Question: What is the maximum length of cross country skis?
About the article "Nordic combined", section "Cross-country skiing equipment".

Candidate passages:
The skis are long and narrow, to distribute the weight of the skier and allow the skier to move quickly.
Typical ski dimensions are 2 metres in length, about 5 centimetres in width and one to four centimetres in thickness at different stations along the length of the ski.
Depending on the ski design and purpose, they are fitted to the skier based on height and weight.
The toe of the skier's footwear is attached to the ski with a binding, while the heel remains free.
Characteristics of cross-country skis:  Width – Generally, a skating ski is shorter and narrower than a classic ski.
A ski intended for off-track use is wider and heavier.
Cross-country skis are sometimes informally known as "skinny skis" because of their narrowness compared to alpine skis.
Tip – To help cut through deep snow, the tip of a cross-country ski is typically higher and more curved than an alpine ski.
Camber – for classic technique, camber, the amount of vertical curvature in the ski, is crucial to create a "kick zone".
Bottom surface – Many skis have smooth bottoms which require waxing, but waxless skis are available.
Edges – For track skiing, skis usually do not have metal edges; backcountry and Telemark skis however often have edges.
Sidecut – indicates the shape or profile of the ski.
Sidecut affects the way a ski tracks (travels in a straight line) and turns.
Skis with limited sidecut and a straighter profile (Classic skis) track or glide forward easily.
A ski with lots of sidecut will turn more easily but not track as smoothly.
Skating skis usually have minimal sidecut: the tips and tails are only slightly wider than the waist.
This increases stability in the glide phase.
Materials – Formerly, many skis were made of wood alone, or with a fiberglass or synthetic coating over the inner wood layer.
Modern skis have synthetic foam cores.  
Roller skis for "classic" and "skate" style skiing are used.
Off-road roller skis are a variation designed for rougher surface conditions.
Classic style roller skis usually have wider wheels to provide better balance and classic technique simulation.
A ratchet or ratchet-like mechanism in one of the wheels on each ski allows for uni-directional travel to simulate "grip" — comparable to grip wax on snow; the other wheel is free-rolling.
Skate roller skis usually have narrower wheels (similar to those used on inline skates) to allow the skating action to be easier to emulate.
Both wheels on the ski are free-rolling (no ratchet mechanism).
The shafts of the skis are composed of many different materials depending on the manufacturer and model.
Historically wood has been used (often from wood snow skis) though this has mostly been replaced by aluminum, fiberglass, kevlar, carbonfiber or a combination of these materials now.
The length of the shaft is typically shorter for the skate roller skis than the classic roller skis.
The longer shaft for the classic roller skis help provide a better simulation of snow skiing.
Many manufacturers have junior roller skis where the shafts are shorter to reduce the overall weight for younger skiers.
There are also types of roller skis that have both thin and thick wheels, with a thin one on the tip, a slightly thicker wheel in front of the binding, and two thick wheels at the very back.
Roller skis with pneumatic tires (such as skikes) are also available for rough pavement and off-road use.
Normal cross-country ski bindings and ski boots can be used with most roller skis though some manufacturers produce special roller ski versions for the warmer weather use.
Cross-country ski poles are also used, with the basket replaced by a ferrule.
A ferrule is usually more reinforced to handle impact with the harder road surface (versus snow) while retaining the carbide steel tip or spike.
Extra protective clothing is recommended (gloves, helmet, knee and elbow pads).
Many ski training programs require the use of helmets while roller skiing.
Most roller skis don't have bona fide brakes, except for a relatively new calf-activated brake pioneered by Len Johnson of V2 Jenex.
Speed reducers, available on some models, work by providing different levels of friction against the wheels.
Different types of wheels are also available that are slower thus limiting maximum speed.
There are techniques for slowing down without the use of speed reducers or brakes including dragging the pole ferrules and "snowplowing".
Roller ski snowplowing is similar to a snowplow on snow skis where pressure is applied to the inside edge of the roller ski while the roller skis are held in a wide 'V' shape.
Popular manufacturers of roller skis are: Marwe (Finland), Pursuit (US), Briko-Maplus (Italy), V2 Jenex (US), Start (Finland), Pro Ski (Sweden), Elpex (Sweden), Skigo (Sweden), SkiSkett (Italy), Swenor(Norway), Eagle Sport (The Netherlands) and Oneway (Finland).
Roller skiing is most popular in Europe (France, Italy, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Russia) where there are many serious races and even a World Cup Circuit.
In North America, roller skiing is popular in areas with many Nordic skiers such as Canmore, Ottawa, Alberta, Alaska, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin. 
Glide waxing is more common than grip waxing, simply because alpine skis, snowboards, waxless cross-country skis, and skate skis can all be treated with glide wax, but only plain cross-country skis need grip wax.
Waxless cross-country skis usually have etched gripping surfaces that eliminate the need to apply grip wax.
Usually, the process begins with a cleaning of the board by using specifically formulated wax remover (see below), which removes both the old wax and any other dirt that may interfere with the adhesion of the wax.
After the bare ski base is exposed, there are typically three methods of waxing: 
 Völkl — Skis, Snowboards, and accessories Marker — Ski bindings and accessories Morrow — Snowboards 5150 — Snowboards Liquid — Snowboards LINE — Skis Olin — Skis Madshus — Cross Country Skis Holden Outerwear 2002-2007 — Snowboard Outerwear — Holden bought back all shares of the company and went independent in 2007.  
All cross-country skiing techniques are permitted in biathlon, which means that the free technique is usually the preferred one, being the fastest.
No equipment other than skis and ski poles may be used to move along the track.
Minimum ski length is the height of the skier less .
The rifle has to be carried by the skier during the race at all times.