Telemark, or "free heel," skiing combines aspects of both cross country and downhill alpine skiing for an exciting and graceful skiing technique. The telemark technique is similar to parallel turns utilized in alpine skiing, except the trailing heel is lifted up off the ski during turns. This gives skiers greater precision and control over their movements, especially while skiing powdery ungroomed trails.
Origins
Although it is not known who invented Telemark, a Norwegian man by the name of Sondre Norheim is credited with introducing Telemark to skiing competitions in the late 1800s. While his competitors struggled to make turns down the mountain, Norheim was able to complete fluid turns and maintain control with ease using this new technique. Norheim's turning technique became the popular method of skiing and was applied to alpine skiing. However, as skiing became more of a recreational sport than a means of transportation, telemark faded into the background of alpine skiing. Alpine skiing was considered easier to learn and was more suited to the well-groomed trails at resorts.
Introduction to America
Cross country became popular in the 1960s as Americans began to venture off the well-maintained ski trails at resorts. These skiers desired to ski down the soft ungroomed trails they discovered, but found that cross country skis did not work well for these conditions. The telemark turn became a useful technique to navigate down these powdery untouched hills. By the early 1970s, telemark began to catch on with many backcountry skiers. Dickie Hall, founder of the North American Telemark Organization, is credited as being one of the most influential people in beginning this revival.
Telemark Ski Equipment
Telemark skis embrace characteristics of both backcountry and alpine skis, but are more similar to alpine skis. The main difference between telemark and alpine skis is that the heel is not bound to the ski in telemark. This allows the skier to flex the knees and ankles during turns. Telemark skis also have more sidecut than backcountry skis to allow for better carving as well. Telemark boots are stiffer than cross country boots to provide support during turns, yet more flexible than an alpine ski boot to allow leg bends.
Technique
Telemarking turns are performed in a similar fashion to traditional alpine parallel turns, but have a few key differences. In telemarking, pressure is applied to the inside of your leading, or downhill, ski to initiate turns, while the heel on the trailing, or uphill, ski is lifted up to complete the turn. While the telemark technique is challenging to learn, many find it rewarding. In fact, many alpine skiers find it more "freeing" than downhill skiing as the heels are not clipped into the ski.
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