A Snow and ski forum. SkiBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » SkiBanter forum » Skiing Newsgroups » Nordic Skiing
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Best advice for a first time xc'er



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old November 9th 03, 02:15 AM
VISAMAN
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

After spending the summer recovering from back surgery by hiking the Grand
Mesa here in Colorado, my doctor has suggested that I take up xc since my
hiking routes are now snowed shut. My wife and I just went out and got
equipped for our first foray into this sport but would like some poiunters
as to any books, tapes, websites, etc that would help a first timer.
Thanks !!


Ads
  #2  
Old November 9th 03, 03:02 AM
George Cleveland
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 02:15:33 GMT, "VISAMAN" wrote:

After spending the summer recovering from back surgery by hiking the Grand
Mesa here in Colorado, my doctor has suggested that I take up xc since my
hiking routes are now snowed shut. My wife and I just went out and got
equipped for our first foray into this sport but would like some poiunters
as to any books, tapes, websites, etc that would help a first timer.
Thanks !!


Lessons. I didn't take my first lesson until I had been skiing 17 years.I
advanced more in those two hours than I had in the previous 10 years.

g.c.
  #3  
Old November 9th 03, 02:04 PM
Tim Dudley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

I agree with George - that's the best advice you can get. You could also
get either of the DVDs from xczone [www.xczone.com], because there's
excellent instructional material on them, plus video clips. Plus, they're
entertaining!


Tim
on 11/8/03 22:02, George Cleveland wrote:

On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 02:15:33 GMT, "VISAMAN" wrote:

After spending the summer recovering from back surgery by hiking the Grand
Mesa here in Colorado, my doctor has suggested that I take up xc since my
hiking routes are now snowed shut. My wife and I just went out and got
equipped for our first foray into this sport but would like some poiunters
as to any books, tapes, websites, etc that would help a first timer.
Thanks !!


Lessons. I didn't take my first lesson until I had been skiing 17 years.I
advanced more in those two hours than I had in the previous 10 years.

g.c.



  #4  
Old November 9th 03, 03:25 PM
Serge
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

If you are talking about XC touring it is a wrong board.

Touring can be done without lessons at all, just get a group of people
with the same interest and physical abilities.

As far as racing goes, you should take lessons first, learn skate,
stride etc., than go buy equipment with a help from your coach.

Unlike many other sports ski racing has very little to share in a way
of equipment and technique with recreational variety of skiing.

I mean, you can get a high - end racing bike and and ride around
casually;
many people do. You can not do anything on high - end racing ski but
train
and race on prepared surface.

More over it puts strain on your back your doctor has no idea about.
  #5  
Old November 9th 03, 04:03 PM
J999w
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

If you are talking about XC touring it is a wrong board.

Well ... let's just say this group leans towards hardcore.

:^]

If you're just beginning, just about any video would be beneficial.

jw
milwaukee
  #6  
Old November 9th 03, 06:11 PM
Terje Mathisen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

Serge wrote:
I mean, you can get a high - end racing bike and and ride around
casually;
many people do. You can not do anything on high - end racing ski but
train and race on prepared surface.


That's not true:

I have skied more than 10 times from north to south of Telemark county
in Norway (a 180 km backcountry, four-day trip) using my skate skis
(with grip wax on them though).

Skate skis are slightly easier to control than classics, since they have
a straight edge instead of a significantly narrower front and tail.

Terje

--
-
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"

  #7  
Old November 9th 03, 10:35 PM
sknyski
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best advice for a first time xc'er

Two bits of advice:
- Take a lesson (as mentioned)
- Take whatever the clowns who regularly post on this board say with a
grain of salt.

bt
  #8  
Old November 9th 03, 11:57 PM
GR
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default wronng board for touring??? Best advice for a first time xc'er

But there is no board for touring, is there? And you guys know all the
answers! (at least to the questions I have asked; thanks for all the help
since I started 3 yrs ago)
gr
"Serge" wrote in message
om...
If you are talking about XC touring it is a wrong board.

Touring can be done without lessons at all, just get a group of people
with the same interest and physical abilities.

As far as racing goes, you should take lessons first, learn skate,
stride etc., than go buy equipment with a help from your coach.

Unlike many other sports ski racing has very little to share in a way
of equipment and technique with recreational variety of skiing.

I mean, you can get a high - end racing bike and and ride around
casually;
many people do. You can not do anything on high - end racing ski but
train
and race on prepared surface.

More over it puts strain on your back your doctor has no idea about.



  #9  
Old November 10th 03, 12:01 AM
GR
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Beginner advice; Best advice for a first time xc'er

Here is a running faq like doc that I have been adding to since I was a
beginner. Maybe some of the things will be helpful (esp since I am a
tourer, not a racer!)
gr

10/2002; beginning my 3rd year xc skiing, things I learned so far;

XC Things I have found so far from a new skier;
(First Year 2000-2001)
1) You need to wax waxless skis. SWIX Easy Glide, a liquid rub on wax is
quick and easy and stops snow from sticking and clumping.

2) When you buy garage sale skis, pay some attention to how stiff they are.
If you put the skis back to back, you should be able to push them together
with both hands pressing but not be able to with one hand squeezing (or
close to this).
Usenet comment; This is for classical skis, as skate skis flex more stiffly.
With two hands you should just barely be able to squeeze the skis together
or almost so. If it's easier than that, but not easy enough for one hand,
they will probably be a little draggy.
GR comment; I have not done anything with skate skis so this is not about
them, and I find this a useful ball park on ski stiffness for used skis.

3) It is real hard to turn skis on virgin snow with no base or formal track.
With a base it is not to bad (so far I know how to turn by; point one ski
(the outside one of the turn) in the direction you want to turn , and lean
onto this ski; )
Usenet comment: Turning can be facilitated by rotating the hips, knee and
feet in the direction you want to turn, which puts weight on the outside
ski. That's rotate, as in twist, keeping oneself centered over the two
skis. Leaning into the turn destroys that balance and actually makes it
harder if not impossible to weight and/or wedge the outside, turning ski

4) You don't have to hold the poles with the grip of death (which ends up
making your fingers cold) if you use the straps (insert hand from top(NO:see
below!)) and use the strap to push instead of your grip.
Usenet comment:Hands should be inserted from the bottom, not the top. With
pole straps where there is a top and bottom coming out the back, the whole
hand is put through so that the thumb side rests on the bottom one. Many
people hold the pole with their thumb and index finger, letting the other
three fingers cradle the pole lightly. Active use of the latter allows you
to block the pole tips from swinging forward.
GR comment: oops, got that one written backwards, even though I was doing it
the right way!
Usenet comment 2: Not instead. Both have a part of the action.

5) Learn to fall down without getting hurt. Great way to stop quickly.
Usenet comment: Falling improperly can cause injury or broken equipment.
When possible, fall to the back and side, i.e., on one's butt.

6) If you come to a steep hill on a trail and don't want to plow into the
trees from going too fast, spread your skis apart a bit, drag your butt on
the ground (as a brake) and slide down the hill.
Usenet comment 1: DO Not Sit, if the trail is rough.
Watch out for protruding stones, roots or
solid chunks of ice left by the trail making machine.
A damaged tailbone is extremely painful,believe me.
Usenet comment 2:The commentator is correct; except in soft snow, what you
propose is quite dangerous. Snow plowing from the beginning is the best way
to control speed while moving (take a lesson and practice). If you can't do
this, either sidestep down the hill or just take off your skis and walk on
the side. There is a kids' exercise that might be of help for gaining
confidence on hills: kneel forward onto your skis, holding the tips, and
then go down as if steering a boat. I wouldn't try this on long steep hills
in fast conditions, however.
GR comment: This has been a problem for me as I use trails that are too
narrow to sidestep or snowplow. I will try the kneeling!

7) You can rejuvenate old skis with oxidized P-tex (the plastic on the
bottom) by sanding the bottom with 150 grit sandpaper and a flat backer to
the sandpaper. Always sand parallel to the direction of ski travel. Only do
this to old skis in case you wreck them. This will also remove many
scratches and gouges.
It also creates a fuzz which will not easily go away. To get rid of the
fuzz, use Scotchbrite (green abrasive fibrous pad), and press very hard
while you are using it. If you side light the base, you can see when you
have got rid of the fiber. This will make the ski glide much easier.
8) Some bindings have a thing that goes on the ski under the heel. The metal
ones grab good and the plastic ones get snow on them and let your heel slip
when you try to turn.
9) Wax the top and sides of your skis (and poles) with car wax, it helps a
lot in keeping snow and ice off them.
10) Dr. Scholl foam pads in the bottom of your boots add a lot of comfort
and especially insulation.
11) Hot waxing the glide areas of waxless skis helps the glide tremendously.
I used Toko yellow for warm and Toko Molybdenum for cold wax.
12) The minimum snow needed is about enough to cover the grass so there are
almost no blades sticking through (about 3").
13) The total lack of wax on a ski can make it very slow (Easy Glide did not
help the rough ground bottoms of Fischer Super Crowns in wet snow, but hot
waxing Toko Yellow low floro helped a lot.
14) Bindings often (always? (3 pin only?)) have a left and right side, if
you don't put the right ski on the right foot, your heel may hit at other
than the center of the ski, and make it hard to be stable. I guess this is
really just 3 pin bindings.

From comments on my posts of this FAQ:
"New snow, depending on temperature, can be very fast or very slow" -
bull****. New snow is never fast or very fast!

(Learning of the Second Year, but 2001-2002 was a low snow year)
15) I found heavier boots to be much better for me than lightweight. Ones
much more like hiking boots and intended to Backcountry or Telemark skiing.
More comfortable and better control. I settled on 3 pin style so far. I like
the style about 6 inches high.
16) Lack of snow was helped by finding the nearest local place. Less than an
hour away was a magic place which for a couple of square miles had hills
that raised elevation a couple thousand feet and was right on the end of a
lake to pick up moisture, so I could ski most every weekend when up to a few
miles away the land was barren of snow.
17) Keeping warm; was hard for me with hands and feet getting cold easily. A
switch to moisture wicking socks (anything but cotton!) made a tremendous
difference. Wicking long underwear/shirt didn't change upper body warmth
much (no problem anyway) but was much more comfortable.
18) I learned to bring a spare dry shirt to change into for the ride home!
19) I learned what kind of skiing I like and that many people only think
about their particular niche, so some advice is slanted (such as advice
suitable for racing, but not for my preference of mostly virgin snow,
backcountry trails)
20) Some tremendous bargains can be had at charity/garage sales, and they
are an excellent way to try out different kinds of skis for very little.
21) Metal edge xc skis can be found to help with melted/icy snow and
ungroomed surfaces. I don't have much practical experience with these yet.
22) Waxable skis do indeed glide much nicer, if the snow is cooperating at
all, but the kick wax requires much more careful attention to how you kick,
and is rather tricky to get to work/apply the right amount/deal with
sun/shade trails.

2003-2004; going to try NOTWAX this year , hopefully to produce a decent
glide under almost all conditions, and very easy application (primarily for
waxless skis)


"VISAMAN" wrote in message
m...
After spending the summer recovering from back surgery by hiking the Grand
Mesa here in Colorado, my doctor has suggested that I take up xc since my
hiking routes are now snowed shut. My wife and I just went out and got
equipped for our first foray into this sport but would like some poiunters
as to any books, tapes, websites, etc that would help a first timer.
Thanks !!




  #10  
Old November 10th 03, 03:47 AM
George Cleveland
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default wronng board for touring??? Best advice for a first time xc'er

On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 23:57:09 GMT, "GR" wrote:

But there is no board for touring, is there? And you guys know all the
answers! (at least to the questions I have asked; thanks for all the help
since I started 3 yrs ago)
gr




Seriously, the racers here vastly outnumber the touring types. This is
especially true in the off season. But I've noticed a fair number of less
competitive types who drop in during the ski season. The group is probably in
inverse relation (percentage wise) to the skiing population as a whole in the
racer to tourer ratio. But as was said, they do know their stuff. Also, since
this is a usenet group, all you need is to post a subject thats vaguely on topic
and those who want to get in the thread will. Those who don't wont. Simple as
pie, eh?

g.c.

Who used to race, but now is a duffer and enjoys that too.


"Serge" wrote in message
. com...
If you are talking about XC touring it is a wrong board.

Touring can be done without lessons at all, just get a group of people
with the same interest and physical abilities.

As far as racing goes, you should take lessons first, learn skate,
stride etc., than go buy equipment with a help from your coach.

Unlike many other sports ski racing has very little to share in a way
of equipment and technique with recreational variety of skiing.

I mean, you can get a high - end racing bike and and ride around
casually;
many people do. You can not do anything on high - end racing ski but
train
and race on prepared surface.

More over it puts strain on your back your doctor has no idea about.




 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
trip to Vail - looking for advice Sharkie Snowboarding 6 April 12th 04 09:21 PM
La Plagne advice Mike Mather European Ski Resorts 2 March 29th 04 12:26 PM
La Plagne advice Mike Mather European Ski Resorts 0 March 27th 04 09:43 AM
American Birkie Advice Sought Dave Kiely Nordic Skiing 2 September 21st 03 06:31 PM
Spare Time Strategies YourPreciousTime Snowboarding 0 August 29th 03 02:20 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:05 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SkiBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.