Wayne, isn't there anyone in Trentino? There must be.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Easiski - a lot of this sounds very familiar indeed
easiski wrote:
- a few 'bottled it' turns, followed by a bit more confidence and eventually a half decent descent
- it's scary bending your knee(s)
- you feel very nervous of faster/slower skiers because you're not in ..... control .....
- My 'signpost arms' exercise was more than useful ... (OH YES!)
- I need more consolidation time in between things.....not feeling 100% comfortable
- Ooh - bottled it a bit and paralleled (or in my case, snowploughed!) for a couple of turns to start with
- Apparently I have a problem turning right (Pat says there seem to be skis that only turn left!)
- I can side slip though
- saying things like 'we've got all summer' - oh I wish!!
Looking forward to reading more installments!
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
easiski, I think its great that are willing to share the trials and tribulations of learning something new to you with us. I guess it is a some time since you have felt this uncertain on a set of skis. I know you no doubt teach beginners many times a season and probably get quite good at realising their fears and uncertainties, but do you think this fresh more personal reminder of finding things less than easy will help you empathise even more with the beginners that you see next season? Although I guess it is good for instructors to seem 'god like' creatures to their students, personally I would have more faith in an instructor that I knew really appreciated (and could remember) what it was like to learn something new. I hope you will be able to share your newly fresh learning experience with your students if, and when, it is appropriate to do so, I think it would help the students to know that you can genuinely empathise with their predicament. I know it would have helped me.
Megamum, I can say from first hand experience that Easiski has excellent empathy (& patience) with students' situations and is very good at bolstering confidence - I very quickly was able to trust her & realised if she asked me to try something, I was very likely to have the skills to achieve it.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Butterfly, I had already guessed that Easiski had this quality, I just wondered if her new learning experience had freshened her perspective in this area. I find the idea of an instructor having the experience of learning something new very 'grounding' in terms of making them seem like real human beings who can therefore really understand their students fears. Perhaps if they are already very good in this area as Easiski is it makes little fresh difference to them, but for a student to know that they are also learning something new, I think, makes them more believable to the student (or at least it would to me). I thought the same about the other instructor on here (I forget who it was) who recently wrote about learning to snowboard. More power to their elbows....or knees even
Wayne, Do you actually mean a BASI Trainer? Or do you mean an instructor/teacher? AFAIK the trainers train the instructors, but that doesn't sound like what you are looking for.
Snowsport England have been running a Telemark skiing course with a BASI instructor for several years now. It is usually held around Easter, and it is in Telemark in Norway. Here is a link to this year's events: http://www.snowsportengland.org.uk/events_results-92.html
Scroll down to 28/03 and click on the information button for the details. It is generally reckoned to be a good course, but I don't think the teacher is a BASI trainer, although he is a BASI instructor and SSE Senior Tutor. SSE also run artificial slope telemark events in the UK, through the off-season.
I can't give any recommendation as I don't know much about them. I have seen one of the nordic instructors in action and she has also taught some friends, and we all think she is very good. I have heard unfavourable reports from different people about one of the telemark instructors. I don't know anything about any of the others.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
nordicfan,
Was looking for a BASI trainer as they tend to know what are talking about, just my opinion.
This looks like what I'm after
http://www.telemarkskico.com/basi.htm
Big cheers for that. Have sent them an e mail asking for details.
easiski wrote:
Wayne, isn't there anyone in Trentino? There must be.
Yeah there's loads of em but just passed my ISIA teach n tech but I has a few problems on these as we use a different system here to BASI. We do in house training in resort and obviously this is in the Italian methods so I had to relearn all the BASI stuff just to get through the courses.
Unlike some bits of Italy (?) where you get some pocket money for all the years of training you do to get qualified, there is only me in this area holding up the BASI flag, apart from a few of my Italian mates who are in BASI, which I still think is a bit strange.
So for the 2nd discipline I though I have a go at telemark and as I have never done it (looks cool though) I don't have any Italian habits (?) and I would think, at least till after the 2nd discipline, its best to keep it that way so I don't learn the wrong system and get loads of stress when I turn up for the BASI telemark
After all it is free
After all it is free
Wayne, Hi Wayne. I did Tele as my second discipline. I wouldn't worry too much about BASI vs non-BASI.. Tele doesn't have enough folk doing it for there to be major differences between nations. You could also look at Tele-Masters. I've had lessons with both Richard (Tele-masters) and John (Telemarkskico) - both v good.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Wayne,
Telemarkskico is deffo the one to go for - run by John Eames who is a superb trainer, and great fun to ski with.
