My most recent article was an introduction to the bare basics of Nordic (cross-country) skiing, that piece can be found here: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/nordies-in-nutshe... Now I will dive a bit deeper and focus on another aspect of the sport.
Racing: Nordic skiing, unlike Alpine/downhill skiing, is a sport that seems to have a nearly fine line between the racing community and people who just go out for 'touring'. This boundary between the types of Nordic skiers is best shown in gear. Most ski shops target their more expensive equipment towards the racing crowd, while cheaper, wider touring equipment is almost always for an entirely different group of skiers.
Since the racing world can be somewhat intimidating to an outsider, I will explain it as best as I can. Nordic skiers tend to separate themselves from other endurance activities because racers sometimes don't specialize in certain distances. For example, if you are an elite distance runner, you might specifically train as a miler, 800 meter runner, 10,000 meter runner, marathoner, etc...even if you occasionally try another distance, rarely will you spread your time evenly across all of them. As a skier, I put up much better results in races over 30km than I do in races under 10km. But at more competitive levels, somebody might be better at a certain distance than others, but chances are they will end up producing fairly strong results in multiple distances.
For example, Norwegian National team skier Petter Northug has proven that he can win longer events, such as the 50km classic race in the 2010 Olympics, shown here:
While he is also capable of winning the final in a 1km classic sprint after surviving through elimination heats, 2015 World Cup:
In most ski racing at the high school 'junior', collegiate and even up to the World Cup/Olympic level, race distances vary from 1km sprints (anything under 10km is considered a sprint) up to long challenges going well over 50km, though 50km is the longest distance in the Olympics. The most common throughout these age levels of racing are typically 1km, 3km, 5km, 7km, 10km, 15km, 20km, 25km, 30km, and 50km. In 'citizen' races open to the general public, there are exceptions, and some of these have oddly specific distances, oftentimes solely dependent on the quality and amount of snow available for decent trails.
Types of starts:
How a race begins can determine what distance is about to take place, and the formats are the same across both techniques. At an official FIS level, the shortest sprints will begin in what is known as an 'interval' start. The racers will start one at a time, usually 15-30 seconds apart. After each individual completes the course, the individual times it took each of them are compiled from first to last. The top 30 finishers (assuming you have 30 or more skiers competing) will advance to the elimination heats which are quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. In the quarter and semifinals, 5-6 people go off at once, with the top 2 finishers from each heat, plus 2 'lucky losers', when times across all heats are counted, advance to the next round. Of course, the final heat crowns the champion, runner-up and 3rd place finishers.
In longer races without multiple rounds, this same interval start format can still be used but the final results are tallied after everyone has gone through the course individually. Though sometimes longer races will use a mass start just like in cross-country running. These starts tend to put the anticipated fastest people towards the front and slower towards the back. The problem with mass starts is the likelihood of carnage since gear from different skiers can be tangled up. Unfortunately most citizen races use a mass start format since it's easier for the organizers to manage and doesn't always require expensive timing equipment.
A wide variety of races happen right here in Bozeman. Bridger Ski Foundation hosts what they call the Citizen Cup, a series of 3 races open to anyone who wants to register and ski.
The Bozeman Creek Climb is a 7km classic race up Bozeman Creek on New Year's Eve.
The Lindley Chase is a favorite on January 26th and gives options of 4, 8 or 12km skate distances on the trails by Lindley Center and the hospital.
March 18th is Moser Creek Madness, a mostly downhill race from the Moser trailhead in Hyalite down to Sourdough Canyon.
December 10th is when the MSU ski team hosts the Bobcat Christmas Pole, a low-key event with 1, 3, 5 or 10km distances, mostly skate, up at Bohart Ranch.
Bohart also hosts the MSU Invite from January 14th-15th, bringing in some of the best NCAA skiers in the country.
Whether you choose to race or not, I hope to see you out there this winter! Once we get more snow, the trails will literally be begging for some ski marks.
Next article: Resources on where to ski/get help for skiing in Bozeman.
