Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

First, look at my Ski style in my Profile, and go from there...
Maybe good advice, maybe ...?

When walking, I think it's normal to think about placing the feet.
When climbing on skis, I think not about my feet, but my knees. I move my knee as far forward as feels natural, and let my foot fall where it does. For me, this feels most efficient. If I think about my feet, as in walking, it seems like each step is a little shorter and less efficient. Also, it seems like it's most efficient to sort of fall forward onto the next climbing step, not worry about placing my foot, just lift my knee and fall forward until my foot contacts the snow. Watch experienced skiers climb and the movements are different than walking on dirt.

When climbing, don't lift your ski, let it slide on the snow. Less weight lifted and less effort.

If the wax is slipping a little, and conditions aren't great for waxing (cold, windy, late, ...), it works to just rub some more wax on, without bothering to cork it out (try to avoid blobs -- takes a certain pressure and speed of moving the wax tin). I was always sort of compulsive about doing it "right," then picked that tip up here. The ski may not glide quite as well, but at least may slip less.

Parallel turns on firm snow with skinny skis (I know, but I can't always pull off T turns!).
If I want the skis to turn, pivot, skid around the turn, I have to stay balanced forward. If I get back on my heels at all the skis stop turning and I fall on my ass.
On a slope that feels intimidating, the last thing I want to do is dive out over my skis to start the turn, but that seems like what works. Stay balanced on the front of the foot, knees bent, sort of an aggressive stance. Get timid and it's all over.

All pretty basic stuff -- FWIW.

I had a great weekend on the snow Stephen, I hope you smelled the flowers during your analysis. I’m sure you did.
Things I thought about, darned @lowangle al was right, the downhill would have been better on fatter skis, did a little stone grinding on the FT X. Turning on the Gamme with foot traffic in the middle and soft on the sides, was all about subtle rotation, and subtle edging. Gamme was fast on Saturday.
Another thought for the folks at Fischer, Rossignol, and Solomon, your recreational cross country skis SUCK!!! No way should a 61 year old man blow by people on the groomed while I’m heading to the ungroomed trails. I stopped and talked with a bunch of folks, they thought I was some kind of a pro. I’m not any kind of pro Nordic skier, but the quality of Nordic gear sold in SE Michigan is pathetic junk! Sorry for the rant, I really like my FT X, my wax was working well, I should not be blowing by skinny skis!

Edit: I really had a great day skiing today. I had hoped the county park which is groomed had enough snow on the unmaintained trails. I guess my FT X were a little skinny for the available cover. However the hills are solid blue pitches in a couple areas. I know I had a girlfriend more than thirty years ago took my cross country skiing at the same area. I absolutely despised the equipment, 30 years later the rec gear these people ski on is still junk. I just wish people knew how much fun this type of skiing can be!

fisheater wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:02 pm

I had
darned @lowangle al was right, the downhill would have been better on fatter skis,

Yes, for wild snow, I think >95 mm waist width is the way to go. Anything less is for bc trails, groomers, moguls, carving hardpack….. might be a western perspective!!!!

It was just when I turned the skis on edge they carved into the rocks

fisheater wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:26 pm

It was just when I turned the skis on edge they carved into the rocks

A good reason not to take your fishscale skis.

fisheater wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:02 pm

Sorry for the rant, I really like my FT X, my wax was working well, I should not be blowing by skinny skis!

Asnes got this ski right. While my Gamme will destroy my FTX in K&G, the FTX will destroy my Rossi BC65 and BC80 in any conditions. Sometimes engineers just hit a home run. The North American P-51 Mustang. The Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The Shelby GT350. McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom. The Browning Ma-Deuce.The FTG-44. The Chevy small block. The Mac SE/30. Sometimes they get things right.

Add the FTX to that list!

DG99 wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:23 pm

fisheater wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:02 pm

I had
darned @lowangle al was right, the downhill would have been better on fatter skis,

Yes, for wild snow, I think >95 mm waist width is the way to go. Anything less is for bc trails, groomers, moguls, carving hardpack….. might be a western perspective!!!!

Not so hot a width when you want to ski +/- 25 km per day in rolling and mountains, in very mixed snow, for 15 days in a row. Prolly Western indeed, if Rabbit Ears Pass was 300km long they would be ideal!

I dunno…. K&G speed has a lot to do with motivation. Also fitness. A lot of people putzing around on XC skis don’t have that motivation. Also the high camber and floppy boots can make people cautious and slow. I often see slow XC skiers around. Lots of snowshoers too, they do better than XC skiers when the trails are all blown out, uneven and icy. Well, they even contribute to all that!

The Forest Service signs for separate ski and snowshoe trails don’t get followed so much…..

DG99 wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:52 pm

I dunno…. K&G speed has a lot to do with motivation. Also fitness. A lot of people putzing around on XC skis don’t have that motivation. Also the high camber and floppy boots can make people cautious and slow. I often see slow XC skiers around. Lots of snowshoers too, they do better than XC skiers when the trails are all blown out, uneven and icy. Well, they even contribute to all that!

The Forest Service signs for separate ski and snowshoe trails don’t get followed so much…..

I always thought it is a skiers motivation that determines how fast they will ski too. I also think a lot of people get the fastest stiffest dbl camber skis, thinking they will be the most efficient and the least work. They may be faster, but in order to go fast they require more work.

Maybe this is all super-basic stuff, but this video covers some good points.
They’re showing AT, but applies to any type of skin climbing.