Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

How long have you been telemark skiing?


What sparked your interest?

What training did you receive? Is there an official certification for telemark skiing?

How often do you go?
What off season preparation is necessary for telemark skiing?
How does the experience of telemark skiing differ from normal downhill?

What do you like about telemark?
What are some downsides of it?

How long do you think it would take to master it?

Was skiing on some cross-country skis up in Vermont's Hardwoods, one of the last vestiges of Old Growth. kamikaze is the appropriate word for what we did. Try to do a parallel in deep powder, better to just bomb! 1980 and then a skier from Stowe joined us and he did a sorta Telemark and both Teleking and I Teleman were awed at the thought that one could control ones skiing in the Bush. We were incautiously converted. I mean ride a rail slicing through powder and giving us the ability to do things on CC skis that were in our world unheard of. Have to thank Telewheels for inviting him. Yes, we became fanatics and to this day still ski skinnies and continue to destroy all powder on thousands of acres up here in the Kingdom. Old Beatles song "not half the man I used to be". Thats cool as is slicing effortlessly through powder doing the deed. Telekid and Telewoods are now leading and breaking while we just ride and arc hardwood forests that keep on giving. TM

How long have you been telemark skiing?
20 years

What sparked your interest?
I needed better exercise for summer mountain biking and was getting bored with alpine.

What training did you receive? Is there an official certification for telemark skiing?
Got skis and boots. Went out and skied.

How often do you go?
About 80 days a season of lift served.

What off season preparation is necessary for telemark skiing?
I just do stuff. I don't really prepare or train.

How does the experience of telemark skiing differ from normal downhill?
The turn.


What do you like about telemark?
There's a unique aesthetic that I really like. It's very dynamic.

What are some downsides of it?
Can't keep up with friends who alpine ski,


How long do you think it would take to master it?
To have fun? 20 minutes, To get really proficient? Depends on too many variables, but a few years should do it.

Edit: Unless you b-tele, then it could take, like, forever! Hope for reincarnation.

Montana St Alum wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 8:53 am

Edit: Unless you b-tele, then it could take, like, forever! Hope for reincarnation.

Does anybody that's not Japanese actually do that?

It would appear that I am the worlds leading expert of white telemark skiers, among those that frequent telemark and back country ski forums anyway. Feel free to direct any questions on the subject to me.

I heard Ron Colemans Killin the B-tele game, I'm sure he will stop in any time now and post a blurry video from the Reagan era

If you want to try something new and different on skis it would help to commit to lower angle terrain, slow down and figure it out. I'm not sure many are willing to do that.

lowangle al wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 5:44 pm

It would appear that I am the worlds leading expert of white telemark skiers, among those that frequent telemark and back country ski forums anyway. Feel free to direct any questions on the subject to me.

I am confident that you understand b-tele and can execute the techniques involved. I expect you are one of the few who do though!

Allen, you will have to show me the finer points of B-Tele sometime. I utilize rotation, not in the B-Tele manner.
Hope you’re getting enough snow, here in Michigan I wish the wind would let up enough to get my kayak onto the big lakes.

Montana St Alum wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:32 pm

lowangle al wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 5:44 pm

It would appear that I am the worlds leading expert of white telemark skiers, among those that frequent telemark and back country ski forums anyway. Feel free to direct any questions on the subject to me.

I am confident that you understand b-tele and can execute the techniques involved. I expect you are one of the few who do though!

Think of it this way since the Academy Awards were just on. The way your skiing now, your big toes are the star of the show and your little toes are the supporting actors. In B tele your big toes and little toes are costars.