It’s March, it’s spring, and skiing is not at all over!
While the corona virus pandemic cut the race season short this year, and group events are discouraged in order to prevent spreading the virus, this is perfect time for skiing and exploring with your closest family.
Spring offers some of the best skiing of the season. The days are longer and the snow has been piling up through the whole winter and the snow pack is often thick well into April and beyond. Play, tour and train to your brains out. Slushy conditions and/or bad tracks? Bonus! Here’s why: Slush makes for excellent technique training. Mastering the difficult stuff helps you improve your overall skills.
Here are some tips on how to get the most from the season and your thoughts away from the virus.
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Ski to a sheltered area and set up camp
Digging in the snow is a perennial hit with everyone. Snow cave and igloos, ski jumps and moguls, snowmen and snow castles are classic constructions, but use your imagination. Just make sure to bring dry mittens and gloves for everyone.
Cook your lunch on an open fire
Most kids love cooking their food outside. Consider bringing some fire wood and fire starter to build a camp fire that doubles as a lunch kitchen. While roasting hotdogs never go out of style, there are other options. Try bringing pancake or waffle batter in a thermos or other tightly closed container and make them on the open fire. Old-fashioned, non-electric waffle irons can often be found in secondhand stores or flea markets. Bonus: These irons are great for making grilled cheese sandwiches as well!
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Add some ski play
Try your favorite games such as tag, obstacle course, jumping, parallel slalom, trick skiing, dancing…. Your imagination is the only limit. No matter what you choose it will deliver a lot of bang for the effort: intensity, balance, technique, ski feel – and lots of laughs and good times.
Get out early
Crust skiing is amazing, whether classic or skating. But remember that crust turns to slush only a few hours after the sun comes up. So, if crust skiing is on your agenda, you need to get up early and enjoy the crust while it lasts.
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Get the right equipment
Worried that your skis won’t work when the conditions change radically from the start of the ski to the end of your spring adventure? No need for concern: Just grab a pair of IntelliGrip®skin skis. The unique skin and ski construction delivers both kick and glide on crust and ice as well as slush and slop.
