Cross-country skiing is a very exciting snow sports, athletes on their feet on skis, wielding ski poles in their hands, through the force of the ski poles to support the ground to cut themselves out in the snow, and is in the very complex terrain of the field. Let people have a kind of back to the primitive era of the first people hunting in the snow feeling. We can compare Cross-country skiing to the winter snow sports marathon. It is skiing in the wild. This sport for terrain equipment has very high requirements.
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What is Cross–country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing in which skiers rely on their own movement to move aCross ice-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely used as a sport and recreational activity; however, some people still use it as a means of transportation. Variations of Cross-country skiing are available for a variety of terrain, from unimproved and sometimes mountainous terrain to well-groomed courses designed specifically for the sport.
Modern Cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing from which all ski disciplines evolved, including alpine skiing, ski jumping, and telemark skiing. Skiers propel themselves by striding forward (classic style) or gliding sideways (skating), with their arms pushing their poles aCross the snow. It is practiced in snow-covered areas including Europe, Canada, Russia, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Competitive Cross-country skiing is one of the nordic skiing sports. Cross-country skiing and rifle shooting are the two components of biathlon. Ski orienteering is a form of Cross-country skiing that involves map navigation along trails and pistes.
History of Cross–country skiing
Cross-country skiing originated in Northern Europe, so it is also known as nordic skiing. It is recorded that in 1226, during the Norwegian Civil War, two scouts known as “Birch Legs,” skiing over the mountains with a two-year-old King Haakon IV in their arms, escaped the enemy. Now Norway also holds an annual Cross-country marathon ski race over a distance of 35 miles, the same distance skied by the scouts back then. Cross-country skiing race route is divided into uphill, downhill, flat, each accounting for 1/3 of the whole skiing, from the initial as a hunting method and transportation, gradually becoming a way to exercise, and eventually become a sports competition, which has undergone a long period of development and evolution process.
In the 1860s, machines were introduced that were dedicated to laying the chutes (or ski tracks). Previously, it was up to the military (i.e., hundreds of soldiers using skis) to compact and prepare the course for the race. Because there were only two prepared grooves for skiing, skiers could only ensure that both legs were parallel and that both legs took turns pushing, and nothing else could be done. However, it was at this point that a Finnish police officer, Blisterstone, began experimenting with leaving only one leg in the groove and using the other leg for pushing. Of course, one leg will soon be fatigued, and had to change legs. This method is called “Stone-step” or “half-skating”. After using the new paved ski run machine to compact the run, when skiers (especially those who had trained for long runs and had good leg strength) began to experiment with these new techniques on such runs, they found that two legs could move faster, up to 10 percent faster, by taking turns pushing – giving rise to skating skiing.
After the 1980s, Finnish and American athletes in Cross-country skiing competitions created a gliding method similar to the speed skater’s stomp, which caused a change in Cross-country skiing technology. In 1988, FIS called this method of gliding “free technique” and the old back-and-forth stomp technique “traditional technique,” stipulated that the events set up in the competition should be half traditional technique and half free technique, and made corresponding regulations for relay events.
In 1988, the 15th Olympic Winter Games held in Calgary, Canada, featured men’s 15 km, 30 km, and women’s 10 km Cross-country skiing events for the traditional technology of the competition. Men’s 50km and 4X10km relay, women’s 20km and 4X5km relay were free technique competitions.
Cross-country skiing has been carried out in more than 60 countries and regions in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania. Among them, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Italy, and other European countries have always been at the leading level of the sport, and most Asian countries are at the middle or lower middle level.
What types of Cross–country skiing are there
The classic style is used for ski runs with two parallel grooves or channels in the snow. The skis slide within these channels as the skier moves in a similar manner to walking. This technology is perfect for your first experience of Cross-country skiing or if you want to take a leisurely stroll through the nordic region.
Freestyle skating, which uses the same action as ice skating, necessitates balance and coordination. The joys of gliding around the tracks are certain after you have mastered the fundamental movement.
What equipment do you need for Cross–country skiing
The gear used for alpine skiing and backcountry skiing is different from that used for Cross-country skiing. The sides of Cross-country skis are not metal-edged and they are extremely light and thin (except for nordic backcountry skis). For more efficiency and mobility, just the front of the foot is coupled to the ski, and the length of the skis is mostly determined by the weight and skiing ability of the skier. Alpine ski boots are heavier and less flexible than Cross-country ski boots. The poles are also lighter and stiffer (which aids in pushing), as well as longer, making them simpler to swing.
skis
According to the regulations, the skis worn by the competitors from the starting point to the finish line must bear the mark drawn by the judge at the time of departure because the bottom surface of the snowboard is coated with snow wax, which is very smooth and helps to glide, and the marking is to prevent the athletes from changing snowboards in the middle of the race. Different skating techniques require different skis, and the difference between traditional and freestyle skis is mainly in construction and length.
