Hi, so this season I am going to learn Telemark, I am going to get a lesson (probably two half days) to start with having never done it. But i was just wondering how long it takes to be confident on tele skis. I guess by confident I mean really enjoying cruising the slopes, playing with the terrain, rather than skiing along saying " don't fall, don't fall".
I'm one of those people that once I decide to do something I tend to "go deep" (or get obsessed as the wife says), get the kit, read the books, and when i'm not doing it I am constantly talk about it - yes I know this is annoying.
It's difficult question because it depends on so much, I am good skier, level 10 on http://www.insideoutskiing.com/level.html. I would say I have a good to high level of fitness and I've been doing this work out for the last three months to prepare http://youtube.com/v/bjbiZdxowCc! <-- I did say I tend to get a bit obsessed.
We will be there for 3 months just to ski (no work!)
Has anyone else freed the heel, if so how long before you were confident on all pistes and even heading into the powder.
thanks
P.S. I will be growing the beard soon and I have a nice collection of Yak hair beanies and I also indent to go vegan for the season...dude.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
BenAS wrote:
I constantly talk about it - yes I know this is annoying.
For god's sake will you please stop talking about Telemark skiing!
Just kidding, I fancy a go as well, but Mrs Wifehole won't let me. Even though I do, sporadically, sport a full and luxuriant beard.
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?
I saw some telemark skis on Ebay and thought.. Hmm I'd just need some boots.
Step away from the keyboard..
I'm very tempted myself, but I wouldn't know where to start
I managed to pick up some cheap telemark kit, I figured that if I don't like it I can sell it on again. Trouble is now the good lady wife also wants to learn telemark and the chances of finding another set of cheap boots is unlikely.. .looks like we'll be raiding the piggy bank...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I was introduced to it by being told to ski them as if they were alpine skis and not lift my heels. However I found it easier in the end to go straight to the telemark 'crouch'. I've only done 3 hours but was pleasantly surprised at how I progressed with it. I thought initially it would be much harder. I'm sure if I continued it would take a lot of effort to get good, but initially I thought I'd be falling all over the place.
If you can already ski alpine well then the transition to telemark should be fairly straightforward... You will already know how to edge / turn the skis. Freeing the heel just gives you another 'turn type' that you can add to your repertoire. Would 110% recommend buying Paul Parkers book - which is the tele technique bible.
1. The biggest difference is that you *must* keep weight on your inside ski during a tele turn. The telemark position (one ski forward / one back) is what causes the turn. In alpine ski its applying pressure to the outside ski that makes the turn. This take some getting used to
3. If your like me then you might get lazy and revert back to trusted parallel turns when the going gets tough. This can be a crutch!
4. Telemark is actually quite dumb and inefficient way to ski. Your thighs will hurt lots. But its fun, a good challenge, and looks stylish when done well.
5. The main advantage of a tele turn is improved fore-aft balance, especially in softer snow.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BenAS, Liking the workout. Off to try it myself.
Just make sure you do it the right way round...i.e. down on the correct leg for each side...
After all it is free
After all it is free
True to say it's good for fitness. I've never seen a fat telemarker or a beginner telemarker for that matter, they all seem to be good at it!
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.
Hmmm I wonder if it would be practical to give it a bash as a snodome on a quiet morning
I might have to have a look on Ebay
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Haggis_Trap wrote:
If you can already ski alpine well then the transition to telemark should be fairly straightforward... You will already know how to edge / turn the skis. Freeing the heel just gives you another 'turn type' that you can add to your repertoire. Would 110% recommend buying Paul Parkers book - which is the tele technique bible.
1. The biggest difference is that you *must* keep weight on your inside ski during a tele turn. The telemark position (one ski forward / one back) is what causes the turn. In alpine ski its applying pressure to the outside ski that makes the turn. This take some getting used to
3. If your like me then you might get lazy and revert back to trusted parallel turns when the going gets tough. This can be a crutch!
4. Telemark is actually quite dumb and inefficient way to ski. Your thighs will hurt lots. But its fun, a good challenge, and looks stylish when done well.
5. The main advantage of a tele turn is improved fore-aft balance, especially in softer snow.
Just ordered the book, should keep me happy for a few weeks... great tips everyone...
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
BenAS, Also order Allen & Mike's Really Cool Telemark Book. Bit of a contrast to Parker who tells rambling stories about his horse and how he once went out for a day's touring with some fellow gurus, conditions were shitty and they didn't manage a tele turn between them.
As someone who can hack around in a fridge but not super elegantly I'd say the biggest thing is to commit to doing a sustained period of teleing e.g. go out on teles every day for a week and tele turn. There's no doubt I start from a remembering how things work perspective everytime I try.
It is surprisingly easy to revert to alpine when things start to go counter-intuitive mid turn and you need to train yourself out of it. There's also loads of tele style stuff you might need to work on like keeping knees separated, low and high stances etc etc.
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.
I also like Allen and Mikes really Cool telemark tips. I'd link to it at Amazon but they have a duff link that goes to the wrong book.
I had no problems going from alpine to tele (but then some would say I couldn't ski alpine so couldn't be any worse on tele kit). I do tend to fall back to parallel turns when the going gets tough and I particularly find breakable crust impossible to do tele turns in (or on).
I ski on either a set of Fisher Boundless (which are nordic touring skis) which are my rock skis these days. Movement climax with 7TM power bindings (my piste ski) and for this year I've got a set of Movement Ikis mounted with my old 7TM all mountain bindings for touring when conditions are good. Not tried them out yet so no idea what they are like, but are a similar profile to the Climax's but not a twintip.
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
This post is becoming quite expensive for me now! Just ordered "Allen and Mike's Telemark book"....
All I need now is some snow, some time and quite a lot of skill... I was still secretly hoping someone would pop up and say - give it a week and you'll be smashing the blacks and off piste like a pro....anyone?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I tried it once. I decided 'Telemark' was the Norwegian word for 'falls down a lot'.
Actually, it was fun and I didn't give it enough time... found it far easier to turn in one direction than the other.
greg
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
i made the change a couple of seasons ago, or maybe i should say I've been making the change for a couple of seasons now! Pretty easy to pick up actually, being a strong alpine skier should help. Along with the books etc., get over to telemarktips.com and check out the "Ski with Urmas" instruction videos - some good drills like tele shuffles etc to get you going.
If you're going to raid the piggy, then go NTN, its likely you'll get there anyway
fandan love tellymarkers
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am planing to bore people to death with my attempt to telemark, there will be a blog with lots of pictures and videos - all it needs is a good name.. "The Zeros of Telemark"... or "My life in heels".... any suggestions?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Can't believe no-one's said grow a beard and knit a jumper yet.
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?
"'Telemark' was the Norwegian word for 'falls down a lot"
This is absolutely true. Also when you are good in it. I have two friends who ski only telemark, have been doing it for 20+ years, are definitely better skiers than I am and while I fall maybe twice/season (30-40 days) they fall at least 3 times/day.
I've tried it a few times, but never managed to quite get it. Maybe the fear of falling.
Feef, which fridge are you near? Chill factore in Manchester has decent tele skis and boots for hire.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
BenAS, you're certainly going about it the right way, I think. I've had a bit of a go, but not really spent enough time on it to make more than basic progress.
That said, I am persisting with my morning lunges / squats regime as I'm planning on giving it at least a week while I'm in the Alps this winter.
My strongest recommendation is to only resort to parallel when you really need to - it's all too easy to stop dropping the knee and 'cheat' which has led to me making less progress that I probably should have done. Oh, and just lifting your heel up does not a tele turn make!
Out of interest, where are you going for three months?
clarky999, actually what is really required it to knit a jumper out of your own beard- and that's just for girls.
BenAS, If you are a good skier, fit and have a bit of instruction, then commit and actually put those skis on you should be fine.
I am not fit, overweight and ski at most 3 weeks a year- one on alpine 2 on tele gear- if I can do it anybody can.
The books are useful esp Mike and Allen's really cool tele tips.
youTube and visualisation (dare I say this) are good too.
GET WEIGHT OVER THE BACK SKI- that is the tricky bit and it changes things from- very very very wobbbbbbly to - not wobbly- carved turns, fast and in control. But after skiing alpine having weight on the inside (rear) ski just feels wrong for quite a while and is something that requires effort.
Other things that require effort are: buying tele kit- it is soooo expensive (ebay for 2nd hand gear), expensive tele gear breaking (ask yourself why shop thta sells tele bindings at £150 or so a pair also sells spares for tele bindings, have you ever seen spares for alpine bindings? No- why is that then??) oh and after a few days telmarking all day walking, can be an effort and getting up and down stairs, on and off th eloo and sleep are all agony.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BenAS, what is most important is being able to get over, and then love, all the horrible facts about telemark skiing. They can be found here. Just make sure you realise that telemark is to alpine as unicycle (or possibly penny farthing) is to bicycle.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Zammo, i'm heading to the Grand Massif, This week has not been good for the training, but I'll be back on it as of tomorrow, lunges, squats, dead lift and then a hill run - all fun
Ed123, that's good advice, I think the plan will be to do a few week of tele without doing Alpine to make sure I give it a long enough to "set in". I am hoping i can get into the tele mind set...
