Quite often, people ask me what is the difference between alpine and cross-country skiing or downhill skiing and cross-country skiing. It always seems strange to me. Growing up as the son of a Vermont ski instructor and ski coach, I thought, people are born with the ability to tell a pleasure pain, sweet and sour, and, of course, the Alpine-Nordic. But then he moved to California, where this knowledge seems less common. Yesterday someone asked me again, so now I write down.
The difference between downhill and cross country skiing pretty simple. Cross-country skiing involves propelling yourself across the rolling terrain under their own power. Alpine skiing, by contrast, involves somehow getting the top of a large hill, then turned and skiing, back down.
cross-country skiing happens attached to the light, thin skis are lightweight and flexible boots. There are two main forms of cross-country skiing. Classic cross-country sort of like running any longer, shuffling stride. cross-country skate skiing is, not surprisingly, more like ice skating where the skier pushing one side to the other.
descent usually involves a much wider skis and more difficult, more rigid boots. A large majority of cases, this implies the ski lift and slide back. Some of us, though to climb using our own resources "climbing skins", a substance which is a way of plush that you stick to climb on skis and remove the descent.
There are two main forms downhill Alpine and Telemark, also known as "Nordic-down" . It used to be that there were large disparities in Telemark gear and equipment like heavy-duty cross-country ski equipment. Now it is more like climbing equipment, except that the boots flex the toes and the joints make it possible to move the heel.
Which brings us to the difference between alpine skiing and cross country skiing .
Cross-country skiing is a technique where the nose is firmly fixed to the ski but the heel free to move. There are basically four forms of cross-country skiing Telemark classic cross-country skiing, cross-country skate skiing and Nordic jumping, where the skiers jump distance is not doing tricks. Telemark There are no events at the Olympics, but the rest of the Nordic events are represented. In addition, biathalon combines cross-country skiing and shooting and an Olympic event.
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using optional Alpine skiing, which captures both the toe and heel of the ski (although it will release in case of a fall or other strong force). There really is only one form of alpine skiing, but there are a lot of variations, including several Olympic events. The Vancouver Games in 2010, these events are slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill racing, moguls and aerials and ski cross freestyle (though in reality, ski cross is a race, are you confused yet?). Most forms of alpine skiing are held downhill skiing, alpine touring but (also known as AT Randonée or skiing) involves climbing under its own power, before skiing down.
So, as you can see, down includes both Alpine and Nordic skiing and Nordic design includes both cross-country and downhill skiing forms. So it is not true that one Nordic cross-country skiing. The most important thing to remember is that all forms of skiing fun, and if it has a kind of skiing, try another sport will really help large. Find an instructor and go have some fun!