Cross country, also known as Nordic, skiing is a fantastic sport to pass what can be a dreary, cold, and long winter. Instead of waiting patiently on the spin bike or treadmill dreaming of those sunny spring days that could be months away, just grab a pair of skis, poles and boots and hit the snowy woods, mountains, and valleys!

Cross country skiing has is a surefire way to improve your cardio fitness as well as full-body physical strength, as well as increase your mental resilience during activity. The stimulation of full-body coordination and elevated heart rate will also help increase your mood, promote healthy metabolism, and give yourself an appreciation of winter, nature, and your body that you may not have had before.

Ask any veteran skier if their ski boots are important, or if they affect their skiing, I would not be surprised if most said “yeah, of course.” As someone who has spent my entire life on skis and the last few decades helping people ski better, I’m here to make sure you understand just how important your boots are to your ski day.

Based on this idea, I repeatedly tell customers, your boots are 10 times more important than your skis. This also applies to cross country skiing and snowboarding. Our goal is to get you in the right gear the first time around.

With COVID-19 concerns, winter has looked very different this year in Vermont. Since not many people are traveling and are staying home, there's been a huge uptick in people venturing outside and discovering what their backyard has to offer. Outdoor activity is a great way to get exercise, de-stress and spend time with your household. More people getting outside is great news! However, the influx is a concern because of the strain on natural resources. Services such as ski resorts and search and rescue will also be effected. With this resource guide, our goal is to provide some ideas to getting you outside in a new way, while offering other options for people to check out, in order to spread people out in any given area.

We encourage you to use this guide to find new ways of getting outside. Get educated, especially if you are going to venture into the backcountry; know before you go and share your knowledge with others. Nature is for everyone and we all share the job of making it comfortable and welcoming to others, as well as sustaining its natural habitats and beauty. As a reminder, please support the organizations (many are listed below) that maintain areas and trails in Vermont and provide educational resources.

If you’ve been following the news in the Nordic world, there has been a lot of confusion regarding Fluorinated Waxes. Are they banned or not?

We learned of the upcoming ban from FIS council last year and then just a few weeks ago, learned the ban had been postponed until next season. However, to add to the confusion, we just learned that even if a venue does not allow fluoros on their ski trails, they still cannot ban fluoros for an FIS sanctioned / qualifying race. The logic is that FIS cannot put restrictions on their races as a whole - due to not having the right equipment to test for flouros (yet). We all know that fluoros make your skis faster, although bad for the environment; but if one venue does not allow them, the playing field is not level between races at different venues.

Earlier this year in January, some Skirack staff took a field trip to the Pico Mountain Ski Resort Downhill Ski and Snowboard Demo Event. It was a fun and exciting day because we got to test out downhill skis from our favorite ski brands.

After testing each ski, not only were we able to give our ski buyer feedback to help make buying decisions, but we were able to learn how each ski performed so we can help our Skirack customers find the perfect ski for them.

If you snowboard and especially if you live in Vermont, I'm sure you've been thinking about getting a splitboard for a while. Your riding partner got one last season and has been tempting you with tales of getting untracked snow the day after a storm. Or perhaps you've been fighting to keep up while snowshoeing. This winter season might be time to pull the trigger - especially with the uncertainty of resort operations and capacity limitations expected this year. Our snowboard department has seen a pretty heavy uptick in interest in splitboarding and backcountry gear this year already,and therefore, stock won't last long. Financing options are available to make it as painless as possible. See you out on the skin track!

It is common for most high school Nordic skiers to run cross country in the fall. This is amazing for cross training and building leg speed, fitness, and cardiovascular base for the winter cross country ski racing season. However, cross country running usually leads to neglected ski muscles that can make a huge difference in the winter. For nordic skiers looking for an easier transition from running to skiing in early winter, working on strength throughout the fall will pay off greatly in December. I recommend doing a specific strength workout at least once per week. It doesn’t demand much at all on the legs, so runners - have no fear of wrecking your legs during this workout!

This specific strength workout workout is done on roller skis and you will want to find a flat or gradual uphill depending on your strength/skill level. You can do this workout many different ways, but the simple method is just to activate the proper muscles and keep your technique solid the whole time.

As we get into fall hiking weather and the amount of people getting on the trail increases, it's important that we still follow the Vermont Department of Health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We all need to play our part in maintaining a 6 foot distance from others and wearing a mask if you cannot do so - even when you are outside.

Navigating 6 feet socially distanced guidelines on a narrow trail can be a challenge, but with a little practice, patience and following these tips, I hope to help ease your anxiety and encourage you to get out. These tips can easily be applied to other activities, too such as running, biking, and winter sports, too.

 One of the most common questions I get as a shoe sales associate is what are the differences between road shoes and trail shoes? The subsequent question is usually: how do I decide which shoe works best for me? Here is a general guide for how to navigate those questions and the sometimes -overwhelming selections on a shoe wall.

As many Vermonters opt to not travel out of state due to COVID-19 concerns, summer is looking very different this year. Instead of a big vacation, many people are choosing to spend time locally - biking, running, hiking and discovering what their backyard has to offer. Don’t worry, summer is not a bust! Vermont is a beautiful state with lots of options to get outside and explore.

Many people come through our door asking where to go, so we’ve curated an outdoor recreation guide of what to do in Vermont. Inspiring our community to pursue a lifetime of outdoor activity and environmental stewardship is our mission. We encourage you to do the same and share this guide. Nature is for everyone and we all share the job of making it comfortable and welcoming to others, as well as sustaining its natural habitats and beauty for generations to come.<