Equipment
Equipment Rental
Como Nordic has a small selection of equipment available for student athletes if needed. Equipment is typically rented out to new skiers. School equipment is rented for the season, for a flat fee of $40. If you are interested in school equipment for this season please contact the coaches.
About Nordic Ski Equipment
Nordic ski equipment can be very confusing and overwhelming. We've tried our best to demystify the equipment a bit below. Please reach out to Sasha if you have questions! Note: also check out the FAQs on skinnyski.com
There are two styles of skiing - classic and skating - that use different equipment. All high school athletes will learn skate technique first, and JV races use skate technique only. Varsity athletes have races in both techniques. Note that novice skiers might end up racing in the conference race, where skiers must complete races in both techniques. Although different skis and poles are used for the two different techniques, “combi” boots can be used for both techniques and are fine for novice to intermediate skiers. Como has skis and poles for rent, and limited boots. New skiers may do well to purchase their own “combi” boots that can be used for both classic and skate technique (boots can be purchased used, but should be compatible with “NNN” style bindings; see below).
Skis
If parents choose to purchase skis, they should purchase them at a reputable ski shop with expertise in fitting equipment. Many local ski shops like Finn Sisu, Gear West, Pioneer Midwest, and Joe’s Sporting Goods offer a discount to high school ski team members on equipment and clothing, and also offer “package” deals for high school students. Great deals can also be had in the off-season, e.g., when ski shops sell their demo skis. See skinnyski.com for notices about swaps and sales. Note that skis are fit to match the skier’s weight, rather than their height, so you have to know how to fit them when purchasing used equipment. Also check out the Nordic Skiing Buy/Sell Facebook Page for good deals on used equipment. Note that if the skier will likely grow a lot more, they may "grow out of" their skis.
Important note about buying classic skis: there are two general types of classic skis - “waxless” and “waxable” skis. Older waxless skis often have a rough embedded “fishscale” texture under the boot where the ski grips the snow when the skier pushes down. These are not appropriate for racing, as they are very slow. High school racers will want “waxable” classic skis. Note that some newer, higher-end waxless skis have "skins" that grip the snow for kicking, and may be appropriate for racing. There is no such distinction for skate skis.
Poles
Poles for skate and classic skiing are different lengths; ski shops will know how to fit poles. Here are some guidelines:
Skate Poles
The ideal skate pole is about lip to nose height when in your skate or combi boots. Skate poles are illegal if over your head. If your skate poles are shorter than lip to nose when in boots, then you don't have as much power in your V2 especially, and you also end up crunching poorly and using the wrong muscles to crunch which can lead to more back issues.
Classic Poles
The ideal classic pole (for the purposes of the terrain we ski on, which is mainly flat requiring a lot of double poling and kick double poling) is 83% of your height when you are standing in boots (measure from the metal tip of the pole to where the pole STRAP inserts into the grip (not the top of the pole itself). If your poles are shorter than this (especially a lot shorter than this), you will not be as powerful and your competitors will have a big advantage. Also, you will end up crunching ineffectively which will hurt your back in the long run...
Bindings
Bindings are sold with the skis. It’s important to purchase bindings and boots that are NNN-compatible. This site has a good explanation (with photos) of the difference between "NNN" and "SNS" compatibility.
Boots
Ski boots are fine to purchase used, as long as they are in good shape and are compatible with NNN bindings. A lot of used boots do not have NNN bindings (e.g., do not purchase SNS-compatible boots). Salomon prolink and Rossignol Turnamic are NNN-compatible. Used boots can be found at Play It Again Sports, at local ski swaps (look for ski swap and sale news at skinnyski.com), and online at the Midwest Nordic Skiing Buy/Sell Facebook site, Craigslist, and eBay. There are online shops that sell older model boots - again, just be sure they are NNN-compatible. Be sure to buy skate or combi boots for skate skiing, and classic or combi boots for classic skiing. Classic boots are not appropriate for skate skiing!
Ski boot sizing chart:
