Nordic skiing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nordic skiing

Anna Haag competing in a cross-country ski race in Oslo, Norway, in 2011.
Characteristics
Type	outdoors
Equipment	skis, skipoles
Presence
Olympic	1924 – present
Paralympic	1976 – present

Nordic skiing is a group of exciting winter sports where the front part of your ski boot is attached to the ski, but your heel can lift up. This is different from alpine skiing, where your whole foot is fixed to the ski. Popular types of Nordic skiing for fun include cross-country skiing and Telemark skiing.

At the Winter Olympic Games, you can watch thrilling Nordic events like competitive cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined. Nordic combined is a special event that mixes both cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Athletes who do Nordic skiing need to be very strong and have great endurance. Ski jumpers also need to be super aerodynamic to fly far!

What is Nordic Skiing?

Nordic skiing includes several different ways to glide over snow. The main difference from alpine skiing is how your boot connects to the ski. With Nordic skiing, your heel is free to move up, which allows for a different kind of movement, like walking or running on skis.

Olympic and World Championships

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships are held every two years, in odd-numbered years, and feature competitive cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined. There are also other championships for sports like Telemark skiing and ski flying, which is an even more extreme version of ski jumping.

You might also hear about Biathlon. This sport combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. While it involves skiing, it's managed by a different organization, the International Biathlon Union, not the International Ski Federation (FIS) that oversees other Nordic sports.

The History of Nordic Skiing

Skiing has a long and interesting history! It all started many centuries ago, especially in countries like Norway and Sweden. Early skiing wasn't just for fun; it was a practical way to travel over snow.

Soldiers in Norway and Sweden used skis for training and even for races. These military exercises included skiing downhill over rough ground, shooting at targets while skiing, and long cross-country trips carrying heavy backpacks. The word "slalom," which is now used all over the world for a type of ski race, actually comes from a Norwegian word meaning a "path on a slope." In the 1800s, skiers in the Telemark region of Norway would challenge each other on "wild slopes" and "bumpy courses," sometimes even including "steep jumps" for extra difficulty! These early races often went down steep mountains and ended with a sharp turn, known as the "Telemark turn."

Types of Nordic Skiing Techniques

There are two main styles of Nordic skiing that you'll see today: classic and skate skiing. Each has its own unique way of moving across the snow.

Classic Skiing: The Traditional Way

Classic skiing is the oldest and most traditional way to ski. In this technique, skiers move forward by kicking off the snow. The bottom of classic skis has a special "grip zone" that helps the skier push off without sliding backward. It's a smooth, gliding motion that feels a bit like walking or running on skis. While it's generally considered slower than skate skiing, it's still a very popular and enjoyable way to explore snowy trails.

Skate Skiing: Faster and More Modern

Skate skiing is a more modern and often faster technique. It became popular in the mid-1980s. When you skate ski, you push off the ground with your feet, much like you would if you were ice skating or rollerblading. This powerful pushing motion helps skiers gain a lot of speed. Because skate skiing is so much faster, many races since 1985 have had separate categories for classic and skate skiing. There are also different skate skiing techniques that skiers use depending on the type of terrain they are on.

Amazing Places to Ski

Nordic skiing is enjoyed all over the world, and there are many fantastic places to try it out! Here are some famous resorts and trail systems:

Nordic Skiing in North America

• The Maple Leaf Trail in Canada is a huge 128-kilometer trail system in the Laurentian Mountains.
• The Catamount Trail stretches across the entire state of Vermont in the USA.
• Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort is located near Donner Pass in California.
• The Jackrabbit Ski Trail can be found in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York.
• Devils Thumb Ranch in Colorado offers both cross-country and alpine skiing.
• The Maine Huts and Trails system in Maine has 50 kilometers of groomed trails among high peaks.
• The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, named after the famous family, offers 62 kilometers of groomed trails.
• Ammassalik Island in East Greenland provides amazing opportunities for guided back-country ski-touring.

Nordic Skiing in Europe

• The Peer Gynt Trail in Norway is an 82-kilometer journey through national parks like Jotunheimen and Rondane, taking about seven days with hostels along the way.
• The Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees mountains of Southwestern France offers beautiful Nordic trails.
• The Ylläs Ski Resort in Finland boasts an incredible 330 kilometers of trails, with 38 kilometers of them lit up for night skiing!
• Mattila holiday village in Finnskogen, northwest of Torsby in Värmland, Sweden, provides up to 170 kilometers of trails, some of which even extend into Norway.

Images for kids

• 

  Wilderness cross-country skiing in Alaska.

• 

  Jurij Tepeš during a ski-flying competition in Vikersund, Norway, in 2012.

• 

  A Telemark skiing competition.

See also

In Spanish: Esquí nórdico para niños