The Transition From A Summer Of Nordic Walking And Running With Poles To Cross Country Skiing

Three days in a row for cross country skiing! And the middle day was 11/12/13 - a very special day!

 

The Nordic Walking + the running hills with poles and the long treks up on the Sleeping Bear Dunes really paid off. Even after an hour and 1/2 of skiing yesterday I wanted to go longer. The sun was out and we had that awesome blue sky spring skiing thing happening in November.

 

Walking, running, hiking and trekking with poles is a great cross trainer for all sports. The key is using the Perfect Length Poles and the correct technique. At WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we provide quality one-piece poles (no cheap/flimsy twist-locks or flip-locks allowed on our quality poles) and professional instruction for all ages and all fitness levels. The key is to offer options and 16 different lengths of poles.

 

Our poles are tough enough for world class athletes to pound and push. They are also dependable enough for those transitioning from crutches, canes and/or walkers. Don't get scammed by collapsible poles! Be sure to look for SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles. Both come with a Perfect Length Guarantee.

 

And as any ski coach knows - one-piece poles are always going to prove to be safer, lighter, stronger, more durable and much more dependable than cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles flooding the market from China - including those $200 collapsible ones. Quality one-piece Nordic Walking Poles the perfect solution for skiing, walking, running, hiking, trekking, snowshoeing, roller skiing and inline skating.

 

And a good ski coach knows how to wax the skis for these early season ski outings when the leaves and grass are still wet. SWIX CH10 ironed in, allowed to cool, scraped and then brushed out. If there is a No-Wax base under foot be sure to use some SWIX F8LE Red Liquid Glide on the no-wax area (no wax doesn't mean NO wax - SWIX F8LE liquid waxes really help the no-wax area from drying out, clumping up and wrecking your ski time when the leaves or grass are wet. SWIX F7LE and F6LE are for colder temps and are a must for those no-wax areas on colder days. This secret combo will allow for better glide and eliminate clumps of snow underfoot and/or snow/ice freeze up that wrecks a beautiful xc wicked fast.

 

My skis were in great shape and had great glide.

 

Back to running hills today - with poles of course. But happy for 3 days of xc skiing before the snow melted. Glad to that the Nordic Walking proved to be a successful cross trainer to get ready for ski season.

 

Think Snow!

 

The Best Poles For Nordic Sports

 

While cross country skiing out on the Shore To Shore Horse Trail here in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and the township of Empire, Michigan, I had time to contemplate all the advantages of one-piece poles for cross country skiing, downhill skiing, roller skiing, ski walking, hill bounding, running with poles, snowshoeing with poles, Nordic Walking, ....... The simple fact is that one-piece poles in all those situations are far superior to the alternative of cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece twist-lock or flip-lock collapsible poles currently flooding the market from China and falsely marketed.

 

And when it comes to walking poles seniors and anyone with balance issues should never be sold cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. Collapsible poles aren't ideal for everyday use either. One-piece poles that are sized correctly will always prove to be safer, lighter, more durable and much more user-friendly than cheap/flimsy collapsible poles.

 

 At SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we have 16 different lengths of walking poles. These poles are ideal for use in the city (with the rubber tips/asphalt paws on), out in the country and up in the mountains. They are very versatile and user-friendly. Unlike collapsible poles, these quality one-piece poles are dependable and hassle-free.

Nordic Sports and REAL Nordic Poles - For Walking, Running, Roller Skiing, Roller Blading (In-Line Skating), Nordic Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing

Nordic Sports require poles. And one-piece poles that are sized correctly are the norm in the Nordic Countries in Europe. Over 10 million Europeans are walking with poles in the cities, out in the country and up in the mountains and they are using one-piece poles - for hiking, trekking, ski walking, hill bounding and Nordic Walking. And millions more are using one-piece poles for roller skiing, roller blading (in-line skating), Nordic snowshoeing and cross country skiing. And then there is the "Alpine" culture - downhill skiers are strictly using quality one-piece poles too.

Why aren't they using cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece poles? Because they rattle, vibrate, aren't durable, aren't user-friendly, gradually collapse or fail altogether when not expected. There isn't a single ski shop or ski rental business that promotes 2-piece or 3-piece collapsible poles. Why? Because they are cheap, flimsy and inferior products.

