#37 Skiglede ("ski joy") where are you? - A sceptic’s guide to skiing, gear, and sanity [kultur] [tips]

Welcome And Why Motivation Dips

Hei, hei, folkens!. Hello, guys. Hvordan går det? How's it going? Today I'm not gonna make a listening exercise. That will be for next week. Because the skiing course that I'm following is having a break this week. So I didn't go, but not because I skipped it, but because there hasn't been a practice yet. Don't worry, unless I'm super sick, I will go to my last class. Even though my motivation is not high, but it's getting better, it's getting better.

Winter Blues And Norway Culture Shock

And so today I wanted to make an episode about that. Because I know I'm not the only one in this boat. If you weren't born in Norway, if you didn't grow up with winter sports, and maybe not even with snow, then coming to Norway where it might feel like everybody's outside skiing or ice skating or even both during the winter time, while you're home in front of the fireplace, or maybe not even a fireplace, just being sad because it's so dark and cold outside, uh, then this episode is for you. I grew up in Bergen, and I can tell you that winter depression is a real thing. Uh, in in Bergen, as you might know, it rains a lot. And if you combine winter and rain and darkness, then you have the perfect cocktail for winter depression. Especially if you are a person who wasn't forced, well, I mean we're not forced, it's the good word to use, but you weren't motivated by your parents to go skiing, well, then it's very easy to end up with a winter depression. And that is why I wanted to make this episode for you to make um the access to ski joy, if you can call it that, or at least like the at least the feeling that it is something that you have access to. You might not be a skiing enthusiast, or maybe you will, I don't know, but at least you have the access to it to try it out, figure out if you like it, without feeling like a big failure. If you don't know it, I moved away from Norway when I was 19 and I lived 11 years in France. Uh and the place where I lived, there wasn't any snow during winter time. I went home for during the winter just for Christmas, and then I went back. So for many years I didn't actually have any problems with winter. And now that I'm back in Oslo, I feel the need to get out during winter so that I don't get depressed. And and getting out, even if it's just for a walk, it makes a huge difference for my mental health. And uh and I know that there are a lot of foreigners who experience the same thing when they come to Norway, they just hibernate during winter, uh, which can be cozy to a certain extent, but maybe not for three, four months.

Overwhelm From Advice And Gear

So like if you feel that skiing is not for you, you've never tried it, and you will never try it because it seems so complicated, you have to be born in Norway in order to be able to go skiing and and and and like and enjoy it. I am going to give my tips to you that are just the result of some uh desperate um discussions with uh my boyfriend and also with Chat GPT. Because if you go to YouTube uh and you wanna have advice, you're gonna find so much information, so many tools, so many different kinds of skis, so different many different kinds of techniques, and it's just overwhelming, and you don't know where to start. I want to start with saying there you don't really need a lot of different equipment to start. So, okay, let's go

Downhill Versus Cross-Country Basics

into it. Uh, when we say skiing, what are we actually talking about? There are two main kinds of skiing, it can be downhill skiing or alpine ski. So downhill skiing, you some people just call it slalom, even though slalom is one kind of downhill skiing. Uh that's what most people associate with downhill skiing, slalom, and that's the most common um common downhill skiing type, and the only thing, only kind you'd need to think about. It's also called alpinski, alpine skis or skiing. And you know that in Norwegian we don't have a word that means to go skiing or to ski. We don't have a verb for that. We say whether there are two ways we have å gå på ski" to walk on skis, and then we have "å stå på ski" to stand on skis. And we don't necessarily differentiate those two, we mix them, but originally sto pushy, stand on skis would be for well when you do downhill skiing because you're not walking on them, you're just standing and and then turning and twisting around, but you're not walking with them, so that would be stopp I personally prefer downhill skiing over cross-country skiing Langden because the skis that you wear slalom she or shlalomshi, you can pronounce the S as sh or s, you choose slalom or slalom, it's the same thing. The skis are much heavier, wider, and they're also a little bit shorter than um cross the ones you use for that are not downhill, let's just say that. The non-downhill skis. Which means that you have much more control over them. It's easier to turn without falling. My story is that I, well, as a kid, I never as a kid we had something called she dog. It's it wasn't like that on all schools in Norway, but in Bergen we had She-Dog, which was once a year. We took a big bus and we went to a skiing station. And you could choose what you wanted to do. You could do downhill skiing, you could do "aking" sledding, or you could go cross-country skiing. And of course, all the cool kids did um downhill

