Cross-country Skiing

Cross-country skiing is a popular discipline in the world of skiing.  In fact, it is the oldest form of skiing.  Its other names include “skate skiing” and “Nordic skiing”. Enthusiasts of all ages and physical fitness levels have enjoyed this type of skiing for so many generations now.  And this will be enjoyed by a lot more in the years to come.

This type of skiing is, simply put, walking or running, except this time, you have your skis on.  For cross-country skiing, the skis you will use are narrow and long.  The tips of the skis’ front are slightly curved up.  You also lace up your ski boots the same way you lace up your running shoes.  As for the ski poles, the ones you will use here are quite long, often taller than or quite as tall as your height.  These poles will be quite useful for pushing you off and for you to increase your speed.

Cross-country skiing is officially included as a winter sport in the Winter Olympics.  This, in fact, is a traditional event.  This type of skiing calls for strength and endurance.  It requires the use of all of your major muscle groups, but the good news is that because of its heavy physical requirements, it is able to get rid of quite a lot of calories for every hour you indulge in it.

With the introduction of ski lifts, cross-country skiing lost some of its popularity, as people discovered the thrill of Alpine skiing.  However, cross-country skiing eventually found its way up the popularity chart.  It has long since been an official part of the Olympic events.  Many an avid skier has competed for the gold in this discipline.  There are quite a number of ski races that use this discipline – they range from the short 1-kilometer ski run and the 50 kilometer run, which is the longest.  There are individual competitions as well as group competitions (such as the 4×1k cross-country skiing relay).

Cross-country skiing is about skiing in trails that differ in length and difficulty.  Some skiers even go out and stay out for more than a day.  They usually come equipped with camping equipments such as tents and rations.  For the others who are more safety conscious, the trip would not be that far away from the well-maintained trails of the ski resorts.

As for your skis, you should also make sure that they are properly waxed, as speed is of the essence in this type of skiing.