Don Portman, veteran Methow Valley skiing instructor, heads downhill through the woods on Hok skis. Nils Larsen of Curlew introduces a woman to going downhill Altai Hok skis and, instead of poles, a ...

Don Portman leads a group of skiers trying out Altai Hok skis at Sitzmark Ski Area. Instead of ski poles, they each hold a single tiak used for centuries by herdsmen in the Altai Mountains of northern ...

Short, fat skis with free-heel bindings and built-in climbing skins are luring a growing number of winter trekkers into a sport Nils Larsen calls "skishoeing." "Adults step out on these and feel like ...

Short, fat skis with free-heel bindings and built-in climbing skins are luring a growing number of winter trekkers into a sport Nils Larsen calls “skishoeing.” “Adults step out on these and feel like ...

In an office nestled amongst the rolling pine-perfumed hills of north-central Washington, not far from the Canadian border, Nils Larsen, a veteran of the ski world for the better part of four decades, ...

His boutique brand Altai Skis –a small, eclectic, almost countercultural establishment–finds its home in tiny and idyllic Curlew, far from the business hubs and distribution centers of Salt Lake City ...

That is, I’d rather run 50k than ski it. The simplicity of lacing up and heading out has always been my bias. The rub? I like to play in my sandbox all year long. So I’ve got a small army of skis ...

Odyssey Resorts Larsmont Cottages in Two Harbors is offering a new way to explore the North Shore during these snowy winter months, this time using Hok skis. Inspired by an ancient ski technique ...

I first tried hok skis, a hybrid of cross-country skis and snowshoes, last February at Camp de Base Gaspésie, a charming cabin getaway in Quebec just south of Gaspé. “Guests just love them and wonder ...

Altai Skis had an edge on the other companies who tinkered with the concept. "We really believe in this type of skiing," Larsen said. The first Hoks were sold to consumers in 2011. The glued-in, nylon ...