Personal First Tries And Fears

skiing, but since I didn't have any course in that, I didn't dare to do that. So I either went sledding, which was okay for maybe 30 minutes, but then five hours of sledding was a little bit boring. Uh, or you could go cross-country skiing. And since I had never taken a course in that, nobody taught me the techniques, I found it super boring because I literally felt that I was just walking with skis on my legs. Which makes sense. I I thought it was supposed to be like that because that's what we say. Go pushi, walk on skis, right? So I was doing the thing, so I didn't, but I didn't enjoy it because I didn't understand what the point was wearing those skis. I could walk quicker without them. Um so yeah, she dug was not the best day in my life. Then later, when I started "ungdomsskole", when you were between 13 and 60 years. Oh 13 and 16 years, I tried snowboarding. That was interesting. I never managed to do it well. I always uh I was always breaking when I was standing now. I didn't dare to really to to to go quickly and to do turns. I would only just stand with my feet facing downwards. So I never really got the technique good a good technique for that. But then uh when I started "videregående", the school before you start university, I tried slalom for the first time in my life. And since I had already tried I had already tried snowboard before slalom was so easy, it was super easy, and it felt like a dream. It was really, really a lot of fun. And I think it's something that most people can learn quite quickly if you start in a in a hill that's not too steep. Uh it's it's quite manageable.

Why Downhill Feels Easier But Costly

But the problem with downhill skiing is that it takes a lot of organization. You have to go to a skiing center "et skisenter", a ski resort. And it's very expensive. So uh you have to like uh maybe set aside a whole day for it unless you live near a skiing center.

Cross-Country Goals And Prepared Tracks

So if that's not an alternative for you, or you find it a little bit scary because you're always in a hill, you're always going downwards, that can be a little bit scary when you have never tried skiing before, then maybe you should try c cross country skiing. "Lang renn", which literally means long run or long race. "Renn" is uh competition uh for something that goes that that glides basically aten. So any kind of competition for any sports where you're gliding could be called "renn". So it's mostly used for skiing. Yeah, so now if you have decided that you want to do uh cross-country skiing, people do not necessarily differentiate the different kinds of cross-country skiing. They just call it langrenn. But you have something called "langrennnsski". And then you have something called "fjell ski". And you can use both kinds of skis for different kinds of cross-country skiing, but they do not work the same way. So it really depends on what kind of skiing experience you want to have. Do you want to go like is your goal to go exercising? Do you wanna have just like if you enjoy running, for instance, then maybe the traditional, the classical langrenn would be for you. And that is when you go in um you have something called preparat leip, which means that the track has been made for you by a vehicle that makes a track for all the skiers that you follow. So that gives you more stability, right? Because your skis are basically stuck inside this track, they will not glide outwards, but you do not use the same technique when you ski in a place where there is no track. So the main focus uh on trad uh classical with classical lang is that you just follow this track and your goal is to advance the quickest possible. And the skiing technique is basically this uh straightforward. Your skis will move straightforward in diff different ways. There are different techniques, three main techniques. Um one just using your poles, uh, one using more your skis, like moving the same way as when you're running, basically. Uh, and then a third one that I haven't learned yet. So, but those are the two main techniques. And I think you can learn a lot just by copying others when you are out.