Snowboarding looks painful.
Nordick looks nackering.
Freestyle looks madness.
Telemark looks cool so its telemark for me.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Wayne wrote:
nordicfan,
Was looking for a BASI trainer as they tend to know what are talking about, just my opinion.
Fair point! Hope it goes well for you.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Wayne, Good luck - it is deffo the best option except that it wouldn't net much work.
Megamum, well, it was interesting (and I'll be doing some more in the summer). However I don't know how much it will help specifically with teaching beginners. I do well remember learning to snowboard, and suffered much more panic with that. The point is, that although I had serious moments of uncertainty in my turns, expecially to start with, it is not the same by a country mile. I knew I could always stand up and parallel. I could always stop. I could always do something to avoid any collision or whatever. Beginners OTOH don't have any of these defenses.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
Beginners OTOH don't have any of these defenses.
the same defence as a learner boarder - fling yourself to the ground. Done that a few times, once when my confidence failed me faced with a crocodile of a dozen four year olds wending their way down the nursery slope.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Wayne wrote:
nordicfan,
Was looking for a BASI trainer as they tend to know what are talking about, just my opinion.
There are four BASI telemark traininers - John Eames is one. I have lessons with Joe Beer, who is another one. I don't know who the other two are.
I've also had lessons from Richard Parrott (Telemasters) and whilst he isn't a BASI telemark trainer he's just made the GB telemark team - so you can probably assume that he knows what he's doing!
Richard's based in the UK in the summer and teaches at MK (and also potentially at Hemel) - so if you're around in the UK in the summer he'd be a good person to start with. There's a lot that you could usefully do in a fridge.
One thing to bear in mind is that whilst there aren't national differences in style, as such, there are definitely three distinct camps of telemark style:
- very low and long stance - old school Norweigian
- very tall and short stance with knees very close together - new skool - the style you see of films like Freetime
- very low and compact stance - sometimes called new, old school. (Are you following this? There'll be a test...)
I mainly have lessons with Joe (very much new, old school) and occassionally with Richard (a mix between all three, but leans in the direction of new skoool) and, frankly, they sometimes contradict each other because of the stylistic differences - so if you use more than one instructor then you'll need to filter this.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Wayne, there is always adaptive for your second..
congrats on your tech and teach pass!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
FlyingStantoni, so the style Renato was teaching me was old norweigian school, and the style in the photos of me is new old school?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
easiski, I had a half day telemarking lesson whilst I was in Tignes last week. I felt like a total beginner again, and was very fearful. The lunging was easy enough on the flatish part of the piste, but on the steeper parts and trying to turn was another matter. I struggled to get my front foot further forwards, but did manage to link quite a few turns, and also manged to fall several times too
We saw several telemarkers in Tignes as it was Black Shoe week, and I was surprised to see so many youngsters telemarking and they really looked cool.
Our instructor suggested we do it, as he thought it would help our skiing. I would certainly recommend a lesson for a change if nothing else. Also it makes you appreciate how begginners feel, having more advanced skiers whizzing past them.
Telemark boots are so comfy too.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
IncogSkiSno, All the local kids do all forms of sliding on snow. They just don't see any difference between, or difficulty in, changing from one to the other.
(As far as I understand) The Norwegian school emphasises creating a stable platform on a "single, long ski" and turning by ruddering the back ski - reflecting the lack of sidecut on the skis and lack of performance of the bindings and leather boots (of the time).
The new school(s) are developments that reflect the development of ski sidecut and modern telemark bindings and boots that enable control of lateral pressure - so they emphasise using the sidecut and edges to initiate turns in the same way as we do in alpine.
These are, of course, all just boxes and you can choose to take what you want. The important thing is just to be prepared for the conflicting advice.
It reminds me of my early experiences of alpine instruction where we used to alternate holidays between France and Italy. The French instructor would teach me something that the Italian instructor would then undo the following trip. The next trip the French instructor would then undo most of what the Italian instructor had taught me and then (sort of) re-teach me what the previous French instructor had taught me. For example, Richard encourages me to have an upright back (as per the photos), whereas Joe encourages a much more BASI-bent-at-the-hips.
