What Equipment Would I Need to Cross-Country Ski?

Like any sport, there are a few pieces of equipment that you will need to purchase or rent to get started. The basic necessities are cross-country ski boots, skis with the right binding and ski poles. As you become more involved with the sport, you will be able to tailor your equipment to your skiing style.

 

Cross-country skis are long and thin – designed to efficiently distribute the weight of the skier and to glide along the snow quickly. Skis are fit to the skier based on his height and weight and in consideration of the type of skiing he will be performing. You can purchase skis made specifically for Classic Skiing, specifically for Skate Skiing or skis that are made for a combination of both.

 

Cross-country skiers carry two poles to help thrust them along. These poles are typically crafted of a light-weight material such as aluminum, fiberglass or graphite. There is a spike at the end of the pole that helps drive it into hard snow and the basket, or disc that sits above the spike, prevents the spikes from sinking too deeply into the snow. Poles used for classic-style skiing should reach the skier’s armpit, while skiers using the skate technique should use poles that come to their chin. 

 

As mentioned earlier, ski boots for cross-country are only attached to the ski by the toe with bindings. The heel remains free.

 

Once you have figured out what type of skis and styles you will be using, you can decide if wax will be necessary and what type will work for you. Wax will simply help you move your skis through the snow more effectively. There are three main categories of wax:

 

o       Glide Wax: To get your skis moving quicker, you will use glide wax. Glide wax is sold in blocks of wax and is actually ironed on to your ski. Glide wax is used on the full length of skating skis and outside the kick zone on classic skis.

 

o       Kick Wax: This wax helps the ski grip the snow to prevent your ski from slipping after your weight is transferred from ski to ski. Kick waxes are categorized into levels of hardness, with the harder levels being for colder, newer snow. However, if you choose kick wax that is too hard, your skis will have trouble gripping the snow. To ease the confusion of which level to use on your skis, manufacturers have developed a kick wax that has a wide temperature range and can be applied easily to skis. This wax would be perfectly acceptable for beginners, but a professional or competitor would want the benefits of having the precise type of kick wax.

 

o       Klister: If snow has any moisture or softness to it, the kick wax will not work well because it will have trouble gripping onto the snow. If these will be your conditions, you might consider klister wax which is much like glue. Although it is easy to apply, it is very sticky and hard to remove. Klister is color-coded for different types of snow: blue for icy snow and red for wet snow.