Moving up and down through the turn sequence is a key part of making it to the next level. Many new telemark skiers, especially those coming from the alpine end (for some unexplained reason) will sink into the first turn and stay there. They will then just shuffle their feet through the lead changes, often iniating the new turn in parallel mode. I have found a way to overcome this and get the up down motion we are looking for. As you make the lead change, pause for a moment at the point where the skis are parallel and the tips even with each other. When you do this it is almost impossible to not be standing tall at the very end on the turn, ready to sink into the next turn. In order to maintain that tips even position for a second or so you will find that you are all the way up! You don't want to have to continue this pause in your transition forever, after all, the goal in tele-turning is to make smooth even turns, but if you think that you are not rising up through the turn, try it. You just may find that it is the key to getting the turn sequence straight.
Moving up and down through the turn sequence is a key part of making it to the next level. Many new telemark skiers, especially those coming from the alpine end (for some unexplained reason) will sink into the first turn and stay there. They will then just shuffle their feet through the lead changes, often iniating the new turn in parallel mode.
I have found a way to overcome this and get the up down motion we are looking for. As you make the lead change, pause for a moment at the point where the skis are parallel and the tips even with each other. When you do this it is almost impossible to not be standing tall at the very end on the turn, ready to sink into the next turn. In order to maintain that tips even position for a second or so you will find that you are all the way up!
You don't want to have to continue this pause in your transition forever, after all, the goal in tele-turning is to make smooth even turns, but if you think that you are not rising up through the turn, try it. You just may find that it is the key to getting the turn sequence straight.
Take a look at your basic telemark stance: hands forward and in view, hips back over the rear ski, back knee tucked in behind the front knee, and upper body upright, not hunched over. If your hips are back over your rear ski and you are able to relax your ankle to get the ball of the foot onto the ski, then you will find it easy to get that equal weight distribution (front and back ski) that is essential to good tele skiing.
.Try a very low drop stance and a higher stance and find a stance in between that works for you. Check out the Feature Story on this site "The Best Way To Telemark" for more on old school (very low drop) and new school telemark approaches.
Wedge turns are the cornerstone of the foundation of good fundamental skiing. Many people, even top notch experienced skiers, confuse wedge turns and snowplows. Snowplows are a static, locked in kind of stance, very handy for stopping in crowded areas, speed control in not to steep places and survival situations such as when pulling a toboggan or skiing difficult snow with a heavy pack. The wedge turn is a completely different animal, parallel turns are direct descendants of the wedge and the wedge can be used to learn to tele-turn, as we will see later in the lesson. The big difference between snowplow and wedge turns is that in the snowplow, we are mostly concerned with slowing down and going straight. The skis are in a locked in position with the tails pushed way out in a strong "V" position, a little turning is possible by lightening the pressure of one of the skis, but for the most part, real turns begin with the wedge. In the wedge turn, the "V" shape of the skis is a bit less dramatic and is not held so long. Now that we have that background, lets get started making wedges and wedge turns. Find a gentle decline of a hill and start by straight running downhill keeping the skis parallel, about 12 to 15 inches apart. Allow yourself to build up a bit of speed then force the tails out and form a "V" with the skis, feel the pressure on the skis, then go back to a parallel ski position, repeat. When teaching kids to ski we give them this to visualize: make a hot dog...make a pizza (slice), make a hot dog...make a pizza. During this exercise your ski position will look like this (birds-eye view) :
Wedge turns are the cornerstone of the foundation of good fundamental skiing. Many people, even top notch experienced skiers, confuse wedge turns and snowplows. Snowplows are a static, locked in kind of stance, very handy for stopping in crowded areas, speed control in not to steep places and survival situations such as when pulling a toboggan or skiing difficult snow with a heavy pack. The wedge turn is a completely different animal, parallel turns are direct descendants of the wedge and the wedge can be used to learn to tele-turn, as we will see later in the lesson.
The big difference between snowplow and wedge turns is that in the snowplow, we are mostly concerned with slowing down and going straight. The skis are in a locked in position with the tails pushed way out in a strong "V" position, a little turning is possible by lightening the pressure of one of the skis, but for the most part, real turns begin with the wedge. In the wedge turn, the "V" shape of the skis is a bit less dramatic and is not held so long. Now that we have that background, lets get started making wedges and wedge turns.
