Category: Helpful Articles
This winter, ski the paths less traveled. Explore nature’s hidden gems on a pair of metal edged adventure skis! What’s the advantage of a metal-edged ski? Metal-edged or “back country” skis are wider than average touring skis, giving them more stability and better flotation in deeper snow. With a stainless steel edge, they cut through crusty, icy snow and track exceedingly well. Metal-edge skis
Why the most challenging ski races often are the most memorable, and why we shouldn’t avoid them. It was 4:45am. I waited, car running, outside my brother’s house. The thermometer read -2F. I sipped my coffee, chased it with water, and double checked my Google map. In two hours, we’d be at the starting line of the most grueling ski race on the Michigan
How an unsuspecting speedster succumbed to the bite of the Spider Written by XC Ski HQ Shop owner, Mariah Frye Colie Over the years, the HQ crew has developed a deep love for, and loyalty to, a handful of certain skis. These tend to be skis that have a wide application and high enjoyment rate, and whose design is difficult to improve upon. One
XC SKI HQ Manager and Race Team Member George Frye shares his skin ski breakthrough from the race course last season: Oh, I remember it well… It was the Hanson Hills Classic race last winter and I was skiing on some Fisher Twin Skin Carbon Pros, sized perfectly for my build. I was blown away at how fast they glided on the well packed
The Ice, the Island, and the Adventure Bob and Lynne Frye, of Cross Country Ski Headquarters, ski across the Lake Huron Ice Bridge to Mackinaw Island. As we approached the snowy, bustling parking lot in Michigan’s upper peninsula city of St Ignace, on the shore of Lake Huron, we gazed out over the snow covered ice with Mackinac Island in the background, and saw
If you’re wondering about cross country skis, what’s new this season, and what our staff favorites are, you’ve come to the right place! While most of the exciting updates for cross country skis involve race skate skis this season, most cross country skiers are NOT racers; they just want fun, stable skis that get reliable kick and a little bit better glide than their
With so many options, picking the perfect cross country ski clothing can be overwhelming. Here’s some helpful tips from our clothing expert, Gillian. If you’re anything like me, you run cold. No matter what you seem to do to try to stay warm, you still somehow get cold when you are out cross country skiing. Lucky for you—I have done the trial and error
Cross country skiing is a wonderful way to get kids outside in the winter time. There are lots of reasons why kids (and parents) love XC skiing: it’s something the whole family can do together, it’s something that will keep them outside getting fresh air and exercise for hours, and they’ll be able to do it their entire lives. XC Ski HQ has everything
CHECK OUT THE changes in race skis that will getting plenty of buzz this season! Fischer has added TWO different models to their top-end Speedmax 3D Skate line. Adding to their tech-loaded concepts that already include Gliding Sidewalls (marketed “3D” for their three sides that glide) and Cold-Base bonding (which was the catalyst of the original Speedmax introduction), the Speedmax line is adding a
Hear from parent experts on how to cross country ski with your kids, and have fun doing it! There is nothing better for outdoors-people than fostering a sense of love for nature in their kids. But how to take them on an XC ski outing that they – and you – will enjoy? Here’s what northern Michigan XC ski parents Tim Riley and Wendy
Nine years into the skin ski revolution, both the interest from skiers and the selection of skin skis in the market continues to grow. But just because skin skis are growing in popularity, does that mean that they are right for you? Based on our experience as shop owners, and evidenced by our demo center and a multitude of user feedback, we think skiers
Eli Brown, a Northern Michigander and former Division I collegiate Nordic coach for University of Utah, reflects on his experience as a Wax and Service team member at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyongCheng. His role as Test Pilot and Wax Tech gave him a firsthand experience of what it takes to win an Olympic gold medal. The answer? It’s all about the team.
Much of the buzz in the nordic world these days is about skin skis. Why are they gaining popularity? What, if anything, makes them better than traditional no-wax skis? Which ones are right for you? Here’s some information to get you started! Skin Skis: What you Need to Know Ever since Atomic introduced their Skintec technology (teflon-infused synthetic mohair grip section) 5 years ago,
You may have noticed an increase in the number of no-wax skis with synthetic “skins” on the bases (instead of engraved or extruded kick patterns) on no-wax skis lately. In case you haven’t, let us catch you up: THE SKIN-NY: A few years ago, Atomic made a bold move in no-wax ski technology by producing the Skintec, which uses Teflon-infused synthetic mohair in the kick zone of
“The snow is always perfect if you have the right skis.” – Benjamin Franklin Okay, maybe not always (and maybe Ben Franklin didn’t really say that). But when the staff at Cross Country Ski Headquarters gets a rare day off, no matter what the ski conditions are, there is no question what we are going to do: go skiing. While nothing beats a perfectly
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