FAQ's

Yes, is quite confusing. The first big distinction in skiing is cross country vs alpine. In

general, cross country skiing means you have to ski both up and down hills. Alpine

skiers ride chair lifts up and ski down. Both very fun!

Now, in the category of cross country, we have lots going on. We can lump things

together to simplify, knowing that there is always an overlapping grey area. Cross

Country Skiing, sometimes called Nordic skiing, can be broken into TRACK SKIING and

OFF TRACK SKIING. Track Skiing is done on a groomed trail and OFF TRACK skiing

is done on an ungroomed trail or often just bushwhacking through the woods.

On a groomed track we have Classic and Skating. When most folks think about cross

country skiing, also called XC skiing, they envision track skiing, and it's how we most

often XC ski in this neck of the woods.

On a groomed trail we can either ski classic or skate.

Classic skiing can also be referred to as traditional, striding, stride n glide, and more.

Whatever the name, it’s all done with the skis held parallel as you stride forward. A

little like a running stride. The ski has some sort of grip under the boot area, so you

won’t slide backwards when you take a forward stride off it. When there’s enough

snow, groomers will drag a sled that carves tracks into the snow that guide the skis.

Skating, also called freestyle, is a technique that was born in the early 80’s. Skate skis

have smooth and fast bottoms, with no mechanical way to grip the snow. You hold the

skis in a skating stance, a V shape with tips open/tails together. Generally it’s like

ice skating or roller blading. In order to “grip” the snow for a moment so you can push

off a ski and move, you tip the ski on edge so it can’t slide away when you push.

It all depends! For an experienced skier with great technique, it’s about the same effort

level I’d say. However, it is commonly understood that skating requires a little more

energy to get going, and to keep ‘er movin’. On classic skis you can take it very easy if

you like, and still ski very well.

To become accomplished at either, takes time. However, for most new skiers,

classic is easier at first because the skis grip the snow and you can be successful right

away. The standard learning curve for classic is that it’s easier at first but tough to do

well, skating is tough at first but easier later on.

Conventional wisdom is that a new, “never ever” skier , should learn classic first, and

then add skating. I agree with that, however, I have taught many new skiers that

wanted to skate from the beginning, and some do quite well.

Another consideration is where you plan to ski. Skaters pretty much need a firmly

groomed trail , while a classic skier can have the time of their life breaking trail through

6” of fresh snow. If you plan to ski in your yard, at a local park, as well as at a groomed

trail system, classic is for you.

Temperature is another consideration. Very cold snow is slow to glide on so skating

can be tough. Classic skiing is perfect for slow glide conditions and colder temps.

When we get a big dump of snow, classic skiing is awesome and skating can be a

trudge.

Another consideration is that we need quite a bit of snow for the groomers to set track,

but skating on a few inches of packed snow can be perfect.

That's surely personnel opinion, but I will say that skating can be more playful. Without

the track to guide you, you can ski all over the trail, change gears, and dance around.

Any veteran classic skier will tell you there nothing more fun than skiing in a deep,

beautiful track, on a crisp day, with perfect kick ( grip ) and amazing glide!!

Skating. In the hands of a skier that is equally proficient at both techniques, skating is

faster.

This is a tough one. The big consideration is your goals,  I like the analogy of music lessons.  One guy might take guitar lessons and be happy when he knows 3 chords, while another might make learning a life long adventure. Skiing is like that. If your goal is just to understand your equipment and be able to glide around a flat park, a lesson or two might do. If you love the movement and find yourself on an efficiency quest, you'll be learning all you life.

Another factor to consider is your snow sport experience.  If someone has never skied, snowboarded of even ice skated, they typically will be on a longer learning curve than say someone who has downhill skied a bunch.

Your experience with other forms of exercise can help too. Any kind of movement activities that develop balance and grace, can really help.  Yoga, dance, martial arts and much more can plant the seeds needed for nice skiing.

Finally, since what goes up must come down, learning to control your direction and speed on downhills is a whole other skill set we need to learn.  This is why I LOVE my Downhill on Skinny Ski classes at Alpine Valley.  A gentle hill with a surface lift lets you get in a ton of practice in a short amount of time. 

No, not really. Since a classic ski has some grippy surface under the boot, it drags

when you try to skate and sucks the magical glide out. Skate skis don’t work for

classic due to the way they are built. A classic ski has a “high arch” in the middle of

the ski that holds the grip wax up out of the snow until you stamp on it for grip. If you

grip waxed a skate ski, that grippy wax would be dragging all the time.

Poles are different lengths. On average skate poles come to your upper lip and classic

to your shoulder. A new skier often thinks it can’t matter much, but it’s huge! Pushing

with the poles is a major source of power and often is 50% of the total engine.

Boots. A guy might be able get by for a while with one pair of Combi boots for skating

and classic. Many folks in the sport feel that a combo boot is actually a great classic boot. They do work for skating, however at some point you’ll appreciate a dedicated

skate boot that is nice and stiff in all the right places.

NO!! THIS IS A HARD NO!! The very most important thing in having a ski that glides

and grips well, is the fit. You need someone with knowledge to help you select a ski.

Length is one consideration, but more important is camber, or the arch of a ski. The ski

must be of the right stiffness so that when you put all of your weight on one ski, it

settles on the snow nicely. Too soft of a ski, or too stiff of a ski will be slow and/or

squirrelly.

Boots!! I agree with ski guys that encourage us to make the boot the most important

element, and comfort is king. Spend as much as you can on the most comfortable

boot you can find.

Many classic skis are waxless, but that means you don’t need to wax them for grip. You

do need to wax the tips and tails for glide. The magic of skiing is gliding, so you must

wax your skis. Thankfully, we now have incredible liquid waxes that you can spray or

rub on that really work well. You still should have your skis hot waxed now and then for

their health, but in between a liquid wax is perfect.

We glide wax the skate ski from tip to tail, and you want that skate ski as slippery as

possible!

This is an interesting topic. I think for years the XC Ski community has done the sport

an injustice by saying how physical and sweaty it is, rather than how beautiful and

relaxing it is. Yes, XC skiing does stimulate our entire body and soul, but the fitness we

get should be accidental not intentional. When we focus on the technique, the flow,

the dance, the beauty, the breathing, the cold, the warm, the sun, and the snow; the

fitness and health just happen. Subliminal Exercise.

We ski with every muscle and nerve in our body. It’s weight bearing and an incredible

balance challenge. Additionally, we propel ourselves with arms, legs, and a flex/extend

motion of our entire bodies.