Nordic Ski Blog

Glen Arbor based SKIWALKING.COM is proud to celebrate a successful and exciting 1st year of promoting Ski Walking and hosting Ski Walking clinics all across the USA. Pete Edwards and his Glen Arbor, Michigan -based company SKIWALKING.COM has been recognized for introducing thousands of Americans to Ski Walking (also referred to as Nordic Walking). Edwards has hosted Ski Walking clinics from Lake Tahoe to Lake Placid.

According to Nick Mahood, SWIX Nordic Walking Director “We are generally an inactive and increasingly overweight country. Nordic Walking is just what we need, it is simple, effective and gives people who have difficulty moving the ability to get out and walk! Through his nationwide efforts to spread the message about Nordic Walking Pete Edwards has given 1000’s of people the means to improve their health and well being! Pete Edwards has single handedly introduced Nordic Walking to 1000’s of Americans through his free clinics!”

Following six months of testing poles and doing test marketing, Edwards decided to officially launch SKIWALKING.COM as a full-time “adventure” in 2005. Edwards’ poles are custom made in Lillehammer, Norway and come equipped with patented comfortable straps, carbide tips for trails, beach, dunes, snow & ice + removable rubber tips for indoor use and on pavement.

Studies show how Ski Walking burns up to 40% more calories than regular walking. Ski Walking provides an extremely effective workout, yet is low impact - gentle on the weight bearing joints. Ski Walking is like cross country skiing (the #1 aerobic activity on the planet), except NO skis and NO snow are required.

Thanks to his SKIWALKING.COM website, Edwards ships his custom walking poles all over the world. And according to Edwards “everyday I receive the greatest emails, phone calls and thank you cards from happy Ski Walking customers. SKIWALKING.COM also pops up #1 on all search engines and happy customers from all over the country and overseas send Edwards referrals too.”

Edwards has proven that Ski Walking is not just for athletes, but for all ages and all fitness levels here in the USA. In Finland over 20% of the population Ski Walks. In Germany over 1 million folks are Ski Walking and that number is projected to jump to over 5 million in just 5 years! SKIWALKING.COM is trying to follow the Europeans lead by offering durable, one-piece poles that are safer and more user friendly than adjustable and poles. Edwards proclaims that “the Scandinavians are using one-piece poles and would never recommend adjustable poles or telescoping poles and as I ski coach I have never recommend adjustable poles either.”

Edwards is committed to ensuring that everyone is fitted with the perfect length poles. Perfect length poles help us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles really reduces the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking.

Dr. Christiane Northrup has this to say about Edwards’ walking poles: “My Ski Walking poles have been a terrific addition to my regular exercise program. I love the way they incorporate my upper body during a walk, thus giving me more strength-training and calorie burning for the time spent. I highly recommend them to everyone!”
Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Mother-Daughter Wisdom (Bantam, 2005), The Wisdom of Menopause (Bantam, 2001), and Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom (Bantam, 1998)

Edward’s is happy to state that “every Ski Walking clinic I host is so rewarding. Typically there is at least one person in every group that has a knee, hip, back or balance issue and they are stunned that by simply using the correct length poles and proper technique the stress to that sore knee, hip or back is radically reduced. Folks with MS and Parkinson’s have found that my poles are so much more comfortable than canes and walkers. My “adventure” has led me to the greatest job in the USA.”

For more info please visit the website — Click Here! — or contact Pete Edwards by phone: 231-334-3080 or email: getfit@skiwalking.com.