The man with the aviators

Outside Stories, last updated 18 june 2026

When we pull into the car park at Linderudkollen, Tord Asle is already there. We understand that pretty quickly. His car is parked with his name written along the entire side.

Tord Asle Gjerdalen is known for his strong performances in the ski tracks, and for the aviator sunglasses that became his signature.

We meet him early in spring at Linderudkollen, 07:45 in the morning. The snow is almost gone, but up by the ski centre there is still a strip of artificial snow that has stretched the season a little longer.

“It’s really the same feeling whether you enter a small race and beat your friends, or race in the World Championships and beat the world elite,” he says.

Gjerdalen has always gone his own way, also in the tracks. The Ray-Ban sunglasses became part of his style, almost as well known as the power he brings to the course. Over time, the glasses became so closely linked to him that Ray-Ban came on board as a personal sponsor.

Tord Asle Gjerdalen has covered countless kilometres in the ski tracks. With a World Championship gold in the relay, three Marcialonga victories and a Vasaloppet win in 2021, he is one of Norway’s most accomplished long-distance skiers. Today, the experiences along the way mean just as much as the results.

That feeling is what has kept Tord Asle going. Not only the chase for results, but also the joy in the work itself, in the progress and in the good days on skis.

When a race goes well, it is not necessarily the cheering that stays with you first. After long races, the body is often completely drained, and the emotions sit close to the surface.

“At the same time, you feel very happy to have made it happen, especially when you’ve worked for it for a long time”, he says.

The simple moments have also become especially valuable.

“My favourite days are when it’s just below zero, the sun is out and the conditions are right for Blue Extra. That’s when skiing is good.”