..I am
sure most tele skiers remember the first telemark turn they ever
made, I recall mine very well. I was with a friend on an overnight
trip, we skied to the top of San Emigdio peak here in So. California,
we dug a shelter, ate some dinner, and later that night toured
out to an overlook for an awesome view of the little mountain
community we lived in, Pine Mountain. The lights below were twinkling,
the moon was shining on the snow as it rose above the almost
9,000 ft peak of Mt. Pinos, and not a breath of wind, perfect
quiet. It was a magical backcountry moment. The next morning,
we went for a tour, it had snowed about a foot the day before
and stayed cold, the snow was good. Ed and I were resting at
the top of a little rise and we started talking about how nice
it would be to be able to turn these 215 cm, fishscale base,
cross-country skis, Ed said he had seen some people making a
kind of turn called a telemark, he stood up and said "I
think its like this", he pushed off and made a swooping
arc to the left, coming to a stop next to a tree. He had a big
grin on his face and was laughing as I dropped into his track
and turned down next to him. We had survived our first tele-turns
unscathed and from that moment on we were hopelessly addicted.
Every chance we got we would ski out to the meadows on Mt. Pinos,
set up a little base near a hill and practice. It was great.
..Find
yourself a gentle slope for your first turns and try this:
start at the side of the run and traverse across the slope dropping
into a basic tele position ( see last months lesson page ) and
then rising up out of it and dropping back down again, each time
turning up into the hill slightly to slow down, then pointing
the lead ski down a bit to get the next turn going. Do not change
the lead ski. These turns are called garlands and your track
should look something like this:
..When
you get to the end, stop, and do a little kick turn and try making
garlands in the other direction, making sure to drop down into
the turn and standing up tall at the end of the turn. When you
get to the point of being able to make these garlands consistently,
it is time to eliminate the kick turn and actually execute a
full tele-turn back the other way. Remember to sink into a low
tele stance as you make that last garland, hold a little more
speed, stand up tall as you make the lead change and steer that
front ski around and make another series of garlands. Repeat
this exercise until you are comfortable in the tele stance and
making the turn at the end.
Now it is time to start making linked
turns: again on a gentle slope, begin with your first turn, sinking
down into the turn, begin standing up tall as you arc around
the fall line and start the lead change, turning to the left
you will have the right foot forward and as you end that turn
you will be bringing the left foot forward and starting the turn
to the right, sink down into the new turn then begin to stand
up and start the lead change, and the turn back to the left again.
Remember, the stance should be fluid up and down, never static,
the up-down motion is the what makes the lead change smooth.
..A word
about edging: as you sink down into the turn, pressure the inside
edge of your lead ski with your big toe and inside ball of the
foot, don't forget to edge the rear ski by pressuring the little
toe and outside/forward ball of the foot as well. Decrease your
edging pressure, roll the skis flat momentarily as you make the
lead change, and then get onto the new edges, all this should
happen quickly, staying on your edges is key.
..This
brings us to another point: I often see beginners holding the
turn way too long, they come too far around, the edges begin
to slip as they lose speed at the end of the turn, the hands
come up, desperately searching for balance, finally, if they
don't fall, they start another turn. Do not make this mistake.
I often tell these people to cut the turn down by half, get going
back the other way and onto those edges quickly and you will
remain much more stable and in control. If you can just keep
from holding the telemark turn too long, you will cut the learning
curve dramatically.
this
not
this
Your track should look like
the one on the left, if it looks like the one on the right, you
are holding your turns too long, start your new turn sooner
..Try the garlands across the slope, make your
first full .turns
at the end of the series, concentrate on the up/down motion,
edging, and keeping your turns from getting too drawn out and
I am sure that your first turns will be both memorable and
productive in the quest to learn to telemark. Have fun!