Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Does anyone else think the modern telemark racing with its turnarounds and uphill skating in NTNs is a joke? I'm all for backcountry races, where all the skills all demanded, but skiing gates in a skin suit with XC poling just seems wrong. I'd rather see a slalom course and true GS. Frankly.

It's a little weird to me but "Rock On" I would rather watch Ski Jumping and Biathlons.

The classic race has been around decades, not a few years decades. Making the lines off the jump and the skating sections, well if you haven't done it. Worst race for me was racing sick at Sun Valley, landed on my face off the jump and poling into a skate while trying to hold the pieces of my sunglasses, at least Smith replaced them for free. Seriously I've been enjoying watching the WC , but been there and done that.

Not my cup of tea. The race where they compete on the same track is a bit cooler. Some BC race would be cool too. The Freeride World Tour and the tele comps showcase some outstanding talent, but to me, it's akin to watching golf on TV. I like the clips, but no chance I'd sit around and actually watch that stuff.

I watched one of the classic races at Thyon 2000 years ago and was blown away by it. The GS course itself was a challenging one without the jump, berm and uphill sections, but watching these athletes do that last skating uphill section was unbelievable from the standpoint of conditioning. I think everyone should try running a NASTAR course on tele skis on an icy (East coast ice) day, then watch a race like this. Mind you this was back when K2 Totally Piste and G3 Targas were state of the art

I used to race the Classic at Schweitzer when World Cup racers from Whitefish would come over in their speed suits, was even a gate judge when Schweitzer hosted the World Cup Tele race. Different perspective I guess but then I've Tele raced all around the Inland Northwest. and the Rockies. Off the top of my head I've raced ar over 11 ski resorts and the classic beats a simple slalom for fun and entertainment, the swag never hurt either.

teledance wrote:I used to race the Classic at Schweitzer when World Cup racers from Whitefish would come over in their speed suits, was even a gate judge when Schweitzer hosted the World Cup Tele race. Different perspective I guess but then I've Tele raced all around the Inland Northwest. and the Rockies. Off the top of my head I've raced ar over 11 ski resorts and the classic beats a simple slalom for fun and entertainment, the swag never hurt either.

Maybe same time frame? At Thyon I think the entire US team was from Whitefish! Some of those Scandinavian guys were unbelievable athletes - to a skinny long haired guy in an alpaca hat they seemed like super-humans! And yet even they were puking in buckets after their run in some cases. I did a good bit of alpine racing in youth but man these racers blew my mind!

Quite possibly, the jump is the real bite, needing the min distance to avoid a 3 Sec penalty at least for me the Tele landing was in the bag the distance not so much. Definitely miss the festival race fun of the 90s and early 00's.

Quite possibly the same time period, the jump is the real bite for me needing the min distance to avoid a 3 Sec penalty at least for me the Tele landing was in the bag the distance not so much. Definitely miss the festival race fun of the 90s and early 00's.

Actually it seems fun, I really want to try it. Unfortunatly there does not seem to be any telemark races in sweden anymore...(Yep, I just checked...)