I had a lengthy discussion with the REI retail specialist about whether I should get the Fischer Spider 62 Crown in 169cm or 179cm since I had been accustomed to a longer ski previously. You may be wondering how much of a difference a few centimeters can make, and I can tell you that the difference is HUGE! The advantages of a shorter touring ski includes: better control going down hills, more effective herring bone traversing up steep hills, more control going around corners, and an overall lighter ski allowing more ease of use.

I learned that a touring ski between the lengths of 165-169cm is ideal for me. When you look at the manufacturer’s recommendations for touring skis, they are based upon weight (rather than height). And even though my old skis were fitted specifically for me, they had always felt quite long. Touring skis are often fitted to be a little shorter, and sometimes wider than the (purely) classic skis. LENGTH: (purely) classic skis tend to be very long and narrow, which provides users with the advantage of speed. However, do not underestimate the value of applying a glide wax every time before you use them! We especially like Swix F4 All Temperature Universal Glide Wax. SIDE NOTE: This is a waxless type of ski, which means that you do not have to apply kick wax. (The other set of skis that I was considering are the Rossignol Evo OT 65 Positrack, which are the skis Larry purchased). This will come in handy when we want to ski in parks or other places that do not have groomed tracks, and when groomed tracks start to thin out the Nordic centers. This ski is 62mm wide, so they fit perfectly within the groomed tracks at Nordic centers. TYPE: After thorough research, I decided upon the Fischer Spider 62 Crown Cross-Country touring skis, and I am beyond thrilled with my choice! These skis are highly versatile because they allow users to ski within groomed tracks, and outside of groomed tracks for light off-trail use. But they are truly inadequate for skiing in mountainous terrains. I had those skis and bindings fitted specifically for me at a ski shop, and they had worked great while skiing in Wisconsin. The kick zone possesses a fish scale pattern, which is now smoothed from years of use. My old skis are the Rossingol EVO Glade 176cm (length), which are at least nine years old they are labeled as ‘touring’ skis. After doing some extensive research about all of the different types of cross-country skis, I have finally found a solution that would help make classic cross-country skiing more enjoyable in mountainous terrains.Ĭlassic cross-country skis are broken into three categories: (purely) classic, touring and back country. A stirring in my heart told me to give classic skiing another chance. And although I liked skate skiing, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to whole-heartedly pursue it. I took a refresher lesson in classic skiing, and a skate skiing lesson. This winter, however, I decided to give it a try again.

After skiing a few times at some Nordic centers in Colorado, I had decided to focus on backcountry snowshoeing instead. I had become discouraged by all of the hills, and really struggled with them. When I (Stella) had lived in Wisconsin, classic cross-country skiing was my passion sport – I loved it! However, my love for this form of skiing had fizzled shortly after moving to Colorado four years ago when I noticed the difference between the two different types of terrains.

Fischer otx spider 62