Cross-country skiing facts for kids
Cross-country skiing is a fun winter sport that's becoming very popular. You'll find lots of people enjoying it in snowy places like Northern Europe, Canada, and the United States.
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What is Cross-Country Skiing?
Cross-country skiing can be a relaxing hobby or a challenging sport.
As a hobby, it's a bit like hiking on skis! You can explore snowy trails of different lengths and difficulties. Some people go on long trips, staying out for days with tents and gear, just like hikers. Others prefer shorter trips from ski resorts on trails that are specially prepared.
As a sport, cross-country skiing is one of the toughest endurance activities. It uses almost every major muscle in your body! It's known for burning a lot of calories, similar to rowing or swimming.
Cross-Country Skiing Competitions
Today, there are many types of cross-country skiing competitions. These include different kinds of races over various distances. There's also biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing with target shooting using a rifle.
The Winter Olympic Games, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, and the FIS World Cup events (like the Holmenkollen) are big events where the world's fastest cross-country skiers show off their skills.
The History of Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing started a very long time ago in countries like Finland and Norway. In the 1800s, it was a common way for people to travel in winter. People even used skis to hunt animals like elk and deer. Even today, almost everyone in Finland and Norway owns and regularly uses skis!
In the past, all the equipment was made from natural materials. Skis were made of wood, and poles were made of bamboo with leather straps. Skiers usually wore strong leather boots with thick soles.
Images for kids
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Sami hunter using skis of unequal length—short for traction, long for gliding—and a single pole. Both were employed until c. 1900. (1673 woodcut)
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German Reichswehr military patrol on skis training in the Giant Mountains, January 1932.
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Michal Malák skate-skis at a qualifier for the Tour de Ski, 2007.
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Arctic travelers, Fridtjov Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen at the camp of Frederick Jackson on Northbrook Island in 1896.
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Ski touring in untracked terrain.
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Groomed ski trails for cross-country in Thuringia, track-set for classic skiing at the sides and groomed for skate skiing in the center.
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Swede Anna Haag with classic technique in the women's 10 km classic race at the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo, Norway.
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Skiers employing step turns, while descending during a 2006 FIS World Cup Cross Country competition in Otepää, Estonia.
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Pre-1940 ski gear in Oslo: bamboo poles, wooden skis, and cable bindings.
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Cross-country ski equipment for skate-skiing (left) and classic-style skiing (right). Ski and pole lengths are different for each. Classic skis have a "grip zone" in the area under the binding.
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Cross-country ski boot and standardized binding system for classic skiing. The skier clicks the toe of the boot into the binding and releases with the button in front of the boot.
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An early depiction of a skier—a Sami woman or goddess hunting on skis by Olaus Magnus (1553).
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Loyal retainers transporting Prince Haakon IV of Norway to safety on skis during the winter of 1206—1869 depiction by Knud Bergslien.
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Olav V of Norway as crown-prince in 1939
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A skate-skier in Gatineau Park, Quebec, a North American groomed-trail ski venue.
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A recreational cross-country trail, groomed for classic skiing only, in Tyrol.
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A blind cross-country skier with guide at a regional Ski for Light event.
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Dog skijoring—dogs provide added propulsion to the cross-country skier.
