The questions of the founders | Press

The popularity of cross-country skiing exploded last winter, and the sport is expected to attract new followers again this year. Who have plenty of questions to ask.

Marie Tison
Press

Many turn to members of Facebook communities for information, although it would sometimes be preferable to consult the advisers of outdoor stores.

“It must be recognized that there are a fairly large number of good advisers, who had been in cross-country skiing for years and who have retired, notes André Lizotte, one of the moderators of the Facebook page Les Trippeux de ski de fund. Cross-country ski shops suffer from the same problem as every other business right now: a shortage of workers. ”

There is certainly a succession of young advisers, but they still need to perfect their knowledge and gain experience. “For clients, it’s important to develop a certain basic understanding to be able to ask good questions, to be able to realize if we are dealing with an advisor who tells us nonsense or who knows his stuff” , says Lizotte.

Another problem arises: due to a shortage of equipment in the shops, many newbies are turning to online commerce. Then they are in serious need of advice.

Equipment manufacturers offer a lot of information, but it is scattered from site to site, and skiers do not necessarily have the patience to search the web fully. They therefore turn to social networks.

“The main questions depend on the time of year,” says André Lizotte. When the season has not quite started, we are therefore dealing with questions of shopping and equipment. When the season is well started, we will see the questions of waxing and maintenance of the skins. [les peaux sous la semelle de certains skis classiques]. After that, we will fall into the sharing of beautiful photos, trips, favorite destinations. ”

André Lizotte takes great care in answering questions, while remembering that it is often enough to do a little research on the Facebook page to get an answer to the most frequent questions. The small magnifying glass located at the top right of the Facebook community pages is used for just that. The administrators of the cross-country skiing Trippeux have organized the answers into broad categories to facilitate research.

“I try to help educate new followers on the basics so that their experience in store or elsewhere is as profitable and satisfying as possible,” says Lizotte.

“I want to help develop the next generation in cross-country skiing,” he adds. Not that of the national team, but that of lovers of this sport and our winter. “

Not classic or no skate?

The first big question that some newbies ask themselves is whether they should equip themselves for the classic or the skating first.

André Lizotte suggests starting with the classic step, in order to tame skis and poles, to understand the different types of snow.

The next question is whether it is better to buy wax skis or scale or skin skis. These latest skis are increasingly popular due to their versatility.

“I have the impression that within a few years, waxable skiing will be found mainly in the high end,” says Mr. Lizotte. In the mid-range and the low-end, it’s going to be skin all over the place, or similar technology that’s less of a headache. It’s just the skiers who want performance, speed, who will continue to wax. ”

For now, novice skiers are hungry for advice on waxing, a subject so complex that André Lizotte has shared a status of over 3000 words on the subject. “There are all kinds of myths around,” he explains. I tried to sort it out. ”

The Cross Country Skiing Trippeux also offer a directory of trainers and instructors so that novices can learn the basics of the sport easily, quickly and painlessly.

Social networks are finally full of questions about the snow conditions in a particular region. Ski centers in certain regions are grouping together to offer a summary of ski conditions at home, such as the Regroupement Ski de fond Laurentides. The Société des establishments de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ) also centralizes the ski conditions of its parks on its site. But otherwise, you have to go center by center.

“I find it unfortunate that there isn’t a professional body in Quebec that takes care of bringing everything together on one site,” Lizotte laments. Ski de fond Quebec focuses on the development of elite, competitive skiers. For the more recreational aspect, it is groups like ours that fill the void. ”