How A Joke Led To The Best Nordic/Freeskiing Crossover Imaginable

Ella Boyd
·2 min read

You may have heard that ski god and Atomic's freeski creative director Chris Benchetler recently released a super rare, super narrow pair of XC skis.

But did you know why that random invention came about?

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A "memorable night" with the Atomic family ended with a light-hearted conversation turned serious between Chris Benchetler, Anne-Kjersti Kalva, and Lotta Weng.

Anne-Kjersti and Lotta are world cup XC-skiers, and Chris is famous for his backcountry and freeski pursuits.

Atomic welcomes interdisciplinary collaborations between its team members.

Anne-Kjersti shared something personal with Chris. "Her favorite ski wasn't a cross-country ski but the Bent Chetler 120. Chris, too, had an unexpected twist in his skiing journey; he took up cross-country skiing when he broke his collarbone."

By the sounds of it, both parties were more than a little curious about diving deeper into a different style of the same sport: freeskiing versus nordic.

"We made a joke, 'can you make some cross country skis as well?'"

"I'm happy you made that joke," Chris responds. "It's going to be the next powder ski, I think. We're on to something. Verrry progressive."

Related: Chris Benchetler Unveils Special XC Skis With Signature Art

Chris also added that he's secretly a XC enthusiast. "I love nordic skiing, and I think everyone should nordic ski. It's good for your health!"

"And a great canvas for some artwork, apparently." Man, is it ever.

Chris' parting thoughts on camera were, "I think they're awesome. I think we should do more."

What do you think, would you rock the Bent Chetler nordic skis? Do you think art is the missing key to creating a rowdier nordic apres scene?

Only time will tell.

Related: Powder Review: Atomic Bent Chetler 120 - 192 cm

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