Winter play: A Minnesota transplant learns to love skiing

TIM NELSON: This is Minnesota Now. I'm Tim Nelson, in for Cathy Wurzer. We're kicking off a new series called Winter Fun, stories about what brings Minnesotans joy and delight during these long cold, snowy, and freezing, rainy, winter months. Finding joy in the winter is a must for living in Minnesota. That's something Minnesota Now producer Ellen Finn realized when she moved to the Twin Cities from the West Coast a few years ago. She and Cathy Wurzer talked about it recently.

CATHY WURZER: Hey, Ellen.

ELLEN FINN: Hi, Cathy.

CATHY WURZER: You moved here in the fall of 2019. How was that first winter for you?

ELLEN FINN: Well, I think I literally stayed inside all winter that first winter, to be honest. At first, I thought it was really amazing to live somewhere it actually snowed. But after falling into those regular transplant issues like getting my car stuck in the street multiple times, and experiencing multiple sub-zero temperatures the first time, you could say I was pretty miserable by the end of that first winter.

CATHY WURZER: I'm so sorry. As a Native Minnesotan, I apologize. So I understand that-- well, you were a budding producer at the time, right? And you recorded yourself learning. We wanted to listen to some of that?

ELLEN FINN: Yup. Minnesota winter has made me feel like I'm a hibernating bear. I haven't been off the couch in like six months, my feet and car tires, are constantly slipping on ice. And I'm wearing like 15 layers. I feel like that kid in A Christmas Story who's crying that he can't put his arms down because his coat is too big. I miss feeling light, and free to move about, and run around without getting my socks wet in the snowdrift, or slipping on ice and breaking my tailbone. So I've decided to adopt the hearty Minnesotan way of life I so admire.

I'm giving cross-country skiing a try. All right. I'm out here on frozen lake Bde Maka Ska. It's one of the few wide flat places in Minneapolis that's unhindered by buildings and trees. And looking around, I'm just so struck by how many people are out here enjoying the beautiful sunset. They're ice fishing. I see people snowshoeing, dragging each other on sleds. And yes, of course skiing.

Meanwhile, I'm struggling to snap my boots into my skis here. Classic skiers are passing me. They look like they're straight out of a quaint Nordic folk life painting. And these super fit 60-year-olds are like whizzing past me on their much sexier nifty skate skis. They're wearing head to toe Spandex and wraparound sunglasses. I'm really intimidated by these guys.

CATHY WURZER: Don't be. Don't be. Well, it sounds like you liked being outside in the environment. But how was the skiing?

ELLEN FINN: Well, it was really hard, to be honest. I somehow thought I could teach myself to skate ski, which is the trickier of the two kinds of skiing. There's skate and classic, for people who don't know. And usually people get lessons on how to skate ski. And it takes them a really long time to learn. So they recommend that you start on classic skiing, which is kind of that shuffling, walking, skiing on those skinny tracks. But I didn't listen to that. I thought that seemed boring just walking through the snow basically.

I really wanted to fly through the snow. So when I saw the skate skiers, that seemed really exciting. And I just wanted to give it a try. And I think I have a little tape of when I was just getting started. And just so you know, it was not pretty. OK, this is actually really hard. My feet are slipping out from under me. My arms are so tense, clutching my poles. And I'm so focused that I'm forgetting to breathe. I'm basically waddling, not gliding. I'm trying to glide. Left, right, left, right, left, right. It's so much harder to balance than I thought.

CATHY WURZER: OK, you're giving it a shot though. So what happened?

ELLEN FINN: Well, basically that whole season, I was just really bad. That's all you need to know. But I was really enthusiastic about it the whole time. I think it helped just to be around people who are enthusiastic about skiing. I made some friends who were into skiing. And I even got into watching clips of Jessie Diggins winning that 2018 Olympic gold medal.

INTERVIEWER 1: Coming to the line.

INTERVIEWER 2: Here comes Diggins. Here comes Diggins.

INTERVIEWER 1: Diggins making the play around Sweden. Jessie Diggins to the line.

INTERVIEWER 2: Yes.

INTERVIEWER 1: And it is Jessie Diggins delivering a landmark moment that will be etched in US Olympic history.

ELLEN FINN: That was an amazing video obviously, very emotional. So somehow, I started getting a little bit better. And in the first time I smoothly glided through the snow, I was totally giddy. I have a little tape of that too. I just started to get the hang of balance and I'm really moving.

I'm actually able to go up a hill and almost go down without falling. Whoo. Spring is on the horizon. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually dreading the end of winter. It means I'm going to have to stop practicing skiing every day. And I'm really going to miss that feeling of flying across the snow.

CATHY WURZER: Oh wow. Congratulations. Well, OK. So that was a great start. As I understand, now this season, you literally are off to the races.

ELLEN FINN: Yes. Unbelievably, I signed up for my first ski race. It's in late February, which is pretty funny because I still have very little coordination. I am not going to be a competitive skier in that race. But I really love group races. And I think they're a fun opportunity to come together as a community and celebrating getting out in the snow. So I have to shout out to my friends and partner who are much more experienced skiers than I am, and encouraged me to sign up.

And I'm going to participate in actually the largest ski race in North America. It's called the American Birkebeiner. Yep.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah.

ELLEN FINN: And that's in Wisconsin. Just to clarify, I'm not skiing the entire Birke. That's almost 35 miles. There's no way I can possibly do that. But I will be skiing about 9 miles of it, which is just as daunting to me.

CATHY WURZER: I think you're going to be great. You're going to be cheering on your friends and partner.

ELLEN FINN: Yep. Yeah. They'll be skiing much, much longer distances than me.

CATHY WURZER: Good. Congratulations. Oh my gosh. I'm very proud of you. Say, gosh. Any other winter activities that bring you joy?

ELLEN FINN: I mean, besides going to the bar with my friends, I do like winter birdwatching. And of course, just staying inside knitting, and reading, all that good stuff. But I am hoping to try ice fishing this winter.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, I can help you with that.

ELLEN FINN: Oh, Really?

CATHY WURZER: Yes.

ELLEN FINN: Wow.

CATHY WURZER: That's one of the things I do. That's no issue.

ELLEN FINN: That's great.

CATHY WURZER: Well, I'll have to maybe get out there with a recorder or something. OK. Ellen Finn, you did a great job. Thank you so much.

ELLEN FINN: Thanks so much.

TIM NELSON: That was MPR producer Ellen Finn talking with host Cathy Wurzer. We'll have more in the weeks to come from our new series Winter Play.