Which skis are with or without notches? What you need to know about notched skis? Which skis are better - with or without notches?

I once observed the torment of a lady in the ski department. She was going to buy skis for her over-aged daughter, but she couldn’t choose: notched or smooth? I did not undertake to advise, so as not to upset. The fact is that neither one nor the other is absolutely and 100% suitable. If you buy one with a notch, the child will swear that the notch is slowing down; If you buy smooth ones, the skis move apart and “shoot” – it’s impossible to push off.

If a person is seriously engaged in sports section, the problem of choosing skis is unlikely to arise for parents - the coach himself will explain everything. But what if you need skis for walking in the forest? If you just want to teach your child to ski for fun?

Which skis to choose - with or without notches? Pros and cons of knurled skis

Pros: they don’t “shoot”, they roll forward better than backward in any weather. Effective on climbs. You can do without lubrication.

Cons: they slow down on descents and when driving on the plain, which can’t help but irritate. Especially in the first season. At first you want to take a file and grind off the notches. Hold on, be patient. By the next season, the notches will wear out on their own and won’t be as annoying anymore. Tested from my own experience. For those who are especially impatient, it is recommended to use gliding ointments or special paraffin. It helps, although it requires additional time and is removed by rough snow (even multi-layer paraffin is not enough for me for 40 km on old snow).

Pros and cons of skis without notches Pros: faster, sportier. Better adapted to skating.

Cons: you can’t go far without grip ointment, and on old snow, grip ointment doesn’t really help. Require good push with sticks.

So which skis should you choose?

My opinion is this: it is better to start with skis with a notch under the block. Yes, it slows down, yes, it crackles on the descents, but on the ascent you will overtake everyone. Yes, not very steep, but it’s better to ski on non-steep skis with notches than to not ski on steep skis for skating. I personally think so

I have two pairs of skis in my arsenal - notched and smooth. I change them depending on the weather. General recommendations These are: smooth skis go better on fresh snow. There are usually no problems with pushing (with holding ointment). On fresh wet snow, skis with notches risk not going at all - kilograms of snow stick to the block, what a glide there is, and you won’t be able to step!

On old grainy snow, skis with notches are calmer. Here, holding ointment alone will not do. Amateurs walk on their hands. It's sporty, but hard. Moreover, in a deep forest, where the ski track and its surroundings are not as compacted as in the park, the poles are buried in the snow almost up to the elbows, and an effective push is not possible.

Which skis to choose - with or without notches?

Wooden skis... New skis had to be tarred, and in a good way - tarred every year. You warm the sliding surface over the flame of a gas burner and remove the old ointment with a cloth. You apply a dark, almost black resin. Again, heat it over the flame so that it is absorbed. Resin all over the kitchen. But the smell!.. Ah...

Before each trip to the forest, skis were smeared without fail. Remember? Blue ointment “-5..-7″ on the entire sliding surface, warm purple under the block, and green on the ends of the skis... Each layer is carefully rubbed with a cork... And the smell!... Ah...

To ensure that the skis retained their gracefully curved shape, a special spacer or the same lubrication plug was inserted between them. And they put a linen bag on the ends so that scandalous women wouldn’t find fault in transport...

Wooden skis were chosen to be longer than now - to the height of a raised hand, and poles were “carried” on the contrary, shorter - to the armpits.

Now, in the era of slippery and elastic plastic, skis have been shortened, and poles are needed up to the shoulders in order to better push and walk with a skate step if necessary...

Spring... Skis!

Like a real retrograde, I didn’t give up my old ones for a long time wooden skis, until their cross section turned into a regular ellipse... In good frost, I overtook stronger skiers on plastic on my “wood” skis. True, at positive temperatures there was no slip at all, no ointments helped. My ski season ended at the end of February - beginning of March. And the weirdos rode on plastic until mid-April.

And I gave up! Got myself one plastic skis. I ride in the spring, among the waking grass. Snow on the ski track, compacted over the winter, lasts longer. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the wet trees smell like spring. Warm. And I'm skiing. In the city I read mockery on the faces of passers-by. And I understand that these people have not been in the forest at least since the summer... Or never at all...

Material from the site dirigent.ru

Having been inspired by the idea of ​​taking walks through the winter forest on cross-country skis or participating in small amateur competitions, people go to sporting goods store, and their eyes widen in front of a huge selection of options. Many people are surprised to learn for the first time that there are models that have a smooth running side, and skis with notches on it. A notch is a notch on sliding surface. It's the 21st century, made of wood cross-country skiing Gone are the things of the past; only plastic products are on sale.

Notches are not made on wooden products, so here and below we are talking exclusively about plastic skis with or without notches.

The article will be useful for those who have not yet made a choice. After reading, it will become much easier to decide.

