tangy Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 (edited) Any other Telemarkers out there? I've been using telemark skis since 1991, once I tried it, I never used alpine equipment again. Telemark skis are like beefy x-country skis with metal edges, with the boot attached only at the toe, leavinging the heel free to go up and down. The real beauty of this type of ski is realized in the steep and deep! from wikipedia Telemark The Telemark turn came to the attention of the Norwegian public in 1868, when Sondre Norheim took part in a ski jumping competition. Norheim's technique of fluid turns soon dominated skiing, and in Norway it continued to do well into the next century. Starting in the 1910s, newer techniques based on the stem gradually replaced Telemark in the Alpine countries. Newer techniques were easier to master and enabled shorter turns better suited for steeper alpine terrain and skiing downhill. The Telemark turn became the technique of ski touring in rolling terrain. The technique is named after the Telemark region of Norway, just as the Stem Christie turn was named after Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. Not only did Sondre Norhiem and his fellow skiers invent the telemark turn, but they used and refined parallel skiing techniques as well. Thus, while the telemark is part of early skiing's foundation, so are parallel techniques of equal importance. The Telemark Revival The revival in the Telemark technique, after its decline from popularity in the mid-1940s, first started out in United States in the 1970s. Telemark skiing was a back-to-basics reaction to the high-tech equipment developments of Alpine skiing, and the increasing reliance on crowded groomed pistes (trails). The use of traditional clothing was often (and sometimes still is) part of the Telemark skiing revival. The telemark revival started in Crested Butte, Colorado and quickly spread to many other areas in the Western United States. It came to the attention of a larger public with a demonstration by a team from the Professional Ski Instructors of America at Interski, Italy in 1983. It grew to prominence during the 1990s, but is still a minority sport. While some still choose Telemark for its counter-culture or "hip" image, others choose it because they enjoy the beauty of the turn, or for a fresh challenge, or to do downhill or cross-country skiing, on or off piste, and ski-touring, all on one well-chosen Telemark ski, once the Telemark technique has been mastered Edited November 24, 2006 by Digital Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 I ski & snowboard. Anytime I'm on the hill and see some guy barreling through the powder ontelemark, I'm in awe. Tough, tough style of getting down the hill. Way to go tangdog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Thanks for the kind words Goose. Telemarking is one of those things that probably looks harder than it is. If you can ski already you could pick it up pretty quickly, plus with the plastic tele boots now used you can still do alpine turns if you need to. Give it a shot if you get a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 QUOTE (tangdog @ Nov 4 2006, 10:04 AM) Thanks for the kind words Goose. Telemarking is one of those things that probably looks harder than it is. If you can ski already you could pick it up pretty quickly, plus with the plastic tele boots now used you can still do alpine turns if you need to. Give it a shot if you get a chance. My buddies like to skin up the backcountry hills & telemark down. Maybe I'll give that a shot this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Go for it Goose! Thats the real beauty of telemarking, getting in the backcountry. Telemarking is actually easier in deep powder than anywhere else IMO, because the deep snow slows you down and stabilizes you. You also do not expend energy holding an edge. I lived in Colorado from 1989 to 2004. Now I am in the mountains of North Carolina, which has skiing, but nothing great. I hope to make one trip up to Snowshoe in West Virginia this winter and then I am going out to my old stomping grounds of Breckenridge, CO in April for some spacing at Arapahoe Basin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 I live at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, 20 min from Heavenly Valley. Got my season pass and the first official day is Nov. 17! Pray for snow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 QUOTE (goose @ Nov 4 2006, 11:03 AM) I live at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, 20 min from Heavenly Valley. Got my season pass and the first official day is Nov. 17! Pray for snow! I have heard great things about Heavenly Valley, maybe one year I can make it out there. Pray for snow is right! Breckenridge has Ullr Fest whihc is a week long party, Ullr is the supposedly the Norse good of snow. Back in the day there would be a huge bonfire built of broken skis and snowboards as a sacrifice to Ullr, in hopes of receiving lots of snow. The bonfire of skis and snowboards died out along time ago after the realization that it was not ecologically friendly and I believe a really drunk guy fell into the fire. How many inches of snow per year do you typically get out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Heavenly averages 360". Last year, 480"! Kirkwood, nearby, averages 500". Last year, 800". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Ever been to Utah to ski? Amazing snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 QUOTE (goose @ Nov 4 2006, 11:23 AM) Heavenly averages 360". Last year, 480"! Kirkwood, nearby, averages 500". Last year, 800". Epic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 QUOTE (goose @ Nov 4 2006, 11:24 AM) Ever been to Utah to ski? Amazing snow. Sadly no. When I lived in Summit County ( Breckenridge ) our season was longer than Utahs so typically I was working until we closed and by then all of the resorts in Utah had closed. I have spent some time in Utah in Arches and Canyonlands and have spent some time mountain biking trip in Moab. The Slickrock trail rules! I do have a good friend who is a groomer at Alta who has been trying to get me to come out to visit. One of these years....