Skills & Drills - Nordic Ski Lab

How to Grab Another Skier’s Pole

Do you watch ski racing? Have your noticed a skier in a downhill tuck grab onto the pole of the skier in front? Learn when and how that’s done and then try it next time you go skiing.

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Pro Glide Striding (Advanced)

Advanced classic skiers have a unique feature to their classic stride that extends their glide and helps set them up in a better position to grip the snow for the next push. This video teaches a drill that more advanced skiers can use to learn this skill.

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Give a Feed, Take a Feed

Advice for both volunteers and racers to help make feed stations speedy and spill-free.

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Serial Skate Drills

A 20-30 minute structured practice session, suitable for intermediate to advanced skate skiers. A series of 4 drills, each with a different focus, then time to integrate the skills into smooth powerful skate skiing.

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Simple Hill Lesson Plan

A simple way to structure a segment of a classic ski lesson to encourage a range of skill development.

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Downhill Turns in the Classic Tracks

This video explains a range of helpful strategies for skiing in the classic tracks around downhill corners, from beginner strategies all the way up to how the pros tuck in the classic tracks around higher speed and/or tighter turns.

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Find the Line: Navigating Turns on Cross-Country Skis

Better understand your options for navigating turns, especially downhill turns. Find the line that helps you ski smoothly and safely around downhill turns, with minimum loss of speed and the better positioning on the trail

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How to Adjust Body Position for Fast and/or Tight Turns

A discussion plus demonstrations of how 3 principles apply to fast and/or tight turns across various techniques.

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Tuck in the Track: How to Reduce Friction

Follow this 3 step process to reduce the drag between your classic skis and the ski tracks, for faster speeds in tuck.

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Introduction to Nordic Downhill Ski Techniques

This video breaks down nordic downhill techniques into 6 types and explains body position, braking, turning and maximizing speed. An excellent “big picture” overview for new skiers.

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Changing Tracks in Classic Skiing

Move from one classic ski track to another with smooth and powerful pushes. Slow mo demos for double pole, diagonal stride and kick double pole lane changes.

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Three by Three’s – Updated

This drill capitalizes on the relationship between double poling and one skate. Many benefits, including skiing straighter, better poling and learning to one skate uphills.

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Happy Feet in Offset (🇺🇸V1) – UPDATED

Legacy video from 2017, updated in 2023 with a preamble, giving some historical perspective and behind the scenes info. Drill teaches quick footwork and excellent positioning for modern offset.

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Dynamic Balance Drill

A gentle drill, ideal for the start of the season. Focus on dynamic balance, body position and setting pressure into the ski.

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Free Skate-Tuck Drill

Don’t blow all your energy on the climbs. You’ll want to save some for this drill on the flats and downhills.

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Offset – Step Turn Transition

How to transition from offset into a flat corner and why this is an important racing tactic.

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Skid Turn & Hockey Stop Tutorial

Learn how to parallel skid your skis, for skid turns and hockey stops.

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Downhill Turns in Races

This video uses footage from the 2017 Canadian National Championships around a sweeping, high speed downhill turn to discuss various factors to consider when strategizing about the best way to take downhill turns in races.

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Learn Step Turns – Flats and Downhills

Step turning is a cornering technique used in both skate and classic skiing. Learn to step turn on the flats and downhills. Improve your agility, balance and coordination practicing this fun and important technique.

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Speed Skater

Improves balance and weight transfer. 2 options.

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Elastic Elbows

Use elastic bands above the elbows to improve poling mechanics

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Box Drill – Advanced

Endless ways to finesse One Skate and Two Skate

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T-Drill for Edging Power

Drill to coordinate a more powerful and effective leg push.

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Free Skate – Adaptations for Racing

Adjust Free Skate technique for a variety of race situations.

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Supple Spine for Diagonal Stride

Trailside mobility routine to free up the T-spine for graceful and efficient skiing.

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1-2-3 Clearance Drill

Rate how high the tail of your ski lifts from the snow and improve forward position.

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Slipper Cue – Diagonal Stride

Simple cue keeps your weight forward during the leg recovery.

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Early Season Drill for Balance, Tempo and Timing

Dynamic work on roller skis to improve forward position.

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Faster Free Skate: Tips from an Olympian

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Badass One Skate (V2) – UPDATED

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Carrying Speed Over the Crest of a Hill – UPDATED

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Use Hip Amplitude for Better Balance in V2-One Skate

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Extended Glide in Kick Double Pole

A finessing skill for more advanced skiers to extend the glide and improve the kick.

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One Ski Diagonal Stride Drill

Slow down and simplify diagonal stride technique to perfect your kick and glide.

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Double Pole Coupling Drill

Learn to time your recovery to suit different terrain and situations.

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Straighter Skis in V1-Offset

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Cornering Tactics on the Flats

Best way to ski through a broad sweeping turn, like you’ll see in sprint and mass start races, through the stadium.

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Handshake Drill (Striding)

Guest coach Ian shares one of his favourite early season drills for learning how to adjust hand position and arm swing for variable terrain and pace.

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Practicing Skate Race Starts

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Shoulder Drive in V1-Offset

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Poles “Talk” to the Core

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Running Herringbone on Skate Skis

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V2-One Skate Stride Triangle Challenge

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The Body Block

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Using Terrain Transitions to Work on Diagonal Stride Technique

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V2-One Skate: Where to put the emphasis

Accent the power phase, not the glide.

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Field of View

V1 – Offset Movement Progression

Skate Leg Extension Drill

One Pole Offset

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The Invisible Wall & Stride Triangle

Visualization cue to improve balance in the forward direction.

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Postural Positioning in Skate Skiing: Part 2

Legacy Content

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