That being said, it has become more expensive and exclusive to partake in these sports. One-day lift tickets for downhill skiing can cost over $90 per person. For cross-country skiing, a day of access to groomed trails can cost upwards of $40 per person. And that’s if you already own all of the gear. Outside of this, ice skating, shinny, curling, skiing on ungroomed trails, snowshoeing, or simply walking are options for more affordable winter sports with the possibility of utilizing public facilities.
While all of the above sports are good exercise and a chance to be active with friends and family, this time around we’ll be focusing on classic Nordic/cross-country (XC) skiing. It works out muscles all over the body, strengthens your cardiovascular health, and drops you into some of the most picturesque natural settings with minimal fuss when it comes to the right conditions. You just need a bit of a dump of snow.
Equipment preparations
First, though, let’s talk briefly about gear. For classic cross-country skiing, the setup is simple. A pair of skis with bindings attached to them. Boots that clip into these bindings from the toes, as opposed to downhill ski boots that clip at the front and back. And a pair of poles.
Bear in mind that buying used ski gear from places like Play It Again Sports, Value Village, or Facebook Marketplace is a solid way of getting started with the sport without spending excessive amounts of money.
For boots, the size is roughly the same as your usual shoe size, but you’ll sometimes see them labelled with European sizes (for example, size 10 US would be size 44 EU). When moving with the boots on, you don’t want your heels lifting up, but you don’t want your toes slamming into the front of the boot. You also need to make sure the front of the boots will fit into the same type of bindings on the skis, NNN bindings for example. The height of your skis will correspond to your weight and the height of your poles to your height. There are a number of calculators and charts online to help with this. For example, if one is 150 pounds (68 kg) and 5’11” tall, you would need approximately 200 cm tall skis and 155 cm tall poles.
Check all of these details wherever you buy or rent gear, or with someone who already skis. Bear in mind that buying used ski gear from places like Play It Again Sports, Value Village, or Facebook Marketplace is a solid way of getting started with the sport without spending excessive amounts of money. Moreover, you’ll probably notice people talking about skate skiing, another style of Nordic skiing. This involves different gear, sizing, and technique, which requires its own separate discussion!
Get moving
Let’s say we have our gear. We’re wearing warm layers and mittens; but not too many, because you’re going to work up a sweat! We’ve chosen and travelled to a trail or park with decent snow coverage—consider spots like Rouge National Urban Park in Toronto or Durham Forest near Pickering. We’ve warmed up a bit and stretched our muscles.
So now, you can slip on and tighten your boots. With your skis laid out parallel in front of you and a pole planted in the ground for support, press your toe into the front of the ski binding until it clicks (assuming you have a modern binding like the NNN style, where a small metal bar is held down by a latch). Then do this for the other boot. To get out later, all you have to do is press down just above the attached point with the bottom of a pole, which will make an audible *click* noise.
Once the “walking” feels comfortable, start to slide on the skis in between every two of those steps. Think of it like a moving lunge.
To get going, start moving forward as if you were just shuffling ahead with skis attached. Make sure you’re leaning forward a bit, and don’t lean back because that will cause you to fall over. Once the “walking” feels comfortable, start to slide on the skis in between every two of those steps. Think of it like a moving lunge. And when you do this, make sure the forward foot is planted flat on the ground, while the heel of the back foot is lifted up off the back ski. The pole opposite to your foot moving forward will also be a point to push off from. To get extra leverage from this pole, make sure your hand is through and over the attached loop. That way, you can almost pull on that loop for extra propulsion.
When this feels good, try to slide forward for two beats (like a musical half note). It’s a more efficient use of your energy, and it will sync up nicely with your breathing pattern, just like when you run or swim. Keep your skis entrenched in any grooves that might have been left behind by other skiers, for extra balance and stability. Alternatively, you might find that fresher, untrodden snow offers more stability. This is part of the fun challenge of skiing on ungroomed trails.
Different variables
When you fall, roll onto your back, uncross your skis and poles, and bring them back down in front of you.
When faced with going up a hill, turn your skis outward in a V-shape and dig the inside edges into the snow with your poles behind the skis for support. Go up in this shape, one ski at a time with the right pole moving forward with the right ski and so on.
Going downhill, stay in any available grooves, get down a bit lower to the ground, and keep forward. If a hill is too steep, turn the front of your skis inward in an A-shape to control your speed.
When you’re starting out, take it easy! Don’t be too hard on yourself. Enjoy the fresh air and the rush all through your body. And once you get really good, you can start thinking about hitting the trails in Otepää, Estonia’s winter capital.
