going nordic = going ghay?

Lessons are key for both styles. The slightest 'off' technique kinda sucks. We have an awesome local Nordic club and with a very low yearly fee, you can get up to 4 or so lessons a year. The skate technique is simple and an coo fluid feeling. With an HR above zone 4, it can become difficult and lead to fuctup technique if you aren't on top of your game. One of the harder things I have learned and I would even compare it to surfing in terms of being absolutely light on the feet whilst blasting through the movement for propulsion. Breath and ALWAYS look forward. If you can see your tips, look up, even if they are just in your periphery. Experiment with gloves, I don't find the bulky-shelled style warm. Defeet woolies work well for me and I think the breathability and tight weave makes em work. I know folks who wear mittens...good luck! Full zip jackets only, any half zips or 3/4 just trap moisture in my experience. Potentially the most important, other than having fun trippin' is learn the technique and learn to go slow. The opposite of most snow-roadie mindsets but this is how you will feel the technique and aid in it becoming second nature.
Also, check around for groomed snowmobile roads, we have 100s of miles of them around here and I prefer them to most other areas. You can basically do semi-backcountry sissy stick tours! This is also a place learning to go slow helps...good technique over a 3+hr road saunter is hella more fun than than getting blown in the first 45 minutes. The long SissySki is fun as shit!!
Don't forget to get lessons!!

Any beta on snow conditions/coverage at Squaw Creek Nordic Center? Looks like they're not officially open but based on the webcam it looks like there should be enough snow to dork around. Hoping it will hold up for another week.

I've been told while classic looks easier than skating the suttle weight shift is not

Now there's something I didn't expect expect to see, maggots actually discussing XC skiing... though the whole thing started out with everyone misspelling "gay" for 'some reason.' Me ? I started this whole skiing thing on XC skis when I was a tiny kid. When I got on alpine skis, they were easy. The thing is that, as a skier, if you just get out there and do another 'discipline', you discover that it all really is just skiing. XC, AT, DH, SL, SG, GS, FR, FS, SX, SJ, SF, SB, SD, BS, TS, SM, etc, etc. It's nice to see people have really gone out there, skied on XC gear and discovered it as .... skiing. Since I grew up doing diagonal-stride (OWK as classic) I still love it. I cherish my early teenage memories of being slickly passed by a gray-haired grandpa who wasn't even breathing hard - after his "løype!" But hey, skating is the thing now. They say that XC skiing is the most high impact sport known to humans at this point, at the highest competitive levels. Even higher impact than professional cycling (in the context of the time frame of the available competitions) So for a workout, there are very few things that can offer the intensity of a good skate. But if you really work at a good, gliding diagonal stride, you can still go fast and get a great workout. But the thing is, how are you going to get get good at either? It is doable on one's own. People have done it. But most people really benefit from lessons. (granted that they can find a competent coach).

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Originally Posted by tellybele

Lessons are key for both styles. The slightest 'off' technique kinda sucks. We have an awesome local Nordic club and with a very low yearly fee, you can get up to 4 or so lessons a year. The skate technique is simple and an coo fluid feeling. With an HR above zone 4, it can become difficult and lead to fuctup technique if you aren't on top of your game. One of the harder things I have learned and I would even compare it to surfing in terms of being absolutely light on the feet whilst blasting through the movement for propulsion. Breath and ALWAYS look forward. If you can see your tips, look up, even if they are just in your periphery. Experiment with gloves, I don't find the bulky-shelled style warm. Defeet woolies work well for me and I think the breathability and tight weave makes em work. I know folks who wear mittens...good luck! Full zip jackets only, any half zips or 3/4 just trap moisture in my experience. Potentially the most important, other than having fun trippin' is learn the technique and learn to go slow. The opposite of most snow-roadie mindsets but this is how you will feel the technique and aid in it becoming second nature.
Also, check around for groomed snowmobile roads, we have 100s of miles of them around here and I prefer them to most other areas. You can basically do semi-backcountry sissy stick tours! This is also a place learning to go slow helps...good technique over a 3+hr road saunter is hella more fun than than getting blown in the first 45 minutes. The long SissySki is fun as shit!!
Don't forget to get lessons!!

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Calm down with the lesson shit, jeez.

A couple things about the gear. Classic gear will have a "grip section" on the ski "technically known as double-cambered." So when you are gliding, the grip part does not interact with the snow, it's only when you put out the extra effort to depress the second camber that it contacts the snow, giving you a purchase to propel yourself forward. There is technique to this. It really helps you on the uphill. Skating gear has no grip section. They are gliding tools. you must glide, and propel yourself off that glide. When the climbs get steep, there is nothing, except your technique, that gets you up that hill.

Cool post. For the Lifestyle section of the Sunday NYT. Nothing tops a garbage bag as a lightweight waterproof windbreaker. < 1oz and fits in your pocket.

