Meet Grant McLeod, experienced Worldloppet skier.
For Canadian Grant McLeod, Nordic skiing has been a lifelong journey. He first took up the sport in the early 1970s but became more serious about it in the 1980s, eventually becoming a qualified instructor and coaching a local club team.
In 1985, Grant discovered Worldloppet and set out to complete its ten races. “I had planned to do the ten races, but other things got in the way—like parenting and work.” It wasn’t until 2004 that he returned to Worldloppet events, and since then, he has made it a priority to complete as many as possible.
He first heard about Fossavatnsgangan in 2007 or 2008 when he met Icelandic skiers Bobbi, Einar, and Gunnar at other Worldloppet races. “When Fossavatnsgangan became a Worldloppet member, I decided to do it because I had never been to Iceland, and by this time, I was doing as many of the races as I could schedule.”
His first trip to Ísafjörður came in 2015, when he traveled with two Canadian friends. “We spent a week in Ísafjörður and did the race, then spent another week traveling around Iceland. It was a fantastic and unique experience.”
Since then, Grant has returned to Ísafjörður several times and this year’s race will be his sixth. What keeps bringing him back is more than just the race—it’s the sense of community. “I like skiing in the area and the social aspects. Over the years, I have met individuals from several countries, and often we share accommodation. This year, accommodations will be shared with Australian and Czech skiers, and this is an aspect of Worldloppet that I like.”
Among Grant’s favorite Fossavatnsgangan memories, two stand out: his very first race in 2015, when a blizzard forced skiers to navigate two 25 km loops while randomly selected racers carried GPS tracking devices. “The skiing was difficult with tracks obliterated by the drifting snow, but no one was lost.” His second race in 2018 was the opposite—clear skies, sunshine, and “one of the nicest courses that I have ever skied anywhere.”
Preparing for Fossavatnsgangan isn’t easy, as it falls three weeks after his last major event in Norway. “Spring has arrived in Canada, and there is no snow where I live; therefore, I must do other activities like cycling and running to maintain conditioning.” For those considering the race for the first time, he offers one key piece of advice: “I would advise individuals considering participating in Fossavatnsgangan to reserve their accommodations early because there is usually a shortage near the time of the event.”
With years of experience, friendships across the globe, and a deep love for the sport, Fossavatnsgangan has become more than just another race—it’s a highlight of Grant’s ski season and a tradition he hopes to continue.
