But the main reason I race on cross country skis is that it is such a neat sport. Like cross country running, we get to practice and race on woodsy courses with ups and downs and turns, and sometimes lakes, streams, waterfalls, deer, and the occasional moose. The races are long enough for each to be a little story all by itself. Sometimes I race on a course I have never skied before. Then there is a real mystery.
Skiing is harder than running.
There are a lot of skills to learn to be an efficient and fast skier. The better I get, the more wonderful it feels as I glide, almost flying, over the snow. I have not yet been on a foggy, double diamond expert slope on downhill skis that is half as scary as a steep and icy cross country track through the trees with a sharp turn at the bottom. The good ski racers do these with their bodies coiled into a tuck, and a quick step turn around the curves to keep their speed up. So it is a challenge.