Telemark Skiing

Get your face shot!

In Telemark skiing getting face shots means speedily going down the trail so that you get a face full of powdery snow.  The experience is exhilarating and is probably why many still do telemark skiing.  Usually, you cannot get a face shot on the groomed trails.  That’s why off-piste telemark skiing is such an attraction.

Telemark skiing (which is also known as freehill skiing) traces its roots to a place in Norway called Telemark.  It is distinguished by the ski technique developed by Sondre Norheim, where the skier drops his knees to achieve optimal skiing conditions as he speedily swoops down a mountain.  For this technique, Norheim is widely acknowledged as the father of this skiing discipline.

Most of the equipment for Telemark skiing is similar to that used for alpine skiing, although in Telemark skiing, the skis are wider and there is a bit more flex when compared to alpine skis.  In addition, because the body’s weight (specifically that of the foot) is focused under the toe and not in between the heel and the toe, a new kind of skis – the assymetrical ones – have been developed. It comes with a modified radius and shortened outer edges.  As for the boots, some are made of plastic, with a “duckbill” that is where you attach the bindings.  Telemark skiing boots also have a bellows just above the toes in order to provide more flexibility so that you can do the Telemark turns.

If you need to climb uphill without the use of a ski lift, you should also bring some climbing skins.  These are invariably made from mohair, which enables you to “walk” uphill more easily.  A strip of mohair is attached to the skis’ undersides to prevent them from slipping backwards.  You may also need ski crampons.  This apparatus helps you when you are getting down a slope that is particularly icy.

As for the techniques used in Telemark Skiing, it is comparable to those used with parallel turns.  The difference, though, is that the telemark turn leads into the turn using the outside ski while you trail the inside ski.

Events that involve telemark skiing is invariably under the governance of the International Ski Federation Telemark Committee.  The ski disciplines involved in competitions include the Telemark Classic (trails include a jump, a 360-degree turn, a Giant Slalom area and an uphill sprint), the Telemark Sprint Classic (where the skier sprints using the cross-country skiing technique after skiing on a downhill trail) and the Telemark Giant Slalom (where the skier is judged according to distance covered and style).