Cross Country Skiing Explained

There are few activities quite as exciting as being able to ski over snow for long distances. The early skiers had to travel long distances over snow on a pair of skis as a means of survival and cross country skiing in particular became a way of life among the people that lived in modern day Scandinavia and it was an activity that was also known to the Native American Indians. In fact, cross country skiing was introduced into America by a pair of emigrants that came to America from Norway: Jackrabbit Johannsen and Snowshoe Thompson.

A Modern Day Sport

Even today, the armies in Finland need to travel across vast regions of their country on skis though in other parts of the world cross country skiing is more of a sport than a way of life. Cross country skiing essentially means skiing over vast areas of lands on a pair of skis and is similar to bushwalking done on a pair of skis.

To take part in cross country skiing requires having a strong body and a powerful stamina as it demands a lot off the body and it requires strong endurance because this is an activity that makes each sinew of the body stretch and work overtime while in the process it helps to burn many calories on an hourly basis.

The history of cross country skiing is interesting and the skis too have undergone many changes from the early times when early skis were made from wood while the poles were made from bamboos and the grips were made from leather. Even the snow boots were different and had very thick soles while bindings were made from the thread of wood.

Modern cross-country skiers of course use different skis that are long and thin and which allow the skier to move at greater speeds and which also can spread the body weight more evenly. Cross country skiing can be classified according to the skiing technique being used and typically involves the Classic style as too the Skating style.

The proper equipment can ensure that cross country skiing is more fun and of course it helps the skier get a good workout as well. Without the right equipment and especially the cross country ski poles it would be hard to imagine a skier getting very far. Most beginners make the mistake of trying to use downhill skiing poles for their cross country skiing endeavors. They will soon learn different and will find it expedient to switch over to using poles that are especially made to help people indulge in cross country skiing.