| Learning x-country skiing is excellent for the heart. | | | | Next trip, the bail holding the ski-boot to the ski |
| But it is not as easy as it looks. First you must learn | | | | flipped out and disappeared into two feet of snow |
| to balance yourself on skis that aresix feet long. | | | | never to be seen again. We were coming to the |
| Then you must learn to push yourself along over hills | | | | conclusion that the cheap road was the wrong road. I |
| and dales. Most importantly, you must learn how to | | | | then purchased a pair of those top quality Norwegian |
| ski down a hill where a devious trail designer has | | | | wooden skis. They worked beautifully. Well, that is, |
| placed a turn at the bottom. It's may look easy but | | | | until I did it again. What is that expression, "the older |
| prepare to pick yourself up quite often out of a | | | | we get, the dumber we get." |
| snow bank. | | | | This time I tried to break out a large chunk of snow |
| Some years ago my wife, Irma, and I decided we | | | | with the back of my ski. We needed something to |
| were going to take up cross country skiing. Some of | | | | stuff in a hole in our shelter to shut out the wind. |
| our friends were doing it so we thought, why not us. | | | | Then we could boil some water for tea during a |
| Not being the guy who takes advice readily, I went | | | | cross country ski trip. My good wooden ski snapped |
| out and purchased cheap wooden skis, bindings and | | | | off an inch behind my boot binding. Not very smart. |
| boots. You would think that having read many | | | | Finally we purchased fiberglass skis with fish-scales |
| hundreds of advice articles on purchasing outdoor | | | | and good bindings. We then set out to learn to ski |
| equipment I would have learned something over the | | | | properly. We taught ourselves. |
| years. Not exactly. I find it easier to give advice | | | | Because we didn't have the luxury of groomed trails |
| rather than to learn from others. | | | | we had a problem making a 180 degree turn. We |
| Let's start with the skis. | | | | would come to a dead end area with a fence barring |
| There are basically two materials of which skis are | | | | the way. Keeping our balance while turning one long |
| made. Wood or fiberglass. There are also two types | | | | ski at a time was tough to do. The proper way to |
| of skis. Wax and non wax. Some people refer to non | | | | turn while at a dead stop was to balance on the left |
| wax as fish-scale skis. | | | | ski while lifting the right ski and laying it down in the |
| Not all wooden skis are poor quality. Some of the | | | | opposite direction and maintaining your balance, |
| best wooden ski makers in the world are in Norway. | | | | bringing the left ski around to parallel with the right. |
| They are nice and wide and are great for breaking | | | | We soon found some groomed trails to practice our |
| trail. These skis must be waxed thus another | | | | skills. Place your skis in the tracks and push off. It's |
| problem comes into play. | | | | only a matter of keeping your balance. That will |
| Fiberglass skis come in waxable and non waxable. | | | | come with time. Where the going gets tough is when |
| Waxable fiberglass skis are used by racers who need | | | | you encounter a hill. Going up you must herring bone. |
| speed and grip control for every temperature | | | | You place your ski out from your body at an angle |
| gradient. The wax is applied to the bottom of the ski | | | | and bring the other ski out at the opposite angle and |
| and is used to push against the snow and is not used | | | | do this maneuver repeatedly until you reach the top. |
| to glide. Almost every recreational skier today uses | | | | The toughest challenge to master is descending a |
| fiberglass skis with fish-scale bottoms. | | | | steep hill with a turn at the bottom. Track setters |
| Now back to our cheap wooden skis. Irma and I | | | | generally leave an area from the middle of the hill to |
| were trying to teach ourselves to ski. We think it is | | | | the bottom without a track. This allows you to step |
| the best method of learning x-country-skiing. | | | | around the turn in little steps. Almost like ice skating |
| We were attempting to cross a creek. A narrow | | | | or roller blading. Try to keep the majority of your |
| wooden plank had been placed there for that | | | | weight on the inside ski. |
| purpose but was too narrow for the skis. Irma | | | | Learning x-country-skiing is great aerobic exercise for |
| crossed over and I threw one of her skis over and it | | | | your heart and will keep you in a wonderful frame of |
| broke completely in two pieces. | | | | mind as you roam the country-side. |