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.

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.

Cross Country Skiing on Saturday, Nov. 6th Followed By Nordic Walking Barefoot On The Sand Dunes Nov. 7th

The first official day of cross country skiing here in Michigan’s Leelanau County was on Saturday, November 6th. The best snow was of course on the local golf course – located high up in the hills and away from Lake Michigan.

It is hard to believe that 24 hours later we were Ski Walking (Nordic Walking) barefoot high up on the Sleeping Bear Dunes at Devils Hole. Barefoot and in tee shirts.

We use our favorite SWIX one-piece poles for both skiing and Nordic walking. Our SWIX classic poles are longer than our SWIX Nordic walking poles. Both are equipped with comfortable fingerless glove type straps - patented by the Salomon Ski Company. Armpit length poles are ideal for classic cross country skiing. The ideal length for Nordic Walking Poles is when standing tall, strapped into the comfortable fingerless glove type straps and the poles are perpendicular to the ground your elbow should be at about 90 degrees and forearm parallel to the ground.

One-piece poles are ideal for both cross country skiing and Nordic walking. I’ve been coaching skiers for over 25 years and it is a simple fact of physics that one-piece poles that are sized correctly are safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece twist-lock and flip-lock collapsible poles that tend to rattle, vibrate, gradually collapse or collapse/fail altogether.

My oldest daughter is a professional wilderness guide and she reports that the number equipment failure in the wilderness is collapsible poles.

At http://www.skiwalking.com/ and the American Nordic Walking System we offer 16 different lengths of quality one-piece SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles. We offer all customers a Perfect Length Guarantee, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and a LifeTime Breakage Guarantee.

Nordic Walking and Cross Country skiing are the best!

Nordic Walking, Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing On Winter Trails Day

Saturday, Jan. 9th was Winter Trails Day and perfect conditions greeted snowshoes and cross country skiers. And the Nordic Walking was fantastic too - though not snow dependant. SKIWALKING.COM and the American Nordic Walking System offered free Nordic Walking Classes, free Nordic Walking Pole rentals and provided poles for Nordic Snowshoeing too. SWIX and EXEL Nordic Walking Poles were the poles of choice.

After hosting Nordic Walking Clinics from 10am - 2pm in celebration of winter trails day we hit the trails on cross country skis. The skiing was fantastic up on Alligator Hill behind Glen Arbor and part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Nordic Walking can be done any time of year and in any type of weather. When used on trails, the beach, grass, snow and/or ice the rubber Nordic Walking Tips/Paws are removed - exposing the metal tips. When Nordic Walking on dry pavement the rubber tips/paws act as silencers (eliminating the annoying clank of the metal tips) and they act as shock absorbers too.

During Winter Trails Day we provided Nordic Walkers and Nordic Snowshoers with durable one-piece poles. One-piece poles that are sized correctly to each individual's height prove to be safer, lighter and much more durable than cheap twist-lock and flip-lock adjustable length/telescoping/collapsible poles from China.

As skiers we know that one-piece poles prove to be superior for Nordic Walking, snowshoeing and skiing - one-piece poles are much more user-friendly and dependable than poles equipped with twist-locks and other gadgets. And when the correct length one-piece poles are used for Nordic Walking , snowshoeing and skiing the benefits are huge. The correct length poles help to radically reduce the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Plus the poles improve balance and stability. Walking and snowshoeing with poles take the stress off the lower back and make walking and snowshoeing much more effective - burning more calories than not using poles.

You don't have to wait for Winter Trails Day to get out and enjoy our wonderful trails - anytime of year is a great time to hit the trails.