I'm planning on doing the quad in 2013. I have very little XC ski experience and rusty downhill ski skills. I want to get a jump on practicing this winter and have a lot of questions:

1) What kind of skis should I try/buy that will be not too spendy but appropriate for the typical Mr. Taylor conditions?

2) Do racers typically use a different set of skis for the uphill/downhill portions of the race (or is this even legal)? I'm really worried about control on the downhill portion (based on some recreational XC skiing I did a few years ago). Should I learn how to telemark?

Thanks for your help.