I self taught freestyle, but admit I never caught the hang of classic. Plan to try out some of the skin skis and get back into it this year.

I’ll take skating 10:1 over getting yelled at by the mountain hosts carving around the front side on a high pressure day.

30 mph feels like 50 on skinny ass skis flying through the woods.

No need for lessons if you aren’t interested in taking them. People that like taking lessons will of course want to take lessons. Just strap it on and enjoy the learning process.


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We need some more snow, but I keep looking at the calendar and remembering how lucky I am to be out right now.

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Yeah, there are many ways to go about it but in my experience, crappy technique/form is harder to unlearn than learning the right way from the get-go. Work smarter not harder..?

boom, get stoked and edumacated:



i am a xc jong but it seemed intuitive enough.

thanks for the stoke updates, everyone. this thread is pretty great even though the title is pretty cringe.

We spent a couple years of frustration figuring out the classic XC skis just aren't that good for off piste touring like in the video above. Picked up some Rossignol BC 100 skis, NNN BC binders and it's a lot more fun. I'm super happy with these skis for meadow skipping and covering ground out in the woods.

Kewl to see folks getting on it.

Soon for here.

Proud to be a NORD.

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Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

this thread is pretty great even though the title is pretty cringe.

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Agreed. Certainly wouldn't mind if someone created a new Nordic thread and put this one to rest.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thaleia

Agreed. Certainly wouldn't mind if someone created a new Nordic thread and put this one to rest.

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You guys new around here?

Naw, just maybe some people are above using gay as a slur.

I know, crazy right?!

I ski pretty much every evening.
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back in the day when i had managed to attract an HS teacher Ii asked her about the ghey thing and she said

" well having too much homework is also ghey "

so how much should we worry about this label ?

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i thought it was spelled

G-A-Y
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https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ckatc...d=MDJmNzVkMjY=

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Originally Posted by plugboots

I ski pretty much every evening.
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that looks nice ..

that old guy skiing turf,
is a stud

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Originally Posted by romeo tango

that old guy skiing turf,
is a stud

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When folks were talking about skating being more of a workout than classic, this is what I was envisioning for classic, but on snow, and well, like I said, you want a workout, just go faster.

It warmed up to 20 by 330pm this afternoon, so I forced myself out. Ungroomed, I'm going to volunteer to help.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d57e503002.jpg

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Thats so ghey.

Jimmy rustlers.

Hey IoGrizWa... might the ranch c get groomed? Good folks out there and their support of the CX racing is pretty coo

Telly, they do groom but are currently limited. Last year, they groomed a bunch, but clueless walkers mostly destroyed it. I'm hoping to work with mgmt to get signage and education. People just don't know or understand, especially as it relates to skating.

I'm want to get trained on grooming and help get it done more often (and wider).

PM if you want to come check it out, I'll show you around.

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Will do and thanks for your grooming and working with mgmt!

Skate skiing is the butterfly stroke of skiing.

ghey or ghay with the h is so 20 yrs ago mainly used by HS kids, I don't think they use it anymore, I don't think a grown up would have used it

It does not mean gay it means that something is lame or sucks so by definition the OP would have been asking if he sucks

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this works

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Attachment 434793

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it was lighthearted and carefree ....

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Thanks to all the info and suggestions on the past few days. Very un-TGR like ;p

I took some private skate lessons this morning for my first time out. Well I feel like I could have figured it out generally myself the lesson was invaluable as I definitely would have instilled bad habits which the instructor caught immediately. I could feel my form falling apart as I got tired.
As mentioned, this shit is hard! I would consider myself in pretty good shape and made it about 90 minutes. Walking tomorrow will be difficult.

Lastly, was kinda surprised at how cheap it was compared to Alpine... Was at the Tamarack XC Center in Mammoth so not a budget operation I assume and it was ~$175 for a private lesson and a full day rental package + ticket. That's less than a day lift ticket on the hill.

Skating is like swimming, anyone can do it, but it takes 10 yrs to get good

Another mentioned of craters of the moon outside arco,id.

They periodically groom (weekly) the road there. Free.

You can park in the visitor center for free. Hot springs a few more down the road. Really neat area to xc if near there. Cool spot.

Miles*

Did a quick 8 mile skate before hitting the lifts today. Hoping to skate Tamarack soon, and mt bachelor, within the next month. This shit is fun

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Originally Posted by frorider

Did a quick 8 mile skate before hitting the lifts today. Hoping to skate Tamarack soon, and mt bachelor, within the next month. This shit is fun

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Bachelor opens this Friday.

Hit me up if you want company.

Attachment 434991 Canyon is in great shape and those damn mountains.

looking good!

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Damn. All these great pics, and it’s puking outside. Hope is to start packing the local trails this weekend. But I will be stuck in my WFR recert all weekend. Might have to don the headlamp and stick to the summer groomed trails and get my fix.