Downhill Ski Exercises on Nordic Cross Country Equipment

While cross-country skiing is generally less thrill-inducing than its downhill counterpart, some of the techniques from downhill skiing can be done on cross-country gear. This is useful for negotiating small slopes while out in the wilderness on a relaxed cross-country tour, or even on some Nordic trails at cross-country resorts.

  1. Wedge

    • The wedge, or snowplow, is the first turn every skier learns. Many ski instructors teach it to children by telling them to think of a slice of pizza. The snowplow is essentially done by forming a V with the tips of your skis, then pushing out on the skis to slow down. To use the wedge to turn, weight the downhill ski more than the inside ski; if you want to turn right, you weight the left ski, and vice versa for turning right.

      While doing the wedge, practice keeping your shoulders square to the fall line of the slope. The best skiers never move their upper body, turning with the legs while the shoulders face down the hill.

    Half wedge

    • When skiing in a track at a Nordic resort, the wedge can be adopted to slow down by creating a half wedge. To do this, simply lift one ski out of the track and place it on the flat spot outside the track at an angle to the ski that remains in the track. This is a useful technique for controlling speed.

    Parallel

    • Depending on the type of ski boots you have, it is also possible to do a classic parallel turn on cross-country gear. This should only be done with high-topped cross country boots, generally those which are designed for backcountry touring. Do not try this turn on steep terrain on traditional cross-country skis, which lack metal edges.

      During the parallel turn, the skis remain about shoulder width apart and parallel to each other. You can get a feel for the parallel turn by starting with a wedge turn, then bringing the skis to a parallel position in the course of the turn.