NOTE: I left a few things unsaid when I originally posted this, so here's another go at it.
This Saturday was another first for me: I went cross-country skiing. I had a fantastic time with Eirik (roommate and co-worker) and Frode (co-worker), no matter how much of a beginner I am. When trying a new sport where you're unsteady on your feet, I've always been told that you should learn how to fall. I perfected falling. I had a couple very spectacular falls, in fact. But each time I got up and kept going. Which impressed Eirik a lot.
I've done a fair amount of downhill skiing before, usually going once a year over the past couple of years. And I'm pretty good at ice and inline skating. All these things put together set a good base for cross-country skiing. There's always the issue of stopping, though. And slowing down. There's the whole pie thing you're supposed to do with your skis, where you point the tips together to make a pie slice. It helps, but it usually doesn't cut it for me. Maybe I have too much inertia. Yeah, I'll go with that.
It's really easy to go skiing here. Back at home, I have to drive several hours to find a ski resort and even then, it's not usually good conditions. In Oslo, you get on the T-Bahn (part of the mass transit system), and take that straight up the mountain to the top of the ski trail. One stop along the way rents toboggans and another rents skis. People line up at the first stop with their skis, snow boards, and toboggans. It's a quick ride of the mountain and you step off the train, put on your skis, and go on your way.
There are a couple of necessities when skiing in Norway. The first is chocolate. Second, lots of stamina (we did ~8km or 5m). And it's always nice to have some good friends along.
For a look at pictures from the trip (and me in all my snow-covered glory), check out Eirik's or my gallery site.
