Re: Confused about skating technique names
- From: "Peter H." <phoffman@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 18 Mar 2006 18:26:21 -0800
The terminology has been sorted out well by JFT.
But you ask about the difference between offset and 2-skate,
(using Canuck terminology, if I may). This is a natural question,
since the poling frequency easily distinguishes the other techniques
from each other, and from these two. But it doesn't distinguish
these two from each other. So here's an incomplete
list of things which do distinguish them:
Offset is a low gear, 2-skate is a high gear
WCer's do offset only on quite steep climbs (unless the snow is very
slow), but use 2-skate on much flatter terrain
The plant positions of the poles are directly opposite each other
in 2-skate (i.e. "parallel" some people say), whereas one pole
is planted further down the hill (which one being obvious when you try
it) in offset. (I'm not quite sure what those subjects of the sports
"scientists" did when they were instructed to do offset on a flat
fast trail, so that the scientists could produce some meaningless
comparisons and publish a paper---but I digress.)
The pole push is pretty much exactly simultaneous with placing
one ski (the "strong" side) on the snow in offset. But in 2-skate,
the pole push is initiated while gliding.
Much more could be said here, and Gene perhaps will.
Obviously, there is a continuum of possible 'techniques' which one
could imagine, starting with offset and ending with 2-skate. So you
will 'hear' some arcane discussions about this sort of thing (e.g.
Mogren's skating style some years back) if you stay on this NG
for long enough. We seem to have had very little of that recently.
Perhaps skating technique is finally stabilizing.
We also had some debate/discussion a few years back, if you want
to look it up, about whether one should always push directly back,
or push parallel to the gliding ski. The pole planted further down the
hill in offset generally won't be pushing directly back, for reasons
which become obvious when you try it, but I was never unconvinced
that that was the only exception, i.e. push in the direction you want
to go, not parallel to the gliding ski. And that weak pole in offset
should push back as much as possible without tripping yourself
up or planting it too far out to the side.
There is yet another technique which wasn't listed, perhaps because
it can be regarded as a very vigorous version of offset. It has been
called "hop-skate" and "jump-skate", since you'll be able to see
both skis in the air simultaneously. Look for it especially on steep
climbs in sprint races. The technique video from XCZone has some
good shots from the rear of this (which I like especially because one
the two skiers is an acquaintance who skied for the university where
I work, and was about the best male university skier in Ontario
for a season or two!)
I hope others will help complete this incomplete list,
and offer corrections to anything which sounds incorrect.
Best, Peter
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Confused about skating technique names
- From: John Forrest Tomlinson
- Re: Confused about skating technique names
- References:
- Confused about skating technique names
- From: Jan Gerrit Klok
- Confused about skating technique names
- Prev by Date: Re: Confused about skating technique names
- Next by Date: Before Scandinavia: These could be the first skiers. . .
- Previous by thread: Re: Confused about skating technique names
- Next by thread: Re: Confused about skating technique names
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
|
