A skier performs a series of curtsies as she glides down the slope. Despite appearances, she is not paying homage to the snow gods. Her heels, free from the constraints of her ski bindings, give her away. She is a telemark skier. Telemark skiing originated in Norway in the 1840s, when skiing was in transition from a transportation mode into a recreational sport. This athletic form of downhill gliding is making a comeback at many resorts.
The Telemark Turn
In alpine skiing, your heels remain locked into your binding. Telemark skiing frees your heels. The telemark turn bends both knees, slides one ski forward and lifts the rear heel. These movements eradicate some of the stance problems typical in traditional downhill skiing. Sliding the downhill ski forward encourages the skier to shift his weight to his downhill ski, which increases ski tip control and maneuverability. Lifting the rear heel discourages him from shifting his weight backward, impeding control and making and increasing the inevitability of a backward fall. The telemark turn even inspired alpine ski instructors to break their students "backseat skiing" habit, by instructing them to glide one ski forward during turn initiation.
Muscle Activation
Downhill ski instructors often reprimand their students for working too hard. Most of the work comes from tipping your skis onto their edges. Your core muscles remain active for balance, but your leg muscles only perform gentle bending and flexing movements. If you only ski easy slopes, alpine skiing may not challenge your muscles enough to provide a sufficient workout. Telemark skiing ups the ante. Its dramatic bending and flexing movements engage your hamstrings, quadriceps, inner thigh, outer thigh, core and gluteal muscles.
Versatile
Telemark skiing combines the muscle pumping action of cross-country skiing with the adrenaline-pumping thrills of downhill skiing. The telemark ski binding does not limit skiers to one type of turn. A novice telemark skier also learns typical alpine moves, such as the wedge and the parallel position. Telemark skiers have the option of using the most most efficient type of turn for the terrain beneath their skis. The telemark turn is less efficient on ice, so telemark skiers switch to parallel on icy terrain, explains the Telemark Ski Company.
Avoid Lift Lines
Telemark gear allows those who wear it to climb every mountain, if they so choose, and avoid every lift line. Telemark skiers who loathe the costs and commercialism of upscale ski resorts can find their own trails in the backcountry. The free heel position of the binding lets you climb uphill in the same manner as a cross-country skier, but if weather conditions are not conducive to climbing, telemark skiers still have the option of skiing at a resort and taking the chairlift.
Member Comments