Borrowed with thanks from the LRNSC website

If you have skied for two or three years and have a commitment to go skiing at least once each winter, then you should definitely think about buying your own set of equipment. Most cross-country ski resorts have equipment shops where you can hire skis, boots and poles suitable for track skiing, but the quality can vary enormously, and there is no guarantee that they will have the correct sizes in stock - how often have you or your ski companion experienced sore feet from boots that were too small or too large? And if you want to go off touring in the mountains there are very few places where you can hire suitable equipment.

If you only go skiing once a year with a tour operator you might wonder whether it is worthwhile buying your own equipment when the cost of ski hire is included in the package. However they will normally allow you a discount if you take your own (typically about £25 for a week), so you can easily cover the cost of purchase within a few years. And think how much better you will be able to ski using your own fitted gear instead of always relying on the kit provided by the hire shops!

Choosing Equipment
So what type of equipment should you be considering, and where can you buy it?
There are a bewildering range of skis, boots and poles on the market today: equipment for classic-style track skiing, skating, light touring, mountain touring, and telemarking on piste. And then you have the added problem of whether to buy waxable skis or non-waxable. If you are only going to be doing one type of skiing the choice will be easier, but if you want to ski on tracks, skate, tour and telemark, then you will have to consider buying more than one set of gear.

In general track and skating equipment has tended to get lighter in recent years, whilst touring and telemark equipment has become heavier and much closer in appearance to downhill or alpine touring gear. What is true of all cross-country equipment is that skis have become shorter, and boots and bindings have become more robust.

Track Skiing Equipment (classic)
Most people start their cross-country skiing on tracks in the Alps or Scandinavia and will hire equipment from the local ski shop. In the Alps you will be given non-waxable skis but in Scandinavia you will usually be given waxable skis. You can put on your non-wax skis and set off without further ado, but with waxable skis you need to wax the ski base each morning before setting off. Waxing skis is a fine art and merits its own section, but you will need to consider the question of wax versus non-wax when buying your first set of equipment. A waxable ski that is correctly waxed will perform much more efficiently than a non-wax ski, but if you are only skiing one week per year in Alpine resorts, are unfamiliar with waxing technique, and performance is not a major concern, then the latter may be the best option.

For track skiing you should look for a ski that has little or no sidecut, i.e. the width of the ski is about the same all the way down the length. Sidecut helps skis to turn, but you do not generally need skis that turn for use on tracks. Width of track skis varies a little but most makes are 45-50 mm. There are several manufacturers of track skis including Atomic, Fischer and Asnes.

Fortunately there are only a limited number of bindings on the market for track skis, so selection is fairly straightforward: most Alpine resorts will use Salomon bindings whilst in Scandinavia they tend to prefer Rottefella. There is really not a lot to choose between the two makes, but what is important is that you buy a boot that is compatible with the binding, so do check this if buying boots separately.

Boots for track skiing should be light and comfortable, rather like a training shoe with a special toe-piece. Ensure that they fit snugly when wearing ski socks: some people like to wear two pairs whilst others only wear one, but do try on boots whilst wearing your usual quota. Unless you intend to skate as well as ski classic-style you only need boots with a low cuff, though a higher cuff will give you better ankle support.

Poles are very light and made of metal alloy or carbon-fibre, with a plastic basket and plastic or leather grip. You should choose a pole that is long enough to reach up to your armpit. Swix and Komperdell are the two main manufacturers for track poles.

Skating Equipment
Most cross-country skiers who develop an interest in racing will find that they need to invest in special performance equipment. If you want to race in both classic and skating style, or just skating, then you will need to buy a set of suitable skis and boots. Skating skis are shorter and lighter than classic skis, and are narrower at the tip and tail than in the centre. They are also without exception all waxable skis as you require maximum glide for performance - you cannot skate efficiently on waxless skis. Again most ski manufacturers include at least one special model in their range suitable for skating.

Skating boots have a much higher cuff than classic boots and have semi-rigid plastic supports around the heel and ankle in order to give greater power and propulsion. They are considerably more expensive than classic boots. Bindings are the same as for classic. Skating poles are longer than classic poles, a little above shoulder height, in order to give greater leverage and propulsion, and baskets usually smaller.

Light Touring Equipment
These are ideal for those skiers who want to mix track skiing with some off-track work, but who are not interested in mountain touring. They are suitable for exploring Alpine valleys away from the tracks, gently rolling Norwegian fjells, or Scottish forest tracks. Skis may be waxable or waxless, but the main distinguishing feature that differentiates them from track skis is that they are all wider and have sidecut of typically 5 - 10 mm. This gives them greater flotation in the unconsolidated snow of off-track conditions and also helps to turn the ski. They also have 3/4 or full metal edge to grip on ice conditions.

Boots and bindings can be the same as for track skis, though boots should be slightly beefier than the ordinary track skiing boot and should have some ankle support and plastic reinforcement. Poles should also ideally be a bit more robust than for track work.

Mountain Touring Equipment
If you want to do some serious touring rather than the occasional foray off-track you will need to invest in proper mountain touring equipment. This is much heavier and more durable than track skiing gear, and will allow you to tackle steep terrain and deep snow. The past 10 years have seen much greater development and innovation in touring equipment than in any other branch of cross-country skiing, much of it led by the North American market.

Previously mountain touring skis were 10 - 20 mm wider than track skis; now they can be more than double the width, often with sidecut of 20 mm or more. Many of the skis on the market are wider than 100 mm at the tip, and look very similar to downhill skis. As well as a large amount of sidecut all touring skis have metal edges and many are single-cambered (also like downhill skis) in order to facilitate easier turning. Unfortunately a ski that is single-cambered will considerably reduce kick and glide on flat sections, so if you are buying skis solely for touring in Scandinavia you might want to select a traditional double-cambered ski. There are several good makes of mountain touring ski but among the best are Asnes, Atomic, and Fisher.

Touring boots have altered radically in design in recent years. Until the mid-90s boots were all made of leather but the introduction of plastic telemark boots has revolutionised mountain touring. Now many skiers have turned to plastic for the extra power and control that they offer. Most new boots coming onto the market are plastic or part plastic and nylon/leather, like the Alpina 2050 + 1550. They are very popular.

Bindings have also improved dramatically in the last few years. Until the late 80s all touring bindings were based on the 3-pin New Nordic Norm system, this has changed. However the renaissance of the cable binding and the development of releasable bindings for Nordic skis have added enormously to skiing power, stability and safety. The new bindings are very sophisticated and quite pricey: consider the Rottefella Riva III for a sturdy but simple cable binding.

Poles for mountain touring are much stronger and heavier than track poles. The Asnes Mountain pole is perhaps the most popular on the market, while adjustable poles have become increasingly popular - Komperdell is one of the best makes.

Telemark equipment suitable for piste skiing
The term telemark was originally used for the turn developed by Sondre Norheim in the Telemark region of southern Norway during the last century. When people now refer to telemark equipment they can mean gear suitable for mountain touring or that suitable for piste skiing with a free heel. This section deals with the latter.

There are an increasing number of Nordic skiers whose sole aim is to ski on downhill pistes using telemark equipment, and for that you need a special type of ski and boot. The ski must be single-cambered with plenty of sidecut for carving turns, and shorter than a normal touring ski. Most of the manufacturers of touring skis also make special telemark skis, but among the best are those made by Asnes, Madshus and Atomic.

Telemark boots suitable for piste skiing are all made of plastic and closely resemble a downhill boot. Although they have now started to dominate the touring market (see above) they were originally designed for the piste. There are several models that are solely for piste use.

Bindings for telemark skis tend to be the same as for touring, but increasingly skiers are using a releasable binding (see above) in order to reduce the risk of injury. As far as poles are concerned, many telemark skiers use a downhill pole as there is no need for special cross-country poles.

Suppliers
So now you have decided to take the plunge and buy your first set of gear.

For most LRNSC club members the closest supplier is Euroski (formerly Alpina Euroski), owned by club member Tom Jones. Euroski are particularly strong on track-skiing and racing equipment but have expanded their stock of touring gear for winter. They are agents for Madshus skis and Alpina boots, and also have a agent on Asnes skis. They also supply a wide range of roller-skiing equipment and, new for this winter, are offering a ski hire service. On top of this, they are agents for Fischer and Atomic skis, Salomon boots and bindings plus Rottefella equipment.

If you have any questions or want to place an order, you can e-mail Tom using the address at the top of the page. Soon you will also be able to buy directly from the website.