If I am going to attempt to make The Outdoor Sports list I must include the many different divisions that snow provides for cardiovascular exercise and fun! Let's get into those separate but connected disciplines of snow sports that exist today. Skiing, snowboarding, and telemarking are the three major modes of moving across this slick white surface provided by nature year round - if you know where to find it! My first reaction to the word Telemark is . . . the Nordic countries of Denmark and Sweden. Skiing the Alps. It connotes a certain ethnicity and some sort of mystique that can be associated with the pioneers of downhill skiing.
Back in the old school days there were obvious advantages for using the open heel, or lifting heel feature of the ski that defines a Telemark. In contrast, all downhill skis are built with bindings that lock the foot completely to the ski, but are supposed to release in the case of a nasty spill. Whereas the Telemark ski allows full heel movement and therefore allows the user to climb steep grades, and cover long flat distances, the downhill ski is made for one thing, and one thing only: going downhill - fast!
This holds true for snowboards as well, although the newest rage, which several of my friends are utilizing these days is the split board. This new technology allows the user to "disconnect" the board and switch it from two Telemark skis into a fully functional snowboard. Well. I better not fluff it up that much. The split board is excellent for back country treks, as it provides the ability to do both climbing and downhill riding, but it cannot come close to out-performing the maneuverability and stability of my Fat Bob K2 166 - nor any other modern snowboard model for that matter.
The thing that makes Telemark skiing so special and so alluring is its style. There can be no questioning that when you watch the very best in each of the divisions (snowboarding, skiing, telemarking) the most stylistic, fluid and creative is the telemark skier. Watching some of my friends who are quite proficient, I am always shocked and surprised they are able to ride the same downhill terrain that I put it all on the line to ride. Super-steep chutes. Long, bumpy mogul fields. White powder stashes next to a tree line. In each of these situations you need to have supreme balance, supreme control. And I am here to tell you it is far easier to do that on a modern snowboard design versus a modern Telemark ski design.
Each turn the telemark skier must lift the heel, dip hard on the knee, almost touching it to the snowy surface, then immediately twist the hips drastically in the other direction forcing the feet to go the other way. All the while pole planting becomes crucial. Each hand is holding a pole that, when they are used together in perfect symmetry, become important aspects of the weight-shift dynamic. Each knee continues to take turns in this performance of deep dipping motion and abrupt twists that resemble a swan's dance. It is quite graceful when done correctly.
ER Harris
If you would like copious amounts of information about how, what, why, where, try this site: http://www.telemarktips.com/
Photos also courtesy telemarktips.com
