Nordic or Cross-Country Skiing was invented centuries or millennia ago, primarily as a mode of transportation - unlike Alpine or downhill skiing, Nordic skiers do not typically use lifts and must go up, down, and around hills under their own power. Although still used for transportation in many parts of the world, cross-country skiing is now more commonly enjoyed as a way to explore winter landscapes - like hiking or snowshoeing; as a workout that engages nearly every muscle group in the body; or as a competitive sport.

Minnesota is home to thousands of recreational, amateur, semi-professional, and professional skiers - including Jessie Diggins, one of just two United States athletes to win an Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing.

Nordic also technically includes the disciplines of ski jumping and Telemark skiing, although we don't do those (yet!) at Carleton, and is closely associated with Biathlon, in which skiers stop between each lap to shoot targets, and are penalized with extra skiing if they miss.