Cross-country skiing is considered to be the oldest form of human movement on skis. It originated in the Scandinavian countries, which are covered with snow throughout most of the year. It served as the simplest way of traveling through the winter snow, and only later it developed into an extremely popular sport. Unlike competitors from Scandinavian countries, cross-country skiers from the southern parts of the world do not have the opportunity to crosscountry ski all year round due to the lack of snow. Since cross-country skiing is a seasonal sport, competitors are forced to find additional activities during the summer months, when there is no snow, in order to prepare for the new ski season. This paper explores sports and activities that are similar to cross-country skiing and that can best serve cross-country skiers in the development of motor and functional abilities while maintaining the correct technique throughout the whole movement. On the other hand, cross-country skiing is one of the most functionally demanding sports. Due to the sliding component, the incidence of injuries in this sport is extremely low, which makes it a very safe activity for athletes and recreational runners. Due to their structure, a large number of sports are unable to conduct training and competitions during the winter months, which is why these athletes find additional activities to maintain and develop their abilities. That is why, this paper investigates which sports is cross-country skiing technically and functionally similar to, and to which athletes could cross-country skiing serve as a substitute for developing abilities during the offseason.