So why are cheap/flimsy collapsible walking poles from China flooding the market here in the USA and Canada? Why do thousands of big box, sporting goods and online stores promoting the wonderful benefits of collapsible poles from China?

The answer is ignorance and/or making a fast buck. Seniors and anyone with a balance issue should never use cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. For everyday use quality one-piece poles superior.

A friend of mine manages a successful running shoe store. They carry snowshoes and by accident they were shipped dozens of pairs of collapsible snowshoe poles. He hides them under a bench out of sight. He states that they run a 100% dissatisfaction rate. They are expense poles collapsible poles. They are made by a big name in snowshoeing. They are made in China. And they are cheap/flimsy and do not hold their settings if they can even be twisted and locked into position in the first place. One-piece poles would prove to be user-friendly and super durable - not cheap, flimsy and disposable.

Here at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we only recommend quality one-piece poles that are sized correctly for all Nordic and Alpine sports. We provide safe and effective Nordic Walking techniques that provide a variety of different exertion levels - there is an ideal level of intensity for everyone, every age and every fitness level. Our $69.95 basic Nordic Walking Poles from Norway are far superior to collapsible poles costing as much as $200.00 (from China).

When it comes to Nordic Walking a credible retailer would need to offer at least 16 different lengths. We offer 16 different lengths of quality EXEL Nordic Walking Poles from Finland and 16 different lengths of quality SWIX Nordic Walking Poles form Norway. All of these quality one-piece poles are equipped with metal tips for off-road use on grass, dirt, trails, the beach, the dunes, snow and ice. Removable rubber tips (asphalt paws) are included for use on pavement and other hard surfaces. All come equipped with real Nordic Walking Straps - quality fingerless glove type straps that are patented by the Salomon Ski Company. Free DVD and printed instructions included as well to ensure a successful walking campaign.

Alpine and Nordic means one-piece poles regardless of the hype put into promoting cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles from China.

Holiday Weekend - Nordic Walking, Roller Skiing and Cross Country Skiing

The Thanksgiving weekend started out with some really nice Indian Summer weather that was ideal for Nordic Walking (hiking with poles). As things started to cool down we did some roller skiing. And then today we were cross country skiing! Got snow.

It was a Nordic "triple crown" - Nordic Walking, roller skiing and cross country skiing (Nordic skiing). All of these fitness activities included specialized one-piece poles sized to our specific heights. Cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles wouldn't be able to hold up. One-piece poles that are sized correctly prove to be safer, lighter, stronger, much more durable and much more user-friendly than collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse or fail altogether. All these activities originated in Scandinavia and they only use one-piece poles for Nordic sports. Over 10 million Europeans are walking with poles in the cities (with the rubber tips/asphalt paws on), out in the country and up in the mountains.

We used SWIX poles for all three activities. While Nordic Walking we used the perfect length poles - elbow at about 90 degrees and forearm parallel to the ground when standing tall and strapped into our comfortable and patented fingerless glove type straps. Using the Perfect Length Poles helped us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles radically reduces the stress to the shins, knees,hips and back.

Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking. Nordic Walking includes all of the positives about walking with handweights, but none of the negitives.

Our roller ski poles are our longest poles. Our roller ski poles are equipped with special hardened carbide tips that are extra sharp and dig into the pavement to help provide some push-off. Our cross country poles are just slightly shorter.

All of our poles are a durable and user-friendly one-piece design. All of our poles are equipped with comfortable patented straps - patented by the Salomon Ski Company.

One-piece poles also prove to be safer and much more user-friendly for seniors and for anyone with a balance issue because they are so darn dependable. Seniors and those with balance issues should especially avoid cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. Don't get scammed by cheap/flimsy 2-piece or 3-piece twist-lock or flip-lock poles - most are made in China.

Quality SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles can be found at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System.

Roller Skiing and Nordic Walking

I'm totally hooked on the Swenor Finstep Cap Classic Roller Skis. These super smooth roller skis even come with a slight Nordic camber. These roller skis are light years ahead of classis roller skis made of aluminum.

The Salomon  S-LAB SKIATHLON is my favorite roller ski and cross country ski boots. WOW. Best boots ever. Even with my weird feet they all skied great right out of the box.

My favorite Nordic Walking Poles are the original SWIX VIP's from Lillehammer, Norway and made exclusively for us here at WWW.SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System. All of our SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles are equipped with durable metal tips and removable rubber tips/paws that act as shock absorbers and silencers on pavement.

