As skiers and spectators arrive at Kalajoki’s golden sand dunes for the world’s first Sand Skiing World Championships, a sense of excitement and laidback adventure is in the air.
Cross-country skiing, a cherished sport in Finland, takes on a surprising new form in this event. Swapping snow for sand, skiers in shorts and short sleeves navigated three laps of a 500-metre (550-yard) course set in a landscape reminiscent of a desert.
“Everybody’s very relaxed but there’s still a competitive edge,” says one contestant. “It’s good fun. It brings people together.”
Most participants find skiing on sand much slower than on snow, with the terrain offering much more resistance.
“It’s hard,” exclaims Maarit Knuutinen after completing the course in the Party category, dressed up as a witch. “I’m so tired.”
See what happens when people try to cross-country ski on sand.
Video: Erika Benke/ThisisFINLAND.fi
While the atmosphere is light-hearted, the event carries a more serious undertone. The championship highlights how climate change is affecting Finland’s winters – and the future of cross-country skiing.
“We’re worried that someday there might not be winter and snow that we can ski on,” says Merja Kakko, another witch-costumed skier. “That’s why we have to take action now. “We try to make environmentally friendly decisions in our everyday lives. Going on a bicycle instead of driving a car. We don’t travel a lot abroad. We buy locally produced goods.”
The event organisers want to highlight the impact of climate change in Finland, as winters become milder and less snowy.
“Sand skiing is fun, but we need snow for cross-country skiing,” says professional skier and coach Ida Meriläinen, who came up with the idea for the event. “We have a serious message: we want to protect our winters.”
Not all participants may have viewed the day through a reflective lens, but for some, there was a palpable sense of unease about how a warming climate is reshaping Finnish winters.
For environmentally mindful skiers like Merja Kakko, the novelty of sand skiing doubles as an act of environmental advocacy.
“Usually witches fly,” she says. “But nowadays it’s not so friendly for the environment to fly, so now we’re skiing.”
Fast facts: Sand Skiing World Championships
The world’s first Sand Skiing World Championships took place on September 14, 2024, on the sand dunes of Kalajoki on the west coast of Finland.
The event brought together 60 adult skiers who competed on a 500-metre course across three categories: Men, Women and Party (for skiers in fancy dress). Ten Juniors (under 15 years old) raced on a shorter, 200-metre course.
The championship is the brainchild of professional skier and coach Ida Meriläinen, who has used sand skiing as part of her summer training for several years. Inspired by the popularity of her sand skiing videos on social media, she decided to turn the idea into a full-scale event.
The second edition happens on 23 August 2025, including a new “Cement Start” category that invites skiers aged 50 and up to prove they’ve still got grit – but this time on sand.
By Erika Benke, August 2025
