Nordic Skiing and Cold Weather Tips

The ski season is in full swing, and there is a lot of snow, for this time of year.
The temperature is now dropping below minus -25C, and the glide speed is slowing down. Just add another layer of clothing, and if need be, cover the face. Neoprene face masks have worked best for me. Booties will also slow your speed down as well, but will keep your feet warm.
Do not look at the kilometers you ski, but look at time at a certain exertion or heart rate level. Treat this cold weather skiing, as a time for specific ski strength training.
If you need to have faster snow, ski smaller loops with several other skiers, and the snow speed will pick up, as you ski.
Look at skiing in a area that offers protection, from the wind. You may need to ski the opposite way then what is normal, so any wind will be behind you. However ski safe if you are skiing in the  direction that is not recommended. At such cold temperatures there are normally a lot fewer skiers on the trails.
Temperatures below -20C means you really need to be careful. If you are skiing with others, check each other over for any sign of frostbite.

When it comes to waxing for glide, fresh snow, and cold, it is time to wax again. Green glider and a structured base with something like 400 grit sandpaper, before waxing will help. Another way to get faster skis, is to use a longer skis, then what you would normally use. After waxing, you may also wrap fiberlene around a cork and smooth the glide areas, after having waxed, scraped and horsehair brushed the skis. Of course the final scraping, brushing and corking would occur outside, once the base has contracted and squeezed the last of the glider that is close to the surface of the ski base.
By the way, if you still have some old WOODEN racing skis, now is the time to pull them out. Cold temperatures with fresh falling snow is the time when they are the closest in speed, to the new sintered racing skis. Be sure to wax with polar from tip to tail, with loose snow in the tracks. You will be amazed at how fast you can ski, especially uphill on those single cambered racing wood skis!
In fresh falling cold snow, pull out your old carbon waxes that are more then 25 years old. Those waxes have more tar in them which is helpful in cold fresh snow.

What is in My Day Pack this Nordic Ski Season?

Flatland skiing precautions for winter.

As the decades go past, I find myself carrying a day pack with more and more stuff in it. Some of my skiing maybe by myself, with no one around. I just went for a 4 hour ski in a big loop and saw absolutely no one on the trail.
So let us look as to what is inside it.
I use a Deuter Futura 28, for both summer and winter. Of course the pack is lighter in the summer, but there are somethings I carry all the time.
In the bottom is always a first aid kit with Advil, and a half roll of toilet paper. There are some nylon pants, and a bright colored shell with a warm toque and mitts. I throw my ski booties in if it is colder then -20C along with another pair of socks. A orange whistle is tied to a front strap that can be reached at any time.
In the outside side pockets is a small rolled up pad that I can sit or kneel on, any time. On the other side is a container of liquid, either hot chocolate or some form of water.
Inside the upper pack is food. Today it was a peanut butter and jam sandwich, some sliced oranges and another bottle of sugared water. There are always a couple of energy bars, but they are used just for emergencies. I always try to leave enough room, so that as I get too warm, there is room for the clothes to fit inside the upper pack.
I also carry wax for the day, with one warmer and one colder wax then what is called for, a scraper and a cork. When needed, I will also carry klister.
In the winter if you need fire, you will probably want it quick, so I carry a baggy of lint with waterproof matches.
In the inside of the upper pocket is a zipper pocket that carries a Swiss Army knife, large bandanna, space blanket, neoprene face mask, Buffy, 50 feet of thin strong red nylon rope and 2 23N carabiners, and some Dermatone skin protector.
Just 2 years ago, I did get caught out in a snow storm with white out conditions, and had to use some of what I carry all the time, to make it back safe and sound. Use emergency clothing that is bright.
The outside center pocket usually has wallet in baggy, and keys clipped in.
The cell phone is carried against my body but reception is, limited in some places, less then 35 minutes from the city.
Normally I carry a DSLR camera on the front of me, with a special strap, so the camera does not sway at any time. I can be taking a picture in less then 3 seconds. The time it takes to shoot some shots is fine with me, as I need to rest more, and I like taking pictures of nature.
I certainly will carry a map, if I do not know the area, but almost all areas I ski in are track set with maps at each intersection.

Have FUN , Go SKI!

#Nordic #Sking and Canadian Birkie Trail Considerations 2012

 Cross Country trail skiing considerations, for the Canadian Birkie

  *** Always be looking ahead to see what is coming next.

Is your wax just right, or is it a little slippery or a little sticky?