Classification of notched skis

Cross-country skis (the name speaks for itself) are designed to move on a relatively flat surface only with the efforts of the skier. They differ in skiing style and skill level of the skier.

By riding style

1. For a classic move. Length 205-207 cm. The toe is sharp and long. At classic course The ski track consists of two parallel straight lines. When moving, the skier pushes back with force from the snow with his foot. The central part under the foot is in contact with the snow, and if these are cross-country skis with notches, then the latter prevent slipping. If the surface is smooth, lubricating the pad under the boot performs the same function.
2. For skating. The length is shorter than for the classics - 190-192 cm, the toe is blunt. There are no ski tracks as such, there is a compacted wide snow crust. The leg movements are similar to ice skating, hence the name. Skier pushes off internal part one ski and transfers the weight to the second, sliding at this moment. The central part, where the boot is, under the block should not touch the snow when pushing, otherwise the force of the push is lost. If the skis have notches for skating, the notches are located with inside to the center block. On smooth types, lubricant works again in the same places.
3. Combined. Combines both styles. The structure is closer to the classic ones, the length is no more than 200 cm, so that the heels of the skis do not catch during skating. The toe is sharp. Running performance is reduced due to combination different styles in one subject.
4. Tourist running models. Also called BlackCountry. For hiking in virgin lands, off-piste. Wider than regular running shoes. Often edged with metal for greater rigidity. They belong to the expensive category.

By skill level

1. For beginners. The most popular category. For leisurely weekend skiing, recreational activities on a prepared and groomed track. Can be for all riding styles. They are distinguished by an increased width - 47-59 mm in the central part, increased weight - 1.4-1.7 kg, and the use of less expensive materials, since there are no speed requirements.
2. Average level. At this level there are amateurs who have skied actively for 1-2 seasons and acquired skiing skills at a basic level. The skis are narrower compared to the initial ones. 44-48 mm - width of the central part. At this level, models with notches and for a combined style are much less common.
3. Expert level. You won't find a combined option here. These models are for serious amateurs and as training models for athletes. Weight 1.1-1.3 kg and high rigidity. You won't find notches on skis at this level.
4. For athletes. The most expensive products from the entire line. Weight 0.9-1.1 kg. They are characterized by high rigidity. They are often made individually for the athlete, taking into account all personal characteristics. Material: high quality plastic. Different structures for different weather conditions and types of track.

Features of cross-country skis with notches

If skiing is limited to walking fresh air or physical education, it is better to make a choice in favor of the option with notches. Let's take a closer look. In those places where pushing forces occur, special notches are made in the plastic - notches. What are notches on skis for?

They prevent the ski from sliding when pushing off. Riding in walking mode is comfortable, enjoyable, and reduces the risk of injury. The notch technology is also called “no wax”, that is, “without lubrication”. The name speaks for itself; skis with notches do not require special care and do not need to be lubricated. Literally unsheathed, dressed and went. It makes sense to take combination skis so that you can skate if you wish.

Types of plastic for sliding surfaces

Plastic for the sliding surface can be low-molecular and high-molecular. There is no point in delving into the chemical composition; suffice it to say that low molecular weight plastic is cheaper, it cannot be processed mechanically by scraping, it crumbles. Paraffins and lubricants are poorly absorbed and wear off quickly.

High molecular weight plastic is much higher quality and more expensive. It can be polished and scraped with a sharp scraper. Excellent absorption of paraffins and ski waxes, due to which the lubricant lasts throughout the entire period of skating, training or competition.

Which skis to choose - with or without notches?

The main conditions for selection are the purpose of using the skis. Having understood it, the answer will become clear - choose skis with and without notches.

If you are going to enjoy skiing outdoors on the weekend, you don’t want to bother with lubricant, and you don’t have the goal of winning competitions - it’s better to choose skis with notches. Relaxed riding, comfort and pleasure are guaranteed. Depending on the price range, skis can be made of low molecular weight plastic and high molecular weight plastic. Their price varies from 1,500 to 6,000 rubles on average.

If the goal is to achieve a sports result, active training, increasing speed, it is worth choosing professional smooth skis made of high molecular weight plastic for the desired style. The price will depend on many components. The cheapest - from 6,000 rubles, the most expensive, for individual orders, can cost several thousand dollars.

What to do if skis with notches do not glide - tips for beginners. The notches on the skis are made to make the ride easier. Why doesn't this always happen?

Most beginner skiers buy just such skis for themselves, although many subsequently change them to others. The reason for this is that notched skis, as a rule, are recreational rather than sport skis, are cheaper and do not require special care and lubrication.

Notches in the middle part of the skis are made for better grip on snow. They prevent the ski surface from slipping back and make walking easier, especially when climbing. If a skier is attracted to healthy recreational walking, then this is the most the best option to start playing sports.

