Time To Get Back to Cross Country

[cantunamunch]

I greatly appreciate all of the suggestions and information provided! I apologize if my initial post was not clear. I should have began with one topic.

Gotcha. I had assumed all you wanted to do at first was puttering about on the golf course. Meaning diagonal stride shuffling and breaking trail, not skate.

Since I initially skied in Frisco and saw the skate-skiers, that has been what I had wanted to participate in, or at least try. Since there are no local groomed trails, renting would be the way to go.

Strictly speaking, once you have the technique fairly down, you don't actually need groomed trails. Hard crust - refrozen part melt- works amazingly well, so long as it's not completely broken. Since we see snow so rarely down here, there's a group (read: OK, fewer than 10) of us crazies who like to skate crusted snowplow throw, especially along median strips (read: fewer pedestrians postholing).

I will re-read all of the posts and decide how much I want to spend to finally get into this activity.

Since you mention Frisco, I will point to https://recyclesportsfrisco.com/ - you might be able to find booties to work with the Dovres and you will see boots that worked with the Splitkeins back in the day.

 

[Wilhelmson]

There is hope at woodenskis.com. idk where my 10.5 are otherwise you would be all set.

 

[jt10000]

Strictly speaking, once you have the technique fairly down, you don't actually need groomed trails. Hard crust - refrozen part melt- works amazingly well, so long as it's not completely broken. Since we see snow so rarely down here, there's a group (read: OK, fewer than 10) of us crazies who like to skate crusted snowplow throw, especially along median strips (read: fewer pedestrians postholing).

Yup - and when really desperate I've "groomed" a short loop of 100m by skiing over it again and again and again, to compact the snow. (I'm done with that nowadays).

Some years ago there was a massive sleet overnight where I live (Manhattan) that tightened up overnight and was super for skate skiing in our Central Park. But that was a once in a decade thing there - good snow to skate before most people got up and walked on it. I had such a blast.

 

[tch]

While we're on this topic: frozen lakes with windpack. I have a north/south lake (dammed river) that is 1.5 miles long. Some of my best skates have been there.

 

[Ski&ride]

XCountry skiers tend to be gear geeks. At least when I started asking questions. It went well over my head really quick!

So here’s what I did and it had served me well:

1) start with boots! “Combi” boots!!!

Why? “Combi”is a term for boots that are stiff enough to skate yet soft enough to stride (“classic”). Further, it’s semi-high cuff is good enough even for “light” back country duty!

2) Most Combi boots have NNN binding. So that’s what you look for in skis.

3) These days, more and more skis comes with bindings. So keep that in mind when pricing skis.
--a) make site it’s got NNN binding (probably 90% of skis anyway),
—b) NNN is mow the de facto standard for both classic and skate skis.
—c) you can put (regular) NNN binding on back country skis.

4) Skis are sized by weight. You need to get the right length for your weight. Don’t get too obsessed with performance for your first purchase. Just get the right length first.

Again, get the boot that fits. You can keep buying skis as you interest expands.

 

[xcountry]

Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.

Steven Wright

 

[Ski&ride]

Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.

Steven Wright

The same joke goes well with running cross country.

 

[neonorchid]

Time To Get Back to Cross Country

...now that lululemon sponsorship renewed the interest -

 

[martyg]

On groomed flat terrain, with the right equipment and moderate skill, skate skiing is easy. My partner is not particularly athletic, but used to zoom around on skate skis after taking lessons and drilling quite a bit.

Those skis you have are not very good for anything unless you are into vintage stuff. I would strongly recommend not spending money to be able to use them. They are 40+ years old. There have been big advances in skis, boots, and bindings since then.

Get some newer stuff. But renting next season is the way to go to get a better sense on what you want.

And take a lesson. If you think you have good technique for diagonal striding, maybe you can skip that, but if you want to skate right take a lesson.

PS: Stuff from, say, 20 years ago can be very good if you know what you're looking for. One of my best skis is about that old, using binding system that is still great today and modern boots. But not the 1970s except for low-level shuffling along.

Don't rent. Don't buy next season. Buy now - whatever you can find.

Rentals will be at a super premium next winter. XC, fat bikes, snowshoes, etc will be in very, very high demand. Look at what is happening with bike, SUPs and other water craft now. Virtually zero inventory. Rentals are gone within 15 minutes of a shop opening.

Like with summer goods, the winter goods supply chain is seriously screwed. POs that were written for Aug delivery were pushed to Sept. Now pushed to Nov.

If you see the alpine, BC, XC ski kit for sale now - buy it now. Same with any other outdoor, winter goods.