Beginner Course Skills And Confidence

But I highly recommend if you're never tried skiing before, I highly recommend to go to a beginner course. In the very, very beginner course, you learn to you learn really the basics, like putting on your skis, how to move forward without falling, what to do if you cross your skis, and how to go go upwards in a hill with what we call "fiskebein", "gå fiskebein". I think it's called the herringbone technique, so that you can basically walk around with the skis, you're able to go uphill. Uh, so you start feeling comfortable on your skis. And then the next level will teach you uh how to walk properly, basically, to get a little bit to get a better technique to get and to get your speed up. So the thing with long and she cross-country skis is that they're quite thin and light, because their goal is to get you move forward the quickest possible, and if you like if you are have really good technique, uh it's better to have shorter ones, but they're shorter they are the less stable they are. When you want to buy skis, there are three things to think about. First question you have to ask yourself is do you want skis that you need to wax

Waxed Skis Versus Skin Skis

smooth? Which leads me to another subject, which is what do you wax them with? I'm not gonna go very deep into that, but I'm gonna give you some one advice to follow. And then the so do you want it to be skis that you have to wax, which is called "smøreski" so buttering skis or waxing skis. "Å smøre" means to spread out something that is liquid or si semi-liquid. Or do you want to get fell she fell not she "felle" as in trap, trap skis, but "fell" and "fell" basically means animal skin or animal rug. So leather with fur on it. And that is what was used before and is still used by some to help you get friction when you need it when you go skiing. For instance, when you go uphill, you don't want to slide backwards, so the the fell helps you with that. Instead of the wax, you have fell in the middle of your skis that will help, will give you more friction so that you don't uh when you put all your your weight on one ski, then you will have friction. This helps you when you go uphill, and this also helps you when you go forward, so that when you put all your weight on one ski, you are able to prevent yourself from slipping when you're trying to when you're pushing yourself forward. This helps you. For beginners, it's recommended to buy Feleshi, and that is what I am going to buy for sure. But if you are adventurous and you find it super fun to explore the magic world of Svix, which is the brand name of the wax that is used to get friction, uh, which you can find in all the colors of the rainbow, according to the temperature outside and also the skiing conditions. How is the snow? Is it wet? Is it powdery? Uh is it new? Is it old, etc. etc. Is it icy? You can really geek around with this if you want to. But for

When To Use Fell Skis Off-Track

beginners, starting off with um uh Swix or wax or "smurning", which it is called in Norwegian, I would just go and get some advice at the store, but the two most common ones are the blue and the purple that would give to get you covered uh for some plus degrees and down to minus 15 degrees. You don't need normally don't need more than that. And there's so many much equipment you could use when you put on the wax, but the only things you really need is the wax itself, and then a cork that you use to smooth it out, yeah, and then maybe an old bank card to scrape it off when you need to get a new layer of wax. And the reasons why you need to have the correct wax is that if you don't have the wax for the right temperature, then it will either, if it's too hot outside, it will either become like gum and make the snow stick to your skis, and that would definitely not give you a good experience. It will be super hard to move forward. I've had that experience before, and I can tell you it's not fun. And then if well, if it's too cold for the wax you put on, it will not have any effect at all, so you will uh have difficulties um getting the friction you need when you need it. So there you go. Now this is for prepared lepa, and that is what I think most people do because it's fun, uh it's not too complicated, uh, because you can you can the places where you can do this are

