| Skis, Skis, Skis |
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| By Irene Pleym Jakola | ||||||
| Wednesday, 12 April 2006 | ||||||
 Yearn to conquer the cross-country tracks of Oulu and beyond, but have no clue about skiing or ski equipment? With the snows fast melting, you’ll have to be quick and savvy. Irene Pleym Jakola tells you what to buy and how to prepare. Three main types The three main types of cross-country skis are classic, off-track, and skating. Classic skis are long, and should reach about 20 centimetres above your head. Sticks should reach up to your armpit, around 30 centimetres shorter than your total height. It’s important to get this right, as wrong length sticks will cause you to use your arms either too much or too little. Off-track skis are a good choice for deep snow, say if you want to ski off into the Finnish forest. These are a little wider than classic, so as not to sink. For the same reason, the disc at the end of the stick is wider. You can also get waxless, patterned off-tracks; these stop you from slipping backwards, but don’t go forwards very fast either. Skating skis, shorter and narrower than classic skis, should be 5 to 10 centimetres longer than your body height. Sticks for skating should be 20 centimetres shorter than your body height. Because they’re narrow, skating skis aren’t much good for classic cross country skiing, as you’ll have trouble keeping your balance. Combination skis, for both classic and skating, are also available. These should be 15 to 20 centimetres taller than you. Considering your weight Whatever the type of skis, remember to consider your weight when buying. Stand on the skis and you should be able to slide a piece of paper underneath at the point at which you are standing. Fork out for the right shoe Choose a shoe that keeps you dry, fits you perfectly, and supports your ankle. Skiing’s no fun when your skis keep tipping to the side, when you don’t have support for your ankles, or when your feet are cold and wet, and the shoes keep chafing. Better to spend an extra couple of euros than end up miserable. After all, if it isn’t fun, you won't go that often, right? Give them a hard waxing Skis are prepared with a hard glide wax, which is melted onto the ski. Sports stores will normally put on this wax for you at the point of sale. If they don’t offer, ask – even if you have to pay a little bit extra. Hard glide wax is dependent on temperature, so buy one that covers the temperatures you will mostly be skiing in. After buying the skis, you should hard wax once a year, before season. This part makes your skis glide easier, so the more effort you put in, the faster you go! So:
Never leave the iron at one spot. Give them a soft waxing Just before you head out to ski, apply a soft glide wax. This allows you to power off, kicking backwards without slipping backwards. Unlike the hard glide wax, soft wax is quickly applied:
Buy now! Or later With the season about to end, April is the best time to buy skis. However, most sport stores have affordable offers on packages with skis, shoes and sticks all season. If you decide to buy skis in a sports store you should have no problems getting shop assistants to help you find the right equipment. Just don’t buy the most expensive, unless you plan to win an Olympic medal. If you don’t want to spend much, a second-hand store might be the best choice. They won’t necessarily be knowledgable about ski equipment there, so take a friend along who is.
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