Traditional board: Traditional boards are slightly longer, have a very pronounced bowing arc (i.e., there is some tension), and are divided into an ascent section and a glide section. The length of a snowboard is the height plus 30 cm. However, the longest length should not exceed 230 cm, and the bottom 1/3 of the board should be covered with glide wax and the middle 1/3 with anti-slip wax. Similarly, the tension of the snowboard should be compatible with the weight. This can be measured by standing on the snowboard and measuring the gap between the bottom of the board and the ground, specifically at the section between the heel and each of the two marks on the snowboard. If the gap is just wide enough to pass a piece of paper, the tension of the snowboard is appropriate. If only one snowboard is used for the test (i.e., the whole body weight falls on one board), the paper should not be able to pass through this gap.
Freestyle: Freestyle technical skis are 175-200 cm long, and the entire bottom of the board is made of glide wax, resulting in a large wax coating layer. The purpose of this surface layer is to glide. The following points should be noted when choosing a pair of freestyle Cross–country skis: the length of the skis should be 10-15 cm longer than your own height, but also consider the hardness (tension) of the skis and your weight to fit. Snowboards are generally marked with the ideal weight to suit.
Ski Shoes
Freestyle ski shoes should have an upper that is higher than the ankle bone to create some support while ensuring that the ankle joint can move freely to ensure that you can stand on the snowboard in the best position at all times. Traditional Ski Shoes: When skiing traditional techniques, people usually wear shoes with a lower upper. This ensures that there is some support while also allowing the ankle to have maximum range of motion for the ideal skiing motion. Multi-use ski shoes: If you don’t want to be limited by the program to choose your shoes, you can also choose a multi-use shoe that is suitable for both freestyle and traditional style technical requirements.
Ski poles
There are many ski poles to choose from, and the right length should be chosen for different projects. The principles are: traditional: height x 0.85; freestyle: height x 0.9.
Skiwear
The choice of ski clothing must ensure that the body can move freely and should not be too tight. All garments should have high elasticity and be windproof, waterproof, durable, easy to maintain, and washable. Care should be taken when choosing gloves to start wearing them so they feel slightly tighter and better, and one must not choose those with wrinkles to avoid rubbing out blisters on the hands later.
Other equipment
Tinted snow goggles (mirrors made of tinted material coated with anti-fog and anti-UV coating; close to the face to prevent wind ingress), nylon underwear, etc.
Important Events
FIS Cross-Country World Cup: is a worldwide competition (a series) of Cross-country skiing organized by the International Ski Federation. The competition is held once a year, with several stages and a final round. The final ranking of the World Cup Cross-country skiing Championships is determined by the points scored by the athletes in each stage of the competition. The Men’s World Cup Cross-country skiing Championships began in the 1973–1974 season, and the Women’s World Cup Cross-country skiing Championships began in the 1978-1979 season.
Winter Olympic Games: World Games for winter sports sponsored by the Olympic Committee. International Sports Week was held in Chamonix, France, before the 8th Olympic Games in 1924, with competitions in winter sports events. The 1924 IOC Prague Session decided to hold such games every four years and made Chamonix International Sports Week the first Winter Olympics.
Conclusion
In short, cross-country skiing is a popular winter sport that provides a total body workout and a unique and peaceful way to experience the great outdoors. With the right ski equipment, cross-country skiing can be a truly enjoyable activity. No matter what your type of skiing, cross-country skiing is a great way to stay active, challenge yourself, and explore the beautiful winter landscape.
FAQ
What is the difference between alpine skiing and Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing originated in Northern Europe, so it is also known as nordic skiing. Alpine skiing, originated in the Alpine region, also known as “Alpine skiing”
Alpine skiing is fast, steep, very exciting and relatively less safe. Cross-country skiing is more widely participated in terms of safety and fitness.
What is the meaning of Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a sport that uses basic techniques such as climbing, sliding, turning, and sliding with the help of ski equipment to glide through the hills and snowfields. The sport originated in Northern Europe, also known as nordic skiing,and is the world’s most popular sport in the history of the sport.
Is Cross-country skiing hard?
Cross-country skiing is undoubtedly more difficult than alpine skiing because it requires more strength, endurance and speed to progress over flat terrain or up steep slope ski runs – making it one of the best aerobic exercises in winter sports
Can you get hurt Cross-country skiing?
Injuries can occur in any sport, and not many traumatic injuries occur in Cross-country skiing, but they do happen, so we must take precautions to protect ourselves while exercising
