How do I ski the bumps in tele??!!

[joeatomictoad]

in my experience, the hardest part of skiing moguls is knowing how to ski moguls...the hardest part is not using Tele gear in moguls. if you don't know how to negotiate bumps properly, it doesn't matter what's strapped to your feet. I'm making this point because there are lots ox explainer vids for alpine skiing moguls. watch those first, learn how to pick your line and where to turn on or around each bump. once you have that part sorted, its all about fast feet and ( in my opinion) using less pronounced tele turns. sure you can ski moguls slowly with your rear foot trailing 3 feet behind you, but you can't ski moguls fast that way...you don't have time to transition the leg through that much motion

For me, 60/40:
...60% mogul technique.
...40% telemark technique
...10% lactic acid
......because I always give 110%

[Woodserson]

My introduction to telemark skiing, about 20 years ago, going up a lift at Alta, sitting next to an older gentleman, wearing a cowboy hat, and introduced himself as "Wild Bill". Said exactly the same about less stress on his body. Prior to that, I knew that telemark looked cool, but I suppose hearing Wild Bill's testimony is what got me really thinking about switching from alpine.

Sign me up for some Wild Bill chairlift convos! That's what I'm talking about! What the hell, where have all the cowboys gone? (music reference) Everyone now seems pretty straightlaced on the chairlift.

[Andinista]

in my experience, the hardest part of skiing moguls is knowing how to ski moguls...the hardest part is not using Tele gear in moguls. if you don't know how to negotiate bumps properly, it doesn't matter what's strapped to your feet. I'm making this point because there are lots ox explainer vids for alpine skiing moguls. watch those first, learn how to pick your line and where to turn on or around each bump. once you have that part sorted, its all about fast feet and ( in my opinion) using less pronounced tele turns. sure you can ski moguls slowly with your rear foot trailing 3 feet behind you, but you can't ski moguls fast that way...you don't have time to transition the leg through that much motion

The hardest part is not using tele gear in moguls, I agree. Telemark is not well suited for every terrain, that’s the ugly truth. At least for 98% of the skiers. Of course you may think you will be are part of the 2% if you try hard enough. Just make sure not to regret your decision when you try alpine skiing on moguls and realize the many times you lost an opportunity for real joy. Telemark is well suited for a wide range of terrain, don’t take me wrong, but in some conditions it’s better to just acknowledge its (our your) limitations and just survive and pick another run. Or get alpine gear for that day. Or get the alpine heel if you have Meidjos, as I did. I speak after 20 years of stubbornness and still tele turning 98% of the time. As I said the hardest part is insisting on trying with tele. It’s a sign of maturity when you start to acknowledge that you can chose and enjoy the right technique for the terrain. Another approach for moguls, if you are not yet ready to be called a mature skier, is to ski them with parallel turns, hopefully with active enough bindings. That’s pretty hardcore and fun, and you can keep your pride. It is way more fun and elegant than overdoing it with deep tele turns, spending 300% of the energy that you should. In my opinion no matter how good you are at doing that, you embarrass yourself and the community.

[Montana St Alum]

in my experience, the hardest part of skiing moguls is knowing how to ski moguls...the hardest part is not using Tele gear in moguls. if you don't know how to negotiate bumps properly, it doesn't matter what's strapped to your feet. I'm making this point because there are lots ox explainer vids for alpine skiing moguls. watch those first, learn how to pick your line and where to turn on or around each bump. once you have that part sorted, its all about fast feet and ( in my opinion) using less pronounced tele turns. sure you can ski moguls slowly with your rear foot trailing 3 feet behind you, but you can't ski moguls fast that way...you don't have time to transition the leg through that much motion

