Telemark skiers have seen its popularity grow steadily throughout the world.
Kneeling my body to the right, and then to the left. Trying to keep my knees over my toes, weight on my rear foot, upper body faced down slope and skis close together and parallel. It seemed like a hundred different things to remember all at once, while sailing down the mountain. All the while, trying not to be intimidated by the steepness of the slope and attempting to maintain control.
But, even though I struggled with my technique, I was staying upright – for the most part – and skiing down Chicken Pitch on Sugarloaf Mountain. What a sense of freedom and exhilaration!
For me, Telemark skiing is one of the most invigorating athletic activities I have encountered. My previous skiing experience has been almost exclusively cross-country and backcountry skiing. Whenever I was confronted with any significant downhill, it was always a harrowing adventure of holding the snowplow position, while dragging ski poles and doing anything else that allowed me to slow down and stay in control. It frequently ended with a sitsmark, face plant or worse. For years, I have envied those who were able to gracefully execute the arcane “Telemark turn” and confidently negotiate mountains and steep hills. Now, with the help of friends and an instructional, I can navigate my way down intermediate ski slopes, albeit somewhat less than gracefully.
The motivation for me and most of my friends who have taken up Telemark skiing, was simply to learn and use the Telemark turn while backcountry skiing in the mountains. However, for many of us, the sport has quickly taken on a life of its own. Nowadays, one can find a small but growing number of “Telenuts” on virtually any ski slope on any given day. Still a small minority, they stand out at the skis areas as they perform their distinct technique on the trails, and then do leg stretches to relieve “burning” thighs at the bottom before hopping back on the ski lifts.
Old craft
Telemark skiing traces its roots to the birthplace of skiing itself: Norway. Rock carvings have been located in northern Norway that confirms skiing as a means of transportation over 4000 years ago. Skis were used by hunters and farmers for thousands of years. In the barren, sparsely-populated regions of northern Scandinavia, skiing was often the only means of human social contact during the long winters. In the Middle Ages, skiing was adopted for military use and companies of ski troops were formed in the mid-eighteenth century. Military ski competitions began during that period.
Skiing as a recreational activity began in Norway in the 1840s. It became particularly popular in the Southern Norway district of Telemark, where ski outings and competitions were a common part of the social and recreational landscape. Due to its popularity, innovative craftsmen developed skis and bindings to meet the burgeoning demand.
As equipment improved, young skiers emerged to challenge the steep hillsides that were abundant in the valley of Morgedal in the Telemark district. The most famous and reputedly the most daring of these early skiers was Sondre Norheim. Sondre, who is known by many as the “Father of Modern Skiing,” was also a skilled craftsman. He is believed to have invented the curved ski and bindings with stiff heel bands and is credited with developing and introducing the Telemark turn. Later in the nineteenth century, Sondre and other ski enthusiasts from the Morgedal area emigrated from Norway to the United States, where they introduced their revolutionary techniques and equipment.
At about the same time as their emigration to the United States, Telemark and slalom skiing, later known as Alpine, was introduced to Central Europe. However, the primary focus in both Central Europe and the United States became Alpine skiing and Telemark skiing as a popular form of winter recreation nearly disappeared. However, a resurgence of interest occurred in the United States in the 1970s. Telemarking was “reinvented” in Colorado, where it was popularized by a former Norwegian Olympic ski champion named Stein Eriksen and a writer named Rick Borkovek. Since then, its popularity has grown steadily throughout the world.
Different techniques
The primary difference between Alpine and Telemark skiing is the position of the heel. In Alpine skiing, the bindings attach the entire foot including the heel to the ski. Whereas, the heels are free from the ski when using the Telemark technique. In fact, Telemark skiing is often referred to as “free-heel skiing.” The free heels allow for the Telemark turn, which is not possible using standard Alpine skiing equipment.
The Telemark turn is performed by dropping the downhill ski a little behind the uphill ski, while bending the knee and lifting the heel. Simultaneously, the heel of the uphill ski remains flat and the knee less slightly bent. This causes the skier to turn in the direction of the leg of the downhill ski. For instance, if the left leg ski is the downhill ski than a properly performed Telemark turn will cause the skier to turn left. If this technique sounds difficult to execute, that’s because it is. In fact, there are a multitude of subtle and not so subtle considerations to make while one is traveling downhill at a very unsubtle speed.
My advice is get professional instruction and then tagalong with some experienced Telemark skiers. Otherwise, this can literally be a very painful learning process. Many of the local ski areas provide Telemark lessons, festivals and clinics. A good source of information on such activities is the New England Telemark organization. Visit their Web site at netelemark.com.
Most of my friends and I find Telemark skiing to be very physically demanding. It puts an unusual amount of stress on leg muscles that is not duplicated in most other athletic activities. The best exercises that I have found to strengthen those particular muscles are squats and lunges with free weights. I also find leg stretches before, during and after skiing to be helpful.
The right equipment
In perhaps its purest form, Telemark ski equipment would be cross-country or backcountry touring skis and poles with leather boots and free heel bindings. However, Telemark ski equipment has evolved far beyond that. The original Telemark skis were shorter than Alpine skis and narrower in the middle than at the ends or parabolic in shape. However, the 1990s saw a revolution of sorts in Alpine ski equipment. So, now a majority of Alpine skiers use shorter parabolic skis and plastic boots, which provide for a higher level of control and stability. Except for the free heels, there is now little difference between Alpine and Telemark equipment. Many, if not most, Telemark skiers now have discarded leather boots for plastic and are using short, parabolic skis. The choices are many and very much depend on the intended goals and skill level of the user. The New England Telemark Web site provides numerous links that can be of assistance in making such decisions.
Safety should be a primary concern when skiing. Consider wearing a helmet and eye protection. The Telemark skiing technique is a little out of synch with Alpine skiers and snowboarders, who constitute a substantial majority. Therefore, at least in my opinion, Telemark skiers are a little more prone to collisions. Head injuries are a very real and serious threat. Glare from the sun, blowing wind and snow and collisions can also put your eyes at risk, so play it safe and where goggles and a helmet. If you are backcountry skiing, always ski with others and tell someone where you are going and when you intend to return.
Consider giving Telemark skiing a try. The slopes and mountains are looking for a few good men and women.
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