Introduction to skiing. Cross-country skiing and cross-country skiing. Basic techniques.

Skiing is an excellent option for aerobic training in winter. It is accessible and useful to everyone. It develops the muscular system, and also improves the respiratory and circulatory organs, and significantly enhances the metabolism in our body. Strength, agility, endurance are improved, courage, determination and the ability to quickly navigate the terrain are developed.

So, if you don’t mind seriously joining this wonderful winter sports discipline, we will tell you a lot of interesting things. You will learn a lot of new terms: for example: “stepless move” and “half-herringbone lift”... But, let’s take everything in order...

How to choose the right skis?

First of all, buy skis. It's not as simple as it seems at first glance. The first skis you come across will not work, because their length should correspond to your height with your arm raised. In recent years, many global sports manufacturers have switched to producing plastic-coated skis. They are 10-15 cm shorter than wooden ones.

Ski poles should not reach shoulder level by 3-5 cm. Ski shoes should be approximately 1-1.5 sizes larger than your classic everyday shoes.

Skier's clothing and requirements for it.

Serious attention should be paid to clothing for planned ski trips. The suit should be made of thick fabric that protects well from the wind. Wear wool or cotton underwear under a suit or jacket, and a woolen sports cap on your head. Mittens with flannel or wool lining are comfortable.

Storage of winter sports equipment and its prevention.

Store skis in a dry and cool place, in special spacers (at least 5-6 cm in the middle).

Be sure to impregnate the sliding surface with special ski resin once or twice a year. The surface is heated on a kerosene or gas burner, and then covered with a layer of ski wax (liquid) or resin. When heated, bubbles appear and the ointment is absorbed into the wood. This technique can be repeated until the resin is absorbed. The prepared skis must be placed in spacers, and the remaining resin must be removed with a rag, so that, depending on the existing air temperature and snow cover on the day of the walk, rubbing with ski waxes can be carried out.

When starting to learn skiing, master all kinds of turns on the spot:

1. first by stepping around the heels of the skis, then around the toes of the skis;
2. swipe right or left,
3. jumping without relying on sticks, as well as with support on them.

The key technique for moving on skis is an alternating two-step stroke. It is used both on the plain, and on downhill ski tracks, and on slopes. When cross-country skiing, if the track runs through deep snow and pushing with poles is ineffective, use alternating four-step. On gentle slopes and rolling sections, where it is difficult to control the skis in a sliding step and push off with your feet, a simultaneous stepless stroke is used. To develop high speed on gentle slopes with good support and glide, a simultaneous single-step is used. When starting to study the technique of moving with an alternating two-step move, you need to perform elementary movements with skis, i.e. turns in place by stepping. To do this, lift the toe of your right ski without lifting your heels from the snow, move the ski half a step to the right, and then place your left foot next to your right. The exercise is repeated, the amplitude increases. A similar movement is performed with the left foot to the left.

Place the poles to the side of the ski track and begin to master the stepping step without them. Alternately lifting the toes of your skis, pressing your heels to the snow, make sure that your right hand moves forward along with your left leg, and, accordingly, your left hand moves forward with your right leg.

A new movement is a sliding step without sticks. Push off with your left foot, bend your right knee and, moving it forward, slide on the right ski track. At the same time, move your left arm forward and your torso towards your right leg. When both skis are level, start pushing off with your right. As you master the sliding step, its length will increase.

The alternating two-step stroke is close to walking and running in terms of coordination of movements, and is convenient for learning. By the way, it is called alternating precisely because it involves alternating work with sticks. Two-step - because one full cycle consists of two sliding steps and, accordingly, two alternating push-offs with sticks. You need to study it on a flat and well-trodden track, with a slight slope. With the left leg moving forward, the right hand with a stick is put forward. At the same time, the left hand and right leg produce a push. The torso leans slightly to the left, the body weight shifts to the left leg. In fact, the so-called single-support sliding on the left ski occurs. After the push, the right ski with the rear end raised is slowly pulled towards the body and the left ski, and the stick in the right hand is placed on the snow at the position of the toe of the left foot. This is followed by a similar movement of the right leg, and the left one performs a push.

Typical technical errors.

When mastering the alternating two-step move, characteristic errors occur:

1. the supporting leg does not bend enough at the knee;
2. the skier walks noticeably bouncing, as he pushes his foot not forward, but upward;
3. During movement, the backs of the skis clap on the snow, which indicates insufficient extension of the fly leg.

By mastering skiing and getting the aerobic exercise we need so much, in parallel with the basic techniques of movement, we learn how to climb uphill and downhill. Slopes are climbed with an inferior step - a half-herringbone climb, steeper ones - with a "herringbone" or "ladder" climb. With a step up the leg located higher on the slope, the stick of the same name is moved up.

When descending a mountain, braking and turning are performed. The most common method of braking is the “plow”, in which the backs of the skis are moved apart and the tips are connected. Braking increases with an increase in the angle of the skis and when they are sharply placed on the inner parts of the ribs.

On ski trips, especially when skiing from the mountains, the skier needs to be able to make turns while moving. Reliable turns by stepping in motion and at an angle.

Long skiing, as well as long, multi-hour ski trips, the monotony of cyclic movements require the development of endurance, and the need to push off with poles requires the strength of the muscles of the arms and shoulder girdle.

As you can see, even in winter there is an opportunity to join active sports and get your dose of aerobic exercise. So... Meet me on the ski track!