Find a gentle decline of a hill and start by straight running downhill keeping the skis parallel, about 12 to 15 inches apart. Allow yourself to build up a bit of speed then force the tails out and form a "V" with the skis, feel the pressure on the skis, then go back to a parallel ski position, repeat. When teaching kids to ski we give them this to visualize: make a hot dog...make a pizza (slice), make a hot dog...make a pizza. During this exercise your ski position will look like this (birds-eye view) :
Now, I want you to think about the pressure you felt on the skis while making the wedge, we are going to vary that pressure one ski to the other and move the lesser pressured ski in towards the other ski while turning. A wedge turn to the left sequence is as follows: straight run, wedge, increase pressure on the right (outside) ski while lessening pressure on the left (inside ski), as you begin to turn, decrease pressure on the inside (left) ski all the way to the point that you can bring it in to the parallel (hot dog) position. At this point you should be close to all the way through the turn and about ready to start your turn to the right. Again move back to the wedge, this time pressuring the left ( new outside or uphill ) ski and reducing pressure on the right (new inside or downhill) ski. As you feel the turn starting, begin to reduce pressure even more on the inside ski and bring it in next to the outside ski. In this ski position illustration the pressured ski is the bolder one. In the illustration you see a turn to the right and the outside ski (left ski) is being pressured while the inside (right ski) is being lightened, the skis come together then resume the wedge with the new outside ski pressured (right ski) and the inside (left ski) being lightened and brought in. Practice these wedge turns until they are solid. Last month I wrote about making your first telemark turns by making garlands across the slope and then executing the big turn. I wrote about this method first because it is how I learned. I got the garland thing from a tape by Bela and Mimi Vadasz of Alpine Sports International. I think it is out of print, by now it is old and the equipment part is way outdated, but it covered the basics quite well. Anyway, another way to get those first tele-turns under your belt is to execute them from the wedge turn. The idea is to begin the turn in the wedge and as you begin to turn, slide the outside (pressured) ski forward and slide the inside ski back and in towards the front ski. The tip of the inside ski should end up right around the front of the boot of the outside ski. The ski position illustration looks like this, (again the pressured ski is the bold one): This was a difficult thing to illustrate, but I think if you study the sequence carefully you will be able to see the straight run, the wedge beginning of the turn and the transition to the telemark position of the skis. The equal pressure segment in the middle is followed by the new wedge and the pressured right (outside ski) as the turn begins to the left. The key is to make a fairly quick transition to tele from the wedge. Try it, for some folks it is the easiest way to successful first telemark turns! Next week I will add a bit about wedge-to- parallel turns, so check back! Previous Green Lesson To Intermediate Lesson Page To Advanced Lesson Page Back to the Lessons Home Page Site Map
Now, I want you to think about the pressure you felt on the skis while making the wedge, we are going to vary that pressure one ski to the other and move the lesser pressured ski in towards the other ski while turning. A wedge turn to the left sequence is as follows: straight run, wedge, increase pressure on the right (outside) ski while lessening pressure on the left (inside ski), as you begin to turn, decrease pressure on the inside (left) ski all the way to the point that you can bring it in to the parallel (hot dog) position. At this point you should be close to all the way through the turn and about ready to start your turn to the right. Again move back to the wedge, this time pressuring the left ( new outside or uphill ) ski and reducing pressure on the right (new inside or downhill) ski. As you feel the turn starting, begin to reduce pressure even more on the inside ski and bring it in next to the outside ski. In this ski position illustration the pressured ski is the bolder one.
In the illustration you see a turn to the right and the outside ski (left ski) is being pressured while the inside (right ski) is being lightened, the skis come together then resume the wedge with the new outside ski pressured (right ski) and the inside (left ski) being lightened and brought in. Practice these wedge turns until they are solid.
Last month I wrote about making your first telemark turns by making garlands across the slope and then executing the big turn. I wrote about this method first because it is how I learned. I got the garland thing from a tape by Bela and Mimi Vadasz of Alpine Sports International. I think it is out of print, by now it is old and the equipment part is way outdated, but it covered the basics quite well. Anyway, another way to get those first tele-turns under your belt is to execute them from the wedge turn.
The idea is to begin the turn in the wedge and as you begin to turn, slide the outside (pressured) ski forward and slide the inside ski back and in towards the front ski. The tip of the inside ski should end up right around the front of the boot of the outside ski. The ski position illustration looks like this, (again the pressured ski is the bold one):
This was a difficult thing to illustrate, but I think if you study the sequence carefully you will be able to see the straight run, the wedge beginning of the turn and the transition to the telemark position of the skis. The equal pressure segment in the middle is followed by the new wedge and the pressured right (outside ski) as the turn begins to the left. The key is to make a fairly quick transition to tele from the wedge. Try it, for some folks it is the easiest way to successful first telemark turns! Next week I will add a bit about wedge-to- parallel turns, so check back! Previous Green Lesson To Intermediate Lesson Page To Advanced Lesson Page Back to the Lessons Home Page Site Map
This was a difficult thing to illustrate, but I think if you study the sequence carefully you will be able to see the straight run, the wedge beginning of the turn and the transition to the telemark position of the skis. The equal pressure segment in the middle is followed by the new wedge and the pressured right (outside ski) as the turn begins to the left. The key is to make a fairly quick transition to tele from the wedge. Try it, for some folks it is the easiest way to successful first telemark turns! Next week I will add a bit about wedge-to- parallel turns, so check back!