Which direction is the sun? With 2 sets of tracks going west, the south tracks (passing tracks) will be cooler snow, in the shade, so if you are slipping use those tracks, if you do not hinder anyone. 

Experiment where is the fastest snow? Is the fastest snow in the tracks, pole tracks, middle of the track, the passing pole tracks, or the passing tracks?

Are your skis faster in the sun or behind cloud cover? Pay attention to this little tidbit of information. Be aware that the ski grip and glide will be changing as the race progresses.

Is the snow slow and wet at the bottom of a hill, or is it icy? Be prepared for your skis to either slow up, or shoot out from underneath you.

Is the snow going to loosen up or stay rock solid? Base binder or an ice Klister as a base, for your kick wax should be added before race day.

Is there a fair amount of debris in the tracks? You should ski in the pole tracks or the middle of the tracks. Your skis will not collect as much dirt, and slow down. Using graphite in the glider, and silver in your wax or Klister, will repel the dirt better.

When you go down a hill, stay in a high tuck, take a couple of double poles, and a single kick double pole up the hill, before you go into your diagonal and perhaps herringbone. Try to get a third of the way up the hill, before you go into a diagonal stride. Always go through your ski gears and do not skip one. I.e. Double pole, single kick double pole, diagonal, running diagonal side step, herringbone.

On a curve, go from the outside tracks, to the inside, and drift back out to the outside of the curve where the passing tracks are, trying not edge any more then absolutely necessary.

If there are any indication of step turns, be sure to use what is already there. Be careful that those grooves are not too deep, otherwise they might pull you down. Anytime you see these step turns, think of those grooves as a place to accelerate your speed.

When the snow is a bit wet, be careful of snow that is under the trees, as that snow has a possibility of being slower snow.

If you are skiing across a wooden bridge, the snow will be slower so anticipate that, and be ready for the skis to grab. You might need to be in a slight telemark position, with one ski slightly ahead of the other.

Any snow that is being kicked up by others skiing in front of you will be colder snow. That is one of the reasons the pole tracks will give you more grip because of newer snow that is not so rounded.

***Glide and do not let your speed slow down anymore then necessary. Only diagonal ski when it is absolutely necessary. Master the single kick double pole and use it lots along with double poling.

Have Fun, Go SKI!

Double Poling Exercises, and Lesson Fragments

Last night we did some exercises to try and bring your hips forward past your ankles, as you initiated push unto the poles.
One of the first exercises was to have you face one another on dry-land with hands held up at shoulder level, and you fell forward about two inches with the angle changing at the ankles. Your partner caught you, and pushed you back, and you repeated several times, until you had the feeling of the hips falling forward and your butt did not stay back, with a very slightly bent knee.
The next exercise was to put the poles real close to your body and the hands were held right beside the shoulders. You fell unto your poles, first gravity, body weight, then crunch of the stomach, then slight collapse of the knees, all while the hips were ahead of the ankles. I call this chicken pecking, as your hands do not move more then 6 inches. Feel the crunch in the stomach, feel the stretch in the stomach muscles before the crunch. If you are doing it right, your stomach muscles might get sore after 10 minutes or so of going back and forth on the grid.
The next exercise was to put your hands forward with the elbows bent at around a 90' angle. Elbows are forward from the body. Now do the same pecking as the last exercise, but the hands will move around a foot. Always concentrate on the feeling of the hips forward of the ankles when the crunch and poles hit the snow, and the butt not staying back. At this point, this is where you need to decide if you are going to use elbows out in the pecking or elbows behind the hands, as in the old days. Once again I remind you that elbows out, may hurt the rotator cuff muscles.
Now it is time to put everything together, with hopefully the hips coming forward of the ankles, when pole planting. If your triceps start hurting, you are not doing it right. Nowadays the elbows drive back using the lats, just past the trunk and the hands go only as far back as the the thighs, and then whip forward again. We no longer throw the imaginary apple back behind us. Think elbow drive both forward and backwards, and the hands are just there.
If your back starts hurting it is likely that you are straightening up and arching your back when planting, rather then falling forward from the ankle.
Some of the other exercises were leaping forward unto your poles with the correct timing and the pole, pole, high tuck repeating. If you can save one double pole out of every 3 or 4, compared to the person in front of you, great. You also practiced trying to ski as close to the person in front as you safely could. Synchronized double poling was new to some of you, but drafting is a very important part of skiing, the 55km Canadian Birkie.
The other question raised, was where do you use the double pole? To answer this question is not so simple as the speed of the snow, your strength and technique comes into play. Your waxing of the skis has a lot in determining how much double poling you will be doing. Will the course you will be skiing on be hilly or fairly flat? In general terms you will be double poling on the flats, just over the top of hills before you go into the tuck, and when you come out of your tuck as you go up a hill.
There is the possibility that ladies will benefit more, from the new elbow wide technique.?
So everyone, get out there and try it out, just be sure to have those hips ahead of the ankles when pole planting.

