4-H CANSKI Suggested Clothing List:
- Hat and gloves (mittens are warmer): wool, fleece, acrylic, etc…
- Wool or synthetic socks (not cotton) – acrylic athletic socks are fine, wool is warmest
- Long underwear or synthetic shirt (not cotton)
- Sweater (preferably poly fleece, wool, or acrylic, etc…)
- Windbreaker or light jacket
- Wind pants
The key here is hat, gloves, and socks. The synthetic shirt can be an old soccer shirt, or polyester top. Target, Army navy, and Walmart sell synthetic T or long underwear tops for about $8-$16. The following items will increase safety and comfort: Windbreakers make sure that the heat is trapped on a windy day (or as you are blasting down a hill!). Wind pants won’t hold moisture like cotton pants will – get synthetic lined wind pants or wear over long underwear. All of these items are easily purchased for around $10-$20, and are useful for many applications besides xc skiing.*
*(You can also spend big bucks on name brand items with nifty logos. That may be nice, but that is not necessary).
SKIS:
For recreational and touring, any skis are fine as long as they fit (camber on skis fits skiers weight and length of ski fits skiers height). Skis that don’t fit are no fun.
For racing, skiers will use one set of skis and poles for skating and a different set for classic ski racing.
Skate skis are shorter than classic and have a different camber (torsionally more stiff). Skate poles are longer than classic poles and this affects your technique greatly.
Combination boots are highly suggested and widely available in youth and adult sizes. Skate boots are tough to classic ski in and classic boots don’t provide enough ankle support for skating.
We recommend that skiers start by buying one set (skate or classic), then add the other on another year. Skiers can bridge the gap using club skis to do the other technique for a year. Skis last a long time (unless there is a big weight or height gain) – up to 20+ years, so the investment in decent equipment can be amortized over the years to make it a reasonable investment. Kids in HS need decent skis that fit, but not world cup skis. Invest in a mid range pair. Put more money into skate poles than classic, as the stiffness of a skate pole affects the skiing more than in classic at a given length. Talk with your club coach if you have questions.
Minimum temperature guideline:
Youth skiing guidelines say not to ski if it is below -5* F ambient or -20* wind chill.