This past Saturday, we put on cross-country skis and learned how to skate ski. Don’t really understand the difference between skate skiing and classical skiing? Neither did we!
Earlier this winter, we tested out our downhill skiing skills at White Hills Resort. We’ve been working to expand our outdoor winter sport repertoire so we decided to venture into the world of cross-country skiing. On Saturday morning, we hopped in the car and drove out to Butter Pot Provincial Park for some lessons; this is also where we went orienteering last fall.
When we showed up at the Avalon Nordic Ski Clubhouse, we first had to choose whether to learn classical skiing, or skate skiing. We had previously assumed that we could try one of them and if that didn’t work out, we could revert to the other option and keep on going. Not the case; they are very different. Classical skiing is where skiers kick and glide forward, with their arms (and poles) moving opposite their legs, similar to walking. This type mainly involves skiing in parallel tracks, although it is also a common technique for when trails have not been groomed. Meanwhile, skate skiing uses a similar motion to ice skating, with both poles planted at the same time. Skate skiing involves more gliding and is meant for groomed trails. On top of that, the equipment is slightly different with classical skis being a touch longer than skate skis, and classical ski poles being shorter than skate ski poles.
To clarify, those aren’t pictures of us. We’re not in the Olympics - yet.
So when the time came to decide which technique to try out, we opted for skate skiing because, let’s be real, it looks pretty fancy. We started off with the basics - “duck walking”, balance exercises, and snowplowing to go down hills. One key tip when skate skiing is to dig in the inside of both skis, and to push sideways with your whole foot, rather than push backwards with the ball of your foot. It goes against skating instincts so it can be tricky.
So when the time came to decide which technique to try out, we opted for skate skiing because, let’s be real, it looks pretty fancy. We started off with the basics - “duck walking”, balance exercises, and snowplowing to go down hills. One key tip when skate skiing is to dig in the inside of both skis, and to push sideways with your whole foot, rather than push backwards with the ball of your foot. It goes against skating instincts so it can be tricky.
The skis are fairly slippery, so you really have to get the technique down pat, otherwise you’ll slide around like a crazy person (read: Elizabeth), especially when going uphill.
We spent an hour in the sun learning the ins and outs of skate skiing which was exhausting(ly fun). After the lesson, the instructor went back to the clubhouse but we stuck around to practice our newfound skills. Luke picked up skate skiing fairly quickly and was definitely more of a natural than Elizabeth; the instructor complimented her on her perseverance.
We spent an hour in the sun learning the ins and outs of skate skiing which was exhausting(ly fun). After the lesson, the instructor went back to the clubhouse but we stuck around to practice our newfound skills. Luke picked up skate skiing fairly quickly and was definitely more of a natural than Elizabeth; the instructor complimented her on her perseverance.
Overall, we enjoyed learning how to skate ski at Butter Pot and are hoping to practice our skills sometime soon. Although next time we probably won’t wear as much clothes – we were so warm!
Finally, we can’t end the blog post without mentioning our dinner last week at the fanciest restaurant in town - Raymond’s. It opened in late 2011 and has won quite a few awards, including Canada’s Best Restaurant. Raymond’s focuses on local ingredients and reimagining regional Newfoundland cuisine. The food was amazing, obviously, and even the cocktails were a noticeable step above. The atmosphere and service were impressive and we received hefty servings of food, although our wallets probably can’t handle going there often. All in all, a great evening.
Finally, we can’t end the blog post without mentioning our dinner last week at the fanciest restaurant in town - Raymond’s. It opened in late 2011 and has won quite a few awards, including Canada’s Best Restaurant. Raymond’s focuses on local ingredients and reimagining regional Newfoundland cuisine. The food was amazing, obviously, and even the cocktails were a noticeable step above. The atmosphere and service were impressive and we received hefty servings of food, although our wallets probably can’t handle going there often. All in all, a great evening.
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Here are some more pictures from our time skate skiing at Butter Pot:
