Telemark Skimo racing (was: 3-pin Racing)

[telemarkmark]

Bjorn,
Just looked up the Keb Classic - would love to have a go at that one day. Are you doing the 'Alpine' or Ski-touring' course.
Great to see a skimo style event that allows tele kit.
Look forward to hearing how you do. Best of luck.

[iBjorn]

Short race report, had a fantastic weather during the Keb Classic event with windless blue sky. Unfortunately my teammate got sick the morning of the first race day, so I had a very stressful morning before I found another team that I could join (teams could be either 2 or 3 persons). We started in the shorter ski touring class, about 15 km in length and about 4500-5000 feet of climbing each day with via ferrata parts and rappeling. Since I was not familiar with my new teammates, I left the cables for my Teletech set-up the first race day and did the first day in AT mode with locked heel. Since we didn´t take the race too seriously (we took a lot of breaks for photo sessions) and I didn´t have any problem matching their speed I hooked up the cables the second day and raced Telemark mode. My Teletech set-up (F1 Race boots, Kreuzspitze TeleAlp bindings and Fischer TransAlps 80 skis) worked more or less flawlessly. The only things that I noticed is that I need to adjust the bungie cords holding the cables/levers behind the AT heel towers. The weight of the mounted cables was also notable on the way up, so I still consider to find a way to have the cables quickly and reliably attachable to the bindings.

My teammates (and me) at the finish on the second day. The race track of the second day included a rappeling down in the crater of the mountain in the background, as well as skiing the couloir going down the right side of the same mountain.

More pictures is available at the facebook page of the event, I might also post some more pictures later.

https://www.facebook.com/kebclassic/?hc ... Lw&fref=nf

[telemarkmark]

Wow! Serious stuff!!
Did not see any photos of you ripping a few tele turns, obviously the Photographer has not heart!!! Is there much difficult climbing in the Ski Tour race?
Glad to hear the tele kit all worked well, especially with the F1s. Mine are the Race model (not carbon cuff) with no tongue. I find they are not that powerful and would not be happy on a wider ski, though yet to try one. That said I have yet to mould the liners and they are a bit loose.
What was your time?
Will have to see if I can get a Scottish Team for next year.

[iBjorn]

Wow! Serious stuff!!
Did not see any photos of you ripping a few tele turns, obviously the Photographer has not heart!!! Is there much difficult climbing in the Ski Tour race?
Glad to hear the tele kit all worked well, especially with the F1s. Mine are the Race model (not carbon cuff) with no tongue. I find they are not that powerful and would not be happy on a wider ski, though yet to try one. That said I have yet to mould the liners and they are a bit loose.
What was your time?
Will have to see if I can get a Scottish Team for next year.

It would be nice to meet you at the starting line next year Telemarkmark. The climbing was not difficult in the Touring race, it included some very easy Via Ferrata (just secured walking) and one rapelling each day. Before the race, there is also opportunities to exercise rappels, avalanch serach, glacier rescue, etc. We did the track in about 4 hours each day. I raced in my "F1 Race" boots, they can drive my TransAlps with 80mm width without problem. I also have a pair of F1 Carbon, but I have not tested these yet.

Attach some proof that I did ski telemark, at least over the finish line

And one picture from the rappel the first race day:

[telemarkmark]

It would be great get a telemark team from Scotland, unfortunately at present I am the only Telemark Skimo racer, ( or the number one tele Skimo racer, as I like to say!). Do you have any competition for this title in Sweden? Don’t worry, if I do make it, your title will be safe!!
Cheers Mark

[telemarkmark]

Not racing, but did my last tour of the season in Scotland. Finally, I hope, getting the feel of my Telemo set up. I think I now have the binding well set up, a useful level of spring from the start, but still a smooth progression to a low stance. The skis have an unusual flex, soft ends and stiff middle, and are short and narrow, which all makes it difficult to assess the binding, it would be interesting to mount on another ski one day and use the TX Pro. (You could say, dodgy skis, dodgy binding, dodgy boots, dodgy skier....all in perfect harmony!).
The front throw works well, being able to switch between ski and free pivot mode, and with the short springs in the cables there is a bit of tension when off, so it does not fall off the heel.

[iBjorn]

Nice pictures Mark! Nice area, and it seems to be some very nice lines to ski there!

[telemarkmark]

Tempting lines...not on Telemo kit! Will take ScottyBobs next year and try some of the easier lines.
You are about 10k from civilisation, so has a wilderness feel out there, definitely lifts the spirits.

[iBjorn]

This season I participated in only one race, an 2 hour lap race at a resort. Raced with my Scarpa F1 and my rando race skis. To the next race season I will actually remount these skis to my original set-up with 3-pins, since I have not found any clear difference in lap times (for the shorter laps I usually do) between 3-pin/T4s and skimo race bindings with the F1’s. I guess that the gain on the uphill with race gear is eaten up by the faster transitions with 3-pins.

[lowangle al]

Hi Bjorn, how does the T4 compare to the F1 weight wise?