Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

How do I turn my skis without my heel locked down?

this was posted by Curtis Johns today:



everything you want to know about telemark skiing.

Now just need some lessons...

I also need to learn (I can't Telemark yet).

I did watch this movie which appears to have some tele tips, but watching isn't the same as doing (and my foot Dr. said I'm only allowed to ski if I don't fall, which, combined with the terrain near me being Forest Service roads too narrow for beginner Telemark turns, makes learning Telemark challenging).

So for now, here the "Telemark Movie" I've been watching. The lessons start at 14:45



(Editing to clarify: I just responded to post this Telemark Movie link, but can't speak to whether the lessons in the movie are helpful, since, for the reasons shared above, I am holding off on actually physically attempting Tele turns until the Dr.'s advice regarding falling changes)

Like that (195 cm Glittertinds; steep, groomed trail)

(I hate telemark purism - telemark is just one of many turns one can do with free heel )

Excellent humor, love it OP 4th coast!

FourthCoast wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:01 pm

How do I turn my skis without my heel locked down?

Consult a forum where people actually do that?

Seriously just take a lesson or something. And then practice. A lot. Just like anything else.

Practice, watch others, and practice. And then after that, more practice. Oh I almost forgot. Good skis, boots, and snow helps
https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Better-Telemark-Ski-Turns

I get a charge out of those old telemark movies. In 1981 I got a pair of Kazama Mountain Highs, an indestructible double cambered ski. I manfully tried to make those bu**ers turn and I am sure I never looked like those guys in the movies, but a lot of leaping around was done.

In an attempt to get my son into tele skiing in 1983 I bought him a pair of Atomic Telemark’s, which were single camber. However snowboards appeared about that time so he was gone…..

So I appropriated his skis. The first run on a single camber ski was like - wow this is so easy!!

Best tele tip I ever received was from Dickie Hall at a Mount Baker ski camp in the distant past. “Step the rear foot back” at the start of the turn rather then lunging forward. Gets the weight on the back foot which is key to a powerful turn.

Nick BC wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 01, 2021 10:02 pm

Best tele tip I ever received was from Dickie Hall at a Mount Baker ski camp in the distant past. “Step the rear foot back” at the start of the turn rather then lunging forward. Gets the weight on the back foot which is key to a powerful turn.

I’m adding this as tip 124 to the back of Allen & Mike's Really Cool Telemark Tips, Revised and Even Better!: 123 Amazing Tips To Improve Your Tele-Skiing. It’s the “How to keep your Volkswagen Alive” manual for Telemark.

FourthCoast wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:01 pm

How do I turn my skis without my heel locked down?

You don't.
Heels locked down, skier turns ski.
Heels liberated, ski turns skier...
......into yard sale
......towards patchouli and hemp
......against 'the man'
......into developing mighty strong thighs