The choice is yours this election/recreation season:
CAT Skis offer great workout, but they're not for everyone
Cross-country skiing with Mitch Mode I believe it is time to get serious. I have this on good authority (although at this time I
can't quite put my finger on just who the authority is). But it's October and the days are ticking down and it is time to get serious if we wish to make a difference.
| Madison Nordic Ski Club member Stacey Meanwell and her dog, Birkie, CAT Ski at the Blackhawk Ski Area in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Photo by Walter Baranowski |
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What's that you say? The election? No, no, no. I'm not talking about the election here. Although, given that Wisconsin and Minnesota are two of the "swing" states, we are being visited by candidates and their surrogates with numbing regularity.
No, it's time to get serious about off-season training for cross-country skiing.
In the peculiar fashion of American society, we feel the need to get serious about our fun. It is not enough to simply show up at first
snow and have some fun skiing. No, we must get serious about getting ready for it. We must analyze and ponder, measure and quantify, plan and suffer. We must, in short, get serious about it.
And there, of course, is the rub. In getting serious about our recreation we run the risk of losing the fun of it all. So it is understandable that some, on viewing this business of seriousness and the attendant loss of joy it may bring, eschew it all and ignore the dry-land training that others
embrace. It is, as with both elections and recreation, all about choices in the end.
Roller ski shortcomings
For decades roller skis have been the tool of choice for the off-season skier. They simulated skiing motions, emphasized and developed specific muscle groups critical to on-snow fitness, and have provided as close to an on-snow experience as was possible. There have been dozens on the market over the years, some good, some horrible. They
have provided the serious skier with a viable option for dry-land training.
Not all has been rosy with the roller skis, however. Their use is limited to paved surfaces, so unless you live in a city with paved bike paths, that means using public roads. Public roads and roller skis are not the most harmonious mix. Moronic motorists, sections of bad pavement and churlish dogs defending their presumed turf can mess up a good outing.
Add to that the fact that many roller skis lacked any pretense of a brake, and downhills could take on a level of unacceptable risk.
Thus one of the Holy Grails of cross-country skiing has been a roller ski that would work off-road on the very same trails one would ski during the winter. We've seen off-road roller skis come and, mostly, go. Wide-tired beasts that sported large, pneumatic tires and weighed a frightful amount had their day. Smaller-tired models that weighed less
and dug into the dirt had a run at it. Variations on the roller ski theme had their 15 minutes of fame. But none really made any real in-roads. Roller skis remained best suited for the blacktop.
Improved all-terrain option
But a of couple years ago came word of a new training device, the CAT Ski. The "C" stands for "classic," the technique that the skis were designed for; the "AT" for "all terrain." The CAT Ski, we were told,
handled with aplomb most everything it encountered. Blacktop? No problem. Gravel? Piece of cake. Dirt trails? Bring 'em on! The CAT Ski would manage them all and come back for more.
Word began filtering through the Nordic community that the CATs really worked. They provided a good workout, did not degrade technique, could be used most anywhere, and were a worthy tool for the off-season skier. They seemed the most significant innovation in dry-land
training in some time. An all-terrain ski for dry land? Was the Holy Grail achievable? Was a new dawn at hand?
It seemed worth a good look and some ski time.
So it came that on a hot, humid summer evening I finally got my hands on a pair of CAT Skis. I'd never seen them before, and written descriptions of the CAT Skis tend to leave a reader muddled and confused. The CAT Ski is made up of a short (only slightly longer than
your binding) "roller ski" that slides forward on a synthetic base (about 4-feet long, a bit wider than a ski and fairly flat in profile). The base simply provides a track for the ski to glide on; it does not "grip" at all. You move forward by, essentially, lifting and moving the base ahead with each stride and then gliding over it on the roller device. Confused? Yeah, there's just no good way to explain it.
Be that as it may, on that hot summer evening I got on the CATs, clipped my classic boots into the standard binding mounted on the roller carriage, and set off. I had high hopes.
Mixed review
We did some time on blacktop, we cut across some gravel and we did a short woods loop on a ski trail.
I disliked the CATs intensely. There's no other way to say it. I just pretty much did not like them at all. Not even a little bit.
I stumbled on them. I rammed against the end of the base when I tried to glide. I slipped when I tried to grip. I flopped and flapped and lurched like a drunk in too-big boots. I felt that my three decades of stride experience was of absolutely no help. I was not one bit happy with the experience.
