GUILDERLAND — Jukka Kettunen came from Finland to study in America and have new experiences.

He is also able to do some things he loved to do at home.

Kettunen is a member of the Guilderland High School cross-country ski team.

One of the new experiences for Kettunen is skiing with hardly any snow.
"I believe there is two feet in my hometown," Kettunen said. "It almost is never a problem. It’s also cold, too. It was minus-45 degrees Fahrenheit for five days last week. They had to cancel a couple of races."

The length of races has been different for Kettunen as well. He is used to skiing much longer races than the 10-kilometer races held in New York.
"I didn’t know what to expect," Kettunen said. "I thought the skiers would be as good as in Finland. I raced for fun with friends and not on a team in Finland. I wanted to join a team."

He has had to change his skiing style to fit with the shorter races, though it has been difficult.
"It is harder for myself," Kettunen said. "I do not do sprints too much. I do long distance. It is very hard to ski for a short period of time. It’s hard for me."

Kettunen has brought a lot to the Guilderland team.
"He certainly is great for looking at technique," said Aaron Bernstein, one of Guilderland’s captains. "He has great skiing form and its good to see what competitive cross-country skiing is all about. We learn a lot from him."
"He’s been a nice addition to the program," said Guilderland Coach Barb Newton. "He has a good chance at going to states."

Even with the mixture of old and new experiences, Kettunen said he is having a blast.
"I’m enjoying my time 100 percent," he said. "Nice guys over here."

Kettunen’s hometown has a population of just 20,000, which is smaller than the town of Guilderland.
"It’s nice but it’s too big," Kettunen said. "It’s a nice place to visit. The Capital Region here is as big as our Capital Region in Finland."

Kettunen said that there is also a big difference in schools.
"Schools over here are bigger than in Finland," he said. "My school had 450 students. We have more specialized schools. We have a sports school, art school, theater school, and also a regular high school."

Kettunen said he has adjusted to the larger school and, despite speaking English very well, it was still a bit of a barrier.
"It was the hardest thing at first," Kettunen said. "I’ve been here five-and-a-half months and it isn’t a problem anymore. For eight years, I’ve been studying English before I came here. All students in Finland learn English in the third grade."

Knowing English has made it easier for Kettunen to participate in a couple of his favorite American pastimes.
"I like to practice and then hang out with my friends," he said.