What to know when buying cross-country skis

As the darkness of a COVID winter approaches, I plan to cross-country ski my face. This is the perfect socially distant winter activity: slip into solitary oblivion with no chairlift in sight, while training without a gym. I won’t be the only one there.

“A lot of people look to the north, especially if they don’t live near a seaside resort,” says Nick Sargeant, president industrial organization Snowsports Industries America. Whether you are traveling or in general safety, cross-country skis offer a great independence.

“Whatever the situation – pandemic, weather, vacation, with or without kids – we can Nordic ski,” says Sargent, who grew up skiing two miles from school and back in Vermont. This ease of access is attractive. Stores across the country sell significantly more equipment than in previous years; in Colorado, Boulder Nordic Sport reports seeing shortages from many manufacturers. This means that now is the time to buy.

But the cross-country ski equipment is undeniably confusing. There are many different types of boots and skis – and different ways to ski them – as well as a complex matrix of shoe binding compatibility. Here’s our primer on how to become the Nordie you’ve always wanted to be.

Use a store

Perhaps more than any other sport, working with a store to get the right skis, boots, bindings and poles is extremely helpful. (And many stores can help customers over the phone rather than in person, ideal in our COVID world.)

The first question will be: do you want to ski on pistes in a Nordic center or off piste in the backcountry? They will also ask you what other sports you play and what kind of experience you want to have.

Skate skis

Skate skiing is exactly what it sounds like: every ski glides forward diagonally, just like ice skating, every stride starting with a push on the inside edge of the opposite ski. Anyone who likes to go fast from the start and plans to ski exclusively in groomed Nordic centers, is likely to attract this discipline. (Although the best way to decide whether you prefer skateboarding or classic skiing is to rent some gear and try them both.) Skate skis have a smooth base from tip to tail.

Nathan Schultz, the owner of Boulder Nordic Sport, suggests investing in at least mid-range skate skis, which cost between $ 300 and $ 500. “It’s a lot more fun having high quality products,” he says. “It’s less work.” Why? Premium base materials slide and hold wax better, and well-designed foam or corrugated composite cores make skis lighter and livelier, moving your energy around the trail instead of absorbing it. “Cheap skis seem deadlier and more woody,” he says.

Classic skis

Classic skiing is what you probably think of when you imagine cross-country athletes: you move your skis forward in a parallel motion, as if you were running on skis. This discipline can produce a workout just as well as skate skiing, but it is generally a bit slower and requires more technique to unlock higher speeds. (Most beginners just walk on skis. The true kick-and-glide movement takes some time to learn.) Classic skiing is also more versatile. You can go fast on the slopes of the Nordic centers or take an off-piste cruise in the woods. Skis are similar in all respects to skate models, except that they are generally longer and the tips curve more. They also have a grippy kick area under the foot.

Classic skis come in several variations. Waxable models require you to apply a sticky, temperature-specific kick wax to this section of the base, while non-wax models have a fish scale pattern underfoot that generates a kick. In recent years, some ski manufacturers have started incorporating mohair skins, like those used for alpine touring, into the bottoms of conventional skis, instead of grinding them into a fish scale pattern. (No matter what type of ski you choose, you should always apply glide wax to the tips and tails. More info below.)

For high performance classic skiing, mid to high end waxable skis (and good wax application) will allow you to hit and glide the fastest. However, Schultz says that classic waxless skis for piste skiing work well and “remove a layer of confusion and complexity from an already technical sport.” There is also a versatile category of waxless skis that work both on and off piste.

Ski touring

If you want to ski a wide range of off-piste terrain, you will need skis that are bigger, shorter, and have metal edges for more stability and turns. Otherwise, the grip zone under the foot and the forward kick-and-glide movement are the same as on conventional skis. “We have a lot of people who come to us to walk around the lakes and forests of Minnesota and Wisconsin,” says Jenny Beckman, General Manager of Minnesota shop Gear West. “They’re looking for a classic style setup with very little maintenance. We steer them towards waxless skis that can be used on and off the piste. There are also more rugged models that measure 60 millimeters (or even bigger) underfoot and can handle low-angle trails from New Hampshire to Montana. A classic backcountry boot will keep your feet warm while providing higher levels of support for rough terrain. This type of shoe only works with a dedicated backcountry binding, or BC.

Boots and bindings

Skate shoes have a stiff sole and a high, durable ankle cuff, and they should fit snug like a cycling shoe, but not as tight as an alpine shoe. A classic boot is cut lower, and its sole and ankle can flex when you hit and slip. For adjustment, leave about the width of an inch of the toe, like a running shoe. The same rule applies for both: a better boot, often carbon, will be lighter and stiffer, offering better power transfer. It will also race less over time. If you are interested in both skateboarding and classic skiing, you can get away with some ‘combi’ boots, which have a structural cuff for skating and a sole soft enough to flex for the classic – adequate for both. , but optimal for neither.

To a certain extent, the shoe you buy will determine what type of binding you need. (Or vice versa: if you particularly like a certain binding platform, this will limit your boot options.) Nordic boot binding compatibility can lead you down a path of confusing acronyms. Nowadays, most boots from brands like Alpina, Fischer, Madshus, Rossignol and Salomon are on an NNN platform, with three NNN compatible binding platforms – NIS, Prolink and Turnamic. Ultimately, it is best to ask a store employee or a very knowledgeable friend to make sure your gear is copacetic. Classic shoe and binding systems have the same acronyms. The main difference is that conventional bindings have a softer bumper than a skate binding to allow more kick-and-glide movements. A new type of classic binding moves up to three centimeters forward or backward. “You can move the binding forward for an extra kick or back for extra glide,” depending on the conditions, Beckman explains.

Poles

Skateboarding and classic skiing use the same poles, just cut to different lengths. Skate poles should come between your upper lip and your nose when you put the point on the ground while wearing boots or dress shoes; classic poles should reach the top of your shoulder when wearing boots. Zach Caldwell of Caldwell Sport and West Hill Shop in Vermont recommend lightweight carbon fiber poles instead of a carbon fiber glass blend, so you don’t swing a heavy pendulum with each pole plant. Make sure the handles and straps fit properly on your hands and wrists. “This is where the power transfer takes place,” Caldwell says.

How much money are we talking about?

Top-of-the-line gear in any cross-country ski discipline will set you back between $ 700 and $ 1,000, but you can get a set of waxless boots, bindings, and touring skis for $ 350. Compare that amount even to an entry-level bike and breathe out.

Take care of your equipment

Caldwell recommends hot waxing your ski bases at regular intervals, then using liquid friction wax every time you ski, even the tips and tails of classic skis, no matter what type of classic ski you are. own. This helps the skis to slip and prevents the bases from drying out. Skipping hot wax and just using liquids works well, he says, but regular applications of hot wax will help the overall performance and life of your new skis.