Dear LAV,

I'm a pretty fast, decent skate skier. I am beginning my second year with the classic technique and am considering the purchase of some Marwe classic rollerskis to help me prepare for the upcoming season. I already use the skate rollerskis.

Anyway, my crazy neighbors say that classic rollerskis are a bad idea and will harm my on-snow technique. They say I should spend the money on new truck tires instead.

What do you think?

Thank you in advance.

Wondering in Wyoming

p.s. I enjoy your blog very much. Why do you dislike Taz Mannix so much?

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Dear Wondering,

Thanks for the note. As always if any of my readers have particular questions (related to skiing... or not) feel free to email me at laura@lauravalaas.com and I would love to answer them.

I'm glad to hear that you're expanding to classic as well as skate; too many people get into skate skiing and miss out on the fine points of classic technique.

Your neighbors are right to be concerned about the effects of classic rollerskiing on your technique, but don't let them dissuade you. Pete Vordenberg advises using classic rollerskis with caution, saying, when I asked him this afternoon: "You can make big improvements with classic rollerskis if you start out with technique sessions-- go out to a hill and work on specific aspects of classic technique. Where it's not helpful is when you just go out for a distance classic ski on rollerskis."

The danger of rollerskiing on classic skis is that it allows you to develop poor kicking habits, something I call being straight up lazy. Rollerskiing allows you to kick late with stupendous results. In order to avoid falling into the lazy trap really focus on a sharp, early impulse in the kick. Try to imagine the pocket of the ski compressing and then springing back up when you whip your leg forward again. I often use double pole kick to work on having an early kick because there's more time to focus on and think about each kick. If you don't think that you can self monitor your technique, classic skiing is still good for gains in ski specific strength. I like to do the occasional flat classic rollerski where I work on my double pole or even do some single-sticking to really tax my core/lats/triceps. If you use classic rollerski for technique work and specific strength work, you'll be much better prepared for skiing this winter.

There is one caveat: if your truck won't be able to get you to the trailhead this winter, you should forget about the rollerskis and buy some new tires otherwise your ski-specific strength won't do you much good! Just try to slip some double pole work on skate skis into your training.

LAV

p.s. Taz had to go up in the sling load because she was overzealous and did all of the grocery shopping and planned meals for 24 people for one week on the glacier, APU punishes overzealous athletes.

p.s.s. Always wear a helmet :)