Stöten Magazine
Cross-country skiing for beginners
Cross-country skiing is great for both body and soul. Not sure if you have what it takes to hit the trails? As long as you have the will, you will quickly learn the technique behind it. That said, in this article we thought we'd share our top tips for those who want to learn to cross-country ski!
Tips for beginners in cross-country skiing
As mentioned earlier, learning to cross-country ski is usually a quick process, as long as you have a strong will. To help you make the most of your first time on the slopes, we thought we'd share our top tips for beginners:
Practise good basic physics
A good tip is to build up a good basic physique before you hit the slopes. Cross-country skiing can be physically demanding for the untrained, as you use a lot of muscle groups.
The arms, legs and abdomen are all used, to name just a few of the muscle groups. In addition to this, good fitness is also required. Especially if you plan to travel long distances.
To learn more about how you can train a good basic physique, you can read our previous articles:
- Trunk stability training - tips & exercises
- Fitness training - exercises for better shape
- Strength training for cross-country skiers
- Practise your stacking technique
- Static training with rubber bands
Equipment
As a beginner, you don't need the most expensive equipment. However, it is important that you have skis that fit your body. You also need to have the right camber and ski boots that fit well on your foot.
What is also important is that you have the right length of rods. If you have rods that are too short or too long, you will do a lot of work unnecessarily and the rods will not fulfil their ultimate function.
Dressing properly is important. You don't want to feel cold but at the same time you don't want to sweat. A good rule of thumb is to dress a little less than you think you need. Cross-country skiing will make you warm in your clothes!
Last but not least - use the right wax. If you use the wrong wax, your skis won't grip the snow as well, resulting in an uncomfortable ride. If you can't wax your skis yourself, you are more than welcome to our ski workshop.
Get out on the trail
Once the basic physics and equipment are in place, it's time to hit the trail. Something that can feel a little daunting at first. At least for some.
A good tip is therefore to take it easy at first. Aim for shorter sessions where the goal is to get comfortable with the equipment. Familiarise yourself with what it's like to stand on cross-country skis and what it's like to pole vault.
As you develop your technique and become more comfortable with cross-country skiing, it is possible to ski longer distances. It can also be a good idea to hone your technique.
More tips on how to improve your technology can be found in our previous articles:
Cross-country skiing at Stöten
If you dream of great cross-country skiing in beautiful surroundings, you are warmly welcome to us at Stöten in Sälen. We offer a full 45 kilometres of cross-country tracks for both classic and skate!
Read more about our cross-country skiing programme, and take a look inside our offers today - see you on the tracks!