KINES 100 • section I1
outdoor adventure

kines 100 syllabus
kines 100: extra credit
backpack equipment list
cold weather clothes
cold season
inline safety
leave no trace
snorkle/ scuba
trail tips
trip planning
x-country skiing
ski sizing
belay techniques
basic climbing principles

KINES 107 • section A1
canoeing

kines 107 syllabus
kines 107: extra credit

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING - THE BASICS

WHY PEOPLE X-C SKI :
NATURAL SPORT, FREEDOM, CAN ENJOY THE WINTER OUTDOORS,
SAFE, QUIET, GOOD EXERCISE, CHALLENGE, INDEPENDENCE, LESS EXPENSIVE, SKI ANYWHERE

HISTORY OF -XC SKIING :
CALLED NORDIC SKIING...DATES BACK TO 3000-2000 BC STARTED PREDOMINANTLY IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION DURING THE LONG WINTER MONTHS ... FOR GETTING AROUND IN THE SNOW TO HUNT, TRAVEL AND TO MAKE WAR.
1856 - JOHN 'SNOWSHOE' THOMPSON MADE HIS NAME AS A SKIER CARRYING MAIL OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA MTNS. 90MILES IN 3 DAYS AND BACK FOR 20 YEARS. Early 1900's in Canada & across The North "Jackrabbit" Johannson spread the word about x-c and became known AS the Father of x-c skiing in North America.

X-C SKI EQUIPMENT :

X-C SKIS :
HOW THEY WORK - CAMBER, THE NATURAL BOW/CURVE/ARCH OF THE SKI ASSISTS IN DISTRIBUTING THE SKIERS WEIGHT OVER THE SKIS LENGTH . duel purpose of camber:

1. TO HOLD THE PERSON OFF THE SNOW FOR GLIDING ON THE
TIPS AND TAILS OF THE SKI ... THE SKI IS UNWEIGHTED
OR WEIGHT IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED.

2. TO FORCE DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE SKI SO IT TOUCHES
THE SNOW AND GRIPS IN ORDER TO PUSH FOREWARD FOR
FOR PROPULSION ... THE SKI IS WEIGHTED.
TYPES OF X-C SKIS - RACING, LIGHT TOURING, TOURING,
BACKCOUNTRY/MOUNTAINEERING

SKI BOTTOMS - TYPES

1. WAXABLE - ABLE TO WAX FOR ANY TYPE OF CONDITIONS
FOR BETTER GRIP AND GLIDE, BETTER PERFORMANCE AND
SPEED ... TAKES TIME TO WAX,MESSY AT TIMES & TAKES PRACTICE

2. WAXLESS - NO NEED TO WAX, A PATTERN OR MECHANI-
CAL DEVICE IS BUILT ONTO THE SKI TO GRAB THE SNOW.
THESE ARE EASIER( NO MESS) TO USE, WORKS WELL AT
30-32 DEGREES,GOOD FOR BEGINNER OR IF USING OCCA-
SIONALLY, CONVENIENT, BETTER GRIP AT TIMES ... OVER-
ALL SLOWER,THEY WHISTLE FROM PATTERN TOUCHING
THE SNOW, PATTERN WEAR.

SELECTING X-C SKIS - FIRST DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF SKIING
YOU WILL BE DOING, HOW MUCH SKIING AND HOW OFTEN,
WHAT IS YOUR PROFICIENCY, AND MAYBE WHERE YOU
WILL BE SKIING.

1. LENGTH - MEASURE TO WRIST OF ARM EXTENDED
OVERHEAD FOR AN APPROXIMATE LENGTH.

2. NEXT TEST THE CAMBER FOR YOUR WEIGHT -
A. BASE OF SKI TO BASE OF OTHER SKI,SQUEASE
TO SEE HOW STIFF IT IS(LIGHT/SOFT,HEAVY/STIFF).
B. PIECE OF PAPER UNDER BOTH SKIS AS YOU STAND
ON THEM WITH YOUR WEIGHT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AND SEE IF THE PAPER CAN BE PULL OUT (BUT BARELY).
C. ACTUAL USE OF SKIS WITH WAX TO SEE IF THE
WAX WEARS EVENLY.
D. SKI SHOPS MIGHT ALSO HAVE A PRESSURE GAUGE DEVICE TO HELP SELECT THE SKI FOR YOUR BODY TYPE.

BINDINGS :
PERMIT THE HEEL OF THE BOOT TO LIFT OFF THE SKI IN
THE SAME MOTION AS WALKING, THEY AFFORD THE
MAXIMUM FREEDOM OF THE FEET AND STILL PROVIDE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF SKI CONTROL FOR MANUVERING.

CONTACT SYSTEMS - TOE PIECE OF BOOT IS SECURED TO A BINDING WHICH BENDS(FLEXES) THEREFORE MORE
EXTENSION IS POSSIBLE AND LESS WEAR ON THE FOOT.
LIGHT WEIGHT, NARROW.

