Cross country ski

Atleta de Esquí de fondo César Baena competing at the 2009 Nordic Ski World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic.

The cross-country skiing or cross-country skiing (in French ski de fond, in English cross-country skiing) is a modality of skiing where competitors cover long distances, with the aim of completing the course in the shortest possible time. It is done on flat or undulating terrain, unlike alpine skiing, which is practiced on steep mountain slopes.

Cross-country skiing is part of the Nordic skiing family, as it originated in the Nordic countries. Other forms of Nordic skiing include portions of cross-country skiing: biathlon (race with rifle shooting sections) and Nordic combined (score points with ski jumping).

Reason

Previously, the only known use was snowshoes which, by increasing the support surface, overcome the biggest obstacle to walking on the snow. Maintaining the principle of increasing the support surface, the skis also manage to take advantage of the sliding characteristics of icy surfaces, providing themselves with an absolutely smooth and waterproof sole. Its elongated shape facilitates standing and the use of canes allows progress to be promoted by means of a non-slip element. Therefore, skiing was used in the Nordic countries as a form of transportation during the snowy season.

Modalities

The most common types of cross-country skiing are the "classic" and the "skater". In the first, skis with scales or waxing are used in the middle of the ski, which allow the ski to adhere on ascents. In this modality, the skis are usually passed along lanes or traces made artificially, and progress is achieved by sliding the skis along the traces, either alternately or parallel.

In the skating style, skis without scales or wax are used and paraffin is used to slide with less effort on climbs and with more speed on descents. In this modality, the advance is made in a similar way to that of a skater, hence the name.

Therefore, there are classic style and freestyle races (where the skater's technique is typically used). In addition, there are double pursuit events, where the first part of the course is classic style and the second part is free style. The distinction between both styles was introduced at the 1987 Nordic World Ski Championships, previously there were no restrictions on any event.

Competitions

Cross-country skiing has been part of the Winter Olympic Games program since the first edition in 1924, which is held every four years. Currently, six different tests are carried out by sex:

• Men: 15 km classic style, 30 km double chase, 50 km free style, 4x10 km relevos, individual sprint, sprint by teams.
• Women: 10 km classic style, 15 km double chase, 30 km free style, 4x5 km relevos, individual sprint, sprint by teams.

The Nordic World Ski Championships, held every two years, also features several cross-country skiing events.

The Cross Country Ski World Cup is a series of events that take place between November and March of each year. Each test has different events, which accumulate points for the general classification, the long-distance classification and the sprint classification. The event includes the Ski Tour, which is held in stages in different countries over two weeks on New Years.

Some of the most famous cross-country ski marathons are the Vasaloppet (Sweden), Birkebeineren (Norway), Finland-hiihto (Finland), Engadin (Switzerland), Gatineau Loppet (Canada) and the Birkebeiner (United States), that exceed 42 km of travel.

Featured Cross Country Skiers

Male

Women