Alexandria has a heritage of cross-country skiing dating back to its 1858 founding. Scandinavian settlers and their descendants took to skis for wilderness travel and fun.

Yet, it wasn’t until some 25 years ago that the Alexandria Area High School founded a competitive student Nordic Ski Team. Since then, the sport has quietly attracted 100’s and 100’s of student athletes through the years. Alexandria has regularly sent athletes to the state ski meet, most recently Jaelyn Miller placed in the top 25 in 2023. Athletes have placed in the top 10 at state and have gone on to compete at the collegiate level, including Kaisa Bosek who currently competes around the world for the U.S. Biathlon team, and Emma Reineke who competes with the University of Minnesota club team.

Quietly, Nordic skiing has been gaining more and more traction over the past 25 years. This past season, 70+ students, grades 6-12, competed on the AAHS Nordic Ski team, which trains year-round and competes from November through March. Many of our students, as well as a good number of adults in our community, go on to compete in the American Birkebeiner in Hayward, WI, the largest Nordic Ski event in the U.S. Additionally, today, students and adults alike have more access to skiing than ever before. Trails are abundant in our community, including Andes Tower Hills, Kensington Runestone Park, Discovery Middle School, Brophy Park, Spruce Hill Park and Chippewa Park. Trails have even been developed at Carlos Creek Winery/22 Northmen.  

In 2023, the Alexandria Nordic Ski Club was founded (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization run by passionate volunteers) to promote and support Nordic skiing in the Alexandria area through education, fundraising, camaraderie, and community building. Our primary passion is to support our AAHS and MS athletes, introduce students to Nordic skiing, and support the program in order to build an even more competitive program.