...The
best way to telemark is.....whoa, hold on a second skipper, it's
not that simple. You see, sometimes I think that there are as
many ways to telemark as there are tele skiers. If you spend
enough time with your ski partners, you will find that you can
pick them out individually from a distance, by the way one holds
his poles, another by the shape of her turns and maybe another
by how far down he goes in the tele stance. Although there are
many different styles, the two most basic divisions are between
the old-school and the new-school, and though there are many
similarities, the two schools are very distinct.
...Old-school telemark skiing is marked by a very deep
knee bend in the tele-stance. This low style genuflect often
results in fairly high hand position. Not the beginner reaching
for the sky position (the Al Jolson singing "MAMIE"
position, as Paul Parker calls it), but definitely a much higher
hand placement then you would ever see in a good alpine skier.
The good, and I mean really good, old school telemarkers will
be right in the fall line making very fast transitions. The best
of 'em are always on an edge, trusting the edges to do their
job, keeping the speed from getting out of hand and the carve
meter pegged. It is a very dynamic style with a lot of up/down
but only the briefest moment of unweighting, in a flash they
are back on that new edge.
...Many people have observed that this old-school style
came about as a result of the equipment of the day. Floppy leather
single boots, skinny skis and three pin touring bindings made
this low stance the way to ski. Balance was an elusive quality
and getting down low was the way to go. Indeed, most of the ripping
old-schoolers out there today are still skiing in leather boots.
...Today, modern telemark gear has evolved to the point
that most skiers still skiing old-school are doing it as a matter
of style and expression not necessity. Done with skill and power,
it is a beautiful and fluid way to ski down a mountain.
 . |
Big Tim Connolly, a gifted master of old-school style.
Notice the low drop and how he takes care of the hand position
problem by rolling his wrist over. Tim's style is strong , aggressive
and suits his big frame perfectly. This isn't a very good shot,
but I'll tell you, nobody does it better!
Mt.Baden-Powell, So. California
|
...New-school telemark skiing reflects the power inherent
in modern plastic boots. Actually, this style started to be seen
with the advent of tall leather and plastic hybrid boots, such
as the Supercomp, that preceded the plastic boots in wide use
today. Telemarkers started experimenting with a much more upright
stance. Adjustable poles made it possible to shorten them up
for the downhill segment, resulting in an upper body and hand
position very similar to that of an alpine skier. In fact, today
at the resorts, the top tele skiers often look very much like
the top alpiners, at least from the waist up.
...It has been said that a great telemark skier looks
the same in all conditions, skiing everything like they do powder,
centered, balanced, facing down the fall line, smoothly attacking
the slope and making adjustments for the conditions at hand that
are mostly unseen. The new-schooler epitomizes this maxim. The
key for this type of skiing is harnessing the power of the rear
ski, and the upright stance combined with torsionally rigid boots
makes this all possible.
...The new-school telemarker takes full advantage of
all the support modern boots provide. Dropping onto the rear
ski and pushing back up off of it, you see them bouncing from
turn to turn, dancing down the mountain. Their upright stance
and low hand position gives them a look of being fully in command,
ready for anything, and the best of them are. This highly balanced
stance gives them strength and grace in all kinds of variable
snow.
...New-schoolers are even seen skiing the terrain parks
at the resorts, hucking and trick stacking with all the rest.
At this point in the tele revolution, all things are possible.
Last year at the local resort we were having a blast occasionally
ditching the poles and laying out big high speed carves. I found
myself (horror of traditional horrors) with an upper body and
hand position of a snow-boarder (of the carving board variety).
All of this just makes you more comfortable on the snow, a definite
plus when getting back to the real deal.
...All of these changes in gear and style make it possible
to express yourself in your own unique way, just make sure you
are not using this as an excuse to ski badly. Good fundamentals
are the one constant in style that can't be ignored, and are
unchanging.
...So, what is the best way to ski? I'll tell you, if
you are skiing with solid technique, be it old or new-school,
the best way to telemark is the way that gets you down the mountain
safely and puts the biggest smile on your face!
 |
Bob Mazeri, The Mayor of Verbier, has
ridden new school tele-skiing to his place as one of the top
telemark skiers in the world.
Bob at Verbier, photo by Matt Kalin |
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