Walking on skis is an excellent winter pastime. But for such an occupation to bring a lot of positive emotions , you need to be able to choose skis, because they must match your dimensions and your style of riding. All skis are divided into mountain and cross-country, and we will now try to figure out how to choose cross-country skiing.
How to choose the right skiing?
Cross-country skiing is usually done in two ways:
- Classical . With such a ride, the legs "walk" parallel to each other. For skiing this style you need soft skis with an elongated and sharp toe. Boots should be chosen low and preferably with a soft sole.
- Skating . This style is also called "free", on skis move as on skates, pushing off the snow inside the skis. In this case, the sports equipment must be rigid, and the shoes are high.
The quality of the skis depends largely on the material. They are made of wood and plastic, but today wooden skis are already leaving the store shelves. But the plastic on the contrary, enjoy increasing popularity, they are more expensive than wood, but they have advantages:
- easier;
- more durable;
- stronger;
- better slip.
Therefore, if you think which cross-country skis to choose wooden or plastic, safely take plastic, you will not regret.
Another very important point in choosing sports equipment is the rigidity of skis, this is a very important parameter that directly depends on the weight of a person. If you incorrectly choose the rigidity, the management of skis will cause great difficulties, and from a ski trip you do not get the proper pleasure. However, it is easy to determine the rigidity. To do this, stand on the selected skis, if you can put a piece of paper between the floor and the skis under the boot, then this sporting tool will be too soft for you. And if, standing on one ski with two legs, there will be no space between the floor and the ski, so, on the contrary, such equipment is harsh.
How to choose the length of cross-country skiing?
For skiing to be as problem-free as possible and to bring pleasure, it is very important that the skis and sticks are of the right size. Many fans of this sport are interested in how to choose the size of cross-country skiing. There are two ways that you can easily select this sporting equipment for growth.
Method number 1. It is necessary to measure your height from the heels to the fingertips of the up-raised hand and subtract 10 from the resulting figure, this is the length of the ski.
Method number 2. To your own growth, add 10-15 cm. The final number is the required length of the ski.
The length of the sticks, like the length of the skis, is very important for a comfortable and free ride. If the style of riding is classic, then the stick should not be above the shoulder. As for the ridge style, here, on the contrary, longer sticks are used. When selecting this element, pay attention to the loop, it should be such that you can easily put it on your hand and quickly remove it.
How to choose cross country skiing for a child?
Skis for children under 7 years must necessarily be short, otherwise all movements will be given with difficulty.
The skis for children with fastening differ:
- Soft fastening. For the little ones. Fastening consists of numerous elastics and straps, which you can fix any shoes.
- Semi-rigid fastening. The foot is more stable, the shoes are suitable either.
- Hard mounting. For children from 7 years. The mount already comes with ski boots.