X-C SKI BOOTS :
ALL KINDS , NEED TO MATCH THE BOOT TO THE BINDING,
LEATHER OR COMBINATIONS, PADDED, INSULATED, HIGH/
LOW CUT, RUNNING SHOE STYLE, HEAVY BOOT STYLE
FIT - TRY ON WITH THE SOCKS YOU WILL BE SKIING IN
(THICK WOOL OUTER,THIN POLYPRO LINER), LOOK
FOR COMFORT AND SECURE HEEL, SHOULD HAVE
EXTRA TOE SPACE (1/2 INCH + ) SO TOES DO NOT JAM
OR GET PINCHED, BOOTS SHOULD NOT BE TIGHT SO
AIR CAN CIRCULATE TO KEEP THE FOOT WARM ...
MAKE SURE THE BOOT FITS THE BINDING ON THE SKI.

X-C SKI POLES :
USED FOR PROPULSION(TO PUSH SELF), BALANCE,STABILITY,
AND FOR TURNING AND FOR SLOWING DOWN.
PARTS - grip, shaft, basket, tip, straps
FIT - MATCH THE POLES TO THE TYPE OF SKIING YOU
WILL BE DOING ... LENGTH - POLE SHOULD COME UP
TO THE ARMPIT WHEN MEASURED FROM THE FLOOR
FOR DIAGONAL STRIDE SKIING .
HOW TO HOLD THE POLES - PUT HAND THRU THE STRAP,
OPEN HAND WITH THE STRAP AROUND THE BACK OF
THE HAND MOVING TO THE PALM WITH THE TIP OF
THE GRIP BETWEEN THE THUMB AND THE FORE FINGER.

STORAGE OF X-C SKIS -
1. CLEAN SKIS - REMOVE WAX
2. REPAIR SKIS - GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR
3. STORE IN DRY PLACE LESS THAN 104 DEGREES,
BLOCK THE CAMBER IN THE SKIS.

WAXING X-C SKIS
WHY WAX ? FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE AND TO PROTECT
THE SKIS.
THE WAXING IDEAL - THE CORRECT WAX AND APPLICATION
LETS YOU ...
1. KICK AND GLIDE ON THE FLAT.
2. CLIMB UPHILL WITHOUT SLIPPING BACKWARD.
3. SKI DOWNHILL ON EASILY GLIDING SKIS.

WAX BOTH GRIPS AND GLIDES (MECHANICS OF WAX)

1. GRIPS - THE MICROSCOPIC IRREGULARITIES IN THE SNOW
DIG INTO THE WAX JUST ENOUGH TO GIVE THE MOTIONLESS AND WEIGHTED SKI GRIP(STATIC FRICTION).

2. GLIDES - WHEN THE SKI IS IN MOTION THE SNOW
IRREGULARITIES DO NOT BITE INTO THE WAX,
BECAUSE THE FRICTION OF THE SKI ON THE SNOW
WARMS THE SNOW TO FORM A THIN LAYER OF MOISTURE UPON WHICH THE SKI GLIDES(DYNAMIC FRICTION).

WAX - DIFFERENT KINDS FOR DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS

1. BASE WAX - TO PROTECT THE SKI AND HOLD ON OTHER
WAXES ... VARY HARD WAXES.

2. GLIDE WAXES - VERY HARD WAXES TO GIVE BETTER
GLIDE ... APPLIED TO THE TIPS AND TAILS.

3.RUNNING/KICK WAXES - WAXES THAT GRIP THE SNOW
SO SKIER CAN PUSH ... APPLIED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE SKI.

A. HARD (DRY-COLD) WAXES - WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS COLDER SNOW PARTICLES ARE STIFFER AND CAN
BITE INTO HARDER WAXES FOR GRIP ... TOO SOFT
OF WAX WOULD GRAB TOO MUCH.
B. SOFT (WARM-WET) WAXES - WHEN WARMER THE
SNOW IS SOFTER AND CAN NOT BITE HARD WAX SO
MUST USE A SOFTER WAX.
C. KLISTER - IS VERY SOFT WAX MIXTURE(LIKE HONEY)
USED FOR REAL WARM CONDITIONS, WET SETTLED
SNOW AND FOR ICE.
WAX SYSTEMS -

1. TWO WAX SYSTEM - COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF TEM-
PERATURES AND SNOW CONDITIONS, HAVING A
DRY/COLD WAX AND A WET/WARM WAX.

2. FULL-RANGE WAX SYSTEM - WHERE THERE ARE SPECIFIC
WAXES FOR SPECIFIC TEMPURATURES AND YOU WAX ACCORDINGLY. THIS SYSTEM GIVES YOU BETTER PERFORMANCE AT ALL TEMPERATURES.