And when it comes to roller skiing my favorite poles are my SWIX CT1's - equipped with special SWIX "road" ferrules (metal tips) that hold a sharp point even when pounding down the pavement.

The similarities between roller skiing and Nordic Walking are many. The most important however is the simple fact that durable one-piece poles that are sized correctly prove to be lighter, stronger and much more dependable than cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse or collapse unexpectedly. Skiers also use dependable one-piece poles while ski walking and hill bounding with poles - they would never considering heavy collapsible poles.

Skiers ski with one-piece poles because collapsible poles don't hold up and are a hassle. The same goes for hiking, trekking and Nordic Walking - one-piece poles will always prove to be superior to cheap/flimsy collapsible poles.

WWW.SKIWALKING.COM LLC Relocates To Empire, Michigan

The American Nordic Walking System and SKIWALKING.COM are North America's leading Nordic Walking Company. World Headquarters has moved from Glen Arbor, Michigan to Empire, Michigan.

As the exclusive North American retailer for SWIX out of Norway and EXEL out of Finland, SKIWALKING.COM ships quality Nordic Walking Poles world-wide. No other USA or Canadian retailer offers 16 different lengths of quality one-piece Nordic Walking Poles. SKIWALKING.COM is also the exclusive North American source for SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking rubber tips/asphalt paws.

The American Nordic Walking System is the instructional branch of the company. Pete Edwards, the owner/founder, has hosted hundreds of Nordic Walking Classes and introduced thousands of Americans to Nordic Walking. His hands on experience, combined with over 25 years of coaching runners and skiers, has enabled him to clearly define a safe and effective Nordic Walking System that accommodates all ages and all fitness levels. The American Nordic Walking System is based on the best biomchanics of running and cross country skiing.

Unlike other Nordic Walking organizations the American Nordic Walking System does not recommend the use of cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse and/or fail altogether. As a ski coach Edwards knows that collapsible poles are not durable enough to handle the tough use of skiers. One-piece poles prove to be safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap/flimsy collapsible poles. Edwards' SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles are tough enough to withstand the demands of skiing, but are ideal for hiking, trekking, ski walking and hill bounding - cheap twist-lock and flip-lock collapsible poles are not tough enough. Collapsible poles are just to cheap and flimsy for skiing and roller skiing. Seniors and individuals with balance should only use quality one-piece poles and avoid cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles.

The new home of the American Nordic Walking System and SKIWALKING.COM is located in the hills above the town of Empire. Empire is home to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore headquarters. All of Edwards' poles have gone through rigerous testing on the beaches and up on the sand dunes themselves.

What are the best Poles for Nordic Sports in hilly terrain?

Every day I am asked about the best walking poles for use in hilly terrain. And every day I say the same consistent thing: “cross country ski racers don’t change pole length at the bottom of the hill and again at the top”. There is a huge myth going round that you need shorter poles on the uphill and longer on the downhill.

One-piece poles prove to be safer, lighter and much more durable for all Nordic Sports – including cross country skiing, Nordic walking, Nordic running, Nordic blading (inline skatng), Nordic Snowshoing and roller skiing. Nordic sports enthusiasts would NEVER consider trading their lighter + stronger one-piece poles for heavier and questionable 2-piece or 3-piece poles.

My wife and I don’t change pole length each evening when we Nordic walk or Nordic run up the mile long trail behind town to the scenic look-out on Alligator Hill or when we continue on our favorite loop that returns back down to the trail head. We have also tested our SWIX and EXEL Nordic walking poles in the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, White Mountains, on the Application trail and in the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. One-piece poles that are sized correctly work great in the city, out in the country and up in the mountains.

Our daughter is a professional outdoor educator and Outward Bound instructor. The #1 equipment failures while in the wilderness are 2-piece and 3-piece twist-lock and flip-lock poles (typically the ones from China, but not always).

If twist-locks and flip-locks were so awesome ski shops and ski rental shops would have them for rental and demo.

Check out a sampling of the disappointing reviews at REI regarding collapsible poles – some costing nearly $200.00!

