Clothing & Equipment for Roller Skiing

One pair of roller skis, either rented from the Booster Club or purchased. The Marwe brand >> of roller skis are preferred.

A pair of skate/freestyle (long) poles that have roller ski tips/ferrules placed on them.

Need to purchase roller ski tips/ferrules?

You can purchase these from Finn Sisu for approximately $15.00. Bring your poles with you when you purchase the roller ski tips, and Finn Sisu will install the tips on your poles.

Already have roller ski tips/ferrules?

If you purchased roller ski tips during a previous season, they are easy to re-install.

• Run the snow baskets that are on your poles under hot water for a
  few minutes, and then twist and pull to get them off.
• Hot glue your roller ski tips onto your poles.
  • If you have a hot glue gun, put a few drops of glue on the bottom inch or so of the pole.
  • If you don’t have a hot glue gun, buy some hot glue gun replacement sticks at Home Depot or Menards and use a stick without a glue gun.
  • Heat the glue up by holding it over a torch or a gas stove.
  • When its soft, rub it on to the bottom inch or so of the pole.
• Install the roller ski tip/ferrule.
  • IMPORTANT: Make sure that the point on the tip is
    facing FORWARD when it is installed and aligns with the grip of your pole.
  • Push the tip all the way onto the pole. It is best to do this by placing the pole vertically on a hard surface (e.g., cement, NOT your parents wood or tile kitchen floor) and pushing down hard.

Want to see how it's done? The following videos will help!

• Skinny Ski's demonstration "Replacing Ski Pole Baskets and Installing Roller Ski Ferrules" >>
• Pioneer West's "How to Change Rollerski Ferrules" >>

Your winter, on-snow Combi or Skate/Freestyle ski boots will work fine for roller skiing.

HOWEVER, you are going to sweat a lot more in them than you do in the winter, so make sure you (a) air them out well after each practice and (b) spray them with disinfectant every once in a while.

You may NOT roller ski without one. The helmet needs to fit
correctly in order to protect you.

Please read "How to (and how not to) wear a bicycle helmet" from Bike Radar >>.

A water bottle without a carrier does a skier no good, because the skier will be unable to access the water bottle while roller skiing on the trails.

You should always bring water AND a method to carry it containing one of the following:

• water (top choice),
• lightly flavored water (if you are a person who is unlikely to drink plain water),
• a good (not Gatorade) energy replacement drink, like HEED.

Examples of ways roller skiers carry water:

• Water bottle waist pack

• Insulated drink belt

• Hydration pack

Coach Abery recommends purchasing a pair of inexpensive tight-fitting work gloves at Home Depot or Menards rather than paying two to three times the price for a pair of roller ski gloves at Finn Sisu.

Some skiers do not use gloves, but gloves do help you avoid blisters on your hands as well as abrasions if and when you fall.

An example of what to buy is the Firm Grip General Purpose Work Gloves >> at Home Depot.

An inexpensive pair of polarized sunglasses are essential in protecting your eyes from (a) the sun and (b) the roller ski tips of your teammates.

Pictured are Shadeye sunglasses >> from Home Depot that cost $9.97.

Sunscreen is truly important if you want to avoid skin cancer and don’t want to look like you are sixty years old when you are thirty years old only. Sport versions that are (a) at least 50 SPF and (b) resistant to sweat are a must.