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Show Lakeside Review South, Wednesday, November 14, 1984 Growing In Popularity , 3B Cross Country, Cross Country Prices Easier on Wallet The Alternative tty Prices on cross country equipment vary, depending on the quality and type of skiing a person plans on doing. APRIL ADAMS Review for deep powder or telemarking, Stall he said. Cross country skiing in Utah is experiencing growing pains right now, according to an assistant manager of a local sports store. The sport is catching on more and more, said Doug Driver of Wolfes Layton Hills Mall sports store. People are finding they can do both alpine and cross country skiing, which is very good aerobic exercise, he said. Skiing cross country is a weight and strength oriented sport, he said. There arc variations to this type of sport. Downhill cross country skiing, known as telemarking is among the most popular, along with touring. Touring skis are about half the width of downhill skis, he explained. For a normal sized person, the ski should hit them right at the elbow if the individual is standing up. Since touring requires covering terrain in a horizontal fashion, skiers need a boot which is flexible, almost like a soft shoe. Most of these boots have a three pin binding, but newer contact system boots provide a leverage point beyond the toe to give a better kick and glide motion, he said. This means you can get where you are going with less effort, but have more control, he said. Light touring is done with a kicking way back and then gliding motion, he described. It resembles an exagerated walking motion, which the skier fairly erect. It helps if the poles are brought way back in this motion, giving more power, he said. For telemarking, weight should be balanced int eh center, with a low center of gravity, he recommended.. Overall, cross country equipment is becoming lighter, slimmer and more trimmed down, Driver said. Telemarking equipment is resembling more and more alpine skiing equipment, with similar The following are some price ranges on equipment from skis to poles to clothes, based on several retail ski outlets. An entry level package, which includes skis, poles, bindings and boots can range from $54 on sale to about $125. Childrens cross country packages start at about $40. A telemark package ranges from about $300 to $400. Tele mark skis cost about $75 to $125, boots are from $30 to $100, and bindings and poles are about $12 each. It is recommended skiers wear several light layers of clothing, with a polypropylene layer worn next to the skin with an outside layer of nylon or wool. A full set of polypropylene underwear costs about $45. Knickers, which allow freedom of knee movement, cost about $30. After just five you'll know why skiing is believing! For downhill cross country, he said wider and heavier skis are used, similar to alpine equipment. He said metal edged skis are often used by downhill cross country skiers, which cut through the snow crust. Patterns on the bases of skis is becoming increasingly popular, he said. The patterns, some in the shape of fish scales, are in the middle of the back of the ski, and are meant to be waxless skis. The point of the patterns is to give a better grip and glide motion. Though good alpine skiers can use longer skis than more intermediate skiers, this is not true for cross country skiers, Driver said. bindings. Heavy-dut- y boots are also used However, cross country skiing for telemarking, he said. Poles for equipment is not standardized as telemarking are about the same alpine equipment is, he said. This can make it confusing for some as those used for alpine skiing. For racing or light touring, he skiers, since different cross counrecommended the poles come to try boots will not fit into different the middle of the shoulder. Most cross country skis, though alpine popular, are fiberglass poles, equipment can, with some adjustthough metal poles are still used ing. Finding the Right Ski Site X-Cou- ntry There are several locations available to cross country ski, according to the Utah Ski Association. Most back country land, such as Wasatch Mountain State Park, if it is forest service owned, can be cross country skied upon. Though officials warn for skiers to watch for avalanches. There are also five touring centers in Utah. Machine groomed trails, for which a fee is charged, are available at Brighton Ski Touring Center and the Piute Creek Cross Country center in Ka-ma- s. Powder Mountain also has a ski touring center, and there is Review Staff In todays scientific, sophisticat- ed world, even recreational ski equipment comes under computerized, expert specifications. Not satisfied to ski on something