Equipment
Roller skis for "classic" and "skate" style skiing are used. Also another type of roller ski is added called an off road roller ski. This type of roller ski is designed to take harsher conditions.
For classic style roller skiing the skis usually have wider wheels, and a rachet mechanism on one of the wheels, normally the front. This front wheel only rolls in the forward direction and provides resistance on the "kick"—comparable to grip wax on snow.
For skate skiing, the roller skis usually have narrower wheels (similar to those used on inline skates), with both wheels rolling freely.
There are also types of roller skis that have both thin and thick wheels, with a thin one on the tip, a slightly thicker wheel in front of the binding, and two thick wheels at the very back.
Roller skis with pneumatic tires (such as skikes) are also available for rough pavement and off-road use.
Normal cross-country ski bindings and ski boots are used with most roller skis. Cross-country ski poles are also used, with the "basket" replaced by a tungsten carbide spike.
Extra protective clothing is recommended (gloves, helmet, knee and elbow pads). Many ski training programs require the use of helmets while roller skiing.
Most roller skis don't have bona fide brakes, except for a relatively new calf-activated brake pioneered by Len Johnson of V2 Jenex. Speed reducers, available on some models, work by providing different levels of friction against the wheels. There are also techniques for slowing down without the use of speed reducers. The most common of which is a motion similar to a snowplow on snow skis where pressure is applied to the outside edge of the roller ski and the skis pointed in an inward fashion.
Popular manufacturers of rollerskis are: Marwe (Finland), Pursuit (US), Briko-Maplus (Italy), V2 Jenex (US), Start (Finland), Pro Ski (Sweden), Elpex (Sweden) SkiSkett (Italy), Swenor(Norway) Eagle Sport (The Netherlands) and Oneway (Finland).
Roller skiing is most popular in Europe (France, Italy, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Russia) where there are many serious races and even a World Cup Circuit. In North America, rollerskiing is popular in areas with many Nordic skiers such as Canmore, Ottawa, Alberta, Alaska, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Read more about this topic: Nordic Blading
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