View Single Post
  #5  
Old January 17th 04, 04:05 PM
Jeff Potter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Striding mo' betta?

Dell [AMY!] Todd wrote:

[ ] I haven't been able to stride
much this year because of snow cover and conditions, it has been thin
and icey until just recently.


I used to gripe about classic in bad tracks until I got used to rollerskiing classic. Now I don't need tracks at all. It's a
nice liberation. Also in races, the tracks are wiped out lots of times. Good to not need them! It took me a dozen frustrating
outings on classical rollerskis to learn to easily keep em going straight then my need for tracks went away in all
conditions. Also, and here's a biggie: get some stiff wide touring skis. With those plus the new boots and bindings you can
easily ski in local training conditions. I typically only use my race classics in a race. Around town our ungroomed
conditions are never good enough for race skis.

[ ] There are fewer
things to think about I feel, in regards to technique and power. In a
race your concentration can be on a fewer things that can really make
a big difference in speed, and it can be a lot more fluid.


Classic demands as much as we can give! I find it to be pretty subtle. But I find it all that way.

It is also lots of fun
ripping downhills in the classic tracks, its like you are on rails
what a blast!! The few times I have skated there have been no tracks
to the side, so even for an experienced downhiller ripping down on
skaters is a little scary!


But with no tracks, classic downhill is scarier than skate downhill. The stiff short skis and big boots help downhilling in
some cases. Classic downhilling is often "hold onto those flimsy noodles for dear life!" The low boots sometimes feel less
secure.

I am not sure why it seems to me that so many more people skate than
classic. I find it sad too, classic is where you start out as a kid
and should be something that you can do until your are 90+.


I recall Anikin saying that we love skiing because of the glide and that's why kids love it, too. Anything that gives the
most and the easiest glide, they like the most. So he found they liked skating better. I suppose classic relates to runners
and skating to skaters. Maybe lots of kids are equally good at both. To get a lot of glide in classic there's a definite 100%
stop/start aspect to each ski cycle. Timing that can be tricky. Balance, too. With skating it's just waddling, rocking, to
give the glide to a beginner.

I like classic better, too, but find that V2 is a wonderful challenge and beautiful in some ways. I dislike some aspects of
skating because they're LOPSIDED and involve intentional passganging---poling and kicking on the same side!

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com
publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies...
...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller
about smalltown smuggling ... radical novels coming up!
...original downloadable music ... and articles galore!
plus national travel forums! HOLY SMOKES! 800-763-6923


Ads