rules to play cross country skiing

With skate skiing, the skier provides propulsion on a smooth, firm snow surface by pushing alternating skis away from one another at an angle, in a manner similar to ice skating. Skate skiing usually involves a coordinated use of poles and the upper body to add impetus, sometimes with a double pole plant each time the ski is extended on a temporarily dominant side (V1) or with a double pole plant each time the ski is extended on either side (V2). Skiers climb hills, using these techniques, by widening the angle of the V and by making more frequent, shorter strides and more forceful use of poles.

Glide waxes enhance the speed of the gliding surface, and are applied by ironing them onto the ski and then polishing the ski bottom. Three classes of glide wax are available, depending on the level of desired performance with higher performance coming at higher cost. Hydrocarbon glide waxes, based on parafin are common for recreational use. Race waxes comprise a combination of fluorinated hydrocarbon waxes and fluorocarbon overlays.Fluorocarbons decrease surface tension and surface area of the water between the ski and the snow, increasing speed and glide of the ski under specific conditions. Either combined with the wax or applied after in a spray, powder, or block form, fluorocarbons significantly improve the glide of the ski and are widely used in cross country ski races.

Skis designed for classic technique, both in track and in virgin snow, rely on a traction zone, called the kick zone, underfoot. This comes either from a texture designed to slide forward, but not backwards, from applied devices, e.g. climbing skins, or from kick waxes. Kick waxes are classified according to their hardness: harder waxes are for colder and newer snow. An incorrect choice of kick wax may cause slipping (too hard for the conditions) or sticking (too soft for the conditions) of the kick zone.Kick waxes generate grip by interacting with snow crystals, which vary with temperature, age and compaction.Hard kick waxes dont work well for snow which has metamorphosed to having coarse grains, whether icy or wet. In these conditions, skiers opt for a stickier substance,

1.5 km sprint; 15 km classical; 50 km freestyle; team sprint; combined pursuit; and 4 x 10 km relay.

1.5 km sprint; 10 km classical; 30 km freestyle; team sprint; combined pursuit; 4 x 5 km relay.

The winner in each event will be the competitor with the best position in that event. The province/territorys three best able bodied positions and the best Para Nordic position for each gender and event will count towards the provincial/territorial ranking point total (if ranked higher than 69th in able bodied and higher than 20th in Para Nordic as indicated in the charts below). Other scores are omitted. Para Nordic positions will be determined by adjusting real time by the percentage for each athlete according to their classification.If there is a tie, points will be shared equally between competitors (i.e. If tied for first then each competitor would receive 97.5 points (100+95)/2). If an athlete does not finish or is disqualified, the athlete does not receive any points.

All Cross Country Ski events at the 2011 Canada Winter Games will take place at Ski Martock in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Ski Martock is located 71 kilometres from the Athletes Village. It consists of a 5 km loop, a 3.75 km loop, a 1 km loop sprint course, and a 1 km loop para course.

An estimated 1.35 million skiers participate in cross country in Canada on an annual basis. The sport represents a $4.4 million industry at the retail level and has strong skier bases across Canada. Cross Country Canada, the national sports governing body responsible for organizing and developing programs from grass roots to Olympic Team members, has a membership of over 340 clubs and 51,000 which include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canadas National Ski Teams and Para Nordic Ski Teams.

Rossignol Oneway Diamond 600 Alloy Exit Cross Country Ski Poles are available in sizes ranging from 53.1 63 inches. They feature epoxy treatment and a carbon layer, helping them stand up to frequent use. The poles are lightweight, yet they still give you plenty of pushing and steering power. They also feature surface heat transfer and protection lacquer.

The Alpina ASC ST Nordic Cross Country Ski Poles are made from aluminum, which helps give them a high level of durability. They are available in sizes ranging from 47.2 63 inches. The poles come with contoured grips and nylon straps, helping to significantly reduce the chances of you losing your grip with them. In addition, the poles have large plastic touring baskets, which help give you a good push.