XC - Skating is hard

[Erik Timmerman]

The only thing missing from Biathlon is alcohol. I guess it is safer consuming that after the event.

Mike

replace penalty laps with penalty shots?

 

[In2h2o]

WTF - now I'm sitting here watching biathlon.

We do biathlon in the backyard with our kids: ski laps arund the house and shoot a BB gun, they love it

Secretly I really want to try to compete in biathalon. They have a never ever division at my home Mountain they even rent you the gun.

@Slim your a fun dad!

 

[tch]

I’ve done a “local-guys with .22” race a couple of years now. It’s fun.
And you gain a sh*tload of respect for the pro’s.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

They have one at Smuggler's Notch with muzzleloaders.

 

[Scruffy]

They have one at Smuggler's Notch with muzzleloaders.

 

[Tom K.]

They have one at Smuggler's Notch with muzzleloaders.

Wooden skis and bamboo poles also required?!

 

[cantunamunch]

Wooden skis and bamboo poles also required?!

+ Eco-friendly whale smeg base treatments.

 

[Slim]

@Slim your a fun dad!

Nah, it was all my wife’s idea!

Cool thing was, when we did it, shoot right on the edge of our yard, my neighbor comes over. Instead of complaining, he says: “I have a nice air rifle the kids can use if you want to do it again!”
My neighbors are awesome!

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I did two laps after work. Felt better. I thought I’d get video for MA but nobody was there. Here are some tracks going up a slight incline though.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Got out for an hour today after teaching. I'm probably not a good judge, but I think the snow was hard (as in difficult) it was raining and making a crust on top of what was probably a nice groom earlier in the day. I felt pretty bad until I got into the woods then I think the trees were catching some of the rain and the surface was better. Or I was skiing better. Not sure which. I did a lot of slow climbing with opposite pole push which felt very natural, but couldn't seem to get my glide on and get into 2nd gear with the double pole push. I noticed the from of my skis dragging across the snow which can't be good. Ankles felt really stiff, but when I tried to soften I felt like my heels are coming up and felt really squirrely. It's cool being a beginner. I stood at the top of the first "big downhill" and contemplated if I should do it or not. I did it with a big pizza. Then skied along the river to the bridge you see. That was a gentle uphill, then I descended it skiing on the tracks . Felt decently solid with that. Then went up the "big downhill" in first gear but pushing harder and getting nice glide with my steps. I think part of what helped here was bending my back more. Feeling good there, I started to descend again where I had a pretty solid crash. Managed to avoid the big beech tree that seemed to be tractor beaming me into it. Got some good 2nd gear glide after that followed by another near crash coming back to the parking lot. Had a nice push back to the car and then crashed right in front of the ski rack.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Beautiful.

 

[Tony S]

Got out for an hour today after teaching. View attachment 95635 View attachment 95636

Well NO WONDER you are having trouble; there are holes in your skis!

 

[Erik Timmerman]

MA? This is a little bit uphill and pretty icy. I felt like I kinda knew what I was doing today. At least I did for a while. Then I discovered that Craftsbury has a terrain park and there were these teenaged girls doing huge jumps, 360s, etc. I brought the kid and the put her skills from 7th grade XC team to use. It just proved that the first car race probably happened when the 2nd car was built.

 

[Tony S]

MA? This is a little bit uphill and pretty icy. I felt like I kinda knew what I was doing today. At least I did for a while. Then I discovered that Craftsbury has a terrain park and there were these teenaged girls doing huge jumps, 360s, etc. I brought the kid and the put her skills from 7th grade XC team to use. It just proved that the first car race probably happened when the 2nd car was built.

You want it in public?

Seriously, you are skiing well. You have strength, rhythm, decent balance, and commitment. I really like the way you're looking ahead with a still and reasonably vertical torso. Keep those things!

What length are your poles? They should come up to your upper lip.

"Answer the phone" with your pole grip. When ascending, it will be at ear height (because your push-ski knee is bent). At that point (just before planting) your forearm should be almost parallel with the pole, which means the pole is almost vertical. Plant it right next to the binding toepiece. Keep your back even more perpendicular to gravity than you're already doing. Again, short poles could be hurting you here.