I broke 2 pair while hiking the PCT this summer. The grips on the handles came unglued on the first pair in the desert after 3 days. The second pair snapped in the cold High Sierras (I was barely leaning on them).
* Locking mechanism very difficult to get it to lock. Very annoying if you want to change length of poles frequently.
* Poles are delicate and not suitable for heavy duty use (and I only weigh 150#).
*Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

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I was very disappointed when my locking mechanism failed. When I originally purchased these on sale, there were several pairs that would not lock. I had to pick through a lot to find a pair that would work. I was hoping that it was a manufacturing flaw, and that the pair I found would work. I have used them about four times, and I can no longer lock them. I am unimpressed with how it locks.

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These are typical of comments that I hear every day from individuals that accidentally purchased twist-lock and flip-lock poles from other sources. It doesn’t matter if it is REI, Cabela’s, EMS, LLB or another big name store. I am told over and over again about collapsible poles and how they tend to rattle, vibrate and/or collapse unexpectedly.

Seniors and individuals with balance issues should especially avoid cheap flip-lock and twist-lock collapsible poles. Be sure to look for the Perfect Length Poles for your height. At SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we offer 16 different lengths of REAL Nordic Walking Poles. Some companies only offer three sizes and others maybe six, but they can’t provide the Perfect Length Poles for most people.

Perfect length poles help us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles radically reduces the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking.

Don’t get caught up in the marketing hype that suggests 2-piece and 3-piece poles are the best option for hilly terrain.

Nordic Sports are the best!

Many Nordic Walking Enthusiasts Started Out Using Old Ski Poles

Like myself, many of my customers launched their personal Nordic Walking campaigns using ski poles and then graduated to real Nordic Walking Poles.

Old ski poles work great on trails - especially if they are sized correctly. After my last running injury my ski poles provided a huge relief while hiking with poles on my favorite running trail. I already knew that ski poles worked great for ski walking and hill bounding - as a means to keep in shape and get ready for the next ski season. After coaching ski racers for over 25 years I knew that ski walking and hill bounding with poles, combined with running and roller skiing, were the secret weapons to prepare over the summer for another successful ski season.

One-piece ski poles, like one-piece Nordic Walking Poles, prove to be far superior to the cheap/flimsy twist-lock and flip-lock 2-piece and 3-piece Nordic Walking, trekking and snowshoe poles flooding the marketing from china.

One-piece ski poles and one-piece Nordic Walking Poles are safer, lighter and much more durable than  2-piece and 3-piece poles. One-piece Nordic Walking Poles have also proven to be lighter and much more user-friendly while hiking in the Grand Canyon. Skiers know that one-piece poles are better and skiers trust their one-piece poles.

At SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System we have 14 different lengths and we also custom build poles for individuals over 6' 7" (at no extra cost). We also offer a Perfect Length Guarantee.

While taking orders today, Judith, an enthusiastic 71 year young lady told me about her success with her ski poles this past winter while walking in her apartment and around the neighborhood. She mentioned that her ski poles were a huge improvement over her walker. She also informed me that she had PD (Parkinson's Disease). She had recently purchased some adjustable poles, but she said "they sucked" and then told me that she sent them back. She was delighted to find our company offers 14 different one-piece lengths. Her new Nordic Walking Poles are shipping out first thing tomorrow.

As Judith discovered, one-piece poles don't rattle, vibrate and/or collapse unexpectedly like the cheap/flimsy twist-locks and flip-locks from China do. I would recommend old ski poles, including the old bamboo poles, over these cheap/flimsy twist-lock and flip-lock poles coming in from China.

Be sure to ask where your poles are made. Judith's new SWIX Nordic Walking Poles are made in Lillehammer, Norway. Her poles are also equipped with comfortable patented straps (patented by the Salomon Ski Company) and include both durable carbide metal tips for trails, the beach snow and ice, plus removable rubber tips for pavement, carpet, tile and other hard surfaces.

Our company has donated hundreds of pairs of quality one-piece poles to the Wounded Warriors Programs. Once we know how tall a Wounded Warrior is we select the Perfect Length Poles for his/her height. While providing free Nordic Walking Classes for Wounded Warriors I quickly realized that they do not like their canes or walkers. The perfect length Nordic Walking Poles provided everyone that participated in our classes with improved walking posture (straighter back), plus greatly improved balance, stability and gait. Cheap/flimsy twist-lock and flip-lock poles could not hold up to the added stress put on the poles by the wounded warriors.

Walking with poles is the best, but be sure to avoid the cheap stuff from China and look for quality one-piece poles in the correct length for your height.