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 QUOTE (tangdog @ Nov 4 2006, 11:57 AM) QUOTE (goose @ Nov 4 2006, 11:24 AM) Ever been to Utah to ski? Amazing snow. Sadly no. When I lived in Summit County ( Breckenridge ) our season was longer than Utahs so typically I was working until we closed and by then all of the resorts in Utah had closed. I have spent some time in Utah in Arches and Canyonlands and have spent some time mountain biking trip in Moab. The Slickrock trail rules! I do have a good friend who is a groomer at Alta who has been trying to get me to come out to visit. One of these years....... I speny a lot of time at Brighton. Alata's just up the road. Great, wide open powder! Just got back from a run. Somehow golf doesn't seem to keep me in ski shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 5, 2006 Author Share Posted November 5, 2006 I hear you Goose! That first day of the season is a killer on the legs. Typically I am only good for abut three runs on the first. I just noticed that I left out a key word in the title of the thread. A rip off of a semi-famous George Clinton phrase: Free your heel and your mind will follow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 QUOTE (tangdog @ Nov 5 2006, 10:49 AM) I hear you Goose! That first day of the season is a killer on the legs. Typically I am only good for abut three runs on the first. I just noticed that I left out a key word in the title of the thread. A rip off of a semi-famous George Clinton phrase: Free your heel and your mind will follow! beauty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-13 Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 I just snowboard. Telemark skiing looks hard though! Kudos to you Tang! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 5, 2006 Author Share Posted November 5, 2006 QUOTE (D-13 @ Nov 5 2006, 12:17 PM) I just snowboard. Telemark skiing looks hard though! Kudos to you Tang! Well its not as if snowboarding is easy. I have nothing but of respect for snowboarders. To me its all good, nothing better than cruising down the mountain and feeling free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-D-RocK- Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I'd have to say telemarking is the most skillful way of getting down a mountain. As a downhiller for almost 30 years, I tried telemarking only once and just couldn't do it. For fantastic skiing, try these hills in BC/Alberta: Whistler/Blackcomb, BC Big White, Kelowna BC Panarama, Invermere BC Kimberley BC, (my home town) Fernie BC, Sunshine, Banff AB Lake Louise AB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeddyRulz Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 "Telemark skis" were one of the things on Neil Peart's wish list, as seen in the Presto tour book (1990). I don't know if he ever got a pair, but given his money, he probably did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 QUOTE (-D-RocK- @ Nov 24 2006, 04:39 PM) I'd have to say telemarking is the most skillful way of getting down a mountain. As a downhiller for almost 30 years, I tried telemarking only once and just couldn't do it. For fantastic skiing, try these hills in BC/Alberta: Whistler/Blackcomb, BC Big White, Kelowna BC Panarama, Invermere BC Kimberley BC, (my home town) Fernie BC, Sunshine, Banff AB Lake Louise AB Been to Big White, Silverstar & Apex several times. My inlaws have a cabin at Baldy, outside of Osoyoos. Small but fun hill. Great snow in the BC interior! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 24, 2006 Author Share Posted November 24, 2006 QUOTE (-D-RocK- @ Nov 24 2006, 04:39 PM) I'd have to say telemarking is the most skillful way of getting down a mountain. As a downhiller for almost 30 years, I tried telemarking only once and just couldn't do it. For fantastic skiing, try these hills in BC/Alberta: Whistler/Blackcomb, BC Big White, Kelowna BC Panarama, Invermere BC Kimberley BC, (my home town) Fernie BC, Sunshine, Banff AB Lake Louise AB Try again, really its not that hard. It is humbling ( and exciting) though going from an expert alpine skier to wiping out on the green slopes again. Man, would I love to ski at any of the ski areas in BC. Talk about terrain and sick amounts of snow. Maybe someyear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 24, 2006 Author Share Posted November 24, 2006 QUOTE (goose @ Nov 24 2006, 05:40 PM) [/quote] Been to Big White, Silverstar & Apex several times. My inlaws have a cabin at Baldy, outside of Osoyoos. Small but fun hill. Great snow in the BC interior! Goose, have you been on the hill yet this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted November 24, 2006 Author Share Posted November 24, 2006 QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Nov 24 2006, 04:50 PM) "Telemark skis" were one of the things on Neil Peart's wish list, as seen in the Presto tour book (1990). I don't know if he ever got a pair, but given his money, he probably did. I never noticed that! I knew Neil was into cross country skiing so that makes perfect sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troutman Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 (edited) I will stick with the cross country skiing I am content with that Never was into the downhill stuff I will leave that to the pros There is a place called Turnagain pass about 60 miles outside of Anchorage and you can see people hiking in to do the Telemark skiing it looks pretty cool Edited November 25, 2006 by troutman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 QUOTE (tangdog @ Nov 24 2006, 06:27 PM) Been to Big White, Silverstar & Apex several times. My inlaws have a cabin at Baldy, outside of Osoyoos. Small but fun hill. Great snow in the BC interior! [/quote] Goose, have you been on the hill yet this year? Might go up tomorrow. I'll post here on the conditions if I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted December 1, 2006 Author Share Posted December 1, 2006 Watching this video is killing me! I am ready to make some turns in the fresh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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