Learn me: Skate Skis (XC Skiing)

Please tell me what I need to know about skate skis, I want to buy a pair for this winter. I grew up on classic XC skis but want to try something new since I live in an area with plenty of groomed trails.

Thanks
Joshua

Really? Nobody? Have I beaten the GRM braintrust?

Well, messing around with cars and blowing your lungs out on tiny skinny skis aren't exactly complementary activities (I'm a big backcountry skier whose friends scratch their heads at my car interests).

REI probably has a little primer...

Yep, first hit: http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/skate+skiing+gear.html

Maybe check out some vendor sites, too: Madshus, Fischer, Atomic, etc.

Maybe not the most helpful post, but I couldn't leave you hangin' here.

I am a x country skier in remission. I still have my skis, but it's been years. I don't know anything about picking them out, it was about a decade ago. If you were closer I'd let you borrow mine to try them out.

I've been skiing on 3-pins for 20+ years (In Utah we learned to ski before we learned to ride a bike) and I've only tried skate skis a few times, so I'm not going to be much help aside from suggesting the universal stuff like gators, gloves, poles, etc., but yeah, the folks at REI (or any legitimate ski shop) will be able to give you the full rundown. Usually they're decent dudes that won't give you the run around just to try to up-sell you into something you don't really need.

If you've never skate skied before, I would suggest going to those groomed trails and taking an introductory half-day lesson. They're not usually very expensive and they will give you the basic info upon which you can build through your own trial and error. It's a lot different than traditional Nordic skiing.

And +1 on the REI article link above.

DustoffDave wrote: I've been skiing on 3-pins for 20+ years (In Utah...

3-pins, as in telemark? I lived at Alta for a couple winters in the mid-90s. Learned to tele there. Not a bad place.

In reply to procainestart:

Sort of -- you can tele on them, they are actually just the old-school style of XC skis -- they don't have as much side-cut as the new tele skis. I love me some Alta -- the best slopes along the Wasatch Front (Snowbird is way too crowded anymore).