Start moving faster down a cross-country ski trail

Cross-country ski lesson

Photo: J.P. Squire

After you practise the diagonal stride and double-pole, it's time for transitions, making the transition from diagonal stride to double-pole and back as seamless as possible.

Now that you've had a chance to practice what you learned in last weekend's introductory cross-country ski lesson, it's time for advanced techniques like the “double-pole.”

It's also nicknamed “abdominal crunches” by some but the Ski Sheriff prefers the old-school description of “Dippybird,” so named after a plastic bird that perches on the edge of a glass of water.

With the flick of a finger, its beak dips into the water and back out like a pendulum, thanks to the counterweight in its tail.

"Hands on either side of the face. Arms folded and tight to the body,” says Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club instructor John Davina. “Poles vertical and parallel to your forearms. The arms unfold. Poles go to the rear. Hands end up next to the thighs as you do a half-stomach crunch and bend your legs. And the little finger of each hand controls the direction of the poles. The power comes from the crunch and legs bending.”

"Like the diagonal stride and snowplow, ankles should be flexed, knees bent, leaning forward and your weight centred on each ski," adds Kelowna Nordic instructor Marshall Moleschi.

He says he likes the Dippybird visual.

“It’s good, but there’s more to it. I like to get students to use gravity to their advantage by bending at the ankles, knees and hips (think accordion) as you do the abdominal crunch. In this way, one’s weight is used as 'free' power to add to efficiency."

The abdominal muscles are (or should be) the strongest set of muscles in the human body, so it's better to use those than just the triceps in the arms, which will quickly tire. Several racers have told the Sheriff they have double-poled up to 80 per cent of some races. Double-poling can produce four to seven metres more glide per push compared to the diagonal stride. When you bend over (but not as much as the Dippybird), wind resistance decreases significantly.

"Instructors no longer teach throwing hands way back past the hips. Only past the hips a little is OK.

“I still like the old way," says Davina with a laugh. Remember straps have to be adjusted so the pole grip still sits in your hand ready for the next push.

Once you have practiced the double-pole on a flat area, it's time to add leg power, the kick double-pole. You practiced shifting all of your weight onto one ski, then the other, during lesson one. Now, it's crucial.

Begin by moving one foot forward as you finish a double-pole which helps get the weight off that foot and puts the weight on the other foot. As you double-pole, the foot that is behind kicks back forcefully, a quick flexing of the knee, ankle and foot. Complete the kick before you plant the poles for the next push.

The right leg is easy for those who are right-handed but you should switch legs back and forth for kicking once you teach your left foot what it is supposed to do. The key is often watching someone else do it properly.

Now, practice, practice, practice.

When you are comfortable with the diagonal stride and the two advanced techniques, your next assignment - should you choose to accept it - is transitions. Your goal is to make the transition from diagonal stride to double-pole and back, from double-pole to kick double-pole and back, as smooth and seamless as possible to maximize the amount of energy transferring from your body movements to travel across the snow. You also look really cool.

Here are some other tips:

• When the track turns to the right, tilt your ankles slightly to the right so your skis bank around the turn as you stay in the track. Same with a left curve.

• When coming downhill in the middle of a trail which curves to the right, you can also take small steps to correct your ski direction as you round the corner. At slow (controlled) speed first, of course.

Marshall Moleschi, a CANSI level 1 instructor who has been skiing for eight years, says: "My top five reasons cross-country skiing feels so good (include) cross-country skiing isn’t just exercise, it’s a love affair with winter.

“Winter sunshine on a snowy trail has a way of lifting your spirits almost instantly. In the stillness of a snow-covered forest, you feel grounded, present and fully alive. Within minutes of arriving at Kelowna Nordic, you’re immersed in a winter wonderland that feels both wild and welcoming. That long downhill on Lower Meadow never gets old — anticipation at the top, pure joy on the way down.”

Photo: J.P. Squire

Marshall Moleschi, a CANSI level 1 instructor who has been skiing for eight years, demonstrates the skier stance for the double-pole technique for students taking a lesson at Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.