just above barrel slats of years ago, todays skiers want top of the line specially designed skis. What they know and buy is almost as important as : how well they ski; Or maybe the two are related. The different lines of skis, boots, bindings and even clothing can be confusing to new skiers. To give an idea of what is offered different types of skiers, the groups can be narrowed down into categories of novice, interme- diate, advanced. Novice skiers beginners should ski on soft flexible skis, according to John Bjorkman, Layton Hills Wolfe Sporting Goods Ski Department Manager. He talked about a forgiving one that will allow the skier to make mistakes. Novice skiers need a ski that will not respond too fast when they make mistakes. Flex is determined by the construction of the ski. For instance, flexible beginner skis are constructed of wood laminates or poly-urethan- e. Skis for novices should be head high in height, with preferably a slalom side cut to make turning more easy. Boots for beginners should also be soft and forgiving. The outside shell can be softer than shells of advanced skiers boots. Inside foam liners are designed for comfort and are easy to put on and remove. student will rsciava 6 hours of instruction from qualified instructors like Steve Dourghty. NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATION Park City also has a ski touring center, called White Pine, with a machine groomed nnua trail. Understanding Ski Equipment Is Important as Skill CHERYL ARCHIBALD Each one at Sherwood Hills in Wellsville, near Ogden. But boots should give support at the ankle. The proper boot fit is one where the skiers toes, when he is standing neutral, brush the boot but when leaning forward they pull away. They should be snug laterally, left to right, with no movement. Intermediate skiers need skis with a medium flex designed for more skills and for more aggres sive skiing. The skis should re spond more quickly than those of the beginner. They can be faster, with a base, Bjorkman P-t- ex said. Rigid intermediate and advanced skis are often designed with ribs running the length of the ski and are constructed of hard cast aluminum. Intermediate skiers can use longer skis, about 10 cm over the head. Boots should be a little stiffer, a little less forgiving than beginners boots. They give more support needed in recoveries. Advanced skiers use skis with sharper edges and less flexibility. Their skis are stiffer laterally than those of beginners or intermediate skiers. The base of advanced skis are faster Ptex 2000, ultra base or waxed base. They are built to have less vibration and theyre more stable, responsive and precise. They dont give as easy as beginners skis. Boots for advanced skiers should be more rigid and have little flex. With the more rigid boots, the advance skier can transfer movements directly to the ski with little loss of kinetic energy. The more rigid boot also allows higher angles of leaning, essential to the advanced skier. -- Co-sponso- red e Open to 8 to 17 year e Only 400 openings e Division by Snowbasin and Ogden City Recreation students a.m. olds Inclusive consecutive Saturdays, January 5, 12, 19, 26 & February 2, 1985 hour lesson each Saturday Whether youre a beginner or an advanced skier, the 34th annual ski school is for you. Join the thousands of area youngsters who since 1951 have been introduced Is Dleased to fito the sport of skiing at Snowbasin. The nancially and promortlonally lend Its support along with the new owners of Snowbasin and Ogden City Recreation Division to this Northern Utah tradition. Bus transportation for 282 is available for an additional $1 over the $8.50 fee. Buses will depart from the Ogden Municipal Building West parking lot e 5 I Examiner 'i Standard-Examin- Standard-Examin- er er These will reeach Saturday with students reporting at 8:30 ceive instruction from 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. and buses will return at 3:45 p.m. Students providing their own transportation will meet at the Snowbasin ski school at 12 noon and receive instruction from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Lift tickets are necessary each Saturday and may be purchased at Snowbasin. On the fifth Saturday no instruction will be given but lift tickets will be discounted 50 to ski school participants. Snowbasin will provide a discounted lunch ticket good for hamburger, fries, small drink and a cookie each Saturday for a total of $14. The tickets are good only on the ski school days and are All registration and fees will be handled by Ogden City Recreation, 1220 23rd Street or call them for information, 399-825Register now before you miss out! CLIP AND MAIL OR HAND DELIVER ; |