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Bharat Savur

To many skiing is just a sport, but it is also an activity that helps one stay fit through winter. Some do's and don'ts to remember when you make it to the slopes.

It's the most happening hybrid in high places where sole meets snow. Descriptively called skate-skiing, it was discovered by the American Nordic champion Bil Koch during one of his races in those white open spaces. Koch leapt off the ski-track, skated around a corner feeling the `wheee' of acceleration and sped to victory leaving his competitors far behind.

The big-hearted champ shared his secret and skate-skiing was born. Today, nine million cross-country skiers are hooked to their skate-skis-shorter versions of the originals — sporting higher, more supportive boots to make movements easier.

The motion is simple. You glide from side to side exactly as in skating except here you do poling on alternating sides. Beginners are initially taught skating without poles on a flat icy stretch. You push off, glide from ski to ski by shifting your weight from one foot to the other. Once you've mastered your feet, you're taught to use poles. To go uphill, you push with both poles simultaneously getting into quicker, shorter strides. To go downhill, you just tuck them in and whiz on, using the poles to balance and plough in case you're going out of control.

There's a strict behaviour code: keep off the cross-country ski-tracks. Skating ruins their smoothness. Use only the three-ft-wide swath groomed alongside. Dress? Warm winter-joggers' tights, a breathable base layer and lightweight shell that ends up tied around your waist, high boots, short `skate-cut' skis with poles, winter-goggles.

Like any activity, start slow so that you don't end up a mass of groaning aches and pains that keep you indoors for the rest of your stay. The rule: cruise before you're ready to skate-ski. It takes anything from minutes to an hour to master your snow-glide. A dry-land skater would find it easier, but, unless you've got the strongest thighs in the world, don't overdo on Day One.

The sport is a boon for would-be skiers who find coordinating a major problem in classical skiing and give up in despair. Skate-skiing is friendlier — the coordinating is easier and the skate-skis have no intimidating edges that daunt with their fierce curled-up look. Choose a path that has minimal amounts of snow or one that offers a smooth frozen track. The less resistance, the quicker you learn.

The best time to skate-ski is when the snow has melted under the strong sun then frozen overnight offering a grand endless skate-skiing rink. It's on this frozen surface that you'll get into a smooth, effortless rhythm, pushing and gliding breathlessly uphill and racing breathtakingly downhill. A frozen, winding river is a bonus — you follow its course and slalom through the trees.

A word of caution from J.C. Tatinclaux, specialist in Cold Regions Research: Check the river or pond. "If you see water seeping through a crack, hang up your skates for the day. The ice is generally thinner at the centre since the shoreline freezes first." If there's no seepage, get your coach to do the ice-fisherman test: "Bore a small hole through the surface to calculate whether it will hold up. Four times the square root of your weight in tonnes should be the ice-thickness in inches." If you don't want to get into maths, just remember two-inch ice supports a solo skater; four to six inches supports 10; and six to seven for a larger group.

Further, if you're prone to cold feet and cramps, wear acrylic or polypropylene socks to keep your feet dry, a second woollen pair for warmth. And skip coffee. "Caffeine has a vascoconstrictive effect and reduces blood flow to the toes," explains Dr Douglas Richie, sports podiatrist. Tough to go without our daily robust shot of caffeine, isn't it?

Never mind. Warm up on some fitness facts. Skate-skiing burns 800-1,000 calories per hour winning handsomely over most activities. Add on the fact: chilling temperatures stimulate metabolism. As the body burns more calories to maintain its own temperature, you've got a sure-fire technique to shed maximum weight in the snows.

Then, it works arms, legs, stomach, back. Its lateral strides work on the outer-thigh muscles. And since it's a low-impact sport, it doesn't cause knee-pains.

The best news for those long on enthusiasm and short on foreign exchange: Nordic centres averagely charge $50 less per day than their alpine ski resort counterparts.

Finally, a fireside tale: Amidst the vast, forbidding snows, the ancient Icelander huddled against the cold, gazing at the cloudy skies, hoping to glimpse the sun. One day, when the sun did shine, the Icelander feeling his heart lift, grunted, `Happ.Happ' articulated hope, gladness, gratitude, optimism, cheer. `Happ' gave the English language `happy', denoting `a lucky chance to feel good.'

Ever since, it's come a full circle. In our modern adrenalinic times, we can have fun in the frost, our inner sun shining radiantly with fitness.

The writer is the co-author of the book, `Fitness for Life'

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