European WC meltdown ???

Cool! A classic sprint! I didn't know they existed.

When the interview says that many used skate skis does that mean they
didn't use any kickwax? The dumb course designers simply have to
include a big enough hill to neutralize the DP-only geeks.

The only time classic is classic is on an uphills steep enough to force
STRIDING and KDP but not so steep to make the herringbone. OK, let em
h-bone some section ---it's not THAT ugly. Those pros make it look nice
indeed. So you do need the 'bone. No, how about this: we need a course
that has equal parts DP, KDP, SP and HB. That would be fine by me. That
makes 3/4's of the course having moderate-to-severe uphill. Yeah! So
then you have just one big plunge (with jump, why not) then the rest of
it flat for DP. This ratio should be applied to all classic events. : )

--JP

TimoN wrote:


Do you think the same about swimming races with other technique than
crawl?

Yes, I find that 50m events in other techniques are a bit absurd, too.

At least in swimming one cannot make crawl moves during a breast
sprint, whereas in skiing there is a bit of a grey are in the curves
where one can gain *significant* advantage by de facto skating as much
as one=B4s conscience and the jury allow. (OK, this was a new argument.)


And why only the short distance?

Because the sprint was a new event introduced for the express purpose
of finding out who=B4s the faster skier of them all - or at least
that=B4s how I viewed it (and how I could bring myself to accept it in
the first place).

The other classic events have a natural, unquestionable right to
existence because they=B4ve always been there...


Just curious, you're fully entitled for your opinion.. )

BTW you did regognize the origin of the quip, didn=B4t you?:-)


Anders

wrote:

When the interview says that many used skate skis does that mean they
didn't use any kickwax? The dumb course designers simply have to
include a big enough hill to neutralize the DP-only geeks.

FWIW in the Finnish Nat=B4ls the sprint course did have one such "killer
hill" which forced all of the female skiers to herringbone the last
meters (which required both an acute sense of snow-contact and quick
on-the-feet intelligence and timing).

But it has struck me that the WC courses - especially those in the
"city sprints" - do not feature hills that are significant enough for
men.

BTW the reason why this year the Nat=B4l sprints in all three Nordic
countries were classic is, of course, that the sprints in Obersdorf are
classic.



The only time classic is classic is on an uphills steep enough to
force
STRIDING and KDP but not so steep to make the herringbone. OK, let em
h-bone some section ---it's not THAT ugly.

Yes! Quite seriously, I think that the sight of skiers DPing for ever
and ever is abhorrent:-) When real skiers like Sixten Jernberg were
still around, DP had its natural place as *one* of the techniques which
could be used on suitable terrain - but now it=B4s the dominant one and
every other technique is limited to its tiny niche!

Besides, does anyone *feel* great doing DP - like I presume everyone
who loves classic skiing does when doing beautiful, rhytmic diagonal?!


Anders

"Anders"

Besides, does anyone *feel* great doing DP - like I presume everyone
who loves classic skiing does when doing beautiful, rhytmic diagonal?!

Excellent point. As an aging recreational skier and occasional racer, I
just don't enjoy DP except as an occasional technique used when needed based
on terrain and/or just a change of pace. Plus, my body doesn't like it,
it's just not fun. I ski to have fun - even the racing is for fun. DP is
an effective technique for winning races (under DP conditions) but is not an
enjoyable technique in itself. imho, of course.

Cam

To me, I know I'm race-ready when DP is fun again.

I think that canoeists actually like it a lot. Not just coz they're
strong at it but because there's something nice to it that being fit
enough for it lets you enjoy.

Again (as in my other Speed posts) I like to visualize skating speed
and then go that fast with my DP.

Maybe there's an elegance to it in that the shorter poles make you get
out there farther with your torso, you're closer to the ground, in more
of a horizontal relation in your action. More body motion CAN give a
better feel. Shorter poles end up with more arm reach and torso action.
It can be nice. I just love the ski motion altogether and I find that
DP has a lot of it. The DP aspect of skating seems more
compressed/limited in comparison.

But these days I'm REALLY enjoying the relaxed breathing that I get
when DP/KDP. I can really let my diaphragm drop and let the motion work
WITH breathing and diaphragm.

I'm now trying to get the same soft stomach feel with SP but I don't
have it yet. The opposing arm/leg action of SP seems to stretch out the
belly no matter what, on one side or another, but I'm working on it.
Keeping a relaxed belly doing SP up a hill with max effort ain't easy.

I find that my diaphragm-drop trick really helps me process my full
breathing and helps me recover even while doing hard DP. I look forward
to the larger range of arm and back action. That plunging action. I
feel that it works like a kind of pumping to get the lactic out in a
relaxed way. I'm processing energy nicely with it.

I do need to get better at it, but I'm looking at it as a very much
positive technique and this seems to help me do it better!

Besides, does anyone *feel* great doing DP - like I presume everyone
who loves classic skiing does when doing beautiful, rhytmic diagonal?!

I love it. Maybe it's because I'm an ex-rower & the symmetrical motion
feels much more like rowing than any other ski technique. Or because my
striding is crappy & I can go so much faster with d/p. Breathing also
feels more natural--exhale on drive, inhale on recovery--whereas
striding I am always inhaling on one side & exhaling on the other.

wrote:

To me, I know I'm race-ready when DP is fun again.

Yes, but that it a different sort of feeling great:-)

Even though most of the time I don=B4t feel at all great doing DP - the
motion is too mechanical(1), and I cannot avoid hearing a constant
mantra of "I should=B4ve spent more time in the gym! I should=B4ve spent
more time in the gym!" inside my head - there *are* times when I, too,
feel DP is fun.

And when I=B4m racing and in a train with *just* a bit better or
stronger skiers than I am, it can be quite intoxicating to "ride
along": the miles seem to whizz by and it=B4s just great to be able to
DP up a counter-uphill in a manner which I wouldn=B4t be capable on my
own.




(1) if you want to and when you can get it technically right, it isn=B4t
at all mechanical, it takes just as much attention to detail to try to
do it excellently - and there are probably just as many ways to do it
technically badly as there are in diagonal striding.

Those who are strong enough in the upper body and those who can do it
right for long enough have every right to feel great doing it:-)



I do need to get better at it, but I'm looking at it as a very much
positive technique and this seems to help me do it better!

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking!


Anders