Cross-Country Ski Skis
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On skinny skis, access to socially distant outdoors time is easy. But picking out the right gear isn't.
Leave the snow pants, helmet, and goggles at home
Fluorinated glide wax is being banned from elite competitions, and big brands like Swix say they’re searching for environmentally friendly alternatives. But the seductively speedy—and noxious—compounds are unlikely to loosen their grip on the sport anytime soon.
Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall’s Olympic victory is a win for everyone
There were a lot of mistakes in that recent story. Let’s set the record straight.
Skate skiing is classic cross-country’s edgier cousin—literally. Propulsion comes from pushing off the edge of the ski with a duck-footed stance, similar to how speed ice skaters drive off their blade edges. Couple that with gliding on the flat of the ski and thrusting with chin-to-toe poles, and skate skiers…
Cross-country skiing is among the world's great human-powered modes of movement. Whether you ski classic or skate, here’s the gear you’ll need to get started.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Fischer RCS Carbonlite Skating Hole skis.
The XCELERATOR SKATE NIS BINDING lets you microadjust your position on the ski to locate your personal sweet spot.
We were equally smitten with ATOMIC‘s top-end SNS setup: THE WORLDCUP SKATE FL SKIS made long climbs a little less painful.
ATOMIC‘s SNS PILOT RACE SKATE BINDINGS can be equipped with the SNS Wedge ($15), a “gas-pedal” shim that magically balances your weight on both the gliding and the kicking ski.
Atomic’s WORLDCUP SKATE BOOT is light and stiff.
MADSHUS‘s NANOSONIC CARBON SKATE R SKIS, some of the lightest and most responsive we tried last winter.
MADSHUS‘s NANO SKC BOOT is a no-frills carbon-cuffed racer.
I want to take up cross-country skiing again after a 20-year layoff. What's the latest in gear, not necessarily top of the line but not entry level, that will get me back there again? I'm a classic skier with a passing interest in skate skiing. Can both be done with two sets of skis and the se boots and poles? I remember waxing as something tedious to be avoided at all costs but the waxless skis back then were useless in some conditions—have they improved? Mike Wheaton, IL
The key to staying warm and stuck to the ice? The right stuff.
I’m an alpine skier but would like to bomb through the fresh Iowa powder (when we get it) on cross-country skis. I prefer skis that are for off-trail but that can also take some turns down the gullies. Any recommendations? Steve Iowa City, Iowa
I need a complete setup for cross-country skiing (boots, poles, and bindings). I'll primarily ski on groomed trails, but I'd like the ability to ski off groomed trails occasionally. Could you recommend a package for me? Zenon Hartford, Connecticut
Make skate skiing part of the season's regimen and you'll start the year with fitness to spare