Cross-country skiing: Encyclopedia II - Cross-country skiing - Styles

Cross-country skiing - Styles

There are three main styles used in cross-country skiing. Specially adapted equipment is available to suit each.

The Classic style was the first technique that was used and although not the fastest (in the same way as the breaststroke swimming technique) it is still used today by many, especially beginners, as it tends to be the easiest to learn. However, this technique takes many years to perfect.

The skating style, developed as a result of racing and is harder to learn but once mastered the skiers can travel much faster. Skating can also be mastered faster than classic.

Telemarking is a style used to go down hill on cross country skis, generally while backcountry skiing. Usually the skiers will use the classic style for going up the hill and telemarking to ski down steep downhills.

Cross-country skiing - Classic

The classic style is often used on prepared trails (pistes) that have pairs of parallel grooves cut into the snow.

Skis have camber and should leave the centre section of the ski clear of the snow when the skiers weight is evenly distributed between the pair. The centre section of a classic ski will either have "fish scales", or ski wax that will stick to the snow (called the "kick zone" or "grip zone" of the ski). When full weight is transferred to a single ski the kick zone comes into contact with the snow. Glide wax is used on the tails and tips of the skis.

Long, narrow and light skis are usually used. When skiing away from prepared trails, a much wider ski is usually used. In flat regions, such as parts of Finland, skis exceeding 3 or 4 m in length are sometimes used.

There are four core techniques: herringbone, diagonal stride, double pole with kick, and double pole.

• Herringbone: This technique is used for climbing steep hills. A walking or running action with splayed skis and without any glide. The poles are planted alternately behind the skis. A distinctive herringbone pattern is left in the snow.

• Diagonal stride: An exaggerated running action with parallel skis and a glide on each stride. The poles are planted alternately on the opposite side to the kick. For experienced skiers this technique is used uphill. Less experienced skiers also employ the diagonal stride on the flat.

• Double pole with kick: Both poles are planted simultaneously to give a powerful thrust. As the poles swing forwards again a single leg kick is made. This technique is used when the skier is still moving too quickly to diagonal stride, but is having difficulty double poling (typically on slight uphills or at the bottom of a long hill, just before switching to diagonal stride).

• Double pole: As above but without the kick. During some long races, in reasonably flat terrain, competitors double pole for the majority of the course (an example of this is the Swedish Vasaloppet).

On downhill slopes a tucked position (hocke, from the German word) is assumed, in a similar manner to downhill skiing.

Cross-country skiing - Free/Skating

Skate skiing^[1] involves the skier pushing one ski outward with the ski angled, so that the inner edge of the ski is driven against the snow, much like an ice skater. As in classic skiing, transfering weight completely from one ski to the next is essential to learning to skate. Those who have learned to ice skate or rollerblade may find ski skating technique easier to learn than classic skiing.

Skate skiing can be done either with skis specifically designed for skating or 'combi' skis for both skating and classic. Similarily, specialized skating boots or combi boots can be used. Skate skis tend to be shorter and stiffer than those used in classical technique, and poles longer. Neither fish scale skis nor grip wax are used.

Like gears on a bicycle, skating has different techniques for different terrain and speeds. Confusingly there is no internationally accepted naming convention for these techniques:

• Gear 1 (aka Diagonal V, Single-poling or Coaches Skate): Similar to the classic herringbone but with a short glide on each ski. Used for climbing steep hills.
• Gear 2 (V1, Offset Skate): Slightly off-set double-pole on every other leg. Used for hill climbing.
• Gear 3 (V2, 1-skate): Double-pole on every leg. Used on the flat or uphill.
• Gear 4 (V2 alternate, Open Field Skate, 2-skate): Double-pole on every other leg. Used on the flat or downhill.
• Gear 5 (V Skating): Skating without using the poles. Used downhill.

Skating technique is only really suitable for use on prepared trails (pistes) or firm, smooth snow. It can also be done on snow crust and frozen, snow covered lakes or rivers.

Skating is faster and a more intense exercise than classic skiing, except in extremely cold conditions where classic skiing may approach skating in speed. Adoption of the skating technique varies from country to country. In some countries the majority of non-professional racers now skate, although top skiers continue to learn and train in both styles.

The distinction between classic technique and free technique is made in competition i.e. a race will be designated as classic or free.^[2] In the case of the former only those propulsion techniques that are considered 'classic' are allowed whereas in the latter the competitors are free to use any technique although the majority of competitors will opt to skate. This is a direct parallel to the world of competitive swimming where in a freestyle race competitors can use any technique but will normally use the Australian crawl stroke. Large races will often have both skate and classic divisions and award prizes in both categories.

Cross-country skiing - Telemark

The Telemark technique is particularly suited to backcountry skiing (off piste cross-country skiing). While first and foremost it is a technique for descending, for those with dedicated equipment it is effectively a separate branch of skiing that takes place in the backcountry (off piste).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Styles", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki