We’re Bringing True Measurability to Cross-Country Skiing – Meet Us at Vasaloppet

We are now on site in the Vasaloppet expo tent, and we are incredibly excited to share our latest innovations with all of you skiers. The products we will showcase include a ski pole handle you can try and an app you can explore — but the real news is much bigger than that. We are making the sport of cross-country skiing measurable!

Why measurability matters for every skier

Why is measurability so powerful and important? Doesn’t it just lead to more comparisons? Our belief — and the driving force behind Skisens — is the opposite. Objective data is the foundation for setting performance-based, realistic training goals tailored to your own abilities.

Without absolute metrics, we are left with competition-based goals, such as “beat my training partner.” That can be motivating too, but it becomes far more valuable when both skiers can see that they are improving — regardless of who is first or last on a given day.

It’s not about racing — it’s about understanding your training

The measurability we create is not about race results. Competition already has built-in measurement — for example, being the first across the finish line at Vasaloppet. Our type of measurability is different: it is a tool that lets you monitor progress day by day, plan training with realistic milestones, and understand how technique and power output evolve over time.

This is something cross-country skiing has lacked. Ski times and “feeling” vary dramatically with snow conditions, temperature, tracks, wind, and altitude. More than most endurance sports, skiing needs objective metrics — and we can now provide them.

Train like Nils van der Poel – with measurable, structured progression

By bringing reliable power measurement to skiing, we enable all skiers to train with the same systematic approach used by Nils van der Poel (https://www.howtoskate.se/). Many of us have admired the sheer number of hours Nils trained, but that’s not what made him exceptional. Many athletes train extremely long and hard, and some may even have equal talent without achieving the same results.

What truly set Nils apart was his structured, measurable training system. One lap on a speed-skating track is always the same distance, and he knew exactly how fast he needed to skate it. When he wasn’t on the track, he used his bike power meter to control his training. And in between, he also did long easy sessions purely for the joy of movement and nature.

Why skiing needs power measurement even more than skating

Skiing is far more complex than speed skating, where the track is identical everywhere in the world — especially after skating moved indoors, removing nearly all ice variation. In contrast, skiing requires interpreting power output in a more nuanced way.

A skier must produce high power on steep climbs, reach high speed in flat sprints or attacks, and maintain endurance when closing gaps or responding to breakaways. In this sense, skiing resembles cycling, where power meters have been standard for many years.

Developed with world-class athletes, researchers, and national teams

Our new ski pole handle and accompanying software are developed in close collaboration with researchers and some of the world’s best skiers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTRbqLTbzuw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97aSP08o9XA). Combined with feedback from customers — including the Swedish biathlon national team, the U.S. cross-country national team, and Sweden’s Winter Sports Research Centre — all of this expertise is now built directly into the service we are launching for you skiers.