Picking Length, Weight, And Poles

very easily accessible with uh public transport, especially in Oslo. So yeah, preparer lepe might be a good thing for beginners. But you do not have to use Langrensi, you can also use Fielschi. If you choose to use "fjellski" instead, you have more options because you can if they're not if these skis are not too wide, you can use them in "preparert løype" , but you will not be as quick as the others. But if you are just someone who wants to go for a stroll to watch the beautiful landscape, etc. then go ahead, get some "fjellski". If it's not important for you to be quick, if it's not important to you uh to feel that you're floating uh when you're when you're uh skiing, then then maybe Fjelshi are the good match for you. I thought it was for me, uh but I think that in a prepared lepe it's not very fun to use fellchi. It works, but it's not as fun as with Langren's. Because "fjellski" are made for uh going outside of the tracks. The best place to go with "fjellski" or mountain skis is where there have not been anyone before. The snow is completely new and you're the one making the first tracks. That's where they are meant to be used. And and the goal with them is really to have a stroll and but also you have a little bit more control. If you when you go downhill, you can move more, you can. Turn more without feeling that they are derailing, that they're that they're uncontrollable, basically. They are wider, they have like uh very often have a metal edge to give you better control if the snow is hard. So they are good if you're more of an event adventurer, uh wants to explore nature outside of the tracks where everybody's going. Everybody's skiing. So now I've given you my two tips. First of all, do you want to have you want to wax them or not? This counts for both "langrennsski" and "fjellski". Do you want to wax them or not? Or do you want it to be easy and buy fell she? Uh do you want to have "langrennsski or do you want to have "fjellski", Second question. And then when you are gonna buy them, two things that are important, you need to have skis that are good for your weight and your height. The most important thing is your weight,

Bindings, Boots, And Simple Setup

because if you choose skis that were meant for someone who are heavier than you, then you will not get the friction you need. And if you choose skis that are meant for someone who is lighter than you, then you will get too much friction and too little glide. So that is important. The longer skis you choose, the more stability you get, but less uh speed, so that's more of a pre that that's more of a preference, but it should be between 15 and 25 centimeters longer than you are. That's the ideal. And then when it comes to the poles, definitely do not choose too short ones. This is for cross-country skiing. When you're for for downhill skiing, the rules are different. Skis are shorter, uh, and the poles are also shorter because you don't you need them more for support than for uh uh helping you with getting speed. So longer poles will make it easier to to get up your speed. They should stop uh more or less under your uh armpits, that's the perfect length, according to what I've heard. Um and I I honestly I've tried with two short poles, and I I can very even though it's just five centimeters in difference, I can definitely see the the an improvement just by having the right length of the poles or star vid and stav a pole, which is called in Norwegian. You can find a lot on the internet. Um if you have the chance, test them out first. And if you buy the shoes separately from the skis, make sure you have the good the they they go well with the binding you have on the skis because they're different kinds of binding. So you risk buying shoes that will not attach themselves to the skis. So be aware of that as well. So now I've told you all you need about the technical stuff. What else do I need to tell you? What

Keep It Simple And Just Start

did I note down? That's it, I think. I really hope that if you are if you would like to try it, don't feel overwhelmed. It doesn't need to be complicated. You can make it as complicated as you want. The tips that I gave you, you don't even have to follow them. But I think they are beginner-proof, and it's really for someone who just wants to go skiing once in a while and have this option during the winter. You do not need more tips than that. There are skiing courses all the time. I really recommend taking at least the beginner lesson. If you've if if you are terrified of skiing, take the beginner lesson, buy "felleski", the ones you do not have to wax. Maybe borrow from someone you know, just so that you don't have to buy a lot of equipment all at once. And then go out, try uh you don't have to go to a very sophisticated pla for sophisticated place, you can go to a park or whatever wherever just to try to feel more comfortable on the skis, go with some friends that are also beginners, and and maybe then do

Borrow Gear, Take A Lesson, Share Tips

another course to work more on your technique after that, so that you can have more fun when you're out skiing. I hope my advice will help you. Um please share your own experiences with the winter period in Norway and winter activities. Maybe you have some advice to give other newbies. I'm definitely open for advice. I feel that I have a lot to learn. Uh, that's why I'm bringing you on my learning journey. Uh, hoping to get a more friction-free winter season, even though it's good to have some friction here and there. Okay, that was it for today, and next week you will hear the last part of my skiing course story, which I hope will turn out well. Takk for i dag! Vi høres!