Orthodoxy

[Lhartley]

Another great article from Jack

https://www.