ProXCskiing.com caught up with Norway’s top long-distance racer Astrid Øyre Slind. 

The 33-year-old Norwegian is in her seventh season of full-time marathon racing, and known to ski both with and without kick wax. But this year, her overall season goal is to become the first female to win the hilly, 54-kilometer Birkebeinerrennet without kick wax. 

“Almost all the professional and elite marathon racers are competing on double-pole skis now. It’s just faster,” Øyre Slind says. 

What about citizen racers and recreational skiers: Do you recommend specific double-pole skis for marathons? 
“That depends. But the double-pole skis are engineered with specific flexes and cambers that make them accelerate faster when double-poling and are stable and easy to ski on at high speed. So, if you are planning to double-pole the whole event, there is no reason to wait. I would definitely give them a try,” Øyre Slind says. 

At the same time, she points out that it’s entirely possible to race well and be competitive using traditional classic skis as well.  

“But it’s not like you have to buy special double-pole skis to do well. Sometimes a great pair of regular classic skis can be better than a good to decent pair of double-pole skis. But if you like double-poling, there is no reason not to try a pair!”

Should you choose traditional classic skis or double-pole-specific skis for racing?  

Traditional classic skis vs double-pole specific skis
Traditional classic skis are designed to offer the optimal combination of glide and kick. The basic principle is that the ski is flattened to the snow and stopped for each kick, before accelerating into a new glide phase. 

Double-pole skis on the other hand are never stopped in order to generate speed by kicking. Accordingly, double-pole skis are engineered from the ground up based on the physics of first getting up to speed quickly and then maintaining that momentum without a kick. At the same time, they need to be stable and easy to maneuver in a mass start with frequent lane changes. These are significant differences. 

Accordingly, the flex and pressure points are distributed differently than on a traditional classic ski. It optimizes the sliding properties.

Since double-pole skis are optimized for speed and do not have to take into account that fastening lubrication takes place under the ski, the double-pole skis are lower to the ground. The construction also means that the double-pole skis hit the snow at a different angle than traditional classic skis. This is why double-pole skis have a light and lively feeling when you double-pole, and fast on downhills.

But at the same time, the construction makes the double-pole skis unsuitable for anything other than double-poling. If you try to wax double-pole skis, they will drag the wax all the time and become terribly slow.

Interested in gear and equipment? Check out the entire equipment section for the latest equipment news, piping hot gear reviews and tips on how to get the most out of your gear. 

So, what are the best double-pole skis? 
Although double-pole skis are not built to create momentum by kicking, the general rule for picking skis still applies: it is important to find the right double-pole skis for your weight and technique. “If the skis are too stiff, it will feel like the tips and tails are “digging” into the snow and slowing you down,” says Øyre Slind.

She adds that if the skis are too stiff, you will put more wear more on the glide wax and toppings. That is particularly bad in marathons, which are often determined at the end.

How to choose the right skis for double-poling

Mind your boots
As a final tip on gear, Øyre Slind puts in a word for investing in a good pair of boots. 

“Go for boots that fit your feet and feel comfortable. But if you are aiming to double-pole, I recommend the pursuit boots. They have the same flexible sole, but offer some extra stability up above your ankles. That’s super helpful when you have to ski outside the tracks or the tracks are worn down.”