Telemark Ski Technique

Telemark skiing originated in the mid-1800s by Sondre Norheim in the Telemark region of Norway. Enthusiasts compare it to dancing down a mountain. The turn was a stable method of using the gear of the time, which consisted of long wooden skis with boots mounted at the toe, leaving the heel free. Telemark was revived in the 1960s. Modern telemark gear enables skiers to tackle slopes of all difficulty.

  1. Getting started

    • Crossing over from an alpine background makes it a little easier to learn the telemark technique, once you get used to letting the heel move freely. Start by practicing on a gentle slope. Put your skis into the snowplow position (an A with your ski tips touching). Start making snowplow turns down the slope, practicing weighting each ski. After you get used to this sensation, make a snowplow turn, but as you do so, slide the uphill ski back so your knee is tucked into the crook formed by the bent knee of the front ski. Try to think of getting the tip of your uphill ski tucked into the edge of the downhill ski as you do this. Practice doing this turning both ways. Keep your upper body square to the fall line while doing this, just like you would in alpine skiing.

    Balance

    • Telemark skiing can offer advantages over alpine skiing in deep powder, where the technique mirrors the best powder techniques. The telemark turn is about turning your two separate skis into one long ski. Doing this involves keeping your weight balanced between the two skis. It is critical to proper telemark technique to keep your rear ski weighted through the turn. This gives you stability as you tackle steeper slopes and ensures the two skis become like one long ski with a lot of sidecut.

      To get used to the idea of equally weighting your skis through the turn, think "Big Toe, Little Toe." Start the turn by applying pressure to the inside edge of the downhill, or leading, ski. You will feel pressure on the big toe of that foot. Now roll the trailing ski onto its outside edge; you should feel some pressure on the little toe of that foot.

      Another way to practice weighting the rear ski is to go to a gentle slope and get into a telemark turn, then "sit back" on the rear ski so all the weight is on it.

    Low stance vs. high stance

    • There is some argument in the telemark community as to whether a high body stance or low body stance is better. A low stance involves the knee of the front ski flexed at a 90-degree angle, with the knee of the trailing ski often resting just above the top sheet of the ski. In a high stance, the skier is much more upright, with the angle of the front knee gently flexed and the knee of the trailing leg flexed at a corresponding angle.

      Both a low stance and a high stance have their advantages. A low stance is more powerful and more stable, useful for skiing through difficult snow conditions like crud. A high stance is less fatiguing and allows the knees to absorb more shock, and the legs have less distance to travel for each turn. This is helpful in the bumps. The best skiers often vary their stance depending on the terrain and snow conditions they encounter.