Why don't skis glide?

Skis with notches, as a rule, are not lubricated at all. They belong to the lower price category and are usually made of inexpensive (low molecular weight) plastic. Such plastic glides well on snow without any lubrication, but, of course, much worse than the high-molecular plastic of cross-country skis with properly selected lubricant.

Although for beginner skiers, a slight reduction in speed may even be useful, especially on the slopes, since with insufficient experience the speed becomes dangerous.

Poor gliding of skis with notches is most often caused by snow sticking to the notches themselves, especially if the snow is wet. Walking on such skis can also become uncomfortable if an ice crust forms on the snow. In this case, the notches simply stop working, and low-quality plastic begins to crumble from micro-impacts.

What to do to improve gliding

If the reason for poor gliding is snow accumulation, then it is still useful to lubricate the skis. It is not necessary to select a lubricant based on temperature, as for cross-country skiing. Simply use paraffin.

Most often, it is enough to rub the notches themselves on the middle part of the skis with paraffin. Paraffin will prevent snow from sticking and make sliding easier. If this method does not help, you should rub the entire surface of the skis with paraffin, starting from the top.

Note!
Skis must be completely dry before treatment. You should thoroughly grind the paraffin, remove its excess and polish the surface as much as possible using a cork or piece of wood wrapped in a cloth.

It must be taken into account, however, that at very low temperatures paraffin can change the dynamics of ski movement, as the surfaces become too slippery. On such days, it is better to apply it only to the notches or not to apply it at all.

Every time a new season begins, a beginner skier is faced with the burden of choosing: which skis to buy - smooth skis or notched skis.

And he starts looking for advice. Naturally, in ski world recommendations from the most appreciated cool skiers. Winners' verdict cross-country skiing harsh - only smooth skis.

What kind of skis are notched? This, they say, is for housewives to indulge on the ski track.

I want to vigorously advocate for knurled skis when it comes to ski touring.

According to ski champions skis with notches are only guilty of the fact that they have notches and, by definition, cannot glide as quickly as smooth skis.

Since 2005, I regularly go on weekend ski trips with Ryzhavsky’s group, and in 2011 I ran the “100 km in one day” ski ultramarathon with Safronov’s group.

During this time, more than 3000 km were covered on skis. Moreover, unlike many critics of smooth skis, I am not a “champion”, but an ordinary skier who has tried both smooth skis and notched skis quite well.

Yes, indeed, in the temperature range: minus 2 – minus 15 degrees, smooth skis fundamentally glide better than notched skis.

At near-zero and positive temperatures, skis with notches glide better than smooth skis.

And at temperatures below minus 15 and especially below minus 20, both types of skis glide equally poorly.

However, from the experience of hikes, where the majority of skiers are of approximately average level, in almost every hike at any temperature out of about 40 participants, there were always skiers whose skis gave up severely due to the fact that they did not put the ointment under the block correctly.

A good return during a long climb up the slope of a hill near Moscow can be so exhausting that it will ruin the pleasure of the entire ski trip.
If, on the contrary, out of anger you apply ointments against recoil, the skis will not move at all.

It’s interesting to watch beginner smooth ski lovers on the train before a ski trip. Looking around anxiously, they are looking for advice from experienced people on what ointment to use this time. Experienced skiers always have a set of ointments in their backpack, and when they make a mistake, which happens quite often, they get smeared already on the ski track.

The owners of notched skis on the train are as calm as elephants. They don’t care, because they know that they will go, albeit not so fast, in any weather. And there is practically no recoil on skis with notches. If ointment is used, it is always the same liquid ski ointment with a notch. Easily climbing up the slopes, they enjoy the beauty of winter nature.

Smooth skis glide really well, and not only forward, but also backward, left and right. Therefore, the sensations of a beginner skier on smooth skis coincide with those experienced by a cow on ice.
The art of smooth skiing requires a lot of practice until a sense of balance is developed.

On knurled skis, the skiing technique is very similar to walking, with a confident push and a sense of grip on the ground. I personally know many examples when beginner and intermediate skiers switched from smooth skis to skis with grooves, experienced a feeling of extreme relief, and, paradoxically, showed a noticeable increase in speed at any temperature. Their general opinion can be summed up that on notched skis they began to feel like people and enjoy ski trips.

Based on my personal experience If you are an average skier, I can confirm that in terms of speed/effort and fatigue ratio, notched skis in most cases have a huge advantage over smooth skis.

The motto of notched skis is: slower, but more reliable. As they say, the quieter you go, the further you will go.

At near-zero temperatures, miracles generally happen. While smooth skis do not roll at all due to strong sticking, skis with notches begin to glide surprisingly well. An intermediate skier on notched skis can easily outperform a seasoned smooth ski expert in these conditions.