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.
Help you get into the mindset!! I'm going to try and do some tele this winter, can't ever seem to find hire boots in my size though. Don't really want to buy some on a whim.
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.
glp9,
yes visualisation of: tree love (which is disgusting), 'granola bars' (whatever they are- but I'm guessing disgusting) and llamas wool hats/jumpers / socks (which are also disgusting but not as disgusting as woollen items knitted from your own pubic hair).
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
BenAS, I did your workout on Friday and didn't stop hurting until this morning!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
under a new name wrote:
BenAS, I did your workout on Friday and didn't stop hurting until this morning!
haha- that's brilliant, it does tend to smart a little when you start, but it is amazing how quickly you can increase the volume. I've even got the guys at my running club doing it - they hate it, but they still do it.... I think it's a little addictive....
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
just realised that I like granola - I really like it... checked under the stairs, there's a pack of 50 bars under there, Also I work in sustainability arena (currently working on project to encourage recycling in the inner cites of the UK) and right now I'm wearing a knitted jumper and growing a moustache (Movember) ... the conversion to telemark seems to have already begun.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Telemark is changing boys and girls, more likely to see hoodies and red bull than granola and furry jumpers
BenAS, I am not a great telemarker (or alpine skier for that matter). Mrs Ski an I both Alpine and Tele. Weight on the back ski is a good tip. IMV (and I may be wrong) - buggered quads at the end of the day = poor technique (Alpine or tele). Yes your legs will get a workout, way more than on alpine, but if you get the right technique, no need for it to be really tiring.
When I started (and we did the same with Mrs Ski), we skied 1/2 day on tele and 1/2 on alpine.. so as not to get too knackered. You can revert back to alpine on your teles when you get tired, but (because of the free heel) you have to balance slightly further back that you can on alpine, which is not something you want to practise
The good bits are - comfy boots, much more of a sense of doing stuff (think riding a motorbike, instead of driving a car), getting away with it in bumps, and the snow regularly reminding you that you aren't quite as good as you think
Enjoy
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?
took the plunge two years ago.. am actually thinking of doing a full week on teles this year, rather than a couple of days after I have my ski legs...it's surprisingly addictive (and makes you feel like a rock star)!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Took me about two weeks before I realised that it really is two feet skiing and at all times you have to be in full control of both legs all the time. Not like alpine where the inside ski can be almost lifted off the deck in turns. That rear ski has as much input into a turn, especially in fast carving, as the lead leg. Unless you're in full alpine relax on the green bimble home mode, always keep the balls of your feet slightly pressured, reduces tip wobble to zero.
There's a lot of kit choice out there now with big differences to how they feel in terms of resistance to lifting and how high above the heel-rest that resistance begins. It does have an effect on how the skis drive and feel. So when you start to learn try to stick with one binding until you can vary and adjust your stance as needed.
One useful tip as you do some pre-trip exercises as above, get someone or set up a vid to film yourself from the side. We all have a weaker side and you need to match movements, dip and leg separation left and right. You must get this right from the start or you'll find that you can only tele turn in one direction
Oh, to be marked as a true teleman your beard must have plaits.
Those of us learning switch . . . the lead leg is the inside ski
Oh, to be marked as a true teleman your beard must have plaits.
More like jacket down below your knees and goggle strap inside helmet these days!
The weak side thing for me was interesting - there definitely was NOT as big a difference tele as I had with alpine (and am still conscious of in certain situations)
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
barry, I have those round lens flying goggles as modeled by Scott of the whatsit, an 8 section tweed cap and Plus4 Tweed breeks. I'm drawing a line at the pipe.
After all it is free
After all it is free
kit wise i've gone 1940s... submariner rollneck jumper and wax cotton/canvas anorak with tweed combat style trousers....you just KNOW it's the way ahead!
seriously, I actually got these clothes specially
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.
RozziZ82, RESPECT!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
RozziZ82 wrote:
kit wise i've gone 1940s... submariner rollneck jumper and wax cotton/canvas anorak with tweed combat style trousers....you just KNOW it's the way ahead!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
