"Shorts and May Day as equipment" - More than half a year's ski season is packaged with May Day skis

The outdoor skiing season, which opened in mid-October, ends on May Day in Kontiolahti, which was chosen as Finland's most moving municipality at the beginning of the year. The season opened on the first snow slopes of Kontiolahti, Vuokatti, Imatra, Tahko and Ruka in mid-October.

"Kontiolahti municipality is renovating the slopes until May Day. Then you can already take shorts and a May Day hat as equipment," says Kimmo Turunen of Kontiolahti Outdoor, who is responsible for Kontiolahti's first snow slope.

"Target kilometers for the season collected"

Even though the temperatures have occasionally risen to over 15 degrees, according to Turunen, there have been surprisingly enough skiers until the end of the season.

"In April, the conditions can be the best of the whole season, when only the cold weather hardens the rut. There have certainly been many on the slopes in recent weeks who have still collected the target kilometers set for themselves for the season."

With the power of Sima and monk

Turunen promises relaxed May Day skiing from Saturday to May Day, which is Monday.

"We will set up a pop-up cafe on the side of the track, which will serve doughnuts, meringue and sausage. You can get a rhythm for skiing from music that suits your spirit."

Last year, May Day skiing encouraged some skiers to dress up on the slopes in accordance with the May Day theme.

"Pipo won't be tight now either," Turunen says.

The autumn skiing season opens in October

First snow pistes across the country have announced that they will open the next ski season in October.

Some of the enthusiasts have already prepared for autumn and bought cheaper season tickets in the advance sale.

"The first-snow slope made with snow that was blown last winter extends the skiing season by several months. Skiing is still the most popular form of exercise for many Finns. We have already managed to sell dozens of season tickets for autumn, even though we are still living in April", says Turunen.