 

[martyg]

I'm all about skate skiing. We have an area near the house that sits on a lake. Bonus in that it is canine friendly.

When things warm up, the entire lake is one, big, perfectly flat, perfectly groomed skating lane. It is so fast that those trips are dogless for me. He gasses out.

If you are doing anything more than just shuffling around woodlands definitely purchase a new kit. You will enjoy your time on skis so much more.

 

[Wendy]

I'm all about skate skiing. We have an area near the house that sits on a lake. Bonus in that it is canine friendly.

When things warm up, the entire lake is one, big, perfectly flat, perfectly groomed skating lane. It is so fast that those trips are dogless for me. He gasses out.

If you are doing anything more than just shuffling around woodlands definitely purchase a new kit. You will enjoy your time on skis so much more.

View attachment 107254

This is my idea of heaven!

 

[neonorchid]

This is my idea of heaven!

Can't help you with the near the house part but for a place you can drive to and with a good snow year do all of that and then some, check out Garnet Hill in the A'dacks. Bonus, Gore Mt is down the road to get in some liftserve Alpine too.

 

[Uncle-A]

I decided to jump on this thread with a X County question. I have an old pair of Rossi X County skis and I guess I have to get new bindings and boots if I want to use them. Is there a boot that a guy with a very wide foot can use comfortably for some occasional use and what would be a comparable binding?

 

[neonorchid]

^For metal edged BC-NNN try: https://madshus.com/en-us/p/glittertind

 

[Uncle-A]

^For metal edged BC-NNN try: https://madshus.com/en-us/p/glittertind

No metal edges on the ski if that was your reference.

 

[neonorchid]

^Yes it was, otherwise a big clunky BC-NNN boot would be more boot than you'd need to drive a non-metal edge touring ski, and heavier than a "Classic" touring boot.

 

[cantunamunch]

Alpina recreational lasts are pretty high-volume; with NNN or NNN-BC soles your foot doesn't splay out as much as with 3-pin so the forefoot width is probably OK (especially if you adapt the lacing pattern). Unfortunately for small-heeled persons they also tend to have large heel pockets.

 

[neonorchid]

^ True that about Alpina's heel pockets. Had to size down in the Alpine Alaska after trying what should have been my size and can only wear them with a thin sock. I found the toe box, because of it's shape to be on the narrowish side, more so than a 1550. However in use, the 1550 mid-foot flex break point pushed down on my big toe cuticle at the base of the toenail in both what should be my size and the next size down.
I haven't tried any Classic touring boots so don't know how they'll fit. Can guess Rossignol may be worth trying, I found the Rossi BC-NNN boot lines toe boxes to be high and wide, comfortable. My issue was with the terribly uncomfortable heel pocket construction flaw due to bad quality control and drunk or crosseyed shoe makers on the assembly line. They may have fixed that one by now, IDK?
The Madshus Glittertind I linked above fit me like a bucket, very wide boot, no idea how their Classic NNN touring boots fit, they may also be worth trying.

 

[Uncle-A]

Alpina recreational lasts are pretty high-volume; with NNN or NNN-BC soles your foot doesn't splay out as much as with 3-pin so the forefoot width is probably OK (especially if you adapt the lacing pattern). Unfortunately for small-heeled persons they also tend to have large heel pockets.

A very large heel pocket is not a problem, in fact it is a plus because the front of the foot is not the only thing that is wide.

 

[Uncle-A]

^ True that about Alpina's heel pockets. Had to size down in the Alpine Alaska after trying what should have been my size and can only wear them with a thin sock. I found the toe box, because of it's shape to be on the narrowish side, more so than a 1550. However in use, the 1550 mid-foot flex break point pushed down on my big toe cuticle at the base of the toenail in both what should be my size and the next size down.
I haven't tried any Classic touring boots so don't know how they'll fit. Can guess Rossignol may be worth trying, I found the Rossi BC-NNN boot lines toe boxes to be high and wide, comfortable. My issue was with the terribly uncomfortable heel pocket construction flaw due to bad quality control and drunk or crosseyed shoe makers on the assembly line. They may have fixed that one by now, IDK?
The Madshus Glittertind I linked above fit me like a bucket, very wide boot, no idea how their Classic NNN touring boots fit, they may also be worth trying.

Having a toe box that is both high and wide is not bad. The toes are thick, meaning the height is needed. One thing that I have found is that a rounded toe box is better than a pointed toe box. My wife tells me that all my shoes look alike a very wide rounded toe. I think I will have to start trying on a few different pairs of boots.