Photos

Photos: Rollerskiers take to Anchorage’s Moose Loop to raise awareness for the sport

Kids return to the trails during Rollerski Awareness Day in Anchorage after a short ice cream break at Westchester Lagoon on Thursday, June 1, 2023. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Around 200 people participated in Thursday’s Rollerski Awareness Day which took skiers and bicyclists 50 kilometers around Anchorage’s Moose Loop, beginning and ending at Alaska Pacific University.

The fourth annual event is used to promote awareness for the sport, which is a combination between rollerblading and Nordic skiing. In addition, the day is used to promote safety on roads and trails for skiers in training, said Penny Smythe, fundraising and communication coordinator for the APU Nordic Ski Center.

Anchorage Parks Foundation manned a station at Westchester Lagoon and offered free Wild Scoops ice cream for participants.

Smythe said the sport has been growing and that more kids are becoming involved. Anchorage makes a great location for the sport, Smythe added, due to the variety in its trail system.

Kids stop for ice cream at Westchester Lagoon and take a break. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
People round a corner at Westchester Lagoon while participating in Rollerski Awareness Day in Anchorage. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Kids stop for ice cream at Westchester Lagoon. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Kids return to the trails during Rollerski Awareness Day in Anchorage after a short ice cream break. (Emily Mesner / ADN)
Kids continue rollerskiing and pass Westchester Lagoon after a quick ice cream break during Rollerski Awareness Day in Anchorage. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Emily Mesner

Emily Mesner is a former multimedia journalist for the Anchorage Daily News. She previously worked for the National Park Service at Denali National Park and Preserve and the Western Arctic National Parklands in Kotzebue, at the Cordova Times and at the Jackson Citizen Patriot in Jackson, Michigan.

ADVERTISEMENT