Learning all the key moves for effective striding
on Classic cross country skis

Learning Sequence

Here's an idea for a "reasonable" sequence of stages for learning -- if your goal is to learn all the all the points for modern effective classic striding technique. 

• Get comfortable on skis 
   
• Start some glide and weight transfer 
   
• Committed Balance on one ski 
   
• Poles -- timing and advanced techniques 
   
• Hill climbing -- advanced techniques 
   
• Waxing skis and other refinements 
   

But it's not the right sequence.  You have your own best learning styles, your own starting point, your own constraints, and your own special mix of goals.  

[ under construction ] 

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Get comfortable on skis 

You need to get some basics down before you can learn the tricks.  See this page: 

Get comfortable on skis 
 

Start some glide and weight transfer 

Gliding is the special magic of skiing.  Doing it going downhill as a key part of getting comfortable on skis.  To start getting some glide into your striding, see this page: 

Start some glide and weight transfer 

Committed Balance on one ski 

This stage is the foundation for all the other techniques in future stages. 

Solid committed balance on one ski is the critical move for breaking out of the "intermediate" rut, and moving into advanced classic striding. 

It takes lots of practice with special exercises -- and few skiers learn it without some lessons from a good instructor.  But if you like learning new things on skis, you'll likely find the process very interesting.  It's a great achievement to get it.  For some ideas on how, see 

Learn Committed Balance 

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Poles -- timing and advanced techniques 

Now that the sound foundation for the legs is in place, it's time to bring the arms back in for the complete striding picture. 

Objectives 

• Offset pole timing -- see our page on that "secret". 
   

• A whole new technique:  kick double pole -- and be sure it has real "kick" 
   
• Advanced double pole technique -- add the power of abdominal and leg muscles (or even the calf muscles?). 
   

Learning approach 

For offset pole timing, see this page: 

 - - Offset pole-push timing "secret"

 
Kick double pole: 

• start with our kick double pole description.  
   
• check other Resources -- especially some of the Advanced videos.  It really helps to see a good model on video.
   
• the technique is straightforward enough so it could be learned without an instructor or coach. 
   
• most of it is very visible, so videotaping is helpful. 
   
• except for one key thing:  It is very easy to do kick double pole -- while forgetting to get any "kick". 
   
• Try this amazing "secret" exercise to force yourself to learn the effective leg push or "kick":  

Practice it without using poles. 

Huh?  Isn't that like a contradiction? 

What it means is to perform all the same motions of your legs and arms with the correct rhythm -- but with your hands empty and your poles left off to the side lying on the snow.  

That way you can't fool yourself about whether you're getting an effective leg push. 

• To get the grip you need to support that, two additional "tricks" are to use 

 - - Balance and Weight Commitment

 - - Exploiting the Wax Pocket "secret"  

 
Double pole: 

• start with our double pole description.  
   
• check other Resources -- especially some of the Advanced videos.  It really helps to see a good model on video. 
   
• the technique is straightforward enough, so it could be learned without an instructor or coach -- but to get the refinements most easily, it's worth it to get an hour or two with somebody good.  
   
• the success components are all visible, so videotaping is helpful. 
   

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Hill climbing -- advanced techniques 

Technique for climbing up a steep hill is different from normal classic striding on gentle terrain. 

Objectives 

• advanced herringbone 
   
• hill bound (not necessary for skiers who don't feel athletic)
   
• for how these techniques are "different", see 

 - - Climbing up a steep hill "secret" 
 

Learning approach 

• Start by reading Climbing up a steep hill "secret" 
   
• Check other Resources -- especially some of the Advanced videos.  It really helps to see a good model on video. 
   
• It's good to have an instructor or coach for this.  Hill bound technique is not as tricky as "balance and committed weight transfer", but there's a lot going on and a lot of options, so it can't hurt to have someone experienced to help you sort it all out. 
   
• It's not all visible, but most of the new stuff is -- so videotaping and analysis can help a lot. 
   

Advanced herringbone: 

• The main idea of "advanced" herringbone is to get beyond seeing herringbone as a last-ditch way to "walk up a hill without taking your skis off". 
   
• Instead the idea is to incorporate many of the ideas and tips from hill bound, but without the athletic challenge of needing large extra down-force to keep grip from slipping.  See these pages: 

 - - Climbing up a steep hill "secret" 

 - - Herringbone technique 
 

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Waxing skis and other refinements 

For waxing skis, see 

 - - Grip Wax for classic striding 

 - - using Grip Wax -- more info 

Refinements 

 - - Striding Smoother 

  

Beyond the "effective" skiing program  

 - - Skiing with "flair" 

 - - Speed optimizations for Racing 

 - - other fun and games 
 

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