Skating tips for improving your “no poles” roller skiing technique

by Keith and Heather Nicol

              Roller skiing without poles is a great way to get ready for the cross country ski season since it helps skiers develop the all important skill of balance. I usually practice the basic free skate action to start with which means balancing momentarily on a single ski roller.  I swing my arms directly down the track as shown in photo 1.  I stand tall while I glide and I then flex at the ankles, knees and hips to develop power as I skate off to glide on the other roller ski.  As well as practicing the conventional free skate I also like to practice the arm timing for some of the other skating actions. In this case I simulate the various poling techniques that I would use while skate skiing. 

Actively swing your arms down the track when you practice the free skate

    In the following video I demonstrate some tips for working on your no poles skating. This video provides tips for improving your free skate as well as other skating techniques. For instance, in the 2 skate (or V2 alternate) I try to focus on my arms going through a full range of motion-flexing to start and extending well past my hips to finish. With the 1 skate (or V2) you will need to recover your arms faster and I try to stand tall in between skating actions which will help lengthen your glide. Be sure to adjust the terrain you pick for roller skiing since you want to have fast conditions for the 1 and 2 skate and then choose an uphill for practicing the offset skate (or V1 skate). It also pays to practice the offset skate on your left side as well as the right side.  As with all of these simulated skating actions I try to work on developing a strong leg push as well as performing the proper arm actions. The following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtRXkWPY8Rw  shows examples of these drills and I thank  Rossignol, Jenex Roller skis and Infinity Ski poles for their help with this blog and video.Always wear a helmet when roller skiing and some skiers like to wear other safety equipment like knee and elbow pads. I find that the best roads for roller skiing are those that have been recently paved and are generally flat like the road shown above.

When I simulate the 2 skate I work on finishing with my arms well past my hips