How to choose cross-country skis, boots and poles

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Everything for those who dream of skiing in the nearest park on flat snow or a ski track.

What are cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is divided into racing, recreational and tourist skiing. As a rule, the purpose is indicated on the product card.

1. Racing (marked Racing and Racing PRO). Such skis are designed for athletes and amateurs who want to develop speed indicators. This is an option for specially prepared tracks.
2. Amateur or walking (Active, Fitness). This is an option for those who sometimes choose to ride in the park, do it for fun and do not strive for records. Skis are slightly wider than racing skis; expensive materials and technologies are rarely used in their production.
3. Tourist (Back Country). These are skis for hunters, tourists and fishermen, people who need to move off-road, without a track and ski track. Such skis are much wider than walking skis in order to support the weight of a person on loose snow.

How to choose skis, boots and poles for the classic move

Skis

Classic skis (designation Classic or Cl) are longer than skate skis, have a sharp toe and a soft last. There may be notches under the last (designation TR) to prevent slipping during push-off. On the left - a ski with notches, on the right - without.

If the ski has no notches (WAX designation), a special ointment provides an anti-slip effect. However, for beginners, it will be quite difficult to apply it correctly, so a notched ski is the best option.

To choose the size of classic skis, add 20 cm to your height or simply raise your hand: the lowered palm of the outstretched hand should touch the top of the ski.

It is also worth paying attention to the stiffness of the skis. First, determine the center of gravity: place the ski on your hand so that both ends are in balance. Then fold the skis with the sliding side towards each other and squeeze with one hand 3 cm below the found center of balance. There will be a distance of 1–1.5 mm between skis of suitable stiffness.

What to buy

• Skis Nordway XC Tour, 2 999 rubles →
• Women's ski Nordway XC Bliss, 1 599 rubles →
• Skis junior Madshus CT-90 Jr XС, 1 899 rubles →

Boots

Boots for classic skis are low and soft, without special inserts that fix the leg.

You shouldn't buy shoes back to back. If the thumb rests on the toe of the boot, the foot will quickly freeze. It is better to take boots half a size larger.

What to buy

• Fischer XJ Sprint ski boots for children, 4,999 rubles →
• Ski women's boots Fischer XC Comfort my style, 6 999 rubles →
• Ski boots Salomon Escape 7 Prolink, 8 499 rubles →

Sticks

When choosing poles for classic skiing, pay attention to their length. With short ones, it will be inconvenient for you to walk on flat terrain, with long ones - climbing the slopes. Choose sticks according to your height: the lanyard exit (the place where the strap is attached to the stick) should be at the level of your shoulder.

Poles are made from aluminum, fiberglass and carbon fiber. Aluminum can bend under load. So if you weigh a lot, opt for glass and carbon fiber. The latter provides the greatest rigidity and lightness of the poles. These sticks are used by professional athletes.

Also pay attention to the material of the handle. Sticks with a cork handle are good for walking in cold weather: cork does not cool your hand, unlike plastic.

How to choose skis, boots and skating poles

Skis

Skate skis (Skate or Sk designations) are shorter and have a smoother last, because with this course, the notches only interfere with the skier, clinging to the snow and slowing down.

To find the ideal length for skating skis, add 5-10 cm to your height.

It is also worth checking the stiffness of the skis. The gap between skis compressed with one hand should be 1.5–2 mm.

What to buy

• Skis Fischer Ls Skate, 5 999 rubles →
• Skis Fischer Ls Skate Xtra Stiff, 5 999 rubles →

Boots

To prevent injury and excessive stress on the foot during skating, additional fixation is needed. Therefore, skate boots are taller and stiffer than classic ones and are supplemented with a special plastic cuff.

What to buy

• Atomic Pro Skate men's ski boots, 12 499 rubles →
• Men's ski boots Nordway Race Skate, 5 499 rubles →

Sticks

Skating sticks are longer than classic ones. The lanyard should be at the level of the skier's chin or lips.

How to choose versatile skis, boots and poles

If you plan to master both classic and skating, you can purchase versatile equipment.

Skis

Universal skis (Combi designation) are longer than skate skis, but shorter than classic skis. Add 15 cm to your height to determine the length you want.

Regarding notches, some versatile skis have a replaceable center: if you want to ski in a classic style, use notches; if in a ridge, remove the notched nozzle.

What to buy

• Skis Fischer LS Combi, 5 999 rubles →
• Junior skis Nordway Active Combi Jr, 999 rubles →

Boots

Boots for general-purpose skis are almost indistinguishable from classic ones. They are just as soft and flexible, but have a plastic cuff that supports the ankle.

What to buy

• Ski boots Madshus CT 80, 2 999 rubles →
• Women's ski boots Nordway Alpha, 3 499 rubles →

Sticks

For universal skis, poles for both classic and skating are suitable.

What are the mounts

Three types of mounts are now common: the outdated NN 75, NNN (with or without NIS platform) and SNS.

NN 75 (Nordic 75)

Surely many people remember this mount from childhood. This is a common metal brace that fixes the leg, but it does it pretty badly.

With NN 75 it is almost impossible to skate. In addition, good boots are not produced for this mount. The only advantage is the low price.

What to buy

Ski carrier NN 75 →

NNN (New Nordic Norm)

This mount consists of two rails (flexors) spaced at some distance

from each other, and the rubber stop.