But before you do any of that, ditch the poles and send us a clip of the same pitch without them. You will find that in order to keep gliding you'll need much more vertical motion - hips sinking straight down via ankle and knee action. You should also find your cadence slowing slightly. (Currently lack of full commitment to the glide ski is making you rush a little.)

Once you have that going, add the poles back in ... if they are long enough.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Poles could be short. The guy at the shop said "up to your chin" and that's how long they are. Looking at the video, I guess that I probably can't answer the phone with that length. I'll see if they will let me swap for longer ones.

Not sure if there will be any more video. Craftsbury closed after today, and I don't think any of these places will be skiable without grooming.

 

[Tony S]

Second one is Jesse Diggins. Answering the phone. l

They are both looking down because they are competing in a big race against the best in the world and are slammed. You're not, @Erik Timmerman , so no need. That puts your grip at ear height.

Mostly, though, look at how vertical the new pole is.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Skied at Trapp's today. It was a couple of inches of new very warm snow on top of icy hellscape. It felt like I was just an inch or two above the grass. I definitely had the wrong wax (Beta Red) and while I was moving OK sometimes, other times I could hardly glide at all and even had clumps stuck on my ski sometimes that I had to scrape off. I did 20K up to the cabin and back. And I do mean up. There was a lot of up. I feel really good with my double poling, but the steeper climbs are not good. I was going up Parizo and thinking maybe I just need a pair of classic skis for Trapps and that's when two experienced skaters blew past me. I started trying to flow their tracks and that did help a bit with trying to learn a better first gear (V1?) they had a very open stance with more divergence than me. I wonder if I could have done it better with the right wax, I felt like after a while I could get the rhythm but I just wasn't going anywhere.

After making it to the cabin I had to come down. Paris is "black diamond" and I hadn't even tried a blue yet. I took it easy starting with just plain pizza. The new snow helped a lot, and after a while I kind of switched to Arlberg technique. By then it was raining a bit and I nearly went over the bars when I hit some really slow snow. Finally nearing the bottom of Parizo I was mixing Ahlberg with some parallel turns (and occasionally skating a turn here and there too). So new skills learned there.

I'm not sure how much longer Trapp's can stay open with the weather coming up. Bonnie liked Trapp's better than Craftsbury, but I think I liked Craftsbury better. They had better snow for sure and that was before it snowed today. Bonnie liked that it feels like you are going somewhere. I think Craftsbury could be like that, but we weren't really adventuring on the icy trails they had on Sunday.

 

[Tony S]

After making it to the cabin I had to come down. Paris is "black diamond" and I hadn't even tried a blue yet. I took it easy starting with just plain pizza. The new snow helped a lot, and after a while I kind of switched to Arlberg technique. By then it was raining a bit and I nearly went over the bars when I hit some really slow snow. Finally nearing the bottom of Parizo I was mixing Ahlberg with some parallel turns (and occasionally skating a turn here and there too). So new skills learned there.

Yeah, you are not going to have problems with the downhills. BTW, the spot at the base of Parizo "down" ("picnic knoll"?) is great for practicing tele on skate skis. Wide enough and steep enough. Just remember to choke up on those long poles!

Bonnie liked that it feels like you are going somewhere. I think Craftsbury could be like that, but we weren't really adventuring on the icy trails they had on Sunday.

You're both right. Trapp feels like you're always on a long climb or a long descent. I like Craftsbury better because I think there is more "flow."

Does your climbing form look like Jessie's now?

And yeah, you gotta have decent wax or go home.

PS: This is killing @Wending because she's dying to get out, is tied down with work, and they are calling for warm rain everywhere Friday. So dreams of a last day at the Loaf (where they are still grooming and still have good snow) are fading. For that matter, I would love to get out there too.

 

[Tony S]

I just need a pair of classic skis for Trapps and that's when two experienced skaters blew past me. I started trying to flow their tracks and that did help a bit with trying to learn a better first gear (V1?)

Well yeah! V1 for sure. Honestly it only just sank in - DOH - that in your video you are poling with every stride. On anything with any pitch, that ain't gonna fly. Basically you look like you're sprinting. Slow down so you don't stop.