The biggest difference between cross county and down hill skiing is that the terrain of the courses is very different. When you’re skiing downhill you are going down a steep descending hill, whereas with cross country it’s more flat areas with light hills. A lot of skiers tend to do both, at least that’s the case for junior Ava Zeratsky. Zeratsky competes for both the downhill skiing team and the cross country team. Although both teams do competitions, Zeratsky prefers one over the other. 

  “I mean I do both, I just like the competition for cross country skiing more, because I feel like its a better representation of like a real competition because cross country you like have to work to go fast up and down downhill and you have to have all this technique where as down hill you just have to go fast,” Zeratsky said.

  Even when athletes feel like they have mastered a skill, they can always have room to improve. Having that room to improve can help people with feeling motivated to want to better themselves and their skills in their skiing. 

  “Skiing is hard, and when you get to the top of a hill, you always get rewarded. Since I started downhill skiing, I have always been really comfortable on cross country skis. But what makes downhills more thrilling on cross country skis is how sketchy it is. The skis are skinnier, the boots have no heel connection to the ski, and there are no edges,” senior Liam Wierzba said.

  Getting to go to competitions for some people is the best part about cross country skiing. Doing small local competitions but also having the opportunity to travel to different places is a benefit for many people on the team, as it broadens their experiences.

  “We have smaller local [competitions] that are mostly just our team, and then the team from crystal mountain so it’s about 40 people, and we also have an optional bigger one where it’s up to 300 people competing and [you] get to travel to New York and Minnesota. I really like the competition and we get to travel for bigger races, and I like the bigger competitions,” Zeratsky said. 

  Although getting outside in the winter time can help with students’ exercise and mental health it can sometimes be challenging to stay motivated to want to go outside in the depth of winter, where temperatures could be below freezing, and waiting for your turn can be challenging.

 “I just don’t want to do it because it’s really cold, and actually going outside is not always super fun,” sophomore Lindsay Smith said.

  Although the cold can be a downside to skiing, there are lots of other things that keep skiers motivated. For example, getting done after a ski run, feeling like you had a good workout, and getting to take a slow ski back, are all rewarding experiences for skiers.

  “[It’s motivating] when you’re skiing back and it’s snowing a ton and you just had a hard workout,” Smith said.