{"id":733,"date":"2012-12-03T15:32:57","date_gmt":"2012-12-03T15:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.awsa.org.uk\/?page_id=733"},"modified":"2024-02-12T13:13:02","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T13:13:02","slug":"nordic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.awsa.org.uk\/disciplines\/nordic\/","title":{"rendered":"Nordic"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”50″ bottom_padding=”50″ text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” class=”mob-off” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”18251,18238″ image_grid_loading=”default” display_title_caption=”true” layout=”4″ item_spacing=”default” gallery_style=”3″ load_in_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][vc_column_text]\n

Major Nordic Exercises<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″ custom_height_tablet=”25″ custom_height_phone=”25″][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”20206,6471,15518″ image_grid_loading=”default” display_title_caption=”true” layout=”3″ item_spacing=”default” gallery_style=”3″ load_in_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”25″][toggles style=”minimal”][toggle color=”Default” heading_tag=”default” title=”What is Nordic Skiing?”][vc_column_text]\n
Nordic Skiing in the British Army encompasses the separate international winter sports disciplines of cross country skiing (XC skiing) and biathlon (XC skiing and .22 rifle shooting) as well as the Military Patrol Race.<\/div>\n
Under appropriate conditions, MOD policy classifies military participation in Nordic Skiing as Individual Military Training, qualifying for significant support from Public funds.<\/div>\n
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Skis for traversing snow-covered countryside are at least as old as the first plough, supporting the Stone and Bronze Age Scandinavian hunting and shepherd cultures. The equipment is now much lighter (and less resilient)! Modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing, from which all skiing disciplines evolved, including alpine, Telemark and ski jumping. Nordic skiers propel themselves, with no external assistance, along prepared undulating (flat, up and downhill) courses using both legs and arms. There are two main technique styles, used in different events with different equipment:<\/span><\/div>\n
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  1. The Classic style primarily uses parallel grooves (tracks\/\u2019spor\u2019) cut in the snow. The middle section of the bottom of the skis is prepared with a \u2018kick wax\u2019 or a manufactured texture to enable traction or gliding, dependent on the skier\u2019s use of their body weight and strength. Ski poles (up to a maximum height) are mostly used directly forwards and backwards, supporting the direction taken by both skis. The AWSA use only this technique for the Team Championship XC ski races (Individual 15km for men, 10km for women, and Relay 4 x 5km for both) and for the Military Patrol Race. The rules are strict on which limited range of techniques may be used in Classic races.<\/li>\n
  2. The Skate (or Freestyle) style developed in the 1980s, as it does not rely on getting the right \u2018kick wax\u2019 for difficult snow conditions. The \u2018trail\u2019 is prepared as a smooth, firm (hopefully) snow surface. The skier achieves propulsion by pushing their shorter skis away from one another at an angle, in a manner similar to ice skating, using the edges of the skis. This means that the whole ski bottom is prepared with glide wax to reduce friction. Longer ski poles are used in unison to enhance and support the different direction of each ski. All biathlon races use this style. In AWSA Team Championships these are the Individual Sprint (10km for men, 7.5km for women), Relay (4 x 7.5km for men, 4 x 6km for women); there are further individual races at the Army Championships only: 20km (men), 15km (novices and juniors), 12.5km (women) plus 12.5km (men) and 10km (women and juniors) mass start races.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Nordic skiing is inherently safe to learn, due to the flexible ski bindings, and is ideally suited to athletically-minded soldiers. A strong sense of balance is a definite benefit \u2013 the skis are just over 4cm wide, but light. Success in AWSA championships is also heavily dependent on rifle marksmanship techniques and skills, as every target missed incurs a race-time penalty, often through the requirement to ski additional distance on the 150m \u2018penalty loop\u2019. Each biathlon race includes prone shooting (supported by an arm sling) at 45mm circular targets and standing shooting at 110mm targets, both at 50m range.<\/p>\n

    The winter season starts with unit team training, often facilitated in corps concentrations, in November or December somewhere where snow can be guaranteed at that early stage: usually Norway or Sweden, or else in the high Alps. Teams are only allowed 30 days\u2019 training deployment on snow prior to the AWSA Qualifying Championships, so careful scheduling is required by team captains. The Combat and Combat Support corps hold their championships as part of this training period, whilst the Service Support corps, with their far larger Army Reserve element, tend to plump for the end of the season \u2013 but these days are still included in the 30 days\u2019 deployment allowed. On the second weekend in January the AWSA Qualifying Championships (Exs PIPEDOWN<\/a><\/span> and SPARTAN HIKE<\/a><\/span>) start in France for both Nordic and Alpine teams. There are four Nordic races, two XC, two biathlon and the Military Patrol Race. After 10 days the winners have been decided and those teams (male) and individual (female) who have done well enough to qualify for the Army Championships determined by comparison of performances at each Qualifying Championship. So the best 22 unit male teams and at least 25 Army women, who then compete in corps teams, travel across Europe to Ex RUCKSACK<\/a><\/span> at the biathlon \u2018mecca\u2019 of Ruhpolding in southern Germany.<\/p>\n