Cross-Country Skiing Tips & Tricks for Beginners

(SPEECH)

[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:00:00.00] Text, L.L. Bean Cross-Country Skiing.

(SPEECH)

[00:00:03.06] Hey, Mackensie here, and I'm so excited to go over some fun cross-country skiing tips and tricks for beginners. My friend Kristen, expert ski instructor from our L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Program, has put together some great clips to get us going on skis. Let's skedaddle.

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:00:19.58] Text, Getting Into Your Skis.

(SPEECH)

[00:00:21.90] Let's start with the simplest part getting into your skis. With automatic bindings, all you need to do is point your toe down and press firmly. You'll hear a snap when your boot is secure. With some skis, you may need to flip a clip to hear that snap.

[00:00:35.88] Now, let's talk about some things you can do to get comfortable on skis. There are a few drills you can do to help with your balance. Let's look at what Kristen is doing here. Starting with your skis just a little bit apart, do some easy knee bends. You want to make sure that your hips are directly over your feet. You also want to keep your knees loose and flexible so that they can respond to the conditions.

[00:00:58.38] Next take small baby steps to one side and then to the other. You can also perform a wedge with your skis and slowly turn in a circle. Finally, while standing in place, compress the portion of the ski underfoot directly into the snow. This is where the ski has a fish scale or some other pattern that provides grip. Press down so you can feel the ski grip the snow.

[00:01:21.72] Repeat these drills as often as you can. They will help you feel balanced and comfortable on your skis.

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:01:27.11] Kristen skis.

(SPEECH)

[00:01:28.65] Wow, look at Kristen go. Now that you've worked on your balance, it's time to work on skiing forward. That's how we get to the classic cross-country diagonal stride. Start without your poles. Begin slowly by taking small strides forward with your knees slightly bent.

[00:01:46.95] When gliding on your right ski, your left hand should move forward. Then you switch with your left ski and your right hand moving forward. Put a little spring in your step to help build momentum. Next, try it while holding your poles horizontally. When you stride forward, pretend you're throwing a glass of water. This will help you bring your momentum forward. Finally, when you're feeling comfortable, use the poles by planting them into the snow like Kristen is doing here.

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:02:15.00] Text, Going Up Hills.

(SPEECH)

[00:02:17.40] Personally, when I see a big hill, I'm tempted to say hill no. I get it. Hills can be intimidating, but they don't have to be. Your normal ski stride should work on hills that aren't too steep, but when things get steeper, there are a few ways you can handle it. The first is called the herringbone. Angle your skis into a wedge and start stepping up the hill, transferring your weight entirely from one ski to the other.

[00:02:41.98] You also want to push the inside edge of your skis into the snow a little bit. For this, your poles should be behind you. On really steep hills or in icy conditions, a great technique to use is called the sidestep. Stand perpendicular to the hill, and take small side steps up the hill, making sure the uphill side of your ski is pushing into the snow for maximum traction.

[00:03:06.30] All right, now here comes the best part, heading downhill. But we want to make sure we do it safely and in control. For the first method, you want to drive your skis into the shape of a wedge or a slice of pizza. Have a nice slight bend to your knees, and make sure your hands are in front of you with the tips of your poles behind. It's important to relax your knees and hips. This helps with balance and gives you the ability to respond to the skis and the terrain.

[00:03:33.21] To turn, transfer your weight to your opposite ski. To turn left, transfer your weight to your right ski. To turn right, transfer your weight to your left ski.

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:03:41.75] Turns left and right.

(SPEECH)

[00:03:43.54] On steeper hills, you want to use the sidestep method. Stand perpendicular to the slope and press the uphill edge of your ski into the snow. Remember, it's all about taking small steps. You can't do anything drastic on long skis. So you want to take small steps down the hill.

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:04:00.83] She falls down, then gets back up.

(SPEECH)

[00:04:03.50] Ooh! It's really slippery back here. Yes, you're going to fall. I fall all the time when I'm on skis. Forget frequent flyer. I'm more of a frequent faller. But no worries. It's really easy to get back up and get moving again. A lot of people do what we call the crab walk. That's when they try to get up from the back of their skis, but their skis keep running away from them.

[00:04:28.49] You want to roll over and drop to one knee like you're about to propose. This will get your weight over your feet so you can pop right up. Sometimes, your skis get tangled up. A quick way to fix this is to roll over on your back and straighten out your skis so that they're parallel to each other. Then you can roll back onto one knee and get back up.

[00:04:49.87] You can do this with or without the poles. It depends on what you're most comfortable with. Just remember not to use the poles as leverage to help yourself get up. This could damage your poles or your shoulders. Honestly, sometimes the best thing to do is just take your skis off and put them back on again once you get up.

[00:05:08.41] These tips and tricks will help get you out on the snow. Remember, you don't have to be a good skier to have fun. And the more time you have on the snow, the more fun you will have. So get out there and have some snowy adventures, and I'll ski you later.

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:05:26.38] Walks away carrying skis.

(SPEECH)

[00:05:28.54] For more skiing how-to videos, like how to size cross-country skis, check out our Get Outside guide at llbean.com/outside, or if you're interested in cross-country ski classes, trips, or tours near you, check out our outdoor discovery programs at llbean.com.

[00:05:45.31] [MUSIC PLAYING]

(DESCRIPTION)

[00:05:46.80] Boots, a lantern, a basket, and a radio sit on shelves in a shop. Hats and jackets hang on pegs under the shelves. Numerous pairs of skis of different lengths and design line the walls of the shop. A sign hangs on the wall, reading L.L. Bean.