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Telemark with switchable heels

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I rented some of the skis where you can walk with skins, yet get to the top and you can snap them into the heel for the descent.

What are these skis called?

I asked if I could try Telemark downhill, leaving the heel free with these skis but the rent guy said no. I thought `hmm, I bet you're just looking after your equipment`.

How do I know if the bindings are strong enough on these skis, or do I have to get Telemark specific bindings.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
jago25_98 wrote:
I rented some of the skis where you can walk with skins, yet get to the top and you can snap them into the heel for the descent.

What are these skis called?


Alpine touring skis


Quote:
I asked if I could try Telemark downhill, leaving the heel free with these skis but the rent guy said no. I thought `hmm, I bet you're just looking after your equipment`.

How do I know if the bindings are strong enough on these skis, or do I have to get Telemark specific bindings.


Telemark boots & bindings bend at the forefoot. Touring bindings articulate at the toe.
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 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?
jago25_98, try skiing fast and far on non-locked down AT bindings and you may break them.
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stoatsbrother wrote:
jago25_98, try skiing fast and far on non-locked down AT bindings and you may break them.


WILL break them.

Telemark turns generate high torque at the toe. You need specific telemark bindings to try telemarking...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
parlor, indeed. Seen a binding blown by someone light doing a few gentle turns on a blue run. I also wonder how the OP was proposing to start telemarking if he doesn't realise what boots and bindings were required.
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parlor, indeed. Seen a binding blown by someone light doing a few gentle turns on a blue run.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
So, just to confirm, we can't get combination Telemark skis with the fulcum in the right place and strong enough.... but also can click in at the back like alpine skis ready when a beginners legs gets exhausted of telemark technique?

Yeah, I was hoping the ski rent guy would start telling me all about Telemark when I started asking about it but I got that blood out of stone feeling I only seem to get in this part of the world sometimes. I know from experience now here, if they don't want to talk, don't persevere, leave it at that, move on and try somewhere else Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
jago25_98,
Quote:

skis ready when a beginners legs gets exhausted of telemark technique?


er, no. But that's (sort of) the point of tele. If you want to tour (in the Alps)..then Alpine is the way. If you want to tele.. then tele.. but your thighs will get a workout.
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jago25_98 wrote:
So, just to confirm, we can't get combination Telemark skis with the fulcum in the right place and strong enough.... but also can click in at the back like alpine skis ready when a beginners legs gets exhausted of telemark technique?


But it's perfectly possible to do parallel turns on telemark equipment without having the heels locked down! Madeye-Smiley
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jago25_98, I hate to say it, but the attitude of the rental guy might have been because he was non-plussed by your question. The idea that someone might feel they had the knowledge to telemark without tuition yet did not understand the basics of the gear required, might have surprised him slightly.
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Alastair Pink wrote:
jago25_98 wrote:
So, just to confirm, we can't get combination Telemark skis with the fulcum in the right place and strong enough.... but also can click in at the back like alpine skis ready when a beginners legs gets exhausted of telemark technique?


But it's perfectly possible to do parallel turns on telemark equipment without having the heels locked down! Madeye-Smiley


This ^.

Alpine turns on the tele gear are quite easy. Don't be shy...
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 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.
Just go out and hire some tele kit. If you can ski parallel on alpine kit you can ski parallel on tele kit - I do it all the time.

I haven't been out on kit you can clip your heel down with for something like 4 years, but I often ski parallel. Why, cos my tele turns are not so good when it gets really steep, and I've not yet mastered doing teles in the bumps. Plus I revert to parallels when I get knackered.
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Anyone else thinking about matching an NTN toepiece with an Dynafit Tech heel ? Puzzled
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ski wrote:
Anyone else thinking about matching an NTN toepiece with an Dynafit Tech heel ? Puzzled


It's been done somewhere.

Try searching:
http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=1
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
altis wrote:
ski wrote:
Anyone else thinking about matching an NTN toepiece with an Dynafit Tech heel ? Puzzled


It's been done somewhere.

Try searching:
http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=1
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/


The Franken binding. Not sure why you would want to do this but it can be done. And yes, I was thinking about it as soon as I read the OP, but there is no need IMO. No advantage in touring, the Dyna toes pivot better than NTN, skiing down: just alpine if you're tired / out of your technique zone...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

But it's perfectly possible to do parallel turns on telemark equipment without having the heels locked down!

