Cross-country skiing: Easier than expected with our tips
“If you can walk, you can cross-country ski” – it’s not quite as simple as this slogan from the 1970s says. But with the right tricks you can learn cross-country skiing in no time.
Step 1: Which route for the first tour?
As a beginner, the main thing is to get a feeling for the sport, as not overstraining you on your first outing. Don’t choose too long a route and even if the red and black trails look tempting, try a blue route first. As with skiing, the blue routes are perfect for trying the sport and relaxing to practice your technique.
The more tired your muscles, the more your technique will slow you down, so keep the first few outings short and improve gradually.
Step 2: The right equipment
Before you can get started, you will need some skis under your feet, two poles and a suitable pair of shoes. For your first outing you should first borrow some equipment to see if the sport is for you.
With the wrong poles and skis you won’t have any fun cross country skiing. The poles are your motor and therefore must have exactly the right length. With well-waxed skis you will also notice that you will have long gliding times on the track and you will be much faster when cross-country skiing. By the way: If your shoes don’t fit properly, you can expect unpleasant blisters on your feet.
Our tip: Get advice in a rental store. There’s no shame in admitting that you’re a beginner – so the expert knows exactly what you need and makes sure you’re perfectly prepared for your first tour.
Tip 3: Get on the slope and learn the right technique
Beginners start best with the classic skating technique. This is a bit reminiscent of inline skating or ice skating.
Do not forget: Cross-country skiing looks easy, but it requires a lot of technique.
The most important thing is to coordinate your arms and legs in such a way that you go over into nice long gliding phases. You push yourself off the ground explosively and glide from one step to the next. Timing is the secret of success. If you learn the technique incorrectly, you waste a lot of energy and will soon lose the fun of cross-country skiing.
As with any sport, mistakes made early on in the execution are difficult to get rid of later. That is why we advise you to take a beginners’ course in all cases. If you don’t learn the correct technique right from the start, you’re saving money at the wrong end and will soon be the slowest on the tracks. In short courses you will learn the correct technique, braking and necessary safety measures to avoid accidents.
Tipp 4: Have fun.
Image source: pixabay / skeeze
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