Dave Horsley, I just want to get to 'switch' without filling my pants with snow or leaving a long brown stain down the slope . . . I'll worry about turning when I get there
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
FlyingStantoni, thanks for that, it helps a lot.
After all it is free
After all it is free
You're most welcome easiski.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Cheers, FlyingStantoni, I finally just got around to watching the vids. Frankly, your "new old skool" is just a new definition of insane! To even imagine having thighs that could manage that...
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
andyph wrote:
To even imagine having thighs that could manage that...
I'm about a quarter of the way there. I'll let you know how it goes
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
andyph, I'll introduce you to my brother's buddies.... The first is examiner/demo team for Australia for telemark.... the second teaches tele in Japan and Oz.... Both small wirey guys - but with thighs of steel....
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Quote:
but with thighs of steel....
Imagine if Anja Paersson started tele...
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Masque,
I can just about ski switch on my telekit, I need to practice doing parallel turns switch first as I end up doing a reverse snowplough turn most of the time.
I guess it something to practice on quiet days and limited cover at Cairngorm next year.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Dave Horsley, If I set off switch I can 'just' do a tentative tele turn . . . more usually chicken out to alpine . . . I can't get to switch from forward with any degree of not landing on (insert body part of choice)
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
andyph wrote:
Quote:
but with thighs of steel....
Imagine if Anja Paersson started tele...
I'd donate my ears to practical science research . . .
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Masque,
I can get to switch from skiing forward either with a parallel turn or a tele turn (though the latter is more likely to go wrong ), but once I'm skiing switch my ability to do any turns goes to pot.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Stantoni - any danger of you having your nomads at the greatest volatile event to hit Hemel since the oil depot fire? Purely so we can check your switch steeze of course
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
fatbob, unfortunately not as they're in Morzine. I may well go tele on the night though. Just need to buy some skis and mount the bindings...
fatbob, what a great video, it really put a smile on my face. He looks quite ungainly most of the time, but just so....cheerful!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
fatbob, that guy is one of the 2 aussie demo team members on tele skis - or so he told us on the aussie forums... my buddy is the other (has been for a bit)
After all it is free
After all it is free
fatbob wrote:
... the greatest volatile event to hit Hemel since the oil depot fire ...
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
The last couple of seasons has provided a bit of Tele-Scene at Raise and Yad Moss. We seem to have attracted a small but proficient group of local free heelers. One of the visiting Teleskiers from Weardale even showed me how to 360 and I carn't stop trying now (helmet mandatory).
So if you're into Tele and live up north come and ski with us this next winter, if we get some snow
I was up on teles again today, and had decided in the interim that I was not going to continue to try the Norwegian Old School style. 30+ years of back trouble make that unwise in my book. So I was trying to:
stop rotating my upper body too much at the end of the turn (on turns to the right I tend to bring the upper body round at the end of the turn thus washing out the skis)
keep my inside ski parallel to the outside one (I tend to get a little stem shape)
push my outside foot forward more (very wierd)
generally get more comfortable on teles
I had shorter skis that in the spring (170cms K2 Fugiative) which were deffo easier, and by the end of my 40 minute stint I was feeling very comfortable with the whole bending thing, and moving at a better pace than in the spring. I was able to dip right at the start of the turn, but I didn't manage to get my knees very far apart. I could edge the outside ski adequately if I wanted to, but didn't bother much. I tried in some big ruts, but gave that up as a bad job, I found I could cross the ruts in between turns quite happily though. On the whole I was very pleased with the morning, and that 40 mins was plenty for my knee. My other ankle was OK though, but I may only go every other day to give myself a chance to recover in between trips!
All in all a very pleasant late morning, especially in view of the great snow and weather (see snow report). Anyone with more experience who has comments on the above - they'll be very welcome, and eventually I'll try to persuade someone to take some video for you to look at.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
The point is, that although I had serious moments of uncertainty in my turns, expecially to start with, it is not the same by a country mile. I knew I could always stand up and parallel. I could always stop. I could always do something to avoid any collision or whatever. Beginners OTOH don't have any of these defenses. 
(helmet mandatory).
