Gauthier Delomez 6:02 p.m., December 09, 2021, modified at 7:57 p.m., December 09, 2021
It is a trend in full explosion for the winter which is looming. Cross-country skiing is growing all over the world, and particularly in France. In the program "La France bouge", the CEO of a specialized company emphasizes that the discipline has known "a real boom" for several years.
Why not try your hand at cross-country skiing this winter?
The practice, popularized among other things by international sports competitions, is attracting more and more amateurs all over the world, and in particular in France, as Xavier Le Guen indicates.
Guest on the show
La France bouge,
exceptionally relocated to Annecy, in partnership with the Haute-Savoie Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the CEO of Salomon, a French company specializing in the sale of sports and leisure articles, explained that the practice "in relative terms has experienced a real boom".
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Access to cross-country skiing "much easier"
"Cross-country skiing remains small compared to the market as a whole", affirms Xavier Le Guen on Europe 1, particularly in the face of biathlon, which is very successful thanks to the performance of French athletes. But the CEO of Salomon confirms that cross-country skiing has similarly been trending in recent years. The French boss figures the increase in the growth of his company between "30 and 40%", in particular thanks to these booming sports.
If the practice of cross-country skiing can recall the beginnings of any neophyte, Xavier Le Guen assures that it has become "a sport, with equipment that has evolved a lot, which makes access to sport much easier".
For him, the discipline is also attractive.
"There is also a consumer craze for a sport that is a bit fitness, to keep up. It's a very good alternative to running during the winter," he says.
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Vary the disciplines
Xavier Le Guen also highlights the fact that winter sports enthusiasts like to vary the disciplines.
"People are no longer just about a sport. We can very well go downhill skiing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, go cross-country skiing," imagines the CEO of Salomon.
Cross-country skiing is also a discipline that allows you to take advantage of the setting.
"We find the enthusiasm of nature. There are no ski lifts", adds Xavier Le Guen, explaining that you can practice on flat slopes or with descents, depending on the resort.