The morning sun is just clearing the pine trees, warming the black asphalt of the winding ribbon of pavement. It’s mid-July, but for Lukas, the mindset is entirely fixed on January.
He unzips his gear bag and pulls out two distinct pairs of roller skis. Both bear the distinct, minimalist lines of IDT Sports—precision-engineered in Norway and picked up from the 4KAAD brand store (www.4kaad.com).
Today is a split-technique block: ninety minutes of classic technical work, followed by an hour of high-tempo skating. Summer is where winter podiums are built, and the road is his laboratory.
Part 1: The Rhythmic Flow of Classic Technique
Lukas starts with the IDT Classic skis. They are slightly longer than his skating pair, equipped with wide, stable rubber wheels. Crucially, the rear wheels feature a one-way ratcheting bearing that locks when pushed backward, simulating the "kick" of kick-wax on snow.
He snaps his boots into the bindings, clicks into his carbon 4KAAD poles, and kicks off.
[ Asphalt Start ] ➔ [ Diagonal Stride (Flat/Uphill) ] ➔ [ Kick Double Pole ] ➔ [ Pure Double Poling ]
The Diagonal Stride
Approaching a steady incline, Lukas switches to the diagonal stride. On dry land, bad habits are easily punished; if a skier relies on the roller ski’s mechanical grip without shifting their body weight, they develop a "late kick" that fails completely on winter snow.
Lukas focuses on:
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Weight Transfer: He fully commits his center of gravity over the gliding ski. His hip, knee, and ankle form a straight line of compressed power.
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The Snappy Kick: He drives his foot downward through the aluminum frame, compressing the rubber wheel into the pavement to trigger the ratchet, explosive and quick.
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Oppositional Flow: His arms and legs move in perfect, counter-reciprocal synchronization—just like running, but with an extended, fluid glide.
Pure Double Poling
As the road flattens, he transitions to pure double poling—the engine of modern classic racing. Here, the IDT frame shines. Machined out of a single piece of aerospace-grade aluminum with tight robotic tolerances, the ski stays perfectly arrow-straight without drifting.
Lukas engages his core, lifting his heels slightly as his hands reach up to eye level. He plants his poles at a slight backward angle and lets his body weight drop into the handles. The aluminum stem flexes slightly, absorbing the high-frequency vibration of the rough asphalt and delivering a crisp, ski-like rebound back to his feet.
Part 2: The Explosive Power of Skating
Ninety minutes later, Lukas rolls back to his vehicle, grabs a quick swig of sports drink, and swaps his gear. He steps onto the IDT Skate Elite. These skis are shorter, lighter, and fitted with taller, narrower wheels built for speed and edge control. The Elite models feature an extra-long wheelbase designed to perfectly eliminate tail drag and replicate the exact swing weight of a carbon skate ski.
▲ (V2/One-Dance: Pole every stride)
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[ SKATING ] ───┼─► (V1/Offset: Low gear for steep climbs)
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▼ (V2 Alternate: Pole every second stride)
Lukas heads back out, immediately feeling the transition from the rolling stability of classic to the dynamic balance required for skating.
The V2 Technique (One-Dance)
On the false flats, Lukas initiates the V2 stride. Every time his skate wheel lands and begins to glide, he plants both poles simultaneously.
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The Edge Set: He lands the IDT wheel perfectly flat on the pavement before gently rolling it inward to engage the "edge."
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The Lateral Push: Instead of pushing backward, he pushes directly out to the side, driving his momentum forward.
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The Extended Glide: Thanks to the exceptional tracking and directional stability of the Norwegian CNC-machined shafts, he can hold a deep, single-leg glide for meters at a time without the ski wobbling or tracking off-course.
The V1 Offset
The road takes a sharp upward turn—a grueling 8% grade. Lukas seamlessly drops into V1 technique. He creates an asymmetrical "high-low" pole plant, timing his primary power push with his dominant right foot while his left foot tracks wide to maintain momentum on the hill.
The weight of the IDT Skate Elite is distributed beautifully; as his leg recovers forward, the tip of the ski naturally stays up, avoiding any clipping on the asphalt.
The Summer Foundation
As Lukas completes his final loop, the midday heat is in full force. His jersey is soaked in sweat, and his shoulders burn from thousands of repetitions. But as he unclips his skis, he looks down at the scraped rubber wheels and smiles.
There is no substitute for the true on-snow feeling during the dog days of summer. By training with the exact tolerances used by the world’s best World Cup athletes, the transition from summer asphalt to winter’s first pristine snow track will be seamless.
The winter podium isn't won in December. It's built right here, one perfect stride at a time.
Equipment Note: If you want to replicate this true on-snow feeling during your summer training blocks, the full lineup of Norwegian-engineered IDT Sports classic and skate roller skis is available directly through the 4KAAD Brand Store at www.4kaad.com.
