In my last post I mentioned roller skiing as a prime fall activity that many experienced skiers use to stay in shape, and to get ready for the ski season. Those of you new to cross country skiing likely haven’t heard much, if anything, about roller skiing. I know I hadn’t when I started in the sport. In short, it’s the dryland equivalent to cross country skiing.

A roller ski is made of a lightweight piece of material (usually aluminum) approximately 60-100 cm in length with a wheel mounted on each end.

A cross country ski binding is mounted in the center of the aluminum frame. Your cross country ski boots click into the bindings, and away you go. There are both classic and skate technique roller skis, and you basically emulate your on snow ski technique.

History

I wasn’t sure about how roller skiing evolved so I plugged it into my search engine and found some help on Wikipedia. Roller skis were first built in the 1930’s in Italy and Northern Europe. Can you imagine what those looked like? As cross country skiing began to evolved in the 1950’s roller skiing filled the need for a good summer training method. In the 1970’s a standard emerged where roller skis had 1 wheel at the front and 2 at the rear. Click on this link to have a look courtesy of the Canadian Museum of Nordic Sport. https://images.app.goo.gl/qX6kiq61x9XyAsHr9

Roller skiing started with classic ski . A ratchet or one way bearing was needed to mimic the kick or grip of the ski wax on the snow. Classic roller ski wheels are approximately 75 mm wide, and are more similar to the width or a cross country ski.

When skate technique was introduced to the sport, a new design of roller ski was created . You now had 1 wheel at each end of the frame, and the wheels themselves were narrower (24 mm ), but with a larger diameter. In addition, the metal frames were shorter when compared to classic frames. Undoubtedly, the introduction of skate technique also resulted in lighter materials being used for the frames.

Today, you will find roller skis made of light but durable materials such as aluminum and carbon fibre, and the wheels of rubber, polyurethane or even pneumatic (inflatable) tires.

Required Equipment

Here is a list of the items you will need to get started with roller skiing.

• roller skis
• ski poles
• ski boots
• bike helmet
• gloves
• knee and elbow protection
• high visibility vest, shirt or jacket
• roller ski pole tips

Roller Skis

In most clubs, be they large or small, you are likely to find members who roller ski. Many clubs will have a supply of roller skis, that they utilize in their club programs. My club has decided to invest in this so we have quite a number of pairs that we loan out at our roller ski sessions to our young skiers, new coaches, or those just wanting to try it out. As athletes get older and move into the competitive stream where they are spending quite a bit of time training on roller skis, many will purchase there own. This is what I did when my daughter was training quite a lot in the off season. If you’re interested in purchasing roller skis I recommend you first talk to your club coaches, your local cross country ski shop or do some research on line.

Boots, Poles and Pole Tips

Most people will have the first two items: ski boots and ski poles. Just make sure that the poles are the correct height. The same guidelines apply as for skiing on snow.

If roller skiing is going to become a regular summer activity for you, you may may wish to buy a set of roller ski pole tips. They are tougher than regular baskets with tips as they are made out of heavy duty plastic. They have a sharp carbide steel tip to help you get a bite into the hard surfaces (asphalt or cement) you will be roller skiing on. If you own higher quality poles already you will have carbide steel tips on your pole baskets, but lower quality poles will have tips made out of softer metals. Asphalt (pavement) will dull them very quickly and it will become increasingly difficult to plant your skin pole.

Safety Items

This covers bike helmet, high visibility clothing, gloves, and elbow and knee protection. Helmets and high visibility clothing are a must have for the obvious reasons.

More optional items are gloves, knee and elbow protection. Gloves can be cycling gloves, ski gloves or even work gloves. All will work but the first two will be most comfortable. They will protect against blister from the pole handles and straps, but also protect your hands if you fall. Believe me, everyone will fall, especially in the beginning, so it’s good to have some hand protection.

Knee and elbow protection are a good idea especially when we are starting out with this activity. They can help to minimize the potential for injuries. As you gain confidence and competence, you will likely not need to wear them. However, it’s a personal decision.

If you are roller skiing with your club, or as part of an organized group, you will likely have some safety policy that will guide you. Check with your group leaders about this.

How to Stop

A safety item that’s important to show beginners before they get rolling is how to stop. It’s really like skiing in that sense. You don’t want to get started down that first hill and realize that you don’t know how to stop. Not to worry, there are a few ways you can slow yourself down and stop.

One way is to assume a wider stance (feet wider apart) and press each foot (and roller ski) sideways. Keep the skis parallel to each other. This will slow you down to a stop.

A second method is to take advantage of any grassed areas next to the path you are on. Just roll out onto the grass, and the increased friction will certainly slow and stop you.

A third way is to drag one roller ski behind you perpendicular to the rolling ski. You’re basically forming a T and dragging the wheels sideways. This method takes more agility and experience.

A fourth way is more about the type of roller skis you may have. Some types come with a friction brake. It’s a device that will put friction on a wheel and slow down your speed.

All of these techniques will require a bit of practice to master, so it’s a good idea to first practice on gentle terrain.

Other Safety Tips

• Always wear high risibility clothing and a helmet.
• Select low vehicle traffic areas such as multi use pathways, and lesser used roadways.
• Start on flat or gently rolling terrain. As you grow your skill you can add in stepper grades.
• Avoid areas with old and broken pavement. Newer pavement means smoother rolling pavement.
• Follow all traffic laws and path rules.

Classic or Skate

I see many people starting out with skate technique roller skis as that is what they have access to or as that is the technique they want to train. However, it is actually easier to begin with classic roller skis for the simple reason that the wheels are wider. They are more similar to balancing on a cross country ski. Now compare that to the thinner skate roller ski wheels and imagine balancing on that skinny wheel. I should qualify my comment about thinner wheels for skate technique. That is predominantly what I have seen. However, you can get skate roller skis with wider wheels similar to the classic roller skis.

The Benefits of Roller Skiing

Roller skiing has a number of great benefits.

• It’s an excellent cardiovascular workout.
• It’s a full body workout just like cross country skiing on snow.
• It’s easy on the joints, i.e. low impact.
• Anyone can do it.
• It’s a great way to unwind after a long day.
• You can do it anywhere. However, some places are safer than others (see above).
• It’s an excellent way to train for cross country skiing on snow.

To sum up, roller skiing is a prime off season way to stay fit and practice your cross country ski technique. You can train your upper body for skiing in a way that can’t really be duplicated by anything else.

Now I had best go spend some more time on my roller skis.

See you on rollers.

Roy, The XC Ski Guy