Have FUN, Go SKI!

New Snow Falling

The question being asked now, is what do I do with my wax? Several more centimeters of snow have fallen.
I would suggest stripping off your old wax and re-waxing. Before doing any waxing, perhaps take some fibertex to a clean base of the ski, in the tip and tail area. Do not be shy, put some elbow grease into it. It will smooth out the base, align the hairs of the ski, and if there are any slight scratches they will disappear. In colder new fallen snow you want a smooth base. In fact if it gets below -18C, I have always taken a cork and fiberlene to the base, in the glide area after using the fibertex.
You know that normally the snow temperature will be in the purple glide range area, so use that. However if you have more then one pair of skis, use one pair for colder weather. Personally I use a pair of old red Balsa-Lett racing wood skis, in cold weather (below -18C)and new falling snow. Those old wood skis should not just be for decoration, ha-ha, and taking some space.
Around #yeg, Edmonton, the trails get worn in real quick, so you are no longer skiing on new fallen snow, but the snow in the tracks become broken down very quickly.
In the kick area of the ski, take some 100 grit sand paper and roughen up that area, and then clean with wax remover.
Blue extra kick wax and purple glider seems to be a safe bet a lot of times in this area.

Have fun, GO ski!

Uphill Diagonal Tips

Find a nice gentle uphill, 50 to 100 meters long. The steepness of the hill will depend a lot on technique,  snow conditions and fitness.
Re-wax if needed, as you must have grip in order to climb efficiently.
As always when coming to any hill, you are first of all double poling, then slow down a gear into single kick poling, and then into diagonal, hopefully you will not need to go into the low gear which is herringbone.
The steeper the hill, the more your tempo increases
We will talk about the running diagonal sidestep at a later time, which is faster then herringbone as well, which is used for passing, o yeah!

Now some of the keys points that we dwelt on from yesterdays class are the following:
-Complete weight shift at the end of leg push
-Feel the hip drive into the heel, which will help with both glide and locking of wax into the snow, remembering to both feel and hear the wax lock into the snow. With out a stable base from which to leap, our uphill diagonal will be timid.
-The knee is slightly bent, and you should feel the angle change at the ankle, with the hip behind the ankle joint, and then the hip comes forward over the ankle joint, and then a sudden flexion (BOING), extension of the leg just fractionally after the hip is ahead of the ankle joint. This is where all the dry-land ski bounding should be helpful. Some think of the belly button coming forwards, for imagery.
-The pole assisted push will help in that forceful leap up the hill. Remember when we did the practice with only left ski, left pole on?
-Your recovery foot should be landing well ahead of the other foot, and remember there should be no ski slapping, though ski shatter is different.

Now lets talk more about the arms as they help with weight shift and going up the hill. As always poles are for push, not for balance!
-Hands are shoulder width apart
-The pole plants across from the weighted foot but this will vary slightly depending on the speed of the snow, length of pole, steepness of the hill and arm strength. Arm angle at pole plant is around 90'
There is a strong loading onto the poles, first with gravity, then body weight before driving the elbows back
-The pole baskets should never past the hands
-Be sure that your push is straight forward and back, no tenting or tripod-ding, i.e. the hands are too close together, and the pole baskets are being planted too far from the skis.
-Planting your pole baskets further back will help if you are tripod-ding or if your hands are too inwards of the shoulders
-You drive back with bent elbows i.e.like elbowing someone in the gut, and as soon as the hands reach the hips, its time to bring the hands forward
-As technique changes, we no longer use the triceps much in the arm drive, just the Lats. For many the elbows are no longer in line with the hands but but the elbows are out, like a bench press. A word of warning when trying the elbows out be careful not to injure your rotator cuff muscles.

Have fun go SKI!

When To Re-wax Your Skis?

This is a question that many skiers ask themselves. When should I re-wax my skis? There is no set rule here for most of us in TRAINING mode, because it all depends. Most of us do not have service technicians to work on our skis, before every ski.

