"Matt Dayton—elegance on skis"

Ski skating: rhythmic, powerful, fast, flowing and graceful—all these words describe the beauty of ski skating and Matt Dayton’s total command of the sport. Dayton, a member of the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team, grew up with cross-country skiing—his parents own the Breckenridge Nordic Center-- and he coaches the Summit Junior Nordic Team in Summit County.

Ski skating is not only beautiful to watch, it’s a wonderful aerobic workout that uses all parts of the body: the arms, stomach and back, and of course your legs. The downhills can be thrilling and charging up hills is a challenge to maintain the rhythm of movement.

During Boulder’s snowy periods, skiers of all types and abilities take advantage of the Boulder Nordic Club’s grooming of North Boulder and Valmont parks. The club uses a snowmobile and roller to groom for both skating and classic technique and Boulder’s athletes and wanna be’s and everything inbetween enjoy in-town skiing whenever possible.

Boulder is fortunate to have hundreds of kilometers of prepared trails just a short drive away, at Eldora Mountain Resort, Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Snow Mountain Ranch, and Grand Lake Touring Center, all of which offer lessons and equipment for cross-country skiing, both skating and classic techniques.

Try it, you’ll love it!