Olympic style Citizen (Loppet) style
The traditional cross country technique in which the skier shifts weight from ski to ski moving with a parallel stride. Going downhill, competitive skiers will step around a corner rather than snow plow like less skilled skiers. On the uphill, grip-wax in the camber of the ski provides grip allowing the ski to stick to the snow preventing the skier from sliding backwards.
A new technique that has developed since the 1980s, the skier shifts weight from ski to ski in a skating motion. The entire ski base is waxed with glide wax allowing the skier to skate up and down hills. Poles are used with each step or every other step depending on th espeed and power required.
Distances skied vary by race type age and gender and vary from 100m for Atom sprints to 50km for long distance mens events.
The competitors are lined up by their bib numbers. They start with their bodies behind the electronic start bar with poles in front. The starter counts down the start time – there is usually 15 or 30 seconds between starts. While the countdown proceeds the racers are held physically until 3 seconds before the start time. Skiers are permitted to start upto 3 seconds before or after the posted start time, the actual time is recorded from the start bar being activated. The skiers bib number is determined from a random draw for each category or racer, eg, midget boys. Usually racers prefer to start later so they know how their competitors are doing.
Skiers are lined up in a series of lanes. The position for which lane and row is determined by a draw. The skiers are given a 30 second warning followed by strart signal (horn or pistol).
Teams consist of 3 or 4 skiers depending on the competition. Each skier will ski a leg of the race, the first leg is a mass start. In some relays, the technique can vary between legs, ie, some legs are skate and some classic.
Pursuits are a combination of two races. The skier's time in the first race determines the their start time in the second race. The first race is usually classic and the second skating. The time between races can vary from one day to continuous. In a continuous pusuit, the racers change skis and poles in a pit stop area before heading out immediately on the second part.
Individual Sprints
Individual sprints start with a qualification round of all the skiers in the category; each skier races the course in an individual start competition. Finish times are used to seed skiers for the heats. Depending on the event either all skiers will take part in the elimination heats or a limited number, eg 16 or 32. In the eleimination heats, three to five skiers race against each other with usually two advancing to the next round. Distances are short, ranging from 100m for Atoms to 1km or so for adult men. Sprints can be classic or skating.
Team Sprints
There are no qualification rounds. Teams of two race four or six laps of the course alternating each lap. Each heat will usually have three to five teams competing against each other with usually two advancing to the next round. As with individual sprints, distances are short, ranging from 100m for Atoms to 1km or so for adult men and technique can be classic or skating.
These are known variously as loppets or ski marathons – the later generally being longer. Technique can be either skating or classic and distance vary by age group. Children generally ski 10km or less while adults ski upto 50km. These events use a mass start for each category and are open to all levels of skier – often there are recreational categories with shorter distances.
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