Kim McKenney

President & Founder
BSc Zoology, MSc Neuroscience, CCI-T2T Coach in Training, Coach Developer-Facilitator

Welcome to Nordic Ski Lab. I’m Kim McKenney, a Canadian cross-country ski coach and founder of this site.

The demo athletes you’ll see in our videos race on the World Cup and at the Olympics. Their skiing is efficient, balanced and beautiful to watch.

That’s the kind of skiing I aspire to, but I came to it later in life, learning as an adult, not as a young competitor. I figured out enough about technique that it looks like I grew up racing. With up to date and actionable information about ski techniques, you can do that too. Our videos can help.

Video is a powerful learning tool because it allows detailed observation and in depth understanding. You can study expert technique at your own pace, in the comfort and warmth of your home. When you’re outside, you’re skiing, not listening to someone talk about skiing. A guide to expert technique is visually imprinted in your mind.

I’m especially interested in how people learn movement and how skiing can feel smoother, easier and more fun when things start to fall into place. If I have a superpower, it’s noticing small details and explaining them clearly. I’ve heard from many coaches and experienced skiers who say they use Nordic Ski Lab to sharpen their own skiing and help others.

From the beginning, I’ve worked closely with experienced coaches and top-level athletes. Their insights and examples have shaped the way I teach and continue to push me forward. I rely especially on the athletes to stay current and continue learning.

Recently I have been growing Nordic Ski Lab into more than just a video library. We now offer race-prep and year-round training plans, and the Training Club—a coached experience that provides structure, feedback and accountability. All of it is designed to support skiers of all ages and abilities who want to improve their fitness and technique, while balancing the realities of life.

If you want to ski with more ease, efficiency and confidence—whether through better technique, smarter training, or both—you’ll find tools here to help.

My Skiing Journey

I grew up cross-country skiing in Ontario. After school, my friend Cathy and I would strap on our skis and head out onto the golf course behind our street. I had exactly one cross-country ski lesson, on a frozen lake at a winter camp in Algonquin Park.

In adulthood, I moved to Calgary to pursue my masters in neuroscience. Now closer to the Rocky Mountains, I rediscovered my love of cross-country skiing with my husband, but mostly in the backcountry.

Life twisted and turned, and one day our children joined a local ski club. This was my introduction to the world of competitive cross-country skiing – an important milestone in my life.

I had never seen people classic ski like that and I knew nothing about skate skiing. I was immediately hooked and wanted to learn everything I could.

Over the years I went to hundreds of races, gradually developing an eye for technique and slowly decoding the art of competition-style cross-country skiing.

Eventually I got into ski instruction and coaching, which I’ve been doing for about 15 years. I enjoy working with both kids and adults.

Nordic Ski Lab’s Origin

I co-founded Nordic Ski Lab in 2016, along my son, Kai Lukowiak, who raced back in the day and is now a data scientist, and Chris Jeffries. (Initially the website was XC Ski Nation.)

Chris Jeffries is a former member of the Canadian National Team. He retired after competing at the Turin Olympics, coached university-aged athletes for many years, and is currently the High Performance Director of Nordiq Canada, our national sport organization.

Chris provided important technical leadership in our early years. He’s no longer officially with Nordic Ski Lab, but his legacy lives on and you’ll see him in many of our videos.

Our first demo athletes were the Olympians, Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt and Ivan Babikov. Olivia still skis competitively and has worked for Nordic Ski Lab since our inception. You’ll see her beautiful skiing in the majority of our videos.

Over the years the Nordic Ski Lab team expanded; we now showcase the talents of many top athletes. I lean heavily on these athletes to stay current and continue learning.

There are so many ways to enjoy the sport of cross-country skiing. You can call what we teach at Nordic Ski Lab “race technique”, “competition-style” or “performance skiing”. It’s not the only way to ski for fun, but it’s my favourite.

If you like learning with videos and want to ski with the efficient and graceful techniques used by the pros, Nordic Ski Lab will probably be a good fit for you.

Have more questions? Check out the FAQs .

Happy Skiing!

Kim