Classical skiing is the oldest and most recognized technique. You can classic on groomed trails or off-trail in the backcountry. In classic technique, your skis remain parallel and point in the direction of travel. You propel yourself forward when the midsection of the ski contacts the snow during the kick phase. The sticky kick wax or waxless Crown pattern on your ski resists your rearward kick, thus propelling you forward.
Skate skiing is very similar to ice-skating or inline skating.
The entire base of your skate ski is smooth - meaning it requires neither kick wax nor a crown pattern. Because you are almost always gliding, the skate technique is faster than the classical technique. Just ask yourself where do you wish to go and how fast you wish to get there. The top end racers, those that live for their sport and train hard year-round will look to our RCS race models. Mainly in-track skiing, you want skis that are easy to control and yet provide you with consistent and dependable performance.