Some broad, opinionated, and unsolicited advice for those curious in undertaking the journey of the free-heel skier
Doesn't this look fun? Kellen ripping spring slush (on old gear)
This one goes out to the newcomers – to the most important group in telemark. We need you, and we welcome you with open arms. You are essentially the reason that any new gear will be produced by our few manufacturers. You all represent a buying potential that the current knee droppers just can’t match – many telemark skiers don’t bother to buy new equipment for a generation. And God Bless ‘Um. But someone needs to keep the lights on at all the little telemark gear makers. And the hope is that someday that will be you.
So in the spirit of camaraderie, here are a few words of wisdom that may be of some help on your new journey. Not that you need it. You will be more than fine listening to absolutely nobody. Hell, you might be better off that way. That is the wonderful thing about telemark skiing; it’s iconoclastic, it marches to the beat of its own drum. And you can (and hopefully will) too. So take this with a grain of salt, it you take it at all.
Let’s start with gear – maybe the most tangled concept to grasp in all of telemark for the newcomer. It’s a mess of old norms and new; codgery you-don’t-need-that advice, and new-age proponents of heavy gear and alpine assimilation. Much has been made (including by yours truly, not that anyone was listening) of the state of telemark gear: what should stay, what should go, the Retail Death of 75mm, the ascendency of NTN. Pay that no mind. The gear landscape is something of a red herring, especially for a beginner. Too much can be made of the gear and where it is going. When you are learning this just isn't a priority.
There's certainly no issue if you want to go all-in on new, modern gear – for instance on a tele tech setup – you’ll be floored by how it tours and skis. But if we’re talking about simply making telemark turns – especially for learning – all you need are at least somewhat modern skis with metal edges in at least decent shape, plastic boots of any type or vintage, and bindings that were produced in the last 20 years with hopefully minimal rust and decent functionality. Most importantly, you need to want to telemark. While your local ski shop may have what you need standing shiny in shrink wrap, the local second-hand sports store might have more what you need to start.
You will have plenty of time to find your groove and discover exactly what you want out of the gear. And you can start on the cheap if you just get something simple and used. That’s all you’ll need for now; the focus is learning The Turn. Telemark is beautiful in large part from the sensation of the turn but almost equally from the many paths you can take. Eventually your gear will reflect that. But that is not the beginner’s problem. So don’t get bogged down on the gear. And better yet, do what you can to avoid that pitfall later.
Another thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that – to make the most of this – you need to be in it for the long road. Patience and persistence will pay untold dividends. You’ll get there eventually, but don’t expect to be ripping like you do on your alpines in a season. And make sure you enjoy taking your time to learn something new to avoid early frustration.
A good friend of mine (and the only telemark skier I knew when I picked up the torch) gave me great advice – go to the long, mellow runs, put your headphones in, and just find it. It being whatever you’re looking for, or maybe whatever finds you. Me? I found such a solace in learning The Turn – it was humbling to be at a beginner level again, and it was divine to be an adult and be completely aware while picking something from the ground up.
Learning is not just for the young. And what do you have to lose trying something new? Many who now telemark look back fondly on their first flailing turns. Luckily, it’s the kind of thing that is never mastered, and more can always be learned. Just keep in mind it’s going to take a while. So enjoy it.
Lastly, let’s talk about the absolute dearth of other people taking part in telemark. You might be lucky. You might have gotten into telemark because a friend or two does it, and one day you will ride with them (reread section on Patience). You might even meet some more telemark skiers as time goes on.
But it can be rough out there as far as creating a telemark crew. An old joke goes “how do you know someone telemarks? They’ll tell you!” But that doesn’t get to the root of the issue. They’ll tell you because they love free heel skiing so much. And have no one to talk to about it. Be forewarned: telemark skiing can be a lonely exercise. I advise doing what you can to make friends who telemark, if possible, but learning to keep up with alpine skiers, and (maybe most importantly) getting used to doing your own thing occasionally will go a long way.
There’s a lonely beauty in that though. Some may call telemark skiers stubborn, or Luddites. Or purposefully giving themselves a handicap. But those folks just don’t quite get it. Those who do telemark don’t stick with it because it’s cool, or because it's what you’re supposed to do. And certainly not because it’s easy. People telemark because they love it to its core. Yes, the journey is quite often one undertaken in challenging solitude, but those who stay the path wouldn’t trade it for anything. They love it that much.
So go forth and flail, fall on your face, watch people whiz by while you pick yourself up off the snow. We all did that, too (and still do from time to time). But then you’ll link your first turns. And then you’ll be amazed at what you’re skiing. You will find your rhythm as you learn. And before you know it, you just might end up smitten by the lovely, mystifying challenge that is telemark skiing.
PS - For those beginning their telemark journey: stay tuned for more (useful) info on gear and technique in the coming months
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