Using a Hop Step to XC Ski Uphill When the Terrain is too Steep for Diagonal Striding

[@gridstop-or6cb]

This is one of those secret techniques (like the single-leg-kick-double-pole) that everyone discovers but no one talks about. Part of the reason it doesn't have a name is, as you point out, it's sort of just diagonal striding. Oftentimes people can hop step before they are actually getting good weight transfer and hopping in their striding, but are still shuffling along. One thing I sometimes encourage my friends to do (if they're desperate enough to ask for my advice) is to do the hop-step but on the flat. Often people talk about the kick back while striding and the left-and-right weight transfer, but I often find it best to think about going *forward* (which is presumably your goal). Rather than kicking back like a bull, I think of my kick as launching me forward. Instead thinking of switching to my left or right ski, I think about switching to my front ski. I find this can be a good way to deal with getting someone's ski off the snow and avoiding ski slap. Oftentimes the advice for ski slap is "better weight transfer", but I personally find it can be more helpful to think about landing the ski ahead. Just like in the hop step, in a fast-speed diagonal stride, you are minimizing the time you're just resting on the ski and not feeling any real glide. One of the things I love about your channel is that it is more nature and discovery focused than the typical race-focused XC channel on KZbin, so we're both interested in striding nice and slow, but it probably takes more skill and balance to stride well slow than fast, so it can be useful to learn some of what it feels like fast. Thanks so much for the video, as always!

[@JaredManninen]

Thanks so much for the kind words and meaningful feedback. I really appreciate it :) There definitely seems to be a handful of xc ski techniques and maneuvers that don't get much air play, probably because they qualify as in-between stuff. And they're often not as easy to define and demonstrate as diagonal striding across flat terrain or doing the herringbone up a steep hill. But that's cool because it gives me a chance to talk about them ;) I try to advocate a similar approach to "kick," as well. In fact, I minimize and try to eliminate from my vocabulary the phrase "kick and glide" because so many people just hear a mule kick or skateboarding kick motion when "kick" is used. Better to launch one's self forward as you mentioned. I sometimes use the analogy of jumping off the edge of a dock into a lake -- everything moves forward from that one foot from which you leap. It may not be a perfect analogy, but I think it's a pretty clear mental image -- push yourself away from the dock so as to clear it and to reach deeper water because if that push-off foot slips back we're going to fall down and wreck ourselves on the dock. At one of my xc ski resort jobs, I'm steeped in the race culture. And, as much as I appreciate that world, I find that the hyper detail oriented approach to learning and training (i.e. super cerebral nordic nerds) isn't very relevant for most people. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that in every industry all the advancements and evolutions of those industries tend to trickle down to the beginners and average consumers. However, once you go down that conversational path with people new to xc skiing, for example, you run the risk of scaring them away. Cross-country skiing is deceptively complex, but let's not make it more complex by getting stuck in the weeds every time we talk about :) There are definitely some great online resources that emphasize very specific technical details, movement analysis, and a data/science-driven approach to learning/training. And I've been as guilty as the next instructor (in various disciplines) of talking way too much shop with beginners. But I've tried to minimize that here on this channel, or at least I've tried to use more plain spoken language to convey some of those technical details. I just think here on KZbin there's been a lack of middle ground with regard to xc skiing. On one hand, there's lots of stuff that's race-oriented and super technical. Then, on the other hand, there's a bunch of influencer-types of creators who film themselves on xc skis for the first time and laugh at how challenging it is (and subsequently fall down a million times). You know, right before heading to the day-spa, or whatever. Nothing against any of those channels or approaches to highlighting xc skiing but, again, there's just very little middle ground so I wanted to try to fill that gap. I want people to learn how to xc ski so that they can enjoy nature more (and not just worry about every tiny little hill that they're going to have to deal with). Anyway, I really appreciate you tuning in and contributing to the conversation :)

[@davidpfurr4350]

One leg at a time. Effective classic technique seems to be all about being on one ski at a time. You are right about agility drills to encourage the balance needed. Whenever I run into a sketchy situation on the skinny skis I declare it an "agility drill" and go for it!

[@JaredManninen]

Hey David! Yep, single leg balance is the hallmark of all cross-country skiing, whether we're classic skiing (diagonal striding) or skate skiing. Otherwise we're just shuffling around and/or falling from one ski to the next. And I like your idea to turn the challenging terrain into an agility drill :) As always, thanks for tuning in and for contributing to the conversation!

[@OutYourBackDoor]

Looks good! Bit like the Klaebo! I call it jogging up.

[@JaredManninen]

Thanks so much for the kind words :) I wish I could ski like Klaebo! haha And jogging up works, too :)

[@jerz202nimrod3]

For what its worth. When I first took lessons in 1974, the instructors referred to this technique as a "dog trot".

[@JaredManninen]

I like the "dog trot," too! haha! It is kind of funny that there isn't a specific name agreed upon by all for the technique. But, then again, it's not really that unique so maybe it just doesn't warrant an official title ;) Thanks for tuning in, and for contributing to the conversation!

[@bradshacker246]

😉😉 Not to be confused with the first 2 actions of triple jump sometimes termed Hop Step and Jump!! 😉😉 Perhaps a better label is Hop Hop Hop and Hop until at the Top.

[@JaredManninen]

Hey Brad! Haha! Yeah, not the triple jump ;) But I like the "hop to the top" nickname!