Cross Country Skiing

Do you love to ski? Do you have the adrenaline rush to go long distances? Cross country skiing goes back thousands of years when we attached wood to our feet. This allowed us to travel fast at high speeds on the snow covered ground. Believe it or not, cross country skiing still flourishes today. Cross country skiing was not considered a sport until the 19th century. Many people hardly even knew about skiing, let alone calling it a sport. In 1924 it showed up at the Winter Games Olympic held in Chamonix. This is the sport with the largest number of events and provides one of the largest sources of medals at the Winter Games.

Skis are just one of the many equipment gears it takes to ride the slopes. Two types of skis are used: those for classic technique and those for free technique. Classic technique skis are a couple centimeters longer then those used with free technique. Many people use free technique which is also equivalent to skating. Besides Skis other equipment used are poles, boots, binding, special clothing, and wax for the skis.

There are many events when it comes to cross country skiing. Team sprint consists of teams of two skiing one at a time. Individual interval start is the more traditional race where skiers race for time. In the relay race, teams of four take turns racing and then exchange zones after each individual completion. There’s always something for everyone.

At one time no one knew about cross country skiing. This sport is now all over the country. Many dedicated people put in time and effort to do what it takes to become a cross country skier. You can even watch this sport on TV and see all of the events