By Rudy Owens, MA, MPH
Jump below to see the photo gallery

Rudy Owens cross-country skiing at the Paloheinä Recreational Area/Suomen Latu Paloheinä, in Helsinki, Finland, on February 17, 2024.

In February I took a fabulous winter holiday in Finland. My trip mostly involved connecting with my kin and newly found relatives there, who I just met for the first time in September 2023. I was also able to stitch together urban Nordic ski outings in what I call world-class Nordic ski trails in Helsinki, Tampere, and the small city of Kurikka. I have assembled a gallery of shots from these adventures. If you are looking for glory shots of majestic landscapes and spandex self-worship selfies, you probably have come to the wrong place. But if you like community-based cross-country skiing for all, this may be of interest.

On my trip, I rented and borrowed equipment, and I skied in city settings I could access by public buses. This is where most Finnish people enjoy this most popular winter sport—and yes, you can take a bus to a great ski course with groomed skate skiing and single track trails. Finland makes Nordic skiing easy because of the nation’s universal love of the sport, their support of multi-use trails, and a commitment to make skiing accessible to everyone, meaning trail skiing is free.

This is radically different than cross-country skiing in the United States, which is mostly the domain upper-middle-class folks outside of some northern communities. (I personally don’t feel connected to the wider U.S. Nordic ski culture, like I once did I lived in a ski town, Anchorage, for six years). In Finland, the sport is decidedly plebeian and accessible to all. This is consistent with Finland’s more egalitarian and communal society that helped it win the No. 1 ranking as the “happiest country in the world” for the seventh time in a row in March 2024.

One of my favorite moments, knowing I was truly in a place that does things right, was seeing people board the local public bus (No.66!) from the Helsinki train station my first morning after arriving from a long day of travel from Portland, Oregon. The bus takes one directly to the public Paloheinä Recreational Area/Suomen Latu Paloheinä on the north side of the Helsinki. On that bus, I saw parents bringing their kids and the skis. That made me smile! The ski area welcomes people of all ages and abilities, and I highly recommend it. I had a blast there. You can rent skis and equipment at the main parking lot entrance from Suomen latu Paloheinä. Staff there are happy to get you on the trails with the right gear. They even watched my backpack while I skied for two and a half hours.

The trails were groomed and excellent, despite being soggy with fresh rain, and it was so much fun. I love community ski facilities, and the trails here are excellent. The maps make it impossible to get lost. And if the snow is good, you could even ski on shared trails all the way back to the city center through Central Park (Keskuspuisto). Helsinki had a wild, warm rain storm the day earlier, but that didn’t stop anyone.

My second ski outing was in Tampere, the second largest city in Finland, and a beautiful area for all-year recreation. I stayed with two sets of cousins here. My cousins directed me to the Kauppi Sports Center, which is adjacent the city’s outstanding ski racing trails and longer trail system in the Kauppi-Nihamma natural area, on Tampere’s north side. After getting my rental equipment from the facility’s friendly staff, I jumped on the wide, groomed trailed. I headed east, all the way under a highway and into suburban areas to Leinola (11 km. one way). The last few kilometers are through neighborhoods—I like skiing where people live. It reminded me of Anchorage. Then I double backed. The grooming was superb. The base was fine. The weather was cloudy and perfect.

I saw dozens of mostly single-track and older skiers out, as it was a workday. I wrote this to a friend: “Never underestimate the grit and determination of an experienced Finnish cross country skier. They will smoke you! I loved sharing the trails with the amazingly elegant and veteran cross-country skiers in beautiful Tampere yesterday.” I also saw a group of younger skiers learning the ropes. I also highly recommend Kauppi. The staff are knowledgeable, the skis were waxed, and I could use the lockers free of charge. And there’s a great restaurant at the center that is very good too. Wifi is a given. Don’t forget the coffee shop on the trail, which was a hit too. I took a combination of city busses or trams to get here–because that’s how Finland does it!

My last ski outing was in the town of Kurikka, which to Finnish skiers is famous as the home town Finland’s great Nordic ski champion Juha Mieto. (They honor him with a statue in the city center.) I visited my relatives, who found some friends who could loan me a pair of skate skis for the day. My relative’s home is literally next to this groomed trail. I did a lovely urban ski trip, passing by a school, hospital, factories, and homes. It also had some nice wooded spaced. It provided a great way to see a small Finnish community in winter.

Please click on each thumbnail to see a larger image of each photograph.

Keywords/Meta Tags: Finland, Suomi, Nordic Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Urban Skiing, Skate Skiing, Single-Track Skiing, Finnish Skiing, Happiness, Finland Culture, Kurikka, Tampere, Helsinki