Has there been new snow, frost snow, snow pellets?
Has the % of humidity changed?
Has the snow been dirty?
Is there leafs and grit in your wax pocket?
Has the snow been icy or wet? Time to re-wax both kick and glide if new snow has fallen.
Did you go for a long ski?
Are you using hydro carbon or flouro waxes? Add 3 layers of the right kick wax with hydro carbon OR, 2 layers of the right kick wax with flouro kick waxes as a very basic guideline.
Has the temperature dropped or increased dramatically? Skis might ice up if a very warm wax comes through a colder wax. Otherwise a lot of times you can put a colder wax over a harder wax.
Waxes are a lot more forgiving then they were 25 years ago.
How thick are the layers of wax? I have serviced skis that I was able to get a golf size wax ball, off of one pair of skis.


Are you getting the grip you need? After you have finished waxing you still need to go out and ski. Lower the temperature of the ski by skiing on it for perhaps a km or so.
Will the course you will be skiing on have big climbs, flat or rolling hills, as this also will determine your wax choice?
Try skiing a slight hill with no poles. Re-wax again if needed, and ONLY YOU can tell if the ski has the grip, you want. Stop and rub the snow off the tops of the skis after the skis are at snow temperature. You paid top dollar for light skis, so take the time to get the snow off the tops of the skis. If you get sore shins this will help.
This is also a good time to re-tighten your shoe laces too, as your foot should now have seated into the ski boot.

Have fun, go SKI!

The Real Wax Pocket!

For the vast majority of you, your wax pocket was determined by someone at the local ski store when you were looking at classic skis..
They put you on some skis that had a smooth surface underneath, and slid an object, perhaps a piece of paper, underneath roughly where the wax pocket should be. When it caught both towards the tip and then towards the tail that was the wax pocket. You weighted your feet equally and then you flexed one of your knees to see if you could have your weight grab the piece of paper at the toe area. Perhaps they had some squeeze instrument that measured ski closure and they went off your body weight.
The easiest way to determine your wax pocket is to put a thin layer of the appropriate wax and go ski. When have you skied long enough to wear the wax off, maybe an hour should about do it, stop and take a look at your bases. Where is the wax that is still left? That is your real wax pocket. This wax pocket will move as your technique improves. We will look at other factors to change your wax pocket at another time.
Now get out there, ski, and have fun.

Nordic Skiing in #YEG Edmonton

         The Wood Cutter trail at Gold Bar Park beckons to be skied, and it was only Nov.9th 2012

The Nordic Skiing is still good over a week later, and the skiing community is hopeful that the snow will stay until next April.
Teaching a ski class does not mean you have to have set tracks. It is helpful for any skier to be able to ski smoothly and correctly with no tracks set.
If you will be skiing in loose tracks you might need to wax a bit cooler, and with a slightly longer wax pocket.

Double Poling

http://fasterskier.com/2009/09/torin-koos-usst-training-videos-double-poleclassic/

This is a link to watch some stuff about the kind of skiing I am talking about.

*A word of warning, that longer poles and elbows held higher then what you are used too, might injure your rotator cuff frontal shoulder muscles.*

A newer Double Poling progression.

The most important aspect of the double pole, is that the hips are passing the ankles forward , and you are falling on your poles, applying backward not upwards push on the poles. Using longer poles especially for classic will certainly help.
Gravity and body weight should be used, before any muscles are applied.
Now to the teaching aspect.

1) First I have 2 students face one another and they practice falling forwards from the ankles (static). Tell them that their body is a like a straight board and the only hinge is at the ankle. Stretch the stomach and squeeze the cheeks, is helpful imagery. They should only be falling forward a few inches to get the feeling. Be sure that the timid ones do not bend at the waist, and stick out their butt.

2) Have them do the chicken peck, by pretending that there is a rope tied to their forearms. Their hands stay beside their shoulders and they fall on their poles, with elbows out just a little, for this exercise. It is just a small movement of a few inches, no more then 6 inches, max. The stomach muscles must be stretched when they peck onto the poles.

3) Now extend their elbows forward and bent at around a 90’ angle. Do the pecking again, and only have a movement of about a foot. No muscle, just gravity and body weight. Fall on the poles concentrating on beginning with a stretched stomach and squeezed cheeks. They should have a feeling of their centre of gravity, (belly button) being behind the ankle, over the ankle and then ahead of the ankle. There should be conscious awareness of the angle changing at the ankle. If there is no changing ankle angles, then they are not falling on their poles in the hip forward position.

