As far as combative sports go, cross country is about as far down the list as you can get. But it is by no means easy – cross country skiing requires a tremendous amount of endurance, drive, and technical skill that racers take years to develop. The average body type of Olympic cross country skiers forms an interesting blend of endurance and strength: the average American women on the team clocks in at 5’5 and 128 pounds, while the average man is 5’9 and 170 pounds (abcnews).
There are two general types of cross country skiing – in line (classic) and freestyle. Classic cross country trails are groomed with parallel tracks for skiers, and require a linear running and glide motion. Freestyle tracks are groomed to be open and flat, and employ the use of skate skis, which allow your heel to come up off the back and mimic a kind of speed skating motion.
Skiing has been around for centuries as a method to travel across snow and through wooded areas with ease. However, it didn’t exist as a sport until the late 19th century, and even then, it existed mainly within the Norwegian military. In the depths of their winter blues, the soldiers set up ski racing tracks as a means to train and stave off boredom. In 1861, the first ski club opened in Norway – Trysil Rifle and Ski Club, in order to promote national defense. At that point four competitions were established:
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Shooting at mark at top speed
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Downhill racing among trees
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Downhill racing on big hills without falling
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Long race on flat ground carrying a rifle and a military pack
In modern times, these four events have become downhill skiing, slalom racing, the biathlon, and cross country racing.
Probably the most well known military instance of cross-country skiing – and my personal favourite – is the Winter War. This war came about as a result of Soviet aggression at the start of World War II, when the USSR demanded certain territories from Finland, claiming they it as protection for Leningrad. Not surprisingly, the war was fought through the winter, and lasted from November 30th, 1939 until March 13th, 1940.
The Finns were tremendously outnumbered compared to the mechanized war beast of the Soviet Union:
However, despite having over double the manpower and thirty times the aircraft of the Finnish defenders, the Soviets were ill-equipped to win the attack, and ended up suffering 5 casualties for every 1 of the Finns’. This was due to a variety of factors, not the least being Joseph Stalin’s Great Purge. This terrifying, repressive campaign resulted in the unfortunate disappearance and firing of many of the senior and mid-level officers in the Red Army. The ‘39 — ’40 winter was also incredibly bitter and cold. Within seconds of exposure, soldiers found their skin affected by frostbite, and frozen bodies would pile up after mere minutes in the eternally setting sun.
On the other side, the Finns had the home field advantage and a surprisingly high morale. Just as the fledgling United States posed a formidable threat against the British through guerrilla warfare, the small Finnish army was able to stand up to the Soviet giant by skiing through the trees. While the Nordic country eventually buckled under the Soviet onslaught, they had succeeded forcing the Red Army to retreat and reconsider their negotiation options.
To this day, all Norwegian and Finnish soldiers — and the majority of Swedish — are trained in ski warfare. And while both Napoleon and Hitler may have learned their lessons from trying to invade Russia in the Winter, the Soviets certainly learned theirs from Finland.