During the debate about which skis are better, the issue of skiing technique is completely overlooked.

Based on my experience, I can responsibly declare that in terms of skiing technique, smooth skis differ from skis with notches in approximately the same way as skis and skates differ.

When an experienced skier is trained in the technique of skiing on smooth skis, then trying to ride “this washboard” that cracks under his feet makes him feel disgusted and shuddering.

This explains the persistent negative opinion of ski masters regarding notched skis and their stubborn reluctance to use notched skis where they have an undeniable advantage, for example, at near-zero and positive temperatures.

While preparing for the “100 km in one day” ski ultra-marathon, I fundamentally used the technique of skiing with notches until I had the feeling of skis fluttering like a butterfly’s wings.

My attempt to switch to smooth skis ended in acute pain in my knee joint due to a completely different nature of muscle tension and a feeling of fear in front of smooth skis.

Therefore, I consider the common advice to beginner skiers: first ski with notches, and then switch to smooth skis, to be fundamentally wrong.

You need to immediately decide what you need: race ahead among the leaders or be content with a consistently average level of skiing.

If you set your sights on becoming a champion, then immediately master smooth skis with their intricacies of applying ointments and paraffins.

If the training effect for health and pleasure from long ski trips is enough for you and you don’t want to bother yourself with the art of preparing your skis every time, then feel free to choose skis with notches.

Modern knurled skis are very easy to choose. There is no need for any correlations with height or push tests. It is enough to know your weight to choose your knurled skis from the offered weight ranges.

First, let's give a brief description of the above-mentioned skis. They belong to the beginner class of cross-country skis. In their production, simple (cheap) plastic is used with all the attendant circumstances. Their design is also the simplest. That is why their main purpose is only recreational riding at low speed. And it would be illogical to expect excellent glide from skis with notches. Added to this is a notch that also prevents slipping.
Now that we have understood this example a little, we should clarify the situation as a whole - namely, several of the most important features, which will help beginners make the right choice.

Skis with knurling

It is very important to realize that this type of ski is designed to make life easier for beginner athletes. There is no need to use ointments before skiing with notches, which attracts a huge number of skiers. But a significant disadvantage of this design is the glide speed - in this parameter they are inferior to skis without notches. Also, skis stop gripping and pushing off on icy snow, for example, after a thaw. Therefore, before purchasing, compare the two sides of the coin - quiet skiing without special ski care and fast driving, which requires regular use of special ointments. Next, decide what you like best and base your purchase on that.

Types of plastic for sliding surfaces

All ski manufacturers use two types of plastic for the sliding surface: low molecular weight and high molecular weight. To begin with, it’s enough just to remember that the second type (high molecular weight) is superior to the first in terms of sliding characteristics. Naturally, this fact cannot but affect the cost of plastic. High molecular weight plastic responds well to exposure - good effect will have grinding, scraping, treatment with paraffins and accelerators. At the same time, it is contraindicated to carry out such procedures with low molecular weight plastic - this can negatively affect it.

Basic classification of skis

Cross-country skiing has 2 subclasses: sports and recreational. In reality, there are more such subclasses, but for beginner skiers it is important to understand the differences between the main two. The vast majority of recreational skis are made from low molecular weight plastic. Prices for such skis start at the lowest levels (from 1,500 rubles). The situation with sports skis is exactly the opposite - 90% of such skis are made from higher quality plastic.

Limit range

When purchasing, you must understand that the cheapest sports skis fall into approximately the same price range as the most expensive recreational skis. And at this point it is worth dwelling in more detail and comparing them, since they may have the same cost. The fact is that each type of ski has its own design. Walking skis are made for beginners and therefore they have an increased safety margin and greater width for better stability of the skier. Do not forget that the increased width of the ski allows the skier not to make special demands on the ski slope and ski even on fresh snow in the forest. As always, one cannot do without side effects- the weight of this class of skis is higher than that of sports models. Therefore, in the marginal price range you can purchase recreational skis with good plastic (large width, stability, reliability and weight) or sports skis with low molecular weight plastic (light, maneuverable, demanding on quality ski slope, fast, but less durable).

Final choice

Let us once again repeat the main truth that should guide you when choosing skis: if you don’t want to lubricate them, buy ones with notches, but remember that riding them will be less comfortable. In addition to this, do not forget that absolutely all domestic skis in the economy segment are produced at the STC factory and it does not matter under what brand they are produced - the quality is the same for all skis from this factory.
If you made a choice on improved glide, then do not forget that you will need (the part of the ski that is located under the shoes). Be sure to consult with the manager what type of ointment to use.
And the last recommendation. In the spring, our online store has a huge sale and at this time you can purchase skis at very attractive prices.