As a rule of thumb, a skilled user can make any pair of skis work on the slopes, whether they’re long, stiff, short, or soft. Cross-country (XC) skis, though, which explicitly aren’t designed for ...

Cross-country skis usually don’t have edges. Their bindings are lightweight and don’t secure your heel in place. As is apparent from Ruud’s video, they’re considerably thinner than alpine skis. For ...