The hardest part is not using tele gear in moguls, I agree. Telemark is not well suited for every terrain, that’s the ugly truth. At least for 98% of the skiers. Of course you may think you will be are part of the 2% if you try hard enough. Just make sure not to regret your decision when you try alpine skiing on moguls and realize the many times you lost an opportunity for real joy. Telemark is well suited for a wide range of terrain, don’t take me wrong, but in some conditions it’s better to just acknowledge its (our your) limitations and just survive and pick another run. Or get alpine gear for that day. Or get the alpine heel if you have Meidjos, as I did. I speak after 20 years of stubbornness and still tele turning 98% of the time. As I said the hardest part is insisting on trying with tele. It’s a sign of maturity when you start to acknowledge that you can chose and enjoy the right technique for the terrain. Another approach for moguls, if you are not yet ready to be called a mature skier, is to ski them with parallel turns, hopefully with active enough bindings. That’s pretty hardcore and fun, and you can keep your pride. It is way more fun and elegant than overdoing it with deep tele turns, spending 300% of the energy that you should. In my opinion no matter how good you are at doing that, you embarrass yourself and the community.

Let's not lose sight of the big picture. To have fun. If you're not having fun skiing the bumps on tely gear, there's absolutely no sense in doing it. And that's fine.

It's unusual, I think, for anyone on a chair to look down and think, "wow, he's terrible" when watching a tely skier. They're mostly thinking, "what in heaven's name is HE doing. That looks really hard"!
Working toward a goal is often more rewarding than achieving the goal, and skiing the bumps on tely gear is certainly one of those things where you're never really going to reach that goal.

I switched from alpine to tely 16 years ago. I'm 68, and I'm not ready to go back yet, but there will come a time when I can no longer ski the bumps on tely gear. At that point, I'll have to "titrate down" away from bumps, or switch back to alpine. I'll probably just ease off the bumps, but who knows? My inclination would be to ski the bumps on alpine gear rather than ski the bumps on tely gear in an alpine stance.

[bauerb]

I like that "toolbox" approach..as in, pick the best tool for the job. if you need to pound in a nail, you probably don't use a wrench unless thats the only tool you own. when I built a deck 10 years ago, I mainly used an air gun. but when I couldn't use the gun, I used a 2lb sledge hammer. I could have used a framing hammer, but I was more comfortable with the small sledge. these days, its unlikely my arm would like swinging the sledge, so I prob would use something else.

[Andinista]

It's unusual, I think, for anyone on a chair to look down and think, "wow, he's terrible" when watching a tely skier. They're mostly thinking, "what in heaven's name is HE doing. That looks really hard"!

I think this is part of the problem. One important reason why many of us telemark ski has to do with what the people on the chair will think..
I don't expect people to recognize it, it's ok to keep it for yourself, I do recognize that there is something of that in my case.. just a little bit...
Just be aware so that it doesn't take yo too far from the path of happiness

[Montana St Alum]

It's unusual, I think, for anyone on a chair to look down and think, "wow, he's terrible" when watching a tely skier. They're mostly thinking, "what in heaven's name is HE doing. That looks really hard"!

I think this is part of the problem. One important reason why many of us telemark ski has to do with what the people on the chair will think..

It was a joke.
I can't imagine that anyone takes up telemark skiing to impress other skiers!

But no one should ever allow potential embarrassment from keeping them out of the bumps (or anything else). Injuries, lack of interest, sure, but when I see someone in the bumps that is doing poorly I tend to be impressed by their efforts.

[joeatomictoad]

Sign me up for some Wild Bill chairlift convos! That's what I'm talking about! What the hell, where have all the cowboys gone? (music reference) Everyone now seems pretty straightlaced on the chairlift.

@Woodserson

Timestamp 2:12, check out skier # 3

[Woodserson]

Sign me up for some Wild Bill chairlift convos! That's what I'm talking about! What the hell, where have all the cowboys gone? (music reference) Everyone now seems pretty straightlaced on the chairlift.

@Woodserson

Timestamp 2:12, check out skier # 3

I am

100%

#3.

Shit.

(I also bring a cowbell and heckle loudly)

[joeatomictoad]

I am

100%

#3.

Shit.

(I also bring a cowbell and heckle loudly)

Instead of cheese, presume you talk about sugaring in the spring ski season?
Perhaps stuff like, "Oh yeah, I enjoy a light amber syrup."
"The sap foaming in the evap?...just pass some butter through the foam."
"Best cider donuts around? Go to Allen Brothers in Westminster, just off I-91."

Or my favorite, "You know, Westminster oyster crackers are not actually made in Westminster. If you read the label it actually says Brattleboro."