Snowshoeing for Women

Snowshoes Designed Specifically for Women

About half of all snowshoers are women, who snowshoe for different reasons: to experience nature outdoors, to exercise with friends and family, for backcountry access, or to have outdoor fun all winter long. The various snowshoe companies have been and continue to cater to this market by delivering a broad selection of women's-specific snowshoe technologies for hiking, backpacking, or backcountry snowboarding and recreation/fitness use that go far beyond just a change in cosmetics.

Tubbs pioneered the development of women's-specific snowshoes in several ways; by offering patented binding technologies that custom fit women's boot sizes and by ergonomically engineering frames that are tapered at the tip and tail to accommodate women's shorter strides. The result is lightweight, comfortable, high-performance snowshoes and many of the other brands have followed suit.

Atlas Snowshoe Company conducted gait studies and biomechanics research to create snowshoes that enable women to hike and run with the most natural stride possible, while making the snowshoes both comfortable and lightweight. The research revealed that women have a greater Q-angle (at the knee where the thigh bone angles in from a woman's wider hips) and abducted gait that create specific issues when snowshoeing. Women also tend to pronate (collapsing arches) pointing to the need for bindings to support the arch of the foot.

For more detailed info click snowshoe products for women on the XCSkiResorts.com Product News Page.

Snowshoeing may very well be one of winter's greatest pleasures. Lighter, more durable materials, streamlined shapes and easy-to-use bindings combine for more efficient snowshoes that appeal to people at all levels of interest. Snowshoeing, whether running, hiking or walking, is an excellent low-impact winter exercise.

The physical demands of snowshoeing can build up endurance levels and strengthen quadriceps for runners. Climbing in snowshoes works the hip flexors and extensors, crucial muscles for cyclists.

The use of poles gets the upper body moving, lending stability to your stride in variable terrain, steep ascents or descents, and heavier snow. It also helps condition your arm, shoulder and back muscles. Snowshoeing is a great rehabilitative therapy for people suffering from knee or ankle injuries, since there is little or no impact due to the snow's cushioning effect.

The Making of the US Women's Nordic Ski Team

What makes a great team?

 Sports journalist Peggy Shinn answers this question in her enthralling account of the dramatic rise of the U.S. women’s cross country ski team, winners of eight medals at three world championships over the past five years.

 Shinn’s story—based on dozens of interviews with athletes, coaches, parents, spouses, and friends—paints a vivid picture of the obstacles that America’s female athletes must overcome not just to ski with the world’s best, but to beat them.

 In a sport where U.S. women have toiled for decades, mostly in the middle or the back of the pack, the development of a world-class team attests to the heady combination of a transformational leader, a coach who connects with his athletes, the super-fast individual skiers who are also conscientious teammates—and a bit of good luck.

This is the story of Kikkan Randall, Liz Stephen, Holly Brooks, Jessie Diggins, Ida Sargent, Sadie Bjornsen, Sophie Caldwell, Rosie Brennan, and coach Matt Whitcomb—and how they created the perfect team.

Among the endorsements is Bill Koch, the 1976 Olympic silver medalist and 1982 overall World Cup champion in cross country skiing, who stated “A well-deserved tribute to an amazing team. Belief and perseverance coupled with an ‘athlete’s coach’ and teamwork are the key ingredients that make the magic happen.”

Peter Graves, former racer and ten-time Olympic Games announcer and known as “the voice of cross country skiing” said,  “With remarkable insight into how the women of the U.S. Ski Team have become one of the most powerful teams in the world, Shinn’s writing is filled with intimate glimpses of all the key players. A compelling read.” —

 This is a timely book, not only because the members of US cross country ski women’s team have been reaching the podium more regularly in the last few years, but because of  the prominence of women’s issues and current events in today’s world.

 Available from your local bookstore, Amazon, or from the publisher: http://www.upne.com/1512600650.html