DOUBLE CROSS

The principal objective of a Double Cross activity is to bring together children between the ages of 5-12 to experience the fun and excitement of applying their cross-country skiing skills to challenging terrain in an environment of adventure and intra-group competition.  

What is a “Double Cross” Competition?

Since the introduction of skate skiing, higher technology equipment, and new race formats such as sprinting, pursuits and mass starts, cross-country skiing has picked up speed and grown in excitement.  At the leading edge of this trend is “Xtreme X-Country”, which at a basic level involves learning to ski through jumps and bumps and other features in a 'terrain park' or 'ski playground'.  Xtreme X-Country emphasizes basic athlete skills such as balance, agility, strength, and the ability to adapt basic sport skills to an unusual setting. To keep in step with this new dimension of cross-country skiing, CCC has developed the “Double Cross” program which uses a ski playground/terrain park for a competition course.  

For more information on Ski Playgrounds please Click Here to view our CCC video.

Participation Incentive

CCBC-endorsed events will receive a free incentive (temporary tattoo) for each participant.

Registration Fees

Event organizers are encouraged to keep their entry fees as low as possible (or nil) to encourage participation.   

Technical Information

The age categories should be the standard cross-country categories listed below. However, joining two age groups together, providing a category for every year of birth, or providing categories for or both male and female are all appropriate options depending on the number of participants.  

Organizers need to decide in advance whether the race will be skating technique only, classic technique only, or if skiers can use either technique.  Other decisions might include the use of poles – or not, mixed age categories, boy/girl teams, etc.  Numbered race bibs will be helpful.

The competition course requires an elevated start, and should be designed so that skiers can build up speed during the early stages of the race.  The objective is to have a fast, roller-coaster course that demands fast turns, jumps and shifts in technique.  The best venue to do this may be your club Ski Playground or a local ski hill. For ideas on how to set up a Ski Playground, contact your Division and refer to section 8 in the NCCP 2011 Community Coaching Reference Material. The course must be suitable for the age, and skill level of the participants, and safety is always the first consideration.  

MUSIC is an important component of this activity. It builds excitement and spurs athletes on!

Option #1: set up three stations and four groups/teams of skiers. Each station should have a different course with different challenges.  The teams then rotate from station to station. Each participant contributes to points for their team by completing the assigned course at each station.  The team as a group earns points by their combined times at each station. The number of points they earn as a group depends on their ranking in comparison to the other teams. This option requires timing and a team aggregate winner.

Option #2: set up as many as four “barrel racing” loops, depending on the number of participants.  Each loop has two skiers competing against each other, going in opposite directions around the course. The top skier from each round moves on to the next round. The bottom skier moves into a consolation round. No timing required.    

Option #3: set up one competition course that is wide enough for two to four skiers to compete at the same time.  These skiers start at the same time and compete head-to-head. The top skier, or top two skiers from each wave move onto the next round.  The bottom skier or bottom two skiers move into a consolation round. For a fast action event, the second wave of starters can begin before the first wave is finished, depending on the judgement of the starter.  Note that the start line needs to be adjusted to take into account the advantage of being on the inside if the course turns to one side or the other soon after the start.  No timing is required.  

Option #4: if the competition course in option #3 is one continuous loop (except for the elevated start for the initial skier, a Team Sprint format could be used in order to encourage team work among the skiers. 

Cross Country Cross National Championship 15-16 year olds in Norway 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eSxbVRwEdBk

Chelsea Nordiq videos of Super Sprint Jeunesse Nordic Ski Cross event in 2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST4fDF9v5RI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFhy5YixUd4

Age/Distance Categories

Race Support

Clubs will need manual stop-watches, numbered bibs for every race participant, course markers, and an adequate number of race volunteers/ officials to ensure the safety of the skiers.

How to Apply:  http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/RR%21%20Appli...

Suggestions for Host Club

1) To promote your Nordic Ski Cross event outside of the club membership, for example in the local community, neighbouring clubs, and neighbouring communities. 

2) To organize the activity according to the technical requirements outlined above.  This would include the provision of  awards of some kind. You can be creative – the awards can be cookie medals, made of popcorn, etc.