistFor Johannes, it’s not been a perfect skiing day until you’ve been upside down at least once. As a former aerial-ista this isn’t a surprise. After setting aside the moguls a couple of years ago, he’s discovered skiing joys new. These include peak-collecting and ski-mountaineering the mountainsides, forests and slopes accessible to one of his skill. With his solid background, Johannes is a very versatile, technical and playful skier who’s great fun to watch!
Ole André Rykke Almenningen
“Retired” air-oriented skier aiming for the top in freestyleAlthough Ole Andre Rykke Almenningen originally comes from Granvin, he says he feels most connected to Voss for the ski resorts, terrain and school-friends. He’s been active and skiing since he was a child. Air has been his discipline for several years; he’s travelled the world, showing well in the EuropaCup and the Junior WC. Now he is aiming for the top in freestyle.
Zsoltsons
Gladguttene (“happy boys”)Brothers Eirik, Kjetil and Yngve are constantly looking for new experiences on skis or bikes. Although well-established with family and work in Trondheim, photography and action-packed activities are always high on the list of priorities. Unable to agree on which is “prettiest” or “toughest”, they frequently change who’s in front of and behind the camera.
Motto: “As much fun as possible per metre!”