Thursday, October 1, 2026
In the first installment of this two-part series, we pushed against the idea that cross-country skiing has somehow found some final forms that completely serve most skiers’ every needs. We looked at new (and sometimes very old) ways to climb, turn, recover, and keep rhythm when terrain or snow throws us a curve – ways not taught elsewhere.
If you tried even one of those ideas, you probably felt something: more options… maybe even more fun.
And if someone told you it was unnecessary or “not how it’s done,” that’s predictable. Sadly, XC ski culture is not known for imagination or messing around. The main moves are, of course, still most important, but there’s so many more moves that can help us boost our experience, solving little problems here and there.
In this second installment, we look at style choices, skating variations, touring identity, and a few kinds of snowplay that remind us skiing isn’t only about efficiency — it’s about expression.
Because once you realize you have more options to help with needs you have even if World Cup racers don’t, you’ll probably start layering these moves in with your mainstays.
Often labeled beginner skiing. It isn’t.
On ungroomed trails: Both skis like staying on the snow longer. The rear ski doesn’t swing far up or back. The kick comes later and softer. Poles plant a bit wider. The torso stays more upright. Our movements spread our efforts around instead of concentrating it into race timing.
This especially adds stability on uneven surfaces.
Touring gear — wider skis, flexier poles, sturdier boots — encourages a longer, swoopier rhythm. This allows easy turning and handling in varied snow. Wider pole-plants have a bit of outrigger to them because you’re looking around more, chatting with friends. Touring skiers actually hardly ever doublepole (unless they start playing with Striding Doublepole) because it bogs down in soft, ungroomed snow.
Certainly, the Touring Stride doesn’t climb hills very well. That’s when you transition to closely-timed mechanics with bent arms and flexed ankles. But for backwoods flow, the Touring Stride is elegant.
Adapt your style to your equipment and terrain. That’s good skiing. It’s not beginner, it’s high level.
Step 1: The Touring Stride is a lot like walking, but with a glide and a swing. Head up. Good for carrying a pack and being ready for a changing trail.
Step 2: The hands are kept more in front in the Touring Stride. They work a bit like outriggers.
Step 3: Standing up means you don’t flex as much, so a touring kick is shorter and the returning foot sets down sooner, letting you feel the nuances of an ungroomed trail underfoot. You don’t always have the easiest ski control on an ungroomed trail. Keep yourself centered and be prepared!
V1 (Offset) is usually taught as a single technique. In reality, it has multiple expressions.
You can milk the glide Marathon Scooter-style, focusing on a ski that’s running best, if you like. You can stand taller in Ride’n’Glide mode for relaxing on the flats of longer outings. You can use Modern V1 with wider, equal poling effort and a wider stance for moderate climbs. You can widen, quicken and lighten even more into “Gorilla” V1 for steeper uphills. Add a small hop from the weak side to preload the power side for bursts and you get Hopskate.
Fatigue all by itself will naturally encourage you to rotate between these modes. Why not understand them consciously?
V1 is stable, adaptable. It covers terrain that V2 and V2A struggle with when you’re tired. And it isn’t just one thing. The official line says V2A for top speed and V2 for gradual uphills: but both can overwhelm skiers who’ve been out awhile and they are well-served to fall back on, or mix it up with, the stable “bone-on-bone” of V1 variants.
Check it out in this amateur phone video I made:
Ski a compact figure-8 loop in an area of fresh snow. About 20x30 feet. Two long strides straight. Several Swing-tail Turns around. Cross your track. Repeat.
Each lap packs the snow faster. Speed increases. Your turns start loading up G-forces – especially that first dive into the turn off your mini-straightaway. You carve your own play course.
This kind of zooming builds turning power and rhythm. And it’s fun enough that you’ll forget it’s a drill.
Ski jumping doesn’t belong only on TV. It’s for you!
Tramp-up a narrow wedge (2’x8’x10”) on the side of a downhill, halfway down a slope that’s off the main trail. Make sure your landing is also downhill, never flat. You’ll glide in without noticing the ramp, push off the end, and find yourself floating a foot or two over the snow, with your tips drifting up a bit, then touching-down softly maybe 8 feet down-slope. Scissor your feet into a telemark stance for a confident landing. It’s no big deal, but it’s sure a thrill! And it’s the same concept that the real jumpers use.
The downhill landing is what makes it safe and smooth. Flat landings are harsh and hazardous.
Small scale. Big joy.
Ski-in your own chicaned trail in a tasty forest landscape. Stride around slightly downhill bends so only one ski track forms at a time.
You’ll notice skis make straight lines. Groomers force curves. When you set your own path, glide flows out freely. Skiing-in your own trails reconnects skiing with creativity. Find your own favorite flow lines! After the spring corn season, all traces melt away…
The joy of a singletrack trail, skied-in for a sweet “pure ski” feeling anywhere you like.
Some of these moves are old. Some were simply unnamed. Nearly all will be new to you. This approach to techniques can open our eyes to creating our own moves that solve our own personal wish-lists for good ski feelings!
A few people may resist them. But skiing evolves when everyday skiers experiment and keep what works for them.
If a technique makes a hill more interesting, rescues a slip, helps you climb a gully, or adds rhythm to a long tour, it deserves a place in your toolkit.
Cross-country skiing isn’t finished. It’s only limited to those who allow it. It’s free-range fun for everyone else!
Editor’s Note: The ski skills presented here may differ from official techniques. These skills may have applications in ski experiences not always encountered on well-groomed trails. Cross country ski enthusiasts have watched ski technique evolve at the World Cup level. Many skiers may not be capable of, or interested in, adopting all of the currently accepted racing techniques, especially when not racing. The skills presented here are offered as options for skiers exploring new ways to improve their cross country skiing experiences.
…Jeff Potter bikes, boats, bikes and skis in mid-Michigan, where winter is now short enough that he wants the most fun from every outing. He’s author of New Wave Nordic Skiing, publisher of the OutYourBackdoor website and channel, and host of “Nordic Skiing” on Facebook. (He hopes someone designs a fun, compact Nordic course concept to fit alongside an Alpine slope so they can profitably share their snowmaking!)
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