There are two options for such mounts: automatic and mechanical. The automatic NNN fastening snaps into place by simply pressing the bracket with the boot. In the case of a mechanical one, you will have to open the lid with your hands, and after installing the boot, close it.

However, the mechanical fastening is more reliable: it cannot accidentally unfasten, for example, during a fall. In addition, if you plan to ski in warm weather, water trapped in the auto mount can freeze and block it tightly.

Also, fasteners differ in the degree of rigidity. If the NNN rubber stop is white, the mount is designed for hard riding, if it is green, for softer riding. Black stops are suitable for standard riding, and red ones for soft riding.

If you prefer skating, choose bindings with white or green rubber bands. If classic - with black or red.

To mount the NNN on skis, you need to find the center of gravity and drill a hole for the bindings. However, there is an easier and more convenient installation method: dedicated NIS platforms.

The Nordic Integrated System (NIS) was developed in 2005 for NNN mounts. Skis adapted for NIS are equipped with a special plate on which the bindings are mounted. The skis do not need to be drilled, it is enough to wind the mount along the guide plates and click into place.

The mount is easy to install and remove, eliminates the search for the center of gravity of the ski and can be used with different pairs of skis.

What to buy

NNN Ski Bindings →

SNS (Salomon Nordic System)

This mount has one wide rail and two brackets. SNS mounts are also divided into automatic and mechanical.

Unlike NNN, SNS only has three levels of hardness. They are marked with a numerical value and color. For the classic move, it is worth choosing mounts with flexor stiffness 85 (yellow), for ridge - 115 (red), and for universal use - 95 (pink).

When it comes to comfort, stability and lateral stability, there is little difference between SNS and NNN mounts.

Most cross-country ski boots are designed for a specific type of binding. Therefore, first choose boots that fit perfectly on your feet, and only then the bindings that fit them.

Due to NIS, NNN mounts are more convenient to install, but SNS are more stable: because of the NNN platform, they turn out to be higher than SNS screwed on. On the other hand, a higher position increases the thrust force. In general, both bindings are used by both amateurs and professional athletes.

What to buy

SNS Ski Bindings →

What materials to choose

Skis made from solid logs or glued layers of wood are a thing of the past. In modern models, wood is also used, but, as a rule, the core consists of it, and the sliding surface is made of plastic.

If you are used to skiing with a sliding surface made of wood, the plastic can feel uncomfortable due to the recoil. Plastic is more slippery and, unlike wood, does not "ruffle" when rubbed against snow.

However, with proper lubrication of plastic skis, recoil can be avoided. As for the advantages, plastic skis are more durable and, unlike wooden skis, allow you to ski in freezing temperatures.

According to the manufacturing method, skis are divided into Sandwich and Cap. The former are several glued layers of plastic and wood, the latter are a wooden core with a monolithic plastic cover.

For cheaper skis, the core is made of wood with air channels. In professional and more expensive ones, it is a wooden honeycomb or is made on the basis of acrylic foam with a carbon and fiberglass mesh, light polyurethane foam with carbon and fiberglass inserts (Polycell technology), Densolite foam or other light synthetic materials.

The sliding surface is made from different types of plastic. For cheaper options, extruded plastic is used, for more expensive options, high-molecular-weight universal plastic.

Many new technologies and materials are now being used that keep the ski lightweight and at the same time durable. However, all this affects the price.

Therefore, if you are a beginner, it is worth trying a regular ski with a wood or Densolite foam core and an extruded or high molecular weight plastic sliding surface. The price of such skis depends on the specific brand and ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 rubles.

What brands to pay attention to

Among the well-known Russian manufacturers is the STC factory. She makes both racing and recreational Sable skis and fiberglass ski poles.

Professional models - with a honeycomb core and sliding surface PTEX 2000 (carbon fiber), and amateur models - with a wooden core and a plastic cover. Skis are made using Cap technology and are sold at very affordable prices.

Among foreign brands (whose products are often made in Russian factories, including STC), the Austrian manufacturer of skis and equipment Fischer is quite popular.

Fischer manufactures professional and recreational skis for men, women and children, using combined materials such as a wooden core with Air Tec Basalight. Fischer skis can be purchased at a price of 5,000 rubles.

No less famous is the French ski brand Rossignol, which is produced in Spain and Ukraine. The cheapest amateur skis with a core made of light wood and a sliding surface made of plastic can be bought for 5,500-6,000 rubles. Almost all skis of this brand are equipped with the NIS platform.

The third brand from the rating is the Norwegian company Madshus. The recreational skis of this brand are made using Cap technology with a wood core with channels, glass and carbon fiber braiding and a sliding surface made of plastic. The cost of the cheapest skis of this brand is 3,000-5,000 rubles.

At about the same price range, the cheapest amateur skis of the Austrian brand Atomic and the French company Salomon. The cheaper Salomon models have a dry Densolite foam core and a graphite-added sliding surface, while the more expensive professional ones have honeycomb cores and a zeolite-added sliding surface.

Each brand develops its own technologies: lighter cores, the addition of various minerals to improve glide, changing the geometry of the skis. Therefore, it is best to focus on the purpose of the skis (for which course, walking or sports) and the availability of a suitable length and stiffness for you.