Lumi's Holiday Gift Guide
Happy Thanksgiving! Lucky for us skiers that the start of ski season coincides with the start of the holiday season. Holiday markets around Europe are bustling, snow is starting to accumulate on ski trails across the Alps and the mulled wine is flowing. With gift giving on the mind, here are some of our favorite gift ideas from our favorite brands for your favorite skiers this winter.
Cool Beans
US skier Julia Kern’s new Skida print for this World Cup season, Cool Beans, is out! Julia loves coffee and this new print – with swirling leaves, flowers and coffee beans – not only represents the daily energy boost Julia gets from her morning coffee ritual, but how she likes to stay connected with her teammates on the road and her community back home during her travels. Lumi guests traveling on cross-country ski vacations to Italy feel similarly and look forward to enjoying a cappuccino each morning at the delicious European breakfast buffet at their trailside hotels.
Lumi guests receive Skida hats on their trips, but you won’t find this pattern this winter. Gift a Cool Beans headband, hat, or neckwarmer to your favorite skier who loves their morning cup of joe! Proceeds from this print help fund Julia’s journey on the World Cup circuit. We’re cheering for you, Julia!
Birkebeiner Ornament
Wisconsin artisans at Nestled Pines Woodworking are making beautiful wooden ornaments depicting Birkebeiner history. This could be the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite skier who has skied the American or Norwegian Birkebeiner or is looking forward to skiing one of these exciting Worldloppet ski marathons soon. Skiers on Lumi’s Norway-Birken trip, ski along the same trail that the Birkebeiner warriors skied Prince Haakon Haakonsen to safety in ~1205.
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie
Give the gift of Rose McGee’s Sweet Potato Comfort Pie this holiday season – order a pie to be delivered to your home or send one to your favorite skier! Help spread the sweetness and tradition of Sweet Potato Pie while supporting the social justice work Sweet Potato Comfort Pie is known for.
I celebrated this past Juneteenth with my wife Catherine at Rose’s Sweet Potato Comfort Pie showcase at the Loppet Foundation. Check out the website to learn more about Rose and her non-profit, including a great interview with McGee and her daughter, Roslyn Harmon, the first Black Mayor of Golden Valley, Minnesota -- where the Loppet Foundation is based. Of course, you can also find McGee's Sweet Potato Pie recipe.
Ski Bags
Similar to suitcases, there are two main types of ski bags: soft and hard shell. If you or your special someone will be traveling with skis this winter and looking to purchase a new ski bag, our top recommendation is to buy a bag with wheels. Wheels are a big help for rolling your bag through the airport or train station, especially if you’ll be traveling with multiple bags. These days, you can find wheels on both soft and hardshell ski bags.
New Moon Ski Shop carries Sportube, the most popular hard-shell ski case. If you’re traveling as a couple and planning to pack multiple pairs of skis in one bag, a soft bag will likely work best such as this Fischer bag with wheels from Pioneer Midwest. Pack clothes around your skis for extra padding to help prevent them from being damaged in transit. You will also want to put your poles in a pole tube, which you can buy or make yourself using a recycled PVC pipe or cardboard carpet roll.
Caquelon, Fondue Pot
‘Tis the season for Fondue – a winter staple cuisine for dairy farmers in Switzerland. Eventually, fondue made its way across the border into Savoie, France where it became a cherished comfort food to gather around in the colder seasons in the French Alps too. Skiing and fondue are both possible on Lumi’s France-Transju and Seefeld & Engadin trips, plus we already have reservations at our favorite fondue spots!
Would you or your favorite skier like to enjoy this hearty dish with friends and family at home over the holidays? Produced in France and available in the US, the Le Creuset traditional Caquelon is the perfect fondue pot made of cast iron to help maintain even heat. For a taste of Fondue Suisse from home, here is a New York Times recipe to make fondue with Gruyère and Emmental cheeses. If you’d prefer to try the flavors of the Jura region at home, substitute Comté for Gruyére and Emmental.
Keeping Warm in the Stands
If you or your special someone will be joining us in Trondheim, Norway for the 2025 World Championship races this February and March, there’s no more comfier way to cheer for your favorite racers than with a well insulated jacket like the Norwegian Bjorn Daehlie Down Jacket from Pioneer Midwest or the Finnish Noname Heavy Padded Jacket from EnjoyWinter.com.
Worldloppet Skiers Backpack
Calling all Worldloppet skiers! This is one of our favorite race bags designed specifically for cross-country marathon skiers: the Worldloppet Skiers Backpack. Display your bib number in the clear pocket on top and stow your wet ski boots in a separate sealed compartment at the bottom. Mesh pockets for snacks, smaller zippered pockets for water bottles and gloves, and a large center compartment for lots of layers make this pack ideal for keeping your gear organized and dry before and after your cross-country ski marathon.
Skin Skis
With inevitable temperature fluctuations throughout the day, it’s much easier to “grab and go” with skin skis than to have to pack waxes, a cork, and re-apply wax along the trail.
With skin skis, you can ski to your favorite trailside restaurant on a cold winter morning, enjoy a hot goulash soup with friends, and then clip back into your skis for a snowy and slightly warmer ski back to your hotel, without any wax adjustments!
If you or your favorite ski buddy is looking to try skin skis for the first time or wants to buy a new pair, New Moon sells Fischer skin skis and Pioneer Midwest sells Salomon. We recommend them for classic skiing on all Lumi trips.
NorSari Wrap
If you were at the Minneapolis World Cup last winter you probably saw skiers and fans keeping warm in wearable NorSari blankets. These cozy wraps are made in Minnesota from luxury wools and designed to keep you warm, whether you’re cheering for World Cup skiers, watching a high school cross-country ski race, or relaxing at home. If you or a friend is traveling on Lumi’s Tour de Ski or Trondheim World Champs trips this winter, a Norsari would be a great layer to don at the races.
Bliz Shades
Lumi trip leaders love their Bliz sunglasses from our partners at Enjoywinter.com!
Trees for Carbon
Traveling this winter? Consider making a donation to an innovative carbon offset program in Minneapolis. Green Minneapolis is working to expand the urban tree canopy across the city, and by doing so, providing carbon offsets to individuals or companies who want to offset their carbon emissions.
Support the Ski Community
Consider making a donation to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) or Women’s Ski Coaches Association (WSCA) in honor of your favorite skier or coach this holiday season. NNF has been supporting the development of elite cross-country skiers since its inception in 2012. With a similar mission, the Women Ski Coaches Association is working to advance women ski coaches to the highest levels of the sport. Purchase a Gift Membership to WSCA for a woman ski coach or leader who is important to you!
Ski Trail Pass
A trail pass to your favorite local ski area is a great way to enjoy time outside close to home this winter and support your local cross-country ski community, like the Loppet Foundation in the Midwest, Teacup Nordic in Oregon, or Craftsbury Outdoor Center in New England. Happy trails!
A Lumi Ski Vacation
Experiences are some of the best gifts and continue to pay dividends for a long time to come. Gift a special skier in your world a 2026 cross-country ski vacation to Europe. From Switzerland to Norway, Lumi’s boutique trips introduce travelers to winter cultures where nordic skiing is a part of everyday life. 2026 trips will launch before Christmas and Hanukah! Reach out to be the first to receive an itinerary: info@lumiexperiences.com
Hopefully one or more of these gift ideas is the perfect fit for you or your favorite skier(s) this holiday season. Wishing you a very happy holiday time with family, friends, good food and wine, and hopefully some excellent skiing.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Garrott
garrott@lumiexperiences.com
P.S. Lumi’s 2026 trips will launch soon — keep an eye out in your inbox for the announcement!