By the end of the hour or so I was perhaps a bit more adept but not much happier. So I thanked my instructor who had brought the CATs for me to try and I went home in a huff.
I thought of the time I'd gone golfing. The one time. I'd scattered golf shots like a wild shooting cowboy, putted with the grace and finesse of a hammer-handed fool, lost count of the number of strokes by the third hole and lost any interest by the fourth. And I said to myself after that round of golf: There are lots of people who like this sport but I am not in their company. I felt the same after my CAT session. I thought, I am not
one with this device. More power be to those who enjoy it; I am not in the same league with them.
By the next day, I'd worked through my dark funk. A week later I ordered a pair. Since then I've spent some time on them and have moved beyond my first experience. I've also loaned the pair out and gotten some additional feedback.
The short story is this: They are not for everyone. Some skiers liked them a lot, others not at all. This is not offered as a condemnation or
blanket criticism. The same can be said of roller skis, no-wax skis and most every other piece of equipment we use. Most everyone agreed they provided a good workout. Most found they had utility off-road. But for some, it was just not a good fit.
CATs offer great workout
I found that to ski the CATs effectively, you need to shorten your stride and increase your tempo. This is certainly not all bad. The resistance to
the forward glide is adjustable and by increasing it I could increase the workload noticeably. The resistance on the CAT Skis felt significantly higher than roller skis. That led to the universal comments on a good workout.
I do firmly believe that the best place to use the CATs is on the uphills. Skiing an uphill on CAT skis represents the greatest benefit they bring. You must ski hard, using poles as well as skis, to keep them moving. They provide a great workout.
I'm less enthralled with the downhill performance. There is no glide in the traditional sense and I still feel awkward and clumsy. Skiing on the level areas of the trail required a shorter, shuffle-like technique and a high tempo, not all bad in the scheme of things but an adjustment from the norm. I likened the flatter terrain experience to what I might have on recreational no-wax skis: reduced glide, higher tempo and more work to cover a given distance.
Most importantly, they do work on dirt trails that crisscross the northern area of Wisconsin where I live. I used them on an old logging road that had a surface that varied from short grass to dirt to a mix of small gravel to high grass. The high grass bogged me down as I tried to push through. Everything else was pretty doable. You can head to your favorite trail and ski on the same terrain that you will when snow comes. And while I did not use them on blacktop, a number of skiers did and
reported having success.
Would I choose CAT Skis over roller skis? It's a toss up. I rarely read the training missives and other performance/training related writing these days. For the most part, I find it all stultifying and boring, akin to reading financial reports or the owner's manual for my computer. I do pay enough attention to know that nowadays one is not supposed to actually stride on classic roller skis but use them for double pole workouts only.
Apparently it's what the Norwegians do and everyone knows that the Norskes sit at the right hand of God and are thus qualified to pass judgment on the rest of us.
I find the thought of double poling exclusively unappealing, reminiscent of Sisyphus and his rock. So I continue to use roller skis in the full kick and glide that I've always done, expert advice notwithstanding. With the rollers I'm able to maintain a more natural pace and in this they have an
up on the CAT Skis. For me it's more important to find a comfortable rhythm. I have not found this same rhythm on the CAT Skis and given the troubles I have on the downhills. I am not optimistic that I will.
If I had, for some reason, to choose between roller skis used exclusively for double poling versus the CAT Skis, I'd take the CAT Skis. Double poling my way along country roads has no appeal; if I want to do brute repetitive work, I'll split and stack firewood. I'd take the CATs and
head for the woods.
While CAT Skis have been received by more "serious" skiers looking for a fall workout, there may be potential yet untapped for recreational skiers looking for a ski experience in the off season. They work at a comfortable speed, pose no real risk in downhills, get people off the blacktop and into the woods, and pretty much replicate the more shuffle-like technique of a host of casual skiers. And no matter how you cut it, they're darn good exercise.
In the end, the jury is still out on the CAT Skis. They are a huge step in the right direction that of providing a legitimate all-terrain ski experience through the time of no snow. Compared to some of the early roller skis, the CATs are far more advanced at a relatively tender age. And I suspect we've not seen the last change in the relatively new device and that it will be more user-friendly in upcoming seasons. As more shops
stock the skis, the opportunity to demo a ski and decide for oneself will be much increased.
The best news is that they provide an option to skiers. They offer a choice in a season when choice is important, in both elections and in skiing.
CAT Ski lovers testify
by Joel Patenaude
Yours truly has a loaner pair of CAT Skis and a very limited number of hours logged on them. Most of my free time this summer was spent
running and mountain biking. But on my days off time I took to recuperate from my endless marathon training the CATs provided a productive and enjoyable change of pace.
Like Mitch Mode, I shuffled through my first few outings. But as a shorter guy with a pair of Niggemann's longer CATs, I was soon striding without hitting the end of the tracks. As I became more comfortable, both the snapping of the bungie at my heels and the racket I made down forest paths lessened considerably.
With one-on-one instruction from CAT Ski inventor Dale Niggemann and later from CAT Ski enthusiast Stacey Meanwell, I was convinced I could become a much better classical skier on these babies. Without a lick of coaching since I started skiing more than 20 years ago, I admittedly have crummy form.
But the CATs offer me a chance to work on technique before the snow falls at which time I'll be ready to glide rather than start anew. Ask me
what I think of the CAT Skis next March after I've relied on them to get me ready for my first Kortelopet.
Until then, I'll pass along the thoughts of more experienced skiers who swear by their CAT Skis.
The aforementioned Stacey Meanwell an accomplished skier whose husband, Walter, is co-president of the Madison Nordic Ski Club has trained extensively on the original CAT Skis and the new-and-improved model. She welcomed the skinnier, lighter, longer and more stable
CATs Niggemann has unveiled this year.
Meanwell, who also roller skis, listed several advantages of the CAT Skis that apply to both the old and new versions.
"1) It's great fun, 2) you can get off the busy streets and head out to your favorite quiet trails, 3) no worries about getting hit by or honked at by cars, 4) no need for a helmet, 5) it's easier on your joints to pole into ground rather than asphalt, 6) you learn how to ski dynamically, 7) if you
have a dog, he or she will love it too, and last, it's an awesome workout," she said.
Meanwell said she has benefited competitively from her frequent CAT Skiing. Her "best race ever" was last year's 25K Noquemanon Classic at which she placed first in her age group and was the third woman overall. She took second in her age group at the 2003 Subaru North American Vasa, and first among the three-hour female class in this year's
24 Hours at Telemark. At her best Birkie, raced in 2003, she was the 59th woman to finish.
Oshkosh area resident Greg Greene, another top Midwest cross-country skier, swears by his CAT Skis, too.
"I call them my 45-minute-a-day plan to stay in the elite wave of the Birkie," he said. "I go into the fall training season knowing that I will have a consistent ability to train, even if in December it snows up north and
I'm stuck down here working 70-hour weeks, commuting two and a half hours per day and giving my 7-year-old daughter the time she deserves (did I mention my wife and stuff around the house?)"
By training on CAT Skis, Greene says his fitness improves rather than atrophying during the wait for snow. "I love these things more than anyone can imagine," he said.
Lowell McCoy of Wisconsin Rapids insists that CAT skiing is more
enjoyable than many of the alternatives. "I have completely replaced bounding and ski walking with CAT skiing," he recently wrote. "I'm convinced that CATs improve my classic technique while bounding and ski walking without the constant presence of a coach tends to weaken my technique."
McCoy said his CATs have also helped him limit the number of "missed" workouts. "As soon as daylight-saving time goes away, after-work
workouts become nearly impossible. Months of training are compromised in October and November when the only workouts I get are on Saturdays and yardwork. Because I don't have to travel or worry about darkness, rain or traffic, CATs let me get in a productive, 45-minute ski-specific workout almost any time that my training schedule needs a 'hard' day," he wrote.
Most enjoyable are the results McCoy said the CAT workouts have
delivered. "The high point of last season was earning a Seeley Hills plate. And, after years of trying, I finally got a Badger State Games medal."
CAT & roller ski clinics
Dale Niggemann, developer of the Classical All-Terrain Skis and Enduro Roller Skis, has tentatively scheduled demonstrations and instruction sessions. Basic and advanced skating techniques will be covered at these clinics.
Appleton, WI
October 2 & 3, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Madison, WI
October 9, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Northern Illinois
October 23, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
For exact locations and to register, contact Niggemann at SISU Co., 120 Shorewood Terrace, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494; e-mail catskier@charterinternet.com; or call 800/380-8412.
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