Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
in which the toe of the
ski boot
Ski boots are footwear used in skiing to provide a way to attach the skier to skis using ski bindings. The ski/boot/binding combination is used to effectively transmit control inputs from the skier's legs to the snow.
History
Ski boots were leat ...
is fixed to the
binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the
ski, unlike
alpine skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...
, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Recreational disciplines include
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
and
Telemark skiing.
Olympic events are
competitive cross-country skiing,
ski jumping
Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...
and
Nordic combined
Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...
— an event combining cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships host these sports every odd-numbered year, but there are also separate championships in other events, such as Telemark skiing and
ski flying.
Biathlon
The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...
combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, but is not included as a Nordic discipline under the rules of the
International Ski Federation
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation, also known as FIS (), is the highest international governing body for skiing and snowboarding. It was previously known as the International Ski Federation () until 26 May 2022 when the name was cha ...
(FIS). Instead, it comes under the jurisdiction of the
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union (IBU; ) is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters were in Salzburg, Austria, until May 2020, when the Federation moved to Anif, on the outskirts of the city. It was rocked by a corruption ...
.
The biomechanics of competitive cross-country skiing and ski jumping have been the subject of serious study. Cross-country skiing requires strength and endurance and ski jumping requires aerodynamic efficiency, both of which requirements translate into specific skills
to be optimized in training and competition.
Origins
Recreational skiing began with organized skiing exercises and races of the Norwegian and Swedish infantries. Military races and exercises included downhill in rough terrain, target practice while skiing downhill, and 3 km cross-country skiing with full military backpack.
[Bergsland, Einar (1946): ''På ski.'' Oslo: Aschehoug.] Slalom (Norwegian: ''slalåm'') is a word of Norwegian origin that has entered the international skiing vocabulary. In the 1800s skiers in
Telemark challenged each other on "wild slopes" (''ville låmir''), more gentle slopes had the adjective "sla". Some races were on "bumpy courses" (''kneikelåm'') and sometimes included "steep jumps" (''sprøytehopp'') for difficulty. These 19th century races in Telemark ran along particularly difficult trails usually from a steep mountain, along timber-slides and ended with a sharp turn ("Telemark turn") on a field or icy lake.
Classic skiing
Classic skiing was the first type of skiing used. Classic skis use grips on the bottom of the ski for the skier to kick off of. This technique is considered slower than skate skiing.
Skate skiing
Skate skiing is a type of skiing where the skier pushes off the ground with their foot to gain speed. This technique was developed in the mid-1980s and since 1985 many races had different races for classic skiing and skate skiing due to the speed of skate skiing. Skate skiing uses many techniques for different terrains.
Venues
Noted Nordic skiing resorts around the world include the following:
North America
* Maple Leaf Trail, a 128-kilometer trail system between Ste. Agathe and Shawbridge in the Canadian
Laurentian Mountains
*
Catamount Trail that spans the length of Vermont
*
Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort near
Donner Pass in California
* Jackrabbit Ski Trail in the
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the highest point in Ne ...
of New York
* Devils Thumb Ranch offers cross-country and alpine skiing in
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
.
* The Maine Huts and Trails system offers of groomed terrain among the high peaks of
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
.
*
Trapp Family Lodge in
Stowe, Vermont, is named after the family of
Maria Von Trapp and offers of groomed terrain.
*
Ammassalik Island is an island in East Greenland that offers opportunities for guided back-country ski-touring.
Europe
* The Peer Gynt Trail in Norway extends via the
Jotunheimen,
Rondane and
Dovrefjell national parks, a journey of about seven days with hostels along the way.
* The
Cirque du Gavarnie, is a
cirque
A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...
in the central
Pyrenees, in Southwestern France, offers a limited, but scenic set of Nordic trails.
* The Ylläs Ski Resort in Finland provides of trails, of which are illuminated.
* Mattila holiday village in
Finnskogen
Finnskogen ("Forest of the Finns") is an area of Norway and Sweden situated in the counties of Innlandet and Värmland respectively, so named because of immigration of Finnish people in the 17th century, the so-called ''Forest Finns, Skogfinner/"Fo ...
northwest of
Torsby in
Värmland
Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west.
Name
Several Latinized version ...
provides up to of trails. Some trails extend all the way into
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
.
References
{{Skiing