Christensen demonstrates her kicksled. Her new business provides everything one needs to experience the sport.
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
Looking for a new way to enjoy the quiet beauty of winter and get some needed exercise at the same time? Try kicksledding, an early-19th century activity that’s seeing resurgence as a recreational sport. Its rise in popularity prompted Melisa Christensen to open a new business that provides everything one needs to experience the sport. Brave the Snow opened in mid-November at 30 E. 7th St., in downtown St. Paul across from the Minnesota Children’s Museum.
A kicksled resembles a chair on skis, called runners, with a handlebar on the chair back. The sled is propelled by the driver standing on one of the skis and kicking backwards on the ground with the other foot. They were introduced in northern Sweden around 1870 and within 20 years were being used for racing. In Canada, sleds were modified to be pulled by dogs. Frozen lakes and multi-use trails are most suitable for the activity, especially when the snow is packed down.
Brave the Snow offers three types of kicksleds imported from Finland, each with five size options. The most popular is made of sustainably finished birch wood and has a small seat. The lightest one is made of aluminum, and the most expensive is steel with suspension and other features designed for better gliding. All models fold down for easy transport. Kicksleds run from $300-$400 and are designed to last for many years. Christensen also sells accessories including running lines (for use with dogs), brakes, crampons, apparel and more.
Christensen’s first foray into the activity was three years ago at a Dodge Nature Center Winter Expedition event, where she loaded her two kids onto a kicksled seat and glided for miles around the small frozen pond and on trails throughout the property.
“I thought it was so fun, and couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before,” said Christensen. “I did a little research online and there was no place locally to get one.” She found a company in Canada and purchased a kicksled, “but the shipping was really expensive,” she said, “and I had never had something that big delivered internationally so I was kind of nervous.”
While enjoying her new sled, she was often stopped by others interested in what she was doing. That prompted her to create Brave the Snow as an online business, which she operated for two years before landing the brick-and-mortar space downtown.
“I got into it kind of thinking everybody would be like me and want one to get exercise by pushing their kids, but that’s really not the majority of people who are buying,” said Christensen, a former St. Paul Public Schools art teacher. “It’s more people who have aged out of skiing but really like winter, so they want something more stable. There are also people who want a winter goal with their dog, and some families like me.”
Christensen shares the shop with Alexandra Johnson, who operates Jack and the Pack, a dog sporting equipment and supply store that opened in June. The two met by happenstance through social media in early 2023. After a few meetings, they decided to open a storefront together and began looking for space. Jack and the Pack opened with the help of Grow Downtown, a St. Paul Downtown Alliance program that provides free 6-month leases in formerly vacant properties. Christensen waited to open until the late fall because her product is seasonal.
Sharing a space is a natural fit for the stores, she said.
“About a third of my customers are using their kicksleds for dog sports and those customers need to have a perfectly fitting harness for their dog so it’s safe for the dog. You really have to go into a store to try it on and AJ [Johnson] provides those and has that expertise. In that sense, it’s a really good one-stop shop for people who are looking for that.”
Johnson also offers classes for those who want to kicksled with dogs.
Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul is holding its Winter Expedition event 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, and kicksleds will be available to try for $10. To return the favor for exposing her to the sport, Christensen has donated kicksleds for the event for the past two years, and they’re raffled off to lucky winners each year.
Christensen has let people try her kicksleds at events such as the Kites on Ice Festival in Buffalo, Minn., and the Art Shanty Projects on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. For more information, call 612-405-3097 or visit bravethesnow.com.