Oregon Nordic Club Portland Chapter HOME SEARCH About ONC Membership News and Events Nordic Issues Officers & Committees TRIPS Day Trips Overnight Trips Trips Guide Resources for Trip Leaders TRAILS Mt Hood Guide Mt Hood FS Trail Report St. Helens and Mt Adams FS Trail Report Topo Maps DIRECTIONS & WEATHER Directions Weather GEAR Ski Gear What to Wear Rentals and Retailers Shop Online LINKS ONC Chapters ONC Photo Gallery Nordic Skiing Other Links Send mail to webmaster with comments about this web site.   Skis What Kind of Skis Should I Get? There are various types of skis, each designed for a different style of skiing. [Backcountry skis:] [Track skis:] [Telemark skis:]               [Skating skis:]       [Mountaineering or randonee:]        Most skis are made of a wood or foam core wrapped in fiberglass and come in waxable or waxless varieties. Narrower skis are designed for speed and performance while wider skis provide more "flotation" and stability in deep snow. "Short" skis are the newest style of touring skis. They are approximately 30% shorter and 30% wider than traditional skis, with the same degree of flotation. Many people choose this style because short skis are more stable and easier to turn. Cross-country skis have either waxable or waxless bases. The Pacific Northwest's warm snow conditions favor waxless skis. There are advantages and disadvantages which can be more or less important, depending on the style of ski, but usually you can get any particular type of ski with either type of base. Ski Primer (ski construction) Length The longer a ski is, the more efficiently it will glide forward, but the harder it will be to turn and maneuver. For general touring, efficient forward glide is more important than maneuverability, so you need long skis. To get an estimate of the length you need, hold your arm overhead and measure from the ground to your wrist. If you occasionally want to explore beyond groomed cross-country ski areas and hard-packed trails (but still on easy to moderate terrain), look for slightly shorter skis. Going down 5cm or so will give you more control and maneuverability in variable snow conditions. Width Skis are measured across the "waist", the narrowest point. Skis for general touring are relatively narrow, making them perfect for striding in groomed tracks and on hard-packed trails. Narrow skis produce less drag than wide ones, so they help you glide faster, cover more ground, and use less energy. Wide striding skis have more surface area, which translates to greater flotation in soft snow. This extra flotation is useful for touring outside of established ski trails, especially if you're carrying a pack. Wider skis also provide a more stable platform, which makes them easier to balance on when striding in variable snow conditions. Sidecut Sidecut refers to the long, inward curves on both sides of a ski. It's designated by 3 numbers: the widths, in millimeters, of the ski's tip, waist and tail. A greater difference in these numbers will mean a larger sidecut. Sidecut helps you keep more of a ski's edge in contact with the snow when you turn it, so carving turns is easier. General touring skis have relatively little sidecut, since the need for carving turns is unlikely in groomed tracks or on gentle, hard-packed trails. If you want to go off trail occasionally where you're likely to encounter hills, trees and other obstacles, look for skis with moderate sidecut to facilitate easier turning. Camber General touring skis have Nordic camber, the pronounced arch in the center that is held up off the surface of the snow, and which must be weighted for the ski to get traction. This type of camber is necessary for performing the classic kick-and-glide technique. Flex The flex (or "stiffness") of a ski affects how well it grips the snow when you put your weight on it and how well it rides through different types of snow. Stiff-flexed skis have a very efficient glide, which makes them perfect for groomed tracks and hard-packed trails. Most stiff-flex striding skis designed for in-track use have flexible, curved tips to help skiers stay in pre-made ski tracks. Engineered Compact Skis Engineered compact skis are a relatively new style of classic striding ski that performs like traditional-length models, yet are significantly shorter and easier to handle. This decrease in length can translate into a quicker learning curve for beginners and more fun out on the trails for anyone looking to try something new. These skis tend to be wider and have more sidecut than traditional striding skis as a result of the unique construction techniques used to build them. These features make engineered compact skis perfect for occasional backcountry exploration. Wax vs. Waxless Skis You can enjoy general touring on waxable or waxless skis. Many recreational skiers prefer waxless models because they're easier to care for. Waxable skis, on the other hand, typically outperform waxless models when they're prepared and cared for correctly. Waxable skis are the choice of most weekend racers and serious cross-country enthusiasts who don't mind the extra effort involved in preparation