Some folks think that top-shelf XC ski gear is fragile and expensive. You don't want to scratch the bases. And you need pricey, toxic fluoro waxes. Well, that's just for one exotic kind of skiing: groomed race-course "roadie" type skiing. This kind of skiing hasn't changed much in decades.
By contrast, the much-bigger part of the Nordic ski world of "anywhere there's snow" has seen huge advances in quality and function in recent years. But none of this has been promoted in the USA.
The biggest territory for skiing is anywhere there's snow. Fields, trails, frozen waterways, ski areas. It's all good. But in much of the USA there aren't very many XC ski areas or groomed courses compared to all the acreage of forest and field. There's a lot of undeveloped country out there for our snowplay. (Especially in downstate Michigan!)
