Cross country ski recs

[rhymeandreason]

I know that many divas xc ski as well as downhill - I am concerned there might not be much of a downhill season this year and am on the lookout for xc ski recommendations. I learned classic last year and went a handful of times and it was a workout, to say the least! I plan to ski on a mostly groomed track. Also, I have two kids, 12 and 8, who are willing to learn as well! Any recommendations from divas would be greatly appreciated! I would prefer skis with the fish scales.

 

[SkiBam]

Instead of fish scales, look for skis with skins. The skins are permanently attached (although can be replaced in future should they wear out). I'm a long-time x-c skier, got the skin ones last year and love them. I was sceptical before buying but did a side-by-side demo with my old skis that were waxed for the day and really, I couldn't notice much difference at all in the glide. (I LOVE my glide and don't want to compromise that.) No waxing needed (except maybe a glide wax should you want) and they're less noisy than fish-scales which "sing" on harder surfaces.

 

[echo_VT]

I don’t think you can go wrong with most brands out there. We use alpina classic with fish scales but I’d prefer skins. It will be a much better experience. I also scratched up the bottom of my fish scales classic when there was thin coverage and now they’re our rock skis. It will depend on how comfortable you are on xc skis I think—

you might want to try skate skiing in addition to classic. If you do, make sure to get a boot and binding for the skis that works with both if you want to save on costs. We use rossignol and madshus as recreational skate skis. Both are good. We’ve also rented Salomon when we were in Whistler blackcomb. They were great.

We recently decided to get nice Fischer skate skis and they’re really amazing and completely worth it.

I can’t recommend going to a fitter in person enough. If you can get fitted, do it before purchasing. It’s different than downhill gear and to enjoy your time out there I think it’s worth it to find someone to fit you on gear that you’ll like.

Also, don’t forget the poles. They are quite important (well more for skate skiing but still important for classic).

Good luck with whatever you decide! XC skiing is amazing. It is actually my preferred way of skiing.

 

[rhymeandreason]

Thanks for the replies! Doing some online shopping now...

 

[SarahXC]

Definitely second the recommendation for “combi” (skate and classic) boots. They will be a little easier to balance as a beginning classic skier and skating is so fun so one boot that does both decently is awesome. For me Rossignol boots fit my feet better but I have used several pair of Alpina over the years too. The flex of the ski you choose for classic is really important to have fun (and get both grip and glide) a second getting fitted at a good shop.

 

[nopoleskier]

Hi, Yes to all said above, I'm another vote for a combi boot. I love to classic ski, skate ski is fun and faster. Also to note, bindings only work on whatever company the boot is made for.. A "NNN" boot won't work in a Solomon binding.

I have an old pair of peltonen 'zeta/beta' very stiff, they have fish scales but I can skate short distances, usually fish scales when skating will slow/stop your forward motion. As mentioned, the Flex of the ski for classic based on your weight is very important. Hope you have an XC center near you for a good fitting. Have fun!