How often do you need to sharpen Nordic skates? June 6, 2026 Wild ice puts even the best stainless steel blades to the test, though sharpening is relatively easy and affordable There’s no better feeling than starting a skating trip on a glorious winter day and feeling your blades bite tenaciously into the cold, smooth…

Ermine A110 vs. Ak1 June 1, 2026 Why we said goodbye to our A110 Nordic skate and launched the new and improved Ak1 In 2021, Ermine launched the first Nordic skate ever made in North America, our A100 ‘Alaska Skate.’ The stout, stiff, and colorful A100 was a success, and the next season we replaced…

Is Nordic skating more affordable than running? May 22, 2026 Upfront costs for Nordic skating may be less than you think, and once you’re set up the sport can be surprisingly affordable In a world where everything feels expensive (or, maybe worse, increasingly expensive), it makes sense that many people are cautious about spending money…

Guide to Anchorage Nordic skating destinations May 20, 2026 When it comes to Nordic skating destinations, Anchorage, Alaska can’t be beat Whatever one might say about Anchorage (we’ll proudly acknowledge that our hometown can be a bit rough around the edges), nobody can deny we have access to top-shelf wild ice. You can skate around…

Six mistakes beginner Nordic skaters should avoid May 5, 2026 New Nordic skaters can maximize their fun and safety on wild ice by avoiding a few common mistakes One of the best things about Nordic skating is that it’s a relatively easy and approachable sport, and many folks have fun from the first few strides….

The story of Kit, the first kids Nordic skate April 30, 2026 The ideas, design decisions, and manufacturing process behind Ermine’s groundbreaking Nordic skate for kids My three siblings and I grew up biking, hiking, canoeing, and skiing in the Alaska outdoors. We were hard on our gear, and experience taught us exactly what worked…

Ermine before Ermine: a prologue April 21, 2026 How the years of wild ice successes, failures, and discoveries that came before Ermine charted a course for the company Many writers and readers disapprove of prologues, criticizing them as a literary crutch whose work is better accomplished in the story itself. As Laurie McLean, of Fuse…

Ermine visits the capitol April 17, 2026 Ermine travels to Juneau to speak with legislators about wild ice and Nordic skates Nordic skating in Alaska started largely as a ultra-niche preseason activity for Nordic skiers. Then it caught the interest of backcountry adventurers and explorers, and has slowly (but steadily) grown to become a winter…

Nordic skate blade thickness April 14, 2026 How does Nordic skate blade thickness affects performance? The most common question we got during the 2025/26 season was ‘what’s the difference between your L10 and Ak1 Nordic skate?’ Occasionally customers were curious about differences in colors, laser work, or skate lengths. But almost always, what folks really…

Manufacturing Nordic Skates in Alaska March 31, 2026 A Q&A about manufacturing Nordic skates with Ermine owner Paxson Woelber When did you decide to make Nordic skates in Alaska? I was hooked on Nordic skates from the moment I tried them, back in 2016, and I immediately wanted to see if we could make them…