CARMEN DYCK/Special to The Okanagan Sunday The upper torso is horizontal and the ski poles are also horizontal to your rear for a proper finish to the double-pole ski technique. The palms of your hands should be loose as if you are throwing the poles back down the trail for an extra 15 per cent of thrust.

The Okanagan Sunday
Ski Sheriff takes you to the next skill level after a quick review of Part 1
Now that you've had a chance to practice what you learned in Cross-Country Skiing for Dummies (Part 1), it's time for part deux.
Plus the Ski Sheriff found a fascinating insight into what it takes to groom wet snow from a groomer's perspective. That information from Ron Earle, general manager at Telemark Cross-Country Ski Club, is especially relevant as a result of this week's warm, almost-spring-like conditions.
As in all good lessons, you should review what you learned in Part 1 before you try two advanced techniques.
The basic cross-country technique for classic skiing is the diagonal stride, swinging those arms back and forth while shifting the weight from ski to ski.
Things to remember and practice:
• Hesitate slightly when the arms reach the top of the swing to transfer their momentum to your skis;
• Poles should be at a 45-degree angle pointing to the rear to maximize the weight of your arms as they drop and you push forward;
• Check the pole plant to ensure that the pole tip is hitting between the opposite heel and 25 centimetres back from the heel each time. The Sheriff always advises novices to buy slightly longer poles to start since you can always cut off a bit as you become accustomed to how high your arms naturally go at the front.
• Check the length of your pole straps to ensure your hand easily curls around the grip and so your wrist and strap carry most of the load as you push forward. Switching from thick to thin gloves will likely change the length of the strap.
• Check the straps are tight enough that when your hands are behind you, the knob or top of the pole should be stuck between your forefinger and your thumb to maintain control of the pole.
• Every once in a while, the Sheriff will hold his poles in the middle, swing his arms with the poles parallel to the snow and slide his feet forward on a flat
section of trail just to make sure his legs and feet are maximizing the energy invested.
• Remember shoulder, knees and toes. They should line up as each leg accepts the entire weight of the body. The head should stay in a neutral position.
With that quick review, you are ready for the double-pole technique. It's also nicknamed abdominal crunches by some but the Sheriff prefers the "dippybird," so named after a plastic bird that perches on the edge of a glass of water. With the flick of a finger, its beak dips into the water and back out like a pendulum, thanks to the counterweight in its tail.
The proper technique involves planting the poles when standing straight up, arms and knees slightly bent, then pushing on the poles while you bend over until your torso is horizontal.
The abdominal muscles are (or should be) the strongest set of muscles in the human body so it's better to use those than just the triceps in the arms, which will quickly tire. Several racers have told the Sheriff that they have double-poled up to 80 per cent of some races. Double-poling can produce four to seven metres more glide per push compared to the diagonal stride and when you bend over, wind resistance decreases significantly.
The secret to an extra 15 per cent thrust, they say, is opening the palms of your hands at the rear of the push as if you are trying to throw the poles back down the trail. Remember those straps have to be adjusted so the pole grip still sits in your hand ready for the next push.
Once you have practised the double-pole on a flat area, it's time to add leg power, the kick double-pole.
You practised shifting all of your weight onto one ski, then the other, during lesson one. Now, it's crucial.
Begin by moving one foot forward as you finish a double-pole which helps get the weight off. As you double-pole, the foot that is behind kicks back forcefully, a quick flexing of the knee, ankle and foot. Complete the kick before you plant the poles for the next push.
The right leg is easy for those who are right-handed, but you should switch legs back and forth once you teach your left foot what it is supposed to do. The key is often watching someone else do it properly.
Now for wet snow.
Earle has talked to many skiers who wonder why the amount of trail grooming goes down or grooming stops altogether after Telemark receives wet snow or the snow becomes wet from warm weather or rain. So he prepared a written response available in the lodge that echoes what he has told skiers for years.
"Wet snow is a big problem for all cross-country trail groomers," he says.