Cross Country Skiing

[Bron]

I hated my classic racing skis when I got my first pair - it just felt as though I had no kick at all. One good exercise was scooting myself along with one foot - stand on your gliding leg and just do the kicks with one leg and no poles - this helped me to identify just where the kick started as I was always kicking off too late.

I still prefer skating, but it's quite satisfying to be able to classic ski fast too.

[mudmucker]

When I had bought some new waxable fiberglass skiis mine were also very slippery no matter how much I waxed them in all different conditions. I actually would get tired of it and just started skating on my classic skiis. I actually like to skate that way if I'm not on a totally groomed trail - with the classic skiis - then if the trail narrows or I don't have enough oomph to get up a hill I resort to the diagonal stride. It took about a season and a half to get through that to the point where they were not slippery. I actually took a little steel wool to the kicker portion and that helped alot.

[Skierchickie]

Well, I did my last race of the season yesterday. But the best skiing is yet to come! Sometimes the snow starts going fast right about now, but at the moment it doesn't show any signs. I was talking to one of the groomers today, and he practically guaranteed they'd still be grooming through the middle of April. There is just such a deep, solid base right now. The surface hasn't really even transformed yet. So even though I have to spend most of next week in southern Indiana, I should come home to great spring condition!

[teawoman]

I'm envious that you still get to ski. We've had a bout of warm weather over the last week and a half or so that made our classic trails a mess. The skating ones are still ok, but I've never skate skied. It's still too snowy to bike, however.

[Bron]

I'm envious that you still get to ski.

Me too. Our last race is next weekend and the season has been completely stop-start with no snow in our usual training area since January. I had a terrible race on Sunday, so I am hoping that this one will go well; it's the end of the German series and so far I have a good place.