4) Now have them think about raising their elbows and having chicken wings. Perhaps saying that their elbows should be up and out, and the hands well inside the plane of the elbows would be helpful. Remind them that the push is straight forward and back. Recovery of the pole is straight forwards and upwards again. There is no position where you stand up, but you immediately go into a falling forward position again. Avoid standing upright first as this will avoid the C back curvature and back pain. However as you are coming up, there is a feeling of floating.
Remind the skier to plant their poles close to their skis. Many plant their poles over a foot from their skis, which they are using for balance. Unless the skier has exceptionally large shoulders the pole baskets should be within 4 inches (10cm) of their skis.
This movement also seems to correct those who have a tendency to tripod, for balance.

5) Elbows drive back till just past the trunk, but the hands recover somewhere around the thighs or just behind the thighs. Any movement past the thighs is triceps which is a smaller muscle.
Gravity>Body weight>big muscles (stomach, lats)>small muscles (Triceps)> straight and true> pre-stretch a muscle for a stronger contraction.(stomach, lats )

6) Next we need to have a dropping motion unto the poles, by a slight collapsing at the knee. This should only occur, after initial gravity unto poles has taken place, and hips are ahead of the ankle. I do not recommend much of a knee collapse, because then the leg muscles will be working harder to straighten again. But loading of the poles, is assisted by a collapse at the knee.

7) As an exercise, have them leap forward on their skis, with the actual skis coming off the ground. This can be toned down a bit, after they have the feeling, to just having a good heel lift. Many find this exercise hard for first 50 meters and then the timing comes, and it is not that hard.

8) Do the same exercise on a gradual rise, with the leaping off the skis. See how far they can go up a steeper hill. Awesome for specific strength training.

9) This double poling action with elbows held wider exercise, is designed for a higher turnover and uses less strength.

Skiing is constantly evolving and more changes are inevitable.

Single kick, double pole

Review the classic stride.
Review the double pole.

Try using a static position with 2 students facing one another. 2 hands in the air, elbows bent, and one of the skis held back behind them. They need to have an understanding of what the position will feel like in the first glide position.


The mantra is kick, glide, pole, glide. Many people do just kick, pole, glide which is incorrect.
They should be able to count 1,2,3 in that first glide phase. Use imagery like a conductor directing an orchestra.


Have them go down a slight incline or on the flat with no poles doing the single kick double pole. The whipping upwards of their hands will move them forwards.
They can also imagine hugging a tree for the forward position, i.e. elbows out and hands shoulder width apart.
In that first glide phase, you float and glide before doing the double pole.


Be aware that you are always leading with the belly button. There should be no curvature in the lower back (do not be upright), but be leaning slightly forwards from the ankles as you initiate your poling, and fall on your poles using gravity, core, body weight in each cycle.


Anytime you are gliding the weight is too the heels, pulling up on the toes. Always remember that the angle at the ankle, constantly changes, depending on where you are in the cycle, from center of gravity, behind the ankle, over the ankle, and then ahead of the ankle. The actual power of the poling action occurs just as you are falling forwards. This also will keep the feet warmer.

-Alternate the single kick phase using one leg, then the other to kick with, do not favor one leg.

Practice doing a high tuck, poles tucked in against the body, every few single kick double poles, and try to reduce the number of poling actions that you need to take, especially when it is windy.
Practice doing synchronized single kick double poling too, in a train, just like double poling.

Remember that the leg and foot that is going to kick, slips slightly ahead, about a foot or so, to allow more time to allow the wax to grip, for a kick.

When they have mastered single kick double pole without poles. you can then add the poles for real. Never add more to a movement, until the student has mastered the basics. Add one body part at a time till they have it.
Many students are weak on one side or the other, so watch and be aware of this, and try to correct the weak side.

A leg coming down too soon, or an arm flailing outwards or inwards, will be a quick indication of correction needed.

When to use the single kick double pole is usually determined by many factors. Your strength, speed of your skis, type of snow conditions and the track conditions are just a few suggestions. Single kick double pole should almost always be used as a gear between double poling and diagonal both as you speed up or are slowing down.

Ski on ONE ski at a time.

Snow has been here in #YEG, for a few weeks now and looks like it could be here for the season. No more dry-land training, yea.
I will do a brief recap of previous tips before adding new material in future posts.
Classic or skate you ski on ONE ski at a time, on the snow, unless you are gliding. Ski shuffling is ski shuffling, not skiing.

In this picture you can see the diagonal skate with the right skate ski in the air just before it becomes weighted.