We evaluate nonperturbatively the quark quasidistribution amplitude and the
valence quark quasidistribution function of the pion in the framework of chiral
quark models, namely the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model and the Spectral Quark
Model. We arrive at simple analytic expressions, where the nonperturbative
dependence on the longitudinal momentum of the pion can be explicitly assessed.
The model results for the quark quasidistribution amplitude of the pion compare
favorably to the data obtained from the Euclidean lattice simulations. The
quark distribution amplitude, arising in the limit of infinite longitudinal
momentum of the pion, agrees, after suitable QCD evolution, to the recent data
extracted from Euclidean lattices, as well as to the old data from transverse
lattice simulations.Comment: references added, 7 pages, 3 figure