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DISCOVER
Sunday, October 29, 2000
Retailers' recommendation: Rent gear before buying
GAIL WOOD, THE OLYMPIAN Seven years ago, cross-country ski manufacturers took a lesson from a distant relative of the business -- snowshoes.
These engineers of motion shortened the skies about four inches and widened them an inch. In so doing, they essentially duplicated the function of snow shoes.
Rather than glide, it now is more clomp. The adaptation greatly reduces the technical end of cross-country skiing, putting less of a premium on coordination.
"If you can walk across the room, you can snow ski," said Dave Mowell, manager of Olympic Outfitters.
But before buying, rent. That's the recommendation of retailers.
"That way you can find out what works and whether you like it," said Joe Hyer, owner of The Alpine Experience store in Olympia.
It's best to be sure. Buying can be a little spendy.
Skies can cost from $100 to $250, which still isn't bad when compared to the cost of downhill skies. Skinny skis, the traditional, long and narrow cross-country skis, are harder to find today. It is a ski that is better suited for the groomed trails.
The bulkier, wider cross-country ski is made for the powdered snow, where you've ventured off the beaten path to blaze your own route.
"Northwest snow conditions dictate that you don't get too narrow of a ski," Mowell said. "Not if you want to go along logging roads."
Bindings range from $50 to $60. Rottefella and Salomon are the two most popular brands.
It is important that bindings are compatible with the boots and don't go cheap on the boots. You'll have to plunk down about $200 for a pair of boots that will meet your needs.
"Boots are the single-most important piece of equipment," Hyer said. "If the boots give you blisters, you're not going to have fun. You're going to give it up and not go again."
The best insulator is socks, not boots. Boots supply support, not warmth.
Poles cost from $20 to $100, depending on quality and function. Poles adjustable for length are much more versatile and the poles can even be used for hiking during the summer.
As for clothing, think layers. Wool pants are still hard to beat. Even when wet, wool keeps in the heat. But if you are skiing on a sunny day, remember you're packing a built-in furnace.
"People say cross-country skiing is the best form of exercise that exists," Hyer said. The Olympian Copyright 2000
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