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Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing (or XC skiing) is to travel over snow-covered terrain using skis. Cross country skiing can be a recreational activity or a sport. The sport of cross-country skiing was developed by Danish-Norwegian, Carl SchackĀ  Rantzau.

cross-country skiier at the Calgary Olympics cross-country skiing

There are two different styles used in cross-country skiing, classical style and freestyle events. In classic style, the skiers propel themselves by striding forward, while in freestyle they can use the side-to-side movement in a skating motion. In both styles, the athlete's movement forward is aided by the arms pushing on ski poles against the snow.

The skis used in cross-country are lighter and narrower than used for downhill skiing, and the skis also differ for classical and freestyle events. Classical skis are waxed to make them tackier, while the skis used for freestyle events are more slipperier. The ski boots used for competition are also lighter than the recreational shoes. The different styles are used on different surfaces: the classic is best on undisturbed and tracked snow, while skate skiing is used on firm, smooth snow surfaces.

There are also cross-country skiing marathon events organized by the Wordloppet Ski Federation, also there are cross country ski orienteering events which is organized by the International Orienteering Federation. Some of the popular international competitions are the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, and the Winter Olympic Games.



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