Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills for Fun and Fitness (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert) (Paperback)

by Steve Hindman (Author) "It takes some effort to achieve the relaxed joy of gliding over the snow on skis..." (more)
Key Phrases: angled ski, compact skis, telemark stance, Fischer Skis, The Mountaineers Books, Great Glen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An indispensable source of information on the subject." -- Steppin’ Out

"From the first time you step into your bindings to mastering the stride..Steve Hindman has you covered." -- Cross-Country Skier Magazine

"Hindman has written a book that gives people, including families, reason to be outside.." -- Klamath Falls Herald & News

"This book is another definitive guide of the sport.." -- Adirondack Sports & Fitness

Product Description
For the novice to intermediate cross-country skier: instruction by a former member of the PSIA National Nordic Demonstration Team

* Technique demonstrated with step-by-step photos

* Special learning activities reinforce instruction

* Sidebars for trouble-shooting common problems and matching technique to terrain and snow conditions

* Tips for helping kids fall in love with the sport

From the first time you step into your bindings to mastering the stride, the glide, and the skate: Steve Hindman has you covered. As a fully certified instructor, he's introduced hundreds of people to the sport; and also contributed to the last two instruction manuals on nordic skiing for the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Here he shares the same tips he uses on the snow to help you have more fun whether you're setting out for a city park, looking for family fun at a groomed ski area, or heading into the backcountry to set your own track.

This comprehensive guide covers equipment and accessories, waxing for grip and glide, training and conditioning, snow camping, route finding, and avalanche awareness. It will take you from how to fall (and how to get up again), through classic and skate skiing basics (including stance, poling principles, and downhill tactics), and up to more advanced variations of the sport.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (October 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898868629
• ISBN-13: 978-0898868623
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #521,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent comprehensive primer on enjoying the snow via skis, March 4, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Aspiring skiers will love Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills For Fun And Fitness: it joins others in Mountaineers' 'Outdoor Expert' series, providing a long-time PSIA instructor's techniques using step-by-step photos and learning activities to back instruction. Common problems receive sidebars of easily-accessed information, while technique is surveyed for different terrain and snow conditions. Cross-Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills For Fun And Fitness: isn't just about technique, though: it includes games, health concerns, and tips on selecting skis and clothing. An excellent comprehensive primer on enjoying the snow via skis.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent XC ski book, January 20, 2007

By	David J. Uherka - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Steve Hindman's book is an outstanding introduction to Nordic skiing. He starts from scratch, describing the types of skis and bindings, and showing you how to get started for the first time. He then gradually progresses to the more advanced techniques of efficient and enjoyable cross country skiing. I have been Nordic skiing for 26 years without much instruction, and I learned a lot from the book. I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great motivator, November 2, 2008

By	Tezza "Tezza" (USA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent, shall we say "classic" book on XC skiing.

I would recommend it to anyone, either as a learning tool, a motivator, or just a classic text for your library.

The photos are great and you can tell that the text is written by someone who not only knows his stuff but has a passion for it.

The only minor quibble is the section on telemark turning. If your interested in telemark, your probably better off buying one of the two books recommended that concentrate on telemark technique.