cross country skiing Kim Yamauchi nordic skiing Outdoor Gear - Gear Reviews skate skiing tahoe donner

Meet DÆHLIE, an endurance brand born from an Olympic Champion

Feb 20, 2022

The Olympics are here, and I love spending my evenings watching these incredible athletes perform on the world stage. I enjoy, even more, watching our local Olympians! If you read my “Beginners Guide to Cross Country Skiing”, you’ll know that one of my favorite winter sports is skate skiing, so of course, I’ve been watching all of these races. Jessie Diggins is amazing and so is Rosie Brennan. But so are our newer Olympians and local athletes – JC Schoonmaker (Tahoe City) and Hannah Halvorsen (Truckee).

If you’ve also been watching these races, you might notice that many of these athletes are sporting the Bjorn Daehlie clothing brand, recognized by the BD logo. I’m fortunate to own some of this clothing and would recommend that you check it out if you are looking to upgrade your Nordic wear. Kaylee was skiing in the Challenge Jacket and rated it a 10 out of 10. She loves the fabric, the stretch, and breathability, and felt that she never overheated in it. I have to say that it was also super cute!

The Kikut Jacket has been my go-to for this Nordic season. Similar to the Challenge Jacket, the material is great and breathable. It has a nice chest pocket, where I can store my phone or other small accessories, making it easy to get to when I’m out on the trail. And of course, two zipper handwarmer pockets for additional items, even a small soft-sided water bottle.

They have many pants to choose from as well. Some match the jacket, such as the Power Pant. I ski in their Pro Pant which I chose because I liked the fit. I also love their base layers, both the Compete Tech top and the bottom. I layer these under both the pant and a cute Kari Traa wool top. These Compete Tech layers are seriously stink-proof, so believe it or not, they can be worn multiple times between washings.

A few of the other go-to’s that I like from this brand are their mittens and gloves. My hands tend to run a bit cold, so their Race Warm Mitten is great. If I’m heading out later morning or early afternoon, their Glove Race Light is actually perfect for me. And then finally, for getting to the XC center in the chilly morning, I love their puffy jacket! It is super warm, has cute contrasting orange zippers, and an awesome hood to pull on when I need a bit more warmth. It’s also been great for those chilly dog walks!