Rollerski Awareness Day
Rollerski Awareness Day promotes safety on the roads and trails of Anchorage for cross-country skiers & Olympians in training
Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center received an official proclamation from the Mayor’s office citing June 1 as Rollerski Awareness Day for the City of Anchorage. It is a day to bring awareness about rollerskiing and promote safety on the trails and roads of Anchorage for our skiers and Olympians in training.
To commemorate the day, APU Nordic Ski Center will be rollersking Anchorage’s Moose Loop on Sunday, June 1, in the morning. The team will rollerski the 50km loop to help support the cause and heighten safety awareness for the upcoming training year. Rollerskiers will be uniformed in proper safety gear like high visibility clothing, helmets, sunglasses and more to stay protected and be visible.
To learn more about Rollerski Awareness Day, view safety videos and more, click here!
This is an Olympic year and training begins now. Alaska Pacific University’s (formerly Alaska Methodist University) Olympic runs have been historic for the State of Alaska, having sent at least one skier to every winter Olympics since 1972 in Sapporo, Japan. Having produced the first ever Olympic Gold Medal for U.S. Cross Country Skiing with Kikkan Randall in 2018, APU Nordic Ski Center looks forward to winning more medals in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Beyond.
Anchorage has a vast, intricate landscape and road system offering gradient changes needed to properly train competitive cross-country skiers in the summer and fall months. Anchorage has become one of the top training grounds for Olympic hopefuls and young athletes with the terrain and trail system available to our athletes.
However, there is risk when sharing the roads with motor vehicles. Many drivers and trail users still don’t know how to approach rollerskiers.
Fatalities unfortunately have occurred in other communities. Drivers are not aware they share the roads with athletes in training. Rollerskiers can reach speeds of up to 40mph and rely on their own method of stopping via “snowplow” rather than brakes, as rollerskis are not equipped with a brake system. It is best for drivers to proceed with caution when approaching rollerskiers and to leave ample room in between the rollerskier and the vehicle when passing.
This initiative helps to educate drivers on what rollerskiing is and how to approach athletes with caution when passing. Drivers should approach slowly and provide space between the vehicle and rollerskier when passing. On steep inclines, we ask especially ask for drivers to have patience and exercise caution when passing.
Rollerski Awareness Day also helps to educate skiers and bikers about the importance of wearing proper safety gear and high visibility clothing while training. It’s imperative to wear helmets, eye protection, gloves, and more to stay safe while training. Bright is best when on roads and trails during the summer and fall months. Wearing blinking lights and reflective material on clothing and helmets is strongly recommended.
On June 1, we invite the community to celebrate our skiers and cheer on our Olympians during the Rollerskiathon as they cruise around Anchorage. The route will begin at APU at 9 a.m. They will rollerski clockwise around the loop, starting at APU at 9 a.m. and ending at APU around 12 p.m. The same day, Anchorage Parks Foundation will have an area at Westchester Lagoon at 10:30 a.m. for the community to learn more about the Moose Loop while watching the skiers roll by.
Learn more about Rollerski Awareness Day and how to support the APU Nordic Ski Center.
Rollerski Awareness Day is Supported by the Municipality of Anchorage and Anchorage Parks Foundation. We wouldn’t be able to promote this important day without their help!
