Adventures at Snow Farm
Nordic Skiing Downunder (Part 1)
NEW ZEALAND has many Alpine ski fields, but only one Nordic ski field, called Snow Farm. It’s in the middle of the following aerial image of the Queenstown-to-Wānaka area of the South Island.
What is the difference? Well, one is on mostly steep slopes and the other is mostly on gentle slopes. Also, with Alpine skiing, you are firmly clipped onto the ski both at the heel and at the toe, whereas with Nordic skiing you are only clipped on at the toe and can lift the heel.
Nordic skiing is the original kind of skiing, dating back thousands of years. It is 90% walking, or striding, and only 10% downhill, and is therefore also known as cross-country skiing. You can always tell a Nordic skier; they will be striding along with the heels rising and falling.
Alpine skiing, 100% downhill with the boot clipped on at both ends, only came into vogue in the 1930s once rope tows became available. Early Alpine skiing was a bit of a daredevil sport. The early Alpine bindings often didn’t release in a fall, which resulted in sprains and fractures. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Alpine ski bindings became safe enough for the general public to be interested in the sport, with the old rope tows upgraded to chair lifts accordingly.
