Gearing Up with Norseman Outdoor Specialist Owner Anthony Mauriks

We caught up with Mauriks to learn more about what keeps this ski-gear store running smoothly.

Anthony Mauriks, current owner of Norseman Outdoor Specialist, left, with original co-founder, Erik Eikum. Photo by Chris Landry.

Norseman Outdoor Specialist has been around since 1971. Two couples from Norway opened the shop to equip the local cross-country-skiing community at a time when it was difficult to find gear.

Norseman has since broadened its focus to include hiking, backcountry camping, mountaineering and climbing gear. While three of the original owners have since passed away, the fourth, Erik Eikum, still has a major hand in the operation and works in the repair shop, while current owner and manager Anthony Mauriks handles the business side of things.

We caught up with Mauriks to learn more about what keeps this ski-gear store running smoothly.

 

What do you love about working at Norseman?

“I came over from Melbourne, Australia, where I ran a store similar to [Norseman], so it was a natural progression. We’ve been able to make [Norseman] a little more technical, a little more specialized and a little more helpful. In everything we do, we try to educate. We want you to walk out knowing how to take care of your cross-country skis, what they do well and what they don’t. We want you to have enough knowledge to make it work, have fun and be safe.”

 

What are some nerdier details about Nordic skiing that the average person might not think about?

“There’s no one-size-fits-all gear, so the first question always has to be, ‘What are you doing with it?’ If you’re doing benign stuff, you can get away with simple gear. If you’re doing something more challenging, you need gear that meets those qualifications. We help people put together that puzzle, and that’s what makes it fun.”

 

What is it about Calgary that makes it such a special place for outdoor recreation?

“We live in one of the most amazing parts of the world, right? You wander out there, close your eyes and spin in a circle, and everything is like a postcard. Taking advantage of that seems like a no-brainer to me. It’s easy and accessible, and while there’s still some really difficult terrain out there, you always get a really good payout, so to speak.”

 

Do you have any advice to offer someone who is going out cross-country skiing for the first time?

“It’s a very technical sport, so it isn’t the easiest to make it up as you go along. The best thing to do is to have somebody point out how you should move. Then you can kind of expand on that. It’s definitely worth doing a lesson first.”

4643 37 St. S.W., 403-249-5451, norsemanoutdoorspecialist.com

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This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Avenue Calgary.

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