So easy in fact that it almost begs the question - why do alpine skis have a heel lock at all ? snowHead Other than jumping, skiing very fast or skiing into sticky snow, it almost makes no difference skiing alpine on conventional bindings, on teles, you just have to get the weight in the right place. The advantage of tele kit however is lighter weight, happier feet, avoidance of knee injuries and the ability to look cool Cool

I probably only ski tele 40% of the time though because it is harder work than alpine Madeye-Smiley , but really nice to have the choice.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

it almost makes no difference skiing alpine on conventional bindings, on teles,


hmm - not that sure about this one. I can parallel on teles - but not nearly as well as on alpine - because my heels aren't locked down !
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 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?
Quote:

hmm - not that sure about this one. I can parallel on teles - but not nearly as well as on alpine - because my heels aren't locked down !


Really, I've not noticed any difference (though its a while since I last skied with heels fixed). The only problem is the extra falling mode (faceplanting if your skis come to a sudden unexpected halt) which is easier to do on telekit than on fixed heel kit.
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I tried telemarking on alpine touring kit once, I knew it probably wouldn't work and it didn't as you couldn't lift the heel up enough. Mind you they were some particulaly weird Tyrolia AT bindings that weighted a bomb and could be spun 180 dregrees to make the ski go in the opposite direction. I would not have fancied doing any actual touring on them.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rambotion wrote:
I tried telemarking on alpine touring kit once, I knew it probably wouldn't work and it didn't as you couldn't lift the heel up enough.


Don't know about the amount of heel lift you can achieve on AT gear, but the important difference is that AT gear has the pivot point in front of the toe (and the boot can't flex) so you will effectively be on tiptoe without any control of the ski, whereas on telemark gear where the boot can flex (either old fashioned leather or modern plastic boot with a flexible bellows section) you have the front part of the foot flat in contact with the ski and the pivot point is further back at the ball of the foot. Madeye-Smiley
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Dave Horsley,
Quote:

Really, I've not noticed any difference (though its a while since I last skied with heels fixed). The only problem is the extra falling mode (faceplanting if your skis come to a sudden unexpected halt) which is easier to do on telekit than on fixed heel kit.



Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I can't get as far forward as I can with Alpine - without engaging the falling mode Embarassed
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Maybe I ski in the backseat too much fixed or unfixed, I know I do if conditions are dodgy (like no vis or deep heavy snow) and it is something I'm trying to correct. When first tele skiing I didn't weight the back ski enough, now on occasion I may have taken it a little far the other way and sometimes I don't get my front knee nicely over the toe.

Still can't do fast short radius tele turns on anything other than greens.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Dave Horsley, The longer stance in tele gives you more room to play with (IMV)..I find that if I want stability, then tele is the way to go - I'll use alpine when (really) short turns are required, and to give my thighs a break, but then Alpine seems to be tiring too !
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Quote:

altis wrote:
ski wrote:
Anyone else thinking about matching an NTN toepiece with an Dynafit Tech heel ?


It's been done somewhere.

Try searching:
http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=1
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/


The Franken binding. Not sure why you would want to do this but it can be done. And yes, I was thinking about it as soon as I read the OP, but there is no need IMO. No advantage in touring, the Dyna toes pivot better than NTN, skiing down: just alpine if you're tired / out of your technique zone...


I saw someone with this set up in Canada in Jan. It appeals to me as it means I dont have to take two pairs of skis and two pairs of boots on holiday with me and I do like to do both sorts of skiing! Am giving it some serious thought now!!!!
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Quote:

But it's perfectly possible to do parallel turns on telemark equipment without having the heels locked down!


This ^.

Alpine turns on the tele gear are quite easy. Don't be shy

the fact is,,, is to easy to make alpineturns with telemarkequipments, specelly if U use racingboots,,, but its nice when u are a little older, like me,,,, rolling eyes
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
jago25_98 wrote:
I rented some of the skis where you can walk with skins, yet get to the top and you can snap them into the heel for the descent.

What are these skis called?

I asked if I could try Telemark downhill, leaving the heel free with these skis but the rent guy said no. I thought `hmm, I bet you're just looking after your equipment`.

How do I know if the bindings are strong enough on these skis, or do I have to get Telemark specific bindings.


It is also known as Randonee, which is the French word for "Can't Telemark"
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 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.
Rocksteadee, Toofy Grin
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 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:

It is also known as Randonee, which is the French word for "Can't Telemark"


Rocksteadee, 10 points Very Happy
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