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XC skiing
Last Post 02/28/2014 03:49 PM by Jim Johnson. 7 Replies.
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thinline

Posts:325

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02/27/2014 02:38 PM
Well, we're having a tough year for alpine skiing since I ski at a place without snowmaking. So, I tried XC for the first time ever a few weeks back. All geared up now and loving it. Man, is that fun stuff. Funny going from an expert alpine skier to a novice XC. Descending is a hoot!
ChinookPass

Posts:809

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02/27/2014 02:43 PM
Agreed! and you've got to have some of the best conditions in the country for that too. descending on xc skis is usually at the edge of control IME. Have you gotten into the nuances of waxes yet?
Spud

Posts:525

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02/27/2014 03:09 PM
Not a XC skier here, but do you think they will ever develop a material for the bottom of skis, and snowboards, that would eliminate the need for wax? Or does it already exist?
Oldfart

Posts:511

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02/27/2014 03:13 PM
I've been nordic skiing for 40 years although I stopped for a few seasons to ski mostly alpine. Now that we have the Whistler Olympic Park we have a phenomenal facility. Snow in the Whistler valley can be spotty or huge wet snowfalls followed by ice up so it wasn't all that good. Lately up at WOP though even when we only had a 30cm base it was still pretty decent whereas the alpine stunk. Last two weeks here saw around two metres of snow fall all the way to the valley. Probably have a couple dozen days at WOP this year. Skate and classic just about every time I go.
79pmooney

Posts:3189

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02/27/2014 05:17 PM
I used to XC ski. Fell in love with skating. But I did have one recurring problem. I grew up playing hockey. In my blood, in my genes. Learned by 5th grade the proper turn, crossing over. By 7th grade I was learning to do it skating backwards. By 9th grade, I could do it forward or backward, both directions, with goalie pads and skates (and NEVER be last; I always beat at least one forward skating backwards).

So what's the problem with XC skiing? Well sooner or later, my genes kick in. I come to a turn, power through it and pick up that outside ski. All's good; I'm flying. That outside ski comes down, weighted to power off, but solidly crossed with that damned inside ski! Face plant! Every time.

Ben
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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02/27/2014 10:06 PM
Posted By thinline . on 02/27/2014 02:38 PM
  Funny going from an expert alpine skier to a novice XC. Descending is a hoot!

The XC trails at Manning Park where we've gone last couple Xmas vacations start with a descend down a green alpine run (the bunny slope). At the edge of out of control...
thinline

Posts:325

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02/28/2014 01:46 PM
No waxing yet, I picked up a set of waxless for now. Funny, when I tried it out I was on rental skis, which kicked along just fine, but not much glide. I got my skis and immediately was slipping when trying to kick. I wasn't doing anything different but was having a tough time. A few days later I was with a friend who immediately spotted the problem. I wasn't pressing down and into the kick. No need to press down on the rentals as they were floppy camberless things. I started thinking of the kick motion as the 4 o'clock to 7 o'clock part of a pedal stroke and it helped enormously.

Going tomorrow to a place in the northeast part of the state in a town called Craftsbury. It's a ways away but it's suppsed to be a very nice trail system with top notch grooming. Tomorrow's goal, smoothly link some turns on a descent. I did a few last time out but the awkward factor was hysterical!
vtguy

Posts:298

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02/28/2014 03:49 PM
You'll have a blast. Craftsbury has a great trail network and they run a really good operation. I haven't been there for a few years, but I remember that their chili was great. They also used to run a mountain bike race on the x-c trails in the fall that was lots of fun.
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