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The
ideal situation is to work with a professional Ski Shop when trying on skis. They can set you up with the proper sizes. It is VERY important that the skis fit YOUR height and weight. Below is a quick breakdown of the difference between Classic and Skate
skis. |
| SKATE SKIING |
Basic
skate skiing is when you skate in a "V" stride and actually shift all
your weight from one ski to the other as you skate on. (You do not ski
in the set tracks but rather on a smoother usually groomed trail.) The
basic "V" Skate starts with a skier standing in a slight V position.
Edge one ski to the inside edge and simultaneous push off that ski while
driving out onto the other ski. Repeat the other direction. |
Testing Skate Skis:
What do you look for in a Skate Ski? |
To
see that you have the right skate skis ski for your weight put the skis
on a flat floor, stand on the skis as you would if you were going to ski
(you don't need the boots on though). Take a piece of paper and have someone
slide it directly under your boot area on both skis (up at least a foot
in either direction of the front and back of your boot) - the paper should
slide up and back easily between the ski and the floor. Put all your weight
on one ski. If the ski collapses so that the paper can not move directly
under your boot area, the ski is too flexible and soft for your weight.
You will want a stiffer ski. A skate ski needs to be slightly stiff because
you don't want it to make contact with the snow (directly under your ski
boot area). If it does, it will work but it will be much slower because
you have more surface contacting the snow - also you want the skate ski
stiffer so that when you go to kick off in a "V" stride, it will give
you more of a spring in the glide and it won't be so sluggish. |
CLASSIC SKIING
(Diagonal) |
Classic
(or Diagonal) skiing is when you slide one foot forward, the other one
back, and so forth usually in a set track (about 1.5 foot wide). You wax
the classic ski with a "kick" wax which is a sticky type wax that you
cork in just under the area where your boot is. When you are classic skiing,
you shift most your weight from one ski to the other shuffling on. When
most your weight is on one ski, you want your ski to collapse and have
the "kick" wax make contact with the snow so that it will "grip" the snow.
Then you "kick" back with that ski and propel yourself forward. If the
classic ski does not make contact with the snow (is too stiff of a ski)
then when you go to "kick" back with your ski, you won't grab the snow
to help propel you forward. |
Testing Classic Skis:
What do you look for in a Classic Ski?
Classic Ski waxing pocket |
The
test you want to do to see that you have the right ski for your weight
is to stand with your classic skis on a flat surface. Stand on the skis
as you would if you were going to ski (you don't need the boots on though).
Take a piece of paper and have someone slide it directly under your boot
area on both skis (up at least a foot in either direction of the front
and back of your boot) - the paper should slide up and back easily between
the ski and the floor. Then put all your weight on one ski. Slide the
paper again from front to back. You want the ski to completely collapse
so that the paper doesn't move at all directly under the boot area. This
tells you that the ski will make direct contact with the snow (and the
"kick wax"). If the paper slides easily under the boot area, the you are
either to light for that ski or it is not a proper classic ski. It also
means that the kick wax will not make contact with the snow when you put
your weight down the kick wax will not help you propel forward. |
