Why Can’t I Skate Ski?

We did an egress out across a frozen lake a while back and the skiers skated along at a good clip. I know how to skate ski, but the wide boards and soft boots of my split basically made generating much edge very difficult. You essentially can’t push off without totally exaggerating the effort to engage your inside edge.

It _seems_ like I can skate a bit easier with the board split into skis, and the sides not swapped. That is to say, straight edges on the inside. The AT boots probably help with the edging, too.

I think kick skins of some sort would probably be the best.

See the thread about DIY “waxless” ski scales on splitboards for more ideas.

The main obstacle to skating on a split is the width. Of course, if the skiers you are with are rocking’ DPS Lotus 138s they would probably not skate so well either.
I suspect it would be a little easier to skate with the straight edge to the inside, just beware of any downhills (actual skate skis sure do not have sidecut).
It can be done by highly skilled folks with well developed musculature, but who practices skating that much?

@barrows wrote:

It can be done by highly skilled folks with well developed musculature, but who practices skating that much?

I do! Unfortunately for many zones here in southwest Montana, it’s a fact of life as much as splitskiing is. Lots of miles on flattish roads and drainages. If you are (un)fortunate enough to get to practice this skill a lot, you’ll find it’ll come in handy on a number of tours.

I skate skied on my high school nordic team and as far as comparing the two… it’s the same, just different 🙂 . I had to relearn how to do it on the split. Different power points, even different “musculature” as barrows says. Sorry that many of you have struggle with it because it is a really great tool to have access to. I’ve been doing fine for years in the “normal” splitski setup (powering off the sidecut edge on the inside). So it definitely works.

@SwitchBack wrote:

I can get a good glide going with skins on but skating looks so much easier. Oh well.

Don’t give up! It is easier and WAY faster/more efficient in the right situations. Just takes time to develop the technique, as with anything in our sport. Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t click the first few times out. Are you extending your poles? That’s an essential element often overlooked by folks with no nordic experience. the condition of your exit track definitely doesn’t sound ideal either. Snowmobile “grooming” can be advantageous if it’s consistent, but can be a real PITA if it’s not.

Powder_Rider, how are those working for you? Those are REALLY thin, a lot thinner than I’ve seen before.

Yeah Nick, good to hear that it is possible! Around here there is just not enough flat access points where one would use it much, so one never gets any practice (unless one would go somewhere specific to learn, and not be actually going riding). Most longer acces points here are via narrow trails, which are not packed out by beltheads. Also most of these access points are either steep enough, or have enough steep sections, that skins are really required.
I agree though, if you can skate a split it can really help speed things up in certain situations, I wish I could occasionally…

@barrows wrote:

one never gets any practice (unless one would go somewhere specific to learn, and not be actually going riding)

Heh, I’m just trying to imagine the faces if I turned-up on splits at one of the local sci di fondo (nordic) tracks. I think they might choke on their lycra. Might be fun though… 🙂

Anyone here having an opionon whether this is easier with AT setup? However Id imagine skating is easier with the heel locked. Is there any AT heel locks typically used by splitboaders?