You can keep the feeling of skiing in the off-season
with roller skiing!
Considered as a sport in its own right, this relatively new sport allows you to maintain your fitness and technique while keeping the feeling of skiing.
We tell you all about roller skiing and how to safely get started with this sport.
Roller skiing is a road skiing technique, which is similar to cross-country skiing and is practiced mainly in the off-season. It is practiced on a tarmac ground with specific equipment.
It is a recent sport which became more popular in the 1970s thanks to the foundry workers who used it as a training method.
Today, some people also do it as a leisure activity or in competitions as a sport in its own right, not only in the mountains but everywhere in France.
Like cross-country skiing, roller skiing is quite physical, but you don't need to be an expert in cross-country skiing to learn how to roller-ski.
However, if you practice Nordic skiing, skate or classic skiing, it will help you to perfect your technique and will be very useful for getting started, even if the sensations, the support points and the techniques differ a little.
Like its winter version, roller skiing is a full-body sport, which allows you to work on: coordination, balance, cardio and virtually every muscle in the body.
Although it is usually practiced during the summer, you can practice roller skiing at any time of the year as long as the weather allows it.
Roller skiing is practiced on tarmac, particularly on roads, but it is advisable to choose calm roads without much circulation to ski safely.
You can also practice on walking or cycling paths.
There are even slopes specially equipped for roller skiing such as: the Vercors Biathlon and Ski Wheels area in Corrençon, the Bessans Roller and Biathlon Stadium in Savoie, the Contamines Montjoie track in Haute-Savoie, La Féclaz in Savoie, etc.
Just like for winter cross-country skiing, there are two different practices that require specific equipment
in terms of roller skis, boots and the size of the poles.
Here are our tips to get the right equipment!
Roller skiing is a potentially risky activity, especially without technical training and suitable equipment.
It is best to be accompanied by an instructor during the first outings to acquire the basic techniques and start off on the right foot.
here are some tips to start roller skiing:
Whether you're a cross-country skier or not, you can try your hand at roller skiing at your own pace,
as a sport or as gentle exercise, in skate or classic style.
A sport not to be missed! Who's already tried it?