As the topic is of interest to many people, below are the answers both to these three questions and to skin skis more generally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For decades we have been used to the fact that when skiing in the classic style, the middle section of the ski base has to be waxed for grip so that the ski does not slip back during the kick. For many ski enthusiasts this has been rocket science, and that has also been visible on the ski trails, when skiers cannot get enough grip even on flat ground to move forward smoothly, let alone on a small climb. And in wet weather it is a problem even for an experienced ski veteran.
After classic-style ski races, the first question finishers ask each other is not what place you came, whether you made it or how the skis glided, but how they gripped. If the ski did not grip, all the other questions are pointless.
So what exactly is a ski with a skin, which people more commonly call a \u201eskin ski\u201c
Put very simply, a 30\u201350 cm long strip of mohair fabric is glued under the base in the middle section of the ski; its tiny hairs let the ski glide in one direction, while in the other direction they sink into the snow and do not let the ski move backwards.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/visu.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Skin-1.jpg\")
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Humankind has used skin skis for more than 4,000 years, and no one knows exactly whether the first were the Scandinavians in the far north, the Russians in the endless steppes or the Chinese in the Altai mountains. The fact is that they all used skis for moving on snow with animal skin under the base in the middle section, to keep the ski from slipping back even on steep climbs. Mostly horse skin was used in the steppes, or reindeer and seal skin in the north.
However, as animal skin was thick, it was not suitable for the base of a modern ski, and skin skis remained only for moving in deep snow.
In modern times, ski manufacturers started working on skin skis again in the 1970s, when angora goat skin was tried and the first synthetic fur manufacturers appeared. But as both materials wore out quickly and the technology of the time did not allow a suitable recess to be milled into the ski base for the skin, the skin had to be glued onto the ski base, so skins were not used on cross-country skis.
In the last decade, thanks to the development of technology and the use of durable mohair fabric, skin skis have \u00a0once again come into the focus of cross-country ski manufacturers. And this time it seems to be for good.
Mohair fabric has become wear-resistant, glides well in one direction and grips well in the other, and thanks to fast and precise milling, a recess with precise dimensions can be milled into the ski base. The result is a ski whose skin \u00a0does not touch the ground when gliding and does not hinder the glide of the ski, and the skin lasts a long time. In other words, it has become possible to use a skin in such a way that the glide of a classic ski is not hindered.
And now to the first question: why is a skin ski better than a regular ski waxed with grip wax?
Firstly, a skin ski does not need grip waxing. There is no more choosing between different grip waxes or messing about with klister.
Secondly, a skin ski is suitable for all weather. It does not matter what the snow is like or what the temperature is, a skin ski works equally well. There are some exceptional weather conditions (an icy track with a thin layer of snow) when grip is not perfect, but it is no exaggeration to say that a skin ski works in all weather
Thirdly, the skin lasts a long time. If the ski has been chosen for the right weight, there is no need to worry about the skin wearing out before you have covered 1,000 km.
Fourthly, a skin ski is also suitable for complete beginners. We would emphasise here that for a beginner, a skin ski is the best possible choice of all. As mentioned at the beginning, there is nothing worse than \u00a0a ski that slips back, and for quite a few ski enthusiasts taking their first steps on skis, their first ski outing has also been their last because of this. \u00a0At the same time, a ski with good grip brings so much joy that the first outing will certainly be followed by a second, a third and more.
The second question, how long the skin lasts, has already been answered briefly: at least 1,000 km. But this figure depends very directly on the choice of ski and the snow you ski on.
If you choose skin skis with the right camber, the skin only touches the snow surface at the moment of the kick, wear is minimal and the \u201emileage\u201c is considerably higher than the 1,000 km mentioned at first. However, if you choose skis with too soft a camber, so that the surface of the skin also touches the snow while gliding, wear is faster and, depending on the softness of the ski, the skin may last only half as long.\u00a0 Abrasive snow also wears the skin more than soft snow. But the rule of thumb is that if the skis have more or less the right stiffness, 1,000 km is guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n