Alpine Skiers Have A Nordic Advantage

I began skiing in 1965 in western New York State.  In those days the equipment was rudimentary to say the least.  I was a downhiller for 15 years before discovering there was another way to slide on snow.  What wasn’t immediately apparent as I became enamored with cross-country (XC or Nordic) skiing was that my alpine experience gave me a great leg up on others who began skiing with XC.  In fact, as a professional ski instructor, I recommend to those who got into cross-country without ever having bought a lift ticket that they rent some equipment and take an Alpine lesson.

Of course not every down hill skier will opt for Nordic skiing but it’s likely that our image keeps many from trying the sport.  So how do you know if you would enjoy Cross-Country skiing?  Do you find that you tire of coming down the same runs over and over and go exploring the edges of an area, where the trails tend to be narrower, the trees closer?  Do you bike, run or do some other aerobic exercise during the warmer months?  Maybe you even race in one of these sports.  Do you love hiking in wild country?  On the other side, are you tired of crowded runs, lift lines, and high daily rates?

You’re not about to abandon Alpine, but there’s nothing like variety to renew your enthusiasm for being outdoors in winter.  In the seventies I dreamed of skiing out west and finally got to Telluride in 1978.  In 1980 my wife purchased a pair of XC skis and I crammed my feet into her boots and gave it a try.  I immediately went out to get a pair of my own.  Here was a snow sport that was accessible any time it snowed; on a Wednesday at lunchtime or on a snowy Saturday.  I was no longer limited to driving north to ski three times a year.  Through the eighties and nineties it was possible to get on skis more than thirty days each year.  Since the mid eighties I’ve down hill skied twice, once at Breckenridge and once at Solitude.  It was OK but the thrill was gone.

It’s a fact that the average North American Nordic skier is considerably older than those involved in Alpine.  But in the largest ski race on the continent, the Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin, the bulk of racers are in their thirties and forties.  My son was a downhiller as he was growing up and has now converted to the skinny side (Nordic skis are often called “skinny skis”).

It’s great skiing in forest preserves and the few places in greater Chicago that groom trails for cross-country skiing.  There’s a feeling you get, being out in snowy woods, that is even more beautiful than in the summertime.  The U.S. has some superb Nordic ski areas and some of the best are in the upper Midwest.  At the most elite of these, trail fees are less than $30 per day; in fact it’s rare that a daily fee exceeds $10.  Compare that to Alpine lift tickets.  Unlike Alpine, most beginners don’t bother with a lesson.  That’s too bad because proper technique can make the experience far more rewarding.

That brings me back to the Alpine – Nordic advantage: no fear of descending a hill.  Hills in cross-country are far tamer than at down hill areas.  Modern ski equipment allows excellent control so that in spite of the boot-heel not being connected to the binding, it’s possible to turn the skis at will.  In areas where trails are groomed (tracked), you can just ride down the tracks.  If a turn is involved, you can stem one ski out of the tracks to assist in the turn or just jump out of the tracks to use both skis on a steep descent.  Alpine skiers have the confidence to do this.

Of course what goes down must come back up.  I often hear, “Oh, cross-country skiing – that’s too much work!”  If one had to climb an Alpine hill that would be true but Nordic hills are smaller and, hey, it’s good for you.  And when you’ve worked to get up the hill, the run down seems far more delicious.  Nordic clothing is much lighter when you are generating your own internal heat and you’re often shielded from the wind by trees.  The new, breathable fabrics keep you warm and dry.  I don’t miss coming over the crest of a hill on the chairlift and getting blasted by a brutal, chilling wind.

An alternative style of Nordic skiing is skating.  Skiing in tracks is now referred to as classic skiing or diagonal striding (or just striding).  In the eighties Bill Koch, an American, developed skating which revolutionized Nordic skiing.  Skating form is similar to speed skating on ice but here we use a packed trail with no indented tracks.  It is somewhat more energy-intensive but it’s faster for a given effort.  It also requires specialized equipment to ski efficiently.

Most races in the U.S. allow the skating technique and have a separate category for classic skiers.  If you have raced in a warm weather sport, you truly would love Nordic racing.  It has even more excitement than summer racing in my opinion.  Of course most people don’t race and still get great enjoyment out of this sport.  A complete set of good equipment can be had for under $300.  Or you can rent it locally at Arrowhead Golf Course in Wheaton or Camp Sagawau in Lemont for around $10 a day.

Most CMSC clubs probably have some skiers that are both Alpine and Nordic but I’m aware of two clubs that are exclusively Nordic.  The Nordic Fox Ski Club (www.nordicfox.org) that meets at Arrowhead in Wheaton and Northwest Nordic Ski Club (www.nwnordicskiclub.com) that meets at various locations in and around Arlington Heights.  Also the Lake Shore Ski Club has a strong Nordic contingent (www.lssc.org).  Just to give you a sense of the kind of bargain that’s available for a Nordic trip, my club, Nordic Fox, spends a week in Ironwood on the west side of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula every January.  The cost for Sunday through Thursday night’s lodging, breakfast, dinner and area tickets is under $200.  Our further distance trips range from $500 to $1000 for a week.  Every few years we head out to Yellowstone National park which is truly magnificent in winter.  This trip runs as high as $1400.

Any questions?  Contact Scott Smith – Nordic Fox Ski Club at trinord@yahoo.com