Product Description

Cross-country expertise . . . easily

Glide into an invigorating sport with this guide from true experts who show you how to have fun from your first day out and coach you all the way through the advanced skills you'd like to learn. No ordinary manual, The Essential Cross-Country Skier brings together the combined expertise of one of the country's top cross-country skiing instructors; a two-time Olympic biathlete and former Dartmouth skiing coach; and one of the sport's foremost professional writers.

This all-star team has created one of the most engaging, clear, and potent learning tools ever published for beginning and intermediate skiers. This unique, carefully illustrated guide gives you the information you need to get started: choosing the right skis, boots, and poles; where to find the best trails; what to wear for comfort and warmth; plus tips on safety.

And, if you're already familiar with nordic skiing, the book shows you how to improve your style and your conditioning; master the subtleties of waxing and ski maintenance; and enjoy new skills including ski skating, telemarking, ski racing, and backcountry touring.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #149430 in Books
• Brand: Liberty Mountain
• Published on: 1999-08-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From the Publisher
"This is the quintessential 'how to, where to, and why to' cross-country ski book." Nancy Fiddler, 2-tim Olympian and 14-time National Champion Backcountry Skiing

Cross-Country Skiing

Nordic Skiing

Skiing

Ski-Skating

Telemark Skiing

Winter Sports

Nordic Downhill Skiing

Track Skiing

From the Inside Flap
Cross-country expertise . . . easily

Glide into an invigorating sport with this guide from true experts who show you how to have fun from your first day out and coach you all the way through the advanced skills youd like to learn. No ordinary manual, The Essential Cross-Country Skier brings together the combined expertise of one of the countrys top cross-country skiing instructors; a two-time Olympic biathlete and former Dartmouth skiing coach; and one of the sports foremost professional writers. This all-star team has created one of the most engaging, clear, and potent learning tools ever published for beginning and intermediate skiers. This unique, carefully illustrated guide gives you the information you need to get started: choosing the right skis, boots, and poles; where to find the best trails; what to wear for comfort and warmth; plus tips on safety. And, if youre already familiar with nordic skiing, the book shows you how to improve your style and your conditioning; master the subtleties of waxing and ski maintenance; and enjoy new skills including ski skating, telemarking, ski racing, and backcountry touring.

About the Author
Paul Petersen is a competitive cross-country and telemark skier, renowned ski instructor and ski writer, and architect-owner of one of the largest cross-country trail systems in the country, located in Bear Valley, California. On the Professional Ski Instructors of America National Demonstration Team for 12 years, he trained ski instructors around the world, serving as the team's coach his last four years. Richard A. Lovett is a full-time professional writer and avid weekend cross-country skier who ski backpacks and competes in ski marathons. The author of The Essential Touring Cyclist, he is a former law professor who also holds a Ph.D. in economics. John Morton, a two-time Olympic competitor, Morton was also the U.S. Biathlon Team Leader at the Winter Olympic Games in 1988, 1992, and 1994. Head coach of men's skiing at Dartmouth College for 11 years, he now races competitively as one of the country's top-ranked Masters competitors.

Customer Reviews

Good for Beginners
"Essential Cross-Country Skier" is a good handbook for beginner skiers. It is an easy read and probably what you want to get you started.

Intermediate level to elite skiers could take issue with many of the technical explainations, for then I would suggest "Ski "Skating with Champions" or "Tao of Skiing" but the then, the book "Essential Cross-Country Skier" was written by someone who obviously loves the sport and will be enjoyed by those who want to take it up.

The Essential Cross-Country Skier: A Step-By-Step Guide
I'm a beginning cross-country skier and former Valley Girl with no downhill experience and found this book to be helpful. The book covers choosing equipment, getting started and gives good tips on technique. I haven't purchased any other books on cross-country skiing but this one seems to be a valuable resource.

Perfect for me
I am an absolute beginner at cross country and have no downhill experience. Through a stroke of good luck my second lesson was from Paul Petersen, one of the authors of this book. His ability to teach is extraordinary and his enthusiasm is contagious. Those qualities are evident in the pages of the book. It is perfect for me because I can use the book to review everything he taught. Other reviewers question the book's usefulness for the non-beginner; I don't have the expertise to comment on that, but if you are just learning this awesome sport I think this book should be required reading.