Classical (Diagonal) Track only - Waxable narrow, lightweight)

These are wonderful skis and my favorite! But they aren't very good for the Pacific Northwest

The 3 numbers: something like 40 . 45. 43. Note that there is no side-cut. They are designed to go smoothly down the parallel groomed tracks.

In some climates, you can just carry a stick of extra purple for your wax and use it week after week. While not as fast as skating, they are what racers use when skiing 'classical' or 'diagonal'.

This is what I used a lot in Anchorage. They are fast - and traditional. But if you get tired out, you can slow down and ski at a more reasonable speed. They can even be faster than skating in cold temperatures. They are faster than no-wax options when the conditions are right for them.

Boots need to be more flexible than skate boots.

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For those of you who want to know a little more when talking to sales people:

Waxed skis have what is called double-camber.  If you put the skis with the bottoms together, the tips and tails will touch and there will be a big gap between them in the middle. If you try to squeeze them together, it's relatively easy at first, but it takes a great deal of effort to get them to touch right in the middle. Those are the two levels of the camber. When you have your weight evenly distributed on both skis, they should only compress to the first level, leaving the center part or the 'wax pocket' not touching the snow. So when you are gliding, the wax is not dragging on the snow. Then when you shift all of your weight to one ski to take your 'kick', it compresses the ski through the second level of camber and drives the wax into the snow, giving you the grip to push off for your next stride.

This is tested when choosing skis with the 'paper test'. Place both skis on a smooth flat surface (some shops will have a sheet of glass available for this). Stand on both skis with your weight distributed evenly. Someone else should be able to slide a piece of paper under the ski from 12 inches or so in front of your foot back to just past the heel of your foot. That's your wax pocket and where you put your kick wax. Some people mark this on their skis. Then when you shift all your weight to one ski, the pocket should compress and the paper should not be able to slide at all.

If the skis fail the paper test, try another pair.