The future stars of skiing were on site at the upcoming World Championship arena, as part of the “Everyone on Snow” initiative.
— The most fun part was going downhill, say fourth graders Nike and Nikki from Främbyskolan.
At the turn of February to March, the world’s top cross-country skiers gathered at Lugnet to compete in the World Cup.
Less than a month later, the national ski stadium welcomed special visitors once again, as it was time for “Everyone on Snow,” where a large number of primary school students from Falun had the opportunity to try cross-country skiing.
“Everyone on Snow” started as a pilot project in Norrköping in 2009, giving fourth-grade students the chance to try alpine skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing during a school day at a ski resort. It was a great success, and since then more than 250,000 children have participated. The project was initiated by the Swedish Ski Council, a foundation aiming to increase interest in winter activities on snow.
Today, “Everyone on Snow” is run as a regular program by the Swedish Ski Association in collaboration with participating municipalities, ski and snowboard clubs, districts, schools, and winter sports facilities.
The conditions in Falun during the event were excellent, with bright spring sunshine and temperatures reaching double digits.
Susanna Lennqvist is a fourth-grade teacher at Främbyskolan in Falun, one of the classes taking part in the cross-country activities:
— We have several students who train and compete in cross-country skiing, but also many who are not used to it at all. This is a perfect way to make cross-country skiing accessible to all students, especially since equipment is available to borrow for those who don’t have their own skis or poles, says Lennqvist.
How much do you talk in class about the World Championships being held here in Falun in less than a year?
— It’s something we’ve discussed a lot. We’ve just come from a sort of “warm-up with the Olympics,” but of course it’s really exciting to have the World Championships in Falun.
Students from the Child and Recreation Program at Lugnet Upper Secondary School act as instructors and leaders for the skiing activities.
— This is our third day here working with groups of children from Falun’s primary schools. There’s a wide mix—some children are on skis for the very first time, while others are very experienced. During their session, the children get to try different stations. The most popular one is probably this one, where they learn how to go downhill and how to fall, says one of the instructors as the group heads off toward the slope.
And that going downhill is a favorite is something both Nikki and Nike from Främbyskolan can confirm:
— This was a bit difficult but really fun, says Nikki.
— I usually ski slalom, but I sometimes go cross-country when my mom takes me. It’s usually just the right distance. What I enjoy most? Going downhill, of course, says Nike.