Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

My name is Matt. I have been on telemark for 4 years. It came relatively easy for me as I watched my older brother do it. I am convinced that I have hit the wall though. I can ski any intermediate trail well. The problem is... I l I'll keep to ski bumps and stepper terrain. How do I get over this wall. I'm sure it has something, perhaps a lot to do with strength. But what technique do I need to adopt to graduate into expert level telemark skiing?

Typo... I meant to say, *I like to ski bumps and steeper terrain..."

There are plenty of videos out there, but I'd say don't try to zipper through the bumps like an Olympian! This is the technique where you just stay in the troughs. Once you're awesome, sure, but not to start!
It's heinously demanding for strength and cardio and is pretty hard on connective tissue.

Take it slow, start out on lower angle hills and bumps that are early in their formation.
Make check turns to control speed; going slower just makes it easier to make decisions.
The check turns will mostly be done by engaging the front foot.

Did you ever ski the bumps on alpine gear? If so, much of the physics is the same, so there's crossover. If you can keep your stance higher it helps. Moving your feet forward and back a shorter distance relative to each other will take less time, make it easier to turn quickly and allow more of your weight to be supported by your leg bones rather than your leg muscles. The downside is that your fore/aft balance gets more difficult, but you'll pick it up.

Also, keeping your torso as upright and as vertical as possible will really reduce pressure on the muscles of your lower back and again, allow the spine to carry the load. The more you get stooped over, the more energy it takes and the more likely to damage the muscles in the lower back.

Looking through old videos, here's one from the 2009/10 season. I'd been tely skiing for about 5 years, 57 years old on Garmont Syner-G, K-2 World Piste, 7 tm bindings.
Early in the learning stage, but easy bumps, low angle and all that. Not great quality, but maybe it'll give you some insight.
You can see how I get more hung up, once I get trapped in the troughs.

Great advice above.

I'd also say, practice

some more practice

keep practicing.

A lot of it has to do with your fast-twitch muscles. These can take time to get fired up and back up to speed. I am always, always, faster on the second half of the season than the first half. On the groomed, try to turn as quick and as much as possible, over and over again. Conditioning these fast-twitch muscles is imperative.

While keeping the back straight, I get lower in bumps than I do in any other ski terrain. I shrink my poles to down to nothing, 112cm, and I'm 6'2". This prevents me from getting in the back seat and keeps me forward.

Pushing my hips forward over the bumps too, to get my tips down to transition into the next turn.

I am no expert in negotiating moguls on tele gear, and by that I mean low grace and high fatigue. However, it seems that one skill required is being light on your feet, even more so than moguls with alpine gear. Absorbing the terrain is similar to alpine, but more energy needed to spring up for the turn and the lead change.

Resort-orientated tele gear is evolving to not promote building this skill set. Although good for edge control...heavier, bulkier, stiffer is not conducive to being light on your feet. If one has the means, then perhaps drilling with 3-pins may be helpful in developing a "light-footed" skill set. Then use these skills with the more aggressive gear.

joeatomictoad wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:27 am

I am no expert in negotiating moguls on tele gear, and by that I mean low grace and high fatigue. However, it seems that one skill required is being light on your feet, even more so than moguls with alpine gear. Absorbing the terrain is similar to alpine, but more energy needed to spring up for the turn and the lead change.

Resort-orientated tele gear is evolving to not promote building this skill set. Although good for edge control...heavier, bulkier, stiffer is not conducive to being light on your feet. If one has the means, then perhaps drilling with 3-pins may be helpful in developing a "light-footed" skill set. Then use these skills with the more aggressive gear.

Funny you mention it. Josh Madsen just dropped this video last night.

Funny you mention it. Josh Madsen just dropped this video last night.

Thanks, good heads up. I enjoy seeing well produced video footage of tele skiers struggling, even if it's with outdated gear and a 50-pound backpack. It's kind of like bull riding...it's more fun to watch the bull fighters / rodeo clowns, and it's more fun to watch a bull rider fall rather than watching the bull rider make a full pull 8-seconds.

Does watching others experience discomfort make me a deviant? Maybe, but I think all telemark skiers embrace discomfort in one form or another.

MSU, that was pretty bada$$ skiing Wildcat with skinnies and a 50 lb pack.

fisheater wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:03 pm

MSU, that was pretty bada$$ skiing Wildcat with skinnies and a 50 lb pack.

I wish I could claim it was me!
Josh is a pretty epic telemarker.

joeatomictoad wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:27 am

Resort-orientated tele gear is evolving to not promote building this skill set. Although good for edge control...heavier, bulkier, stiffer is not conducive to being light on your feet. If one has the means, then perhaps drilling with 3-pins may be helpful in developing a "light-footed" skill set. Then use these skills with the more aggressive gear.

I can tele the moguls well (usually trying to do zippers) on k2 world piste skis, g3 targa bindings and garmont synergy boots. I love this set up because it feels very light. I have never tried NTN/ or stiffer burlier equipment. Would skiing zippers on the newer resort- oriented tele gear be easier or harder than my set up? Thanks!