Utkan Kocatürk and the art of Nordic skating

August 31, 2026

A Q&A with Nordic skater and photographer Utkan Kocatürk

Utkan Kocatürk is a Turkish-American photographer and outdoor enthusiast based in Wasilla, Alaska, with a particular interest in landscape and aerial photography. Kocatürk’s work has been published and featured by platforms including Alaska Magazine, Smithsonian, National Geographic YourShot, Sony WPO, GoPro and DJI. Since discovering Nordic skating in Alaska, wild ice has become one of his favorite subjects to photograph. Kocatürk is especially drawn to the constantly changing textures, patterns, and colors of natural ice, and much of his recent work has grown out of exploring Alaska’s frozen landscapes on skates.

Utkan Kocatürk at Portage Lake

You’ve created some of the most striking Nordic skating media content coming out of Alaska, including truly eye-catching photography. What initially motivated you to start photographing wild ice skating?

It started with wanting to capture what I was seeing for myself. When I am standing on wild ice surrounded by patterns and textures beneath my skates, it can feel almost unreal.

Photography was already something I enjoyed, and the drone opened up another dimension. Cracks, bubbles, colors, patterns, and the scale of a skater crossing a frozen landscape can look completely different from above. Eventually, it became less about documenting a skating trip and more about capturing what the beauty of wild ice looks and feels like.

Nordic skating photography by Utkan Kocatürk

Were you surprised by how photogenic wild ice (and Nordic skating) can be?

Very much so. Before skating, I thought of frozen lakes mostly as flat surfaces. Then I started noticing how different every sheet of ice can be: clear black ice, trapped bubbles, pressure cracks, frost patterns, color shifts, and textures that almost look like abstract art.

How the ice first forms, along with different natural elements and changing light, can completely transform its appearance. Nordic skating adds movement and scale to all of that. And I get to actually skate across these vast frozen landscapes and discover these otherworldly natural canvases beneath my feet. That’s a pretty incredible experience!

Nordic skating photography by Utkan Kocatürk

What tools do you use to create your wild ice imagery?

I use DSLR, phone, action cameras, and a drone. Each gives me a different perspective.

The drone has probably opened up the most creative possibilities. Patterns that may not look like much from skate level suddenly reveal themselves from above, and sometimes I don’t really know what I’ve been skating over until I see it from the air.

Nordic skating photography by Utkan Kocatürk

Is it challenging shooting in the cold? How does your drone perform in winter?

Absolutely. Batteries are the biggest challenge, so I keep them warm until I need them and pay closer attention to flight time. Using the controller with gloves on can be interesting too.

The drone actually performs surprisingly well, but wind, cold, icing, and battery performance all matter. I’m more conservative with flight time in winter, and sometimes it’s simply too cold or windy and the camera stays in the bag.

Nordic skating photography by Utkan Kocatürk

How much do your artistic goals guide your skating trips?

Usually the skating comes first, but photography definitely influences where I look and what I notice.

I’m especially drawn to textured ice. Many of my favorite images come from different elements; snow, wind, temperature changes, cracks, bubbles, and refreezing, randomly coming together. There are places I’ll visit almost every day during freeze-up just to watch the ice develop from the beginning; other times, I simply go somewhere new and explore.

Some of my favorite photographs happen when I’m not looking for anything in particular. That’s what I love about the unpredictability of wild ice. Endless possibilities!

What has been the most rewarding or interesting thing about documenting wild ice and Nordic skating?

Being able to share a world that most people don’t know exists. People know Alaska for mountains, glaciers, snow, and wildlife, but they’re often surprised by the colors, patterns, and textures that can form on wild ice.

I also love how temporary it is. A particular sheet of ice may look that way for only a day or two before snow, cracks, overflow, or changing temperatures transform it. Photography lets me preserve something that will never exist in exactly the same form again.

Ice stars. Photo: Utkan Kocatürk

What do you do with your media? Do you exhibit it anywhere or sell it?

I’ve mostly shared my work online and within the skating and outdoor community, and I’ve entered my photography in competitions locally and around the world. It’s been rewarding to share Alaska’s wild ice landscapes with a much broader audience.

I’m also beginning to do more with prints and exhibitions. I’d love to keep finding ways to contribute artistically to Anchorage and Alaska’s outdoor community and help people see these incredible landscapes from a different perspective.

Nordic skating photography by Utkan Kocatürk

What are your skating and media goals for the upcoming wild ice season?

Maybe beat my personal record and get on skates before October 8! 🙂 Mostly, I just want to skate as much as I can. The coming season may be an unusual one with a potentially historic El Niño developing, which could make the skating season very interesting.

I’m particularly interested in exploring sea ice and eventually doing more expedition-style trips on Nordic skates. Luc Mehl has been a big inspiration; the idea of using skates not just for recreation, but as a way to travel through and experience a landscape really appeals to me.

Photographically, I want to keep experimenting with unusual ice formations, new places, different light, and aerial imagery. But wild ice has taught me not to make the goals too specific. You can plan all you want, and nature usually gives you something different.

To view more of Kocatürk’s work, see his Instagram account, here.