SkiErg World Sprints a Success Before Ski Season (Updated with Photos from Sweden)

FOURTH ANNUAL SKIERG WORLD SPRINTS: Popular Competition Kicks off the Ski Season

(Press release)

November 16, 2012 – Morrisville, VT – The SkiErg World Sprints is an international race of 1000 meters on the Concept2 SkiErg. It’s held annually in homes, gyms, ski clubs and fitness centers around the world—all it takes is a SkiErg and interested people. Sometimes it’s a small group of friends in a home gym; other times it’s a sizeable public event. No matter the venue, the goal is the same—your best effort for 1000 meters.

This year’s event held November 9-11, 2012, drew 855 participants from nine countries, with ages ranging from 5 to 88. The fastest men’s time was 3:05.1, pulled by 36-year-old Ats Pärnaste of Estonia. The fastest women’s time was achieved by Anika Miller with a blistering 3:51.4. Since its inception, Miller has been a regular competitor at the SkiErg World Sprints at Rudy’s Gym in McCall, Idaho, and she’s only 17!

All host sites with at least 20 participants were entered in a drawing for a new SkiErg. Club Form, of Littleton, Colorado, was the lucky winner.

The SkiErg World Sprints, coordinated by Concept2 in Morrisville, Vermont, continues to grow each year. Participants around the world can accurately compare their times from one location to another because the SkiErg includes a self-calibrating Performance Monitor. The SkiErg provides measurable and specific training for Nordic skiers, while also offering a high-quality low impact exercise option for non-skiers of all ages. Concept2 offers rankings and challenges to help keep skiers motivated throughout the year. More information on the SkiErg is available at concept2.com/ski.

Haven’t tried the SkiErg yet? You can use Concept2’s “SkiErg Finder” to locate a public SkiErg near you so you can give it a try.  http://www.concept2.com/skierg/finder.

For full SkiErg Sprints results, visit: http://log.concept2.com/challenge/skierg/sprints12.asp

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Concept2 was founded by Dick and Peter Dreissigacker in 1976. Both competitive rowers and engineers, the two brothers designed and manufactured carbon fiber racing oars, then went on to create the world’s first air­resistance indoor rower. The SkiErg, launched in 2009, builds upon the Dreissigackers’ love of skiing and Concept2’s years of experience in designing and manufacturing high-performance training equipment. For more information about Concept2, visit concept2.com.