and maintenance. Keep in mind when choosing between wax and nonwax skis that waxing skis properly can be difficult, especially in highly variable temperatures or in temperatures at or near the freezing level. In regions like the Pacific Northwest where such conditions are common, waxless skis are usually the smarter choice for everyone but the most serious racers. More on waxing and caring for your skis. Waxless - Waxless cross country skis have a "scaled" bottom so that they will slide forward and resist motion backward. These skis are a good choice for first-timers as they will allow you to concentrate on striding, skating, poling, downhilling, and other aspects of technique. They are not as good going up steep hills, or in unpacked, powder snow. They are great in preventing snow from packing into a wet blob under your skis. Waxable - These skis require waxing, and proper waxing at that, to be useful. You don't need waxable skis in Oregon or Washington. The snow is too warm and the temperature hovers right around freezing. If you try to wax you'll end up changing wax all day, never getting it right for very long, and holding up the rest of the group. If you are going where the temperature will stay below freezing, a two or three wax kit is sufficient (wet snow/dry snow). Other wax systems exist where every 10 degree change in temperature requires a different wax. With proper wax, waxable skis are faster than waxless on flat snow, and can be used to climb steep hills much more easily. With improper wax, several pounds of snow will stick to your skis with every step. Ski Types Backcountry Skis These skis are designed for use on backcountry trails, where you may be breaking trail, may be carrying a pack, and may find untouched powder bowls just begging for a few turns. They are heavier and wider than track skis, but lighter and narrower than downhill or telemark skis. They may be double-cambered and have metal edges and good sidecut for telemark turns and control on the downhill. Don Holtz and Todd Yuen prefer lighter backcountry skis without metal edges. The metal edges are only needed on icy slopes, not in fresh or slushy snow. These are the best skis for beginners who wish to go out and have a wilderness experience. While both waxless and waxable versions exist, beginners should get the waxless versions. Fischer Cross Country has a waxless backcountry E99 ski that has been popular. Track Skis Track skis are designed for use at "Nordic Centers" and the like where tracks in the snow are prepared for you. They are light, flexible, very skinny, do not have metal edges, and are usually waxless although waxable versions are available as well. You can go very fast with them provided you don't have to break trail or go steeply uphill or downhill. It might be possible to do telemark turns with these, if you are very good, but it's difficult because of the lack of sidecut and thelight boots. These skis are used in classic diagonal racing and for light touring. Racing track skis tend to be waxable. Telemark Skis Telemark skis are designed for use at lift-served ski areas, for people who want to use telemark technique down the hill but are too lazy to ski up it first, and for people who don't mind the extra effort to climb with these skis, in return for a better downhill run. They are a bit longer and narrower than downhill skis, but basically look a whole lot like downhill skis with cross-country bindings. They are better for telemarking downhill than backcountry skis, but it is harder to ski uphill with them because they are heavier and have less camber. These skis are usually waxable. Three-pin bindings are usually used. Randonee Skis Randonee, also called ski mountaineering and alpine touring (AT), is an exciting form of backcountry skiing that mixes the Nordic, free-heeled motion for climbing with alpine slalom technique for the descent. The word "randonee" is French for "hiking" or "touring"; it is also humorously noted as "French for can't Telemark". Randonee skis are quite useful for the steep backcountry slopes found in the European Alps and some parts of North America. They are normally used with a randonee binding, which requires an alpine style (downhill) boot. The binding allows the heel to be free for uphill climbing but locked down for downhill skiing. Randonee skis are essentially lighter alpine skis, however, they are still heavy and can be tiring in more open terrain. Some people think these are schizophrenic skis for people who can't decide if they're into cross-country or downhill. Skating Skis Skating skis are designed for use with the skating technique, which looks sort of like rollerblading on snow. These skis use only glide wax, not grip wax, and are never waxless. Skilled racers using this technique go faster than diagonal-stride skiers on prepared tracks. Skating skis are shorter and stiffer than track skis. They are single-cambered. Skating skis are never used with three-pin bindings because the binding width would interfere with the technique. Equipment Introduction Boots and Binding Skis Poles and Skins 1999–2008 Portland Chapter ONC. All Rights Reserved.