Three Basic Skate Ski Techniques Explained

The Missoula Nordic Ski Club demonstrates the three basic techniques of skate skiing:
V1 (or "offset" skating) - it's like first gear/a low gear for starting or going uphill
V2 Alternate (aka "open field") - it's like a high gear for high speeds on flats and downhills
and V2 - a medium gear for accelerating, flats and gradual uphills.

More technique videos

Filmed in the Methow Valley.

[jeffbozeman]

Ok the cinematography in this video is fantastic. Did not expect that.

[HolodokTV]

Greetings from Russia :-) Your video is very good! 
A little notice. In V2:
1) Do not unbend you arms. You have to keep arms bent AND STATIC until they reach your hips. You have to push with your torso/belly muscles. Girls doesn't push at all with her torso, and uses arms all the time.
2) Plant your poles and push them JUST a bit BEFORE you push with your foot. Girl does that almost at the same time. Timing is crucial here...

I hope that will be valuable. Thx for great video.

[KetogenicGuitars]

I use V1 but every 4th kick is change phase to chage to other side so the strain gets balanced for both sides of body. So rythm is: 3 left - 1 change - 3 right - 1 change. V2 is too demanding for 20kg overweight (for me) if skis are not top notch and track is hard and bumpy. I have one pair of extremely stiff skis which helps a lot for for bumpyness but still is left the question of balance point being too front for V2 due big tummy associated with metabolic syndrome.
Tip: if you have gained weight like I have (95kg) and are at the start phase of skate skiing season skating feeling still overwhelmingly hard, it is possible let legs rest by means of double poling for minute or so periodically or after uphill. Just take it as slow as you can and do not think other people. After all skiing is best time of your life. Especially prolonged (over 60 minutes) slow paced skate skiing has tandency to release natural endorphins and endocannabinoids making you feel so good for a while.

[dumbdumber]

When it comes to the 3 gears used in skate skiing this is the best video I could find. No other video out there covers all three so well in such a short little compact video you can view on your phone right on the trails (not that I needed to do that lol).

[dumbdumber]

Excellent video. I didn't know what I was doing ie v1, v2 or v2 alternate. By this video I'm doing v2. I need to learn the other two. I'm stuck in 2nd gear and that may in part explain my exhaustion. So 1st gear is V1, 2nd gear is V2 and 3rd gear is V2 alt. This is exactly what I needed to know. Be trying this out tomorrow. Can't wait. What a fantastic workout skate skiing is. Thanks again for posting this.

[gundisrambo]

Very nice video on the three middle gears. Beautiful landscape up there in Montana. Also, as a European it is interesting that in the US the pole use in V1 is still taught asymmetrical, and you will be able to see that all the way up to Jessie Diggins. The European recommendations have changed about 15 years ago, pole use in V1 is almost symmetrical now.

[ericzytowski]

I love that Montanans have to come to Washington for great location! Glad to see you had your trail pass.

[UriSchprung]

A beautiful place to train. Thank you for the lesson.

[karenr.]

Such a great video. Funny I learned first V2 alternate, then V1 ...now having a hard time learning v2 :D

[klausmey]

beautiful trails and techniques. hello from Stake Lake in Kamloops

[RachelleWeymuller]

This is so funny, I saw it was from a Missoula group but all the while thinking “hey I know these trails, these are home not MT!” So confused until the end 😂

[don]

Thank you for creating the videos! Hope to see more :) just got skate skis and this video has helped a lot!!

[danielstaffler]

On V2 it seem's that the poles are to short haha :)
but great video!.

[JohnAdams-djxi]

I cannot understand the difference between V1 and V2 alternate after watching this over and over

[zuLess]

Remember that the right wax and skis for the right conditions are just as important as the technique itself, as an inefficient pair of skis make executing the technique difficult. Your poles need to be the right hight as well ;-)

[RadBK]

So, v2 is basically v1 but polling each and every step?

[robocoppah]

2:45 Definitely need to put more core into it! All arms.

[AlexanderHalaszyn]

omg. Is this this voice of MinutePhysics?? So distracting. 😅Thanks for the great video

[bene]

In the V2 section the skier appears to plant just before stepping to the next ski contrary to the narration. Is the V2 in the video correct form ?

[andykay]

V1 (1 push - 2 steps) is unbalanced as you train one side of your body more than the other. I find V2 (1 push - 1 step) really physically demanding, and cant keep it up for more than 5km without rest. My "high gear" is 1 push + 3 steps. My "low gear" for going uphill is like V2 but the push is with 1 stick not 2 sticks. So step 1 - left stick right leg, step 2 - right stick left leg. It's very comfortable for going uphill, I dont know why I never seen anyone else do it that way. Maybe they just have more professional skis that slide better and can use the full V2 without getting exhausted.