Articles & Videos
The PSIA Nordic Team is hosting our third annual PSIA XC Academy in West Yellowstone, Montana. Click here for more information.
Check out this quick video and article about how I got ski ready in six roller ski sessions using agility drills sprinkled throughout my 8 mile roller ski.
The PSIA XC Team wrap up of Interski 2015 in Ushuaia, Argentina written and compiled by David Lawrence, 2015 PSIA representative for cross country skiing. Read the Interski 2015 nordic cross country skiing wrap-up from PSIA/AASI U.S. team member David Lawrence. Countries represented in this report: Italy, USA, Finland, Denmark, Swiss, Australia, Canada, Argentina.
In this video, David Lawrence describes and shows you a unique drill for better grip and balance during classic nordic skiing (or diagonal stride). You can read more about this tip and watch other videos at http://www.xcskiacademy.com.
V1 skate ski pole technique might be the most utilized poling technique for most skate skiers in the US. Although I think V1 poling technique is over taught in the US (great topic for another post), V1 poling is an absolute necessity for climbing hills.Becoming a powerful, efficient hill climbing machine requires the right combination of many factors. In this post and video, Scotty McGee focuses on one factor to help you become a better, more developed V1 skate skier - switching from left side to right side as you V1 pole.
Quick, short, focused exercises and drills can strengthen neural connections in your brain and your body, resulting in better economy, better efficiency and better technique. Speed is much more neurological than it is physical. You don't need major doses of speed practice to get better. Instead, quick, focused bursts sprinkled throughout a ski or a run or any activity will expand and improve your neural wiring. That is precisely the focus of this quick video tip. The video explains that you should practice two extreme tactics for skate skiing uphill. Quick, hopping steps uphill with very short glides. And... Long, slow, ultra glidey steps uphill.
If you want to skate ski uphill, master these four simple concepts. David Lawrence will teach you in a quick, how to video to skate ski V1 uphill with 4 simple drills.
The publication produced by the American Cross Country Skiers (AXCS) entitled "XC World Digest" collects great training and technique articles from Europe and elsewhere, providing digestible, descriptive, translated pieces of cross country skiing content to sink your Nordic teeth into. Membership comes with numerous benefits, including a print publication that's well worth the price of joining. Below represents my highlights from this issue, curated and interpreted by me, including all of my baises and idiosyncrasies. Hope you find some value!
David Lawrence shares a secret concept to help you get bomber grip diagonal striding uphill on classic skis.
Watch this video about how to build and ski an effective skate ski hopping drill that develops your upper and lower body coordination, power and balance.
I just returned from PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) all teams Fall Workshop, what we call Team Training. Team Training represents the major, annual focal point of the 30 member, multidiscipline snow-sports team, a collection of the best US ski instructors from Alpine, Snowboard, Adaptive, Telemark and Cross Country. There's a LOT of stuff in this report. Give the article a quick scroll and dive into what interests YOU the most!
Watch the 3 primary skills of double poling and listen to how the 3 skills blend together to create strong, powerful, fast and efficient double pole technique for nordic/cross country polling
This first tip in a series of 3 tips to improve your uphill diagonal classic skiing. The idea? Learn to ski slapping your tails, then making your feet land side-by-side, finally make your offside ski land in-front-of the "kicking" ski. Finally, in this simple drill, learn how to drive your ski and not transfer your weight too early.
PSIA - NRM 2014 XC Nordic Academy in West Yellowstone... New video from David Lawrence about his obstacle course and staying fit throughout the summer... David announces his 2014 clinic schedule.
XC Ski Academy off season training - how I built an obstacle course to get in shape this nordic ski season. Watch the video of the entire obstacle course and get inspired.
I’ve trained and run two regular road marathons in the past. Each one, I got sick before running, wasted my body during the run, and got more sick after the race. Find out how a ran my first ultra and why I feel good.
In this quick video tip, David Lawrence shows you four key elements to cross country skiing, diagonal stride.
In this video, David Lawrence describes PSIA's new XC Technical Model. The model was developed by PSIA, in conjunction with USSA, for cross country skiing, both skate skiing and classic skiing and for coaches and instructors. The model combines USSA's Sports Performance Triangle with PSIA's XC Skills Concept.
Add two flexions and two extensions during the glide phase of each ski. Check out my recent video post to see exactly what the move looks like and how to apply it to your skiing.
The PSIA Nordic Team is hosting our first annual PSIA Nordic Team (both telemark and cross country skiing) in Minneapolis, MN this January. Click here for more information.