Q and A

Question
I am learning more about cross country skiing and want to train in the summer to improve my technique. Can you offer any advice on the type of roller skis to purchase and what a typical price would be? I currently skate ski.
Do you need special boots and poles or can you use the same as what you use in the winter?
I am looking for rollerkis's for the skate technique, since I only have skate ski's at the moment. I would like to possibly do classic at some point. Do they sell hybrid rollerski's that you can do both techniques?
In that I come from the Twin Cities in MN, we just has rolling hills and bike paths that I would ski on.
Best regards,
Scott

p.s. I really like your website, it looks like there is a lot of information that will prove helpful. I just started to get back into skiing and my form is less than stellar at the moment. I know it will just take practice, but I know some drills will help my form significantly.

Answer
(Answered by Dave Peterson, Nordic Director at Aspen Cross-Country Center, Aspen, Colorado)
After trying many different roller skis, I have settled upon the Marwe brand because they offer the closest to a "ski-like" feel. In addition, they use a composite frame which greatly reduces leg fatigue caused by road vibrations. To add icing to the cake, you can expect many, many kilometers from the rubber compound of the Marwe wheels. For skating I recommend the model 610C with medium speed wheels (std.) and you can source them through Finn Sisu in St Paul, MN, pricing is $349.00 +shipping and the folks there are really great to deal with!

innsisu.com/store/rollerskiing/rollerskis.html