Cross Country Skiing

When should I double pole kick during a ski race?

Optimizing Ski Racing: Double Pole Kick Strategies Revealed

I always find double pole. Kick is a really good gear for two applications. One either kind of gradual terrain, when maybe it's a little too steep to just double pole, but striding is maybe two to slow the gear for the grade and the other application is when you kind of want to test how well your skis are kicking going in. Into the bottom of a climb often times when you double pull straight into a striding gear. Sometimes, you might slip on that first stride. If the Snows little slick, if the conditions are a little slick if your wax isn't perfect. So by double pull kicking, you can actually kind of test out the kick a little bit because you're still mostly relying on your core and your arms. But Also, introducing your, your leg with a kick. So, those two places, I always find really helpful to double pull kick. I hope that helps

Double pole kick is great for gradual terrain and testing the kick of your skis.

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I find that double pole kick is particularly useful in two situations during a ski race. 

First, on gradual terrain where it's a bit too steep to solely rely on double poling, but striding might be too slow for the grade. Double pole kick provides a good gear for maintaining speed and efficiency in such conditions.

Second, when you want to test how well your skis are kicking at the bottom of a climb. Sometimes, when transitioning from double poling to striding, you may experience slipping if the snow or wax conditions are slick. By incorporating a double pole kick, you can assess the kick while still primarily relying on your core and arms.

These two scenarios are where I find double pole kick to be particularly helpful during a ski race. I hope this information is useful to you.

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3 x Olympic cross-country ski racer for 🇺🇸. Also love to ride bikes, ski powder, and smother my daughter with kisses. 