Off-Season Training for Skiers

Not many skiers have the financial ability to jet off around the world so as to train all year round. It is a challenge for ordinary people, who do not have the luxury of sponsorship or riches, to remain fit during the off season and therefore many skiers are turning to the use roller skis. Roller skis enable skiers to remain fit and in training anywhere in the world. As with many pieces of equipment, there are just as many skiing enthusiasts who praise roller skis, as there are skiers who do not believe in these alternative training methods.

Roller skis have been used in the skiing community since the early 1900s as a method of training. During those years, roller skis were crudely homemade models, but their use and positive results were recognized even back then. Today, roller ski models are light weight and can be used on dirt or asphalt surfaces. And as the popularity of roller skiing begins to increase in rapid numbers, the design of the roller skis has advanced to suit various skiing athletes and their preferences.

Most roller skis are condensed versions of conventional skis and have a wheel at the front and at the back of the ski. Bindings on the skis allow roller skiers to train either in their ski boots or in athletic shoes, and the biggest manufacturers of rollers skis are Marwe, V2 and Pro-Ski. The classic model roller ski simulates the effect of grip wax by having a device on the front wheel of the roller ski, preventing the ski from being able to roll backwards. More modern versions allow for different wheel types and light weight designs. Poles have also been modified with carbide tips, as the baskets on snow poles will get damaged on any hard surface.

Even though roller skis are not able to simulate the exact feeling that will be experienced on the snow, it will still provide athletes with the necessary leg and upper body training needed to be strong on the slopes. Many athletes concentrate only on fitness during the off season, by swimming, jogging and going to the gym, but no other piece of equipment can keep these athletes in skiing condition as well as roller skis can. Practicing striding, technique and weight shifting is possible with roller skis, and not in a swimming pool. Roller skis are proving to be invaluable to athletes around the world and it seems that their popularity is growing as the competition toughens and athletes show greater determination to remain in shape all year round. For skiers who are unable to get to snow during the summer months, roller skis have become a part of their training routine, keeping them fit and ready throughout the year.