[skipowpow]

Thanks again everybody for the advice. I'm going to take it all.

[cryoftheloon]

Let her go ski on them regardless of how she looks for awhile. Amazingly they'll learn to do it anyway. How many people here actually took a lesson when they started to telemark ski? (There is a poll question.) It seems like the soccer moms take over so quickly. "Take a lesson", "Stand like this" , "Someone else do it". Let the kid learn how to stand on them without giving a sweet flying f@#$ how they look. Just go ski with them. On the other side I would give it up for Ross if he were back in Maine

[gearhead2]

When I learned to tele it was by way of coincidentally dating a ski instructor (but did not know that when I initially met them). While I learned a lot and I am grateful for those early lessons, it is harder to take lessons from a loved one no matter how good intentioned. At some point familiarity does breed frustration for both. I was also on leathers, 3 pins, and shapeless skis which is a lot more challenging to learn to tele on. I also injured my knee early on since I was learning in the woods instead of on the rock and tree free groomers. Since those glory days I have taken lessons almost every year from different instructors with differing "certifications". Certifications and gender mean squat compared to teaching capabilities. The art of simple, concise, and patient communication is a rarely developed skill. It is good to point out that learning anything new is a process and if your daughter doesn't click with an instructor then it just means you try out another. The neckace of of knowledge is made of unique and separate pearls of wisdom. +1 on ski swaps for trying on and purchasing reasonably priced second hand gear. This is how I was able to afford experimenting with different kinds of gear on a college budget. Plastic boots, basic G3 bindings and a 80 something waist shaped ski (my first was an alpine ski) that has a forgiving flex will do. Also+1 on Mike and Allen's book, Telemark Tips - the comic illustrations are hilarious and provide easy to see particulars of technique. When I have been roped into teaching friends I find hot cocoa and assorted hard candy suprise treats can help the morale...and provide enough of a boost to make it back to the car.
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"Skiing Out of Your Mind requires careful sensing, careful thought, and a reasoned exploration of your problems."
- Skiing Out of Your Mind, Loudis, Lobitz, and Singer

[DaveWalks]

There are tele skiers (people) in Long Pond TS?

Anyway, I support the comments of the last two posters. Learning without lessons for awhile isn't so bad, and learning with lessons is more about assessing the group/relationship and situation than it is about certs, gender or any other such quality...that's what I think, anyway.

Stay Safe out there

[Denis]

Before taking tele lessons I would ski with her on green and blue slopes using alpine techniques and the turns she is familiar with. That will teach her where her center is on free heels. Once she feels comfortable doing that, start her on a tele lesson. Rushing into a tele lesson before feeling comfortable on free heels is a mistake IMHO.

[Telerodder]

[stan]

A couple things that may guide your thought process. How athletic is she, generally? How good is she at alpine? Does she have any X-C experience?

If she is athletic, a good alpine skier, and has some X-C experience, you might be amazed at how quickly she picks it up. My oldest daughter fit that profile, and at 15, decided she wanted to try tele. First day, I got her a rental package, T-2ss and G-3 bindings, I believe, and we signed up for a tele clinic at Alta. The instructor asked everyone what their goals were. Daughter replied: "I want to ski Eagle's Nest." (for those not familiar, a steep series of narrow chutes with skiable trees in between, accessed by an "interesting" traverse.) After the two hour clinic, that is what we did; with reasonable skill and grace.

[skipowpow]

Wildyx T2s for $75 today. Her first comment was, "these are so comfortable compared to my alpines".

She is still psyched to give it a go.

[QuiverQueen]

_________________
A humble student at Fryingpan University.

[QuiverQueen]

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A humble student at Fryingpan University.

[Telerodder]

Scored some good T2s yesterday for my daughter. Had to buck up $130 but they were nice. The kid ended up in 28s, man she has big feet. Everybody here is stoked! Oh and a big dump on the tops of the Rockies along the trench on Wed. morning!
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Why do my legs hurt?

[Jim]

She's got plans.
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You know it's a good day when you wake up in the morning.

[baetis]

[hdiddy]

Personally, if she's competent at Alpine, I wouldn't give her too much of a chance to get her alpine skiing working on tele. You might reinforce bad habits that take longer to undo. She sounds like she's smart - let her make the connections between tele and alpine on her own or with the help of the instructor. I think most PSIA 2-3 tele instructors have an alpine background of some sort - they're certified to tech and show alpine skiers how to make the transition. Part of learning is to be making new motions that are unfamiliar - better to just start her off right.

If anything, she should be able to snowplow - but anybody that has spent any time on skis will snowplow without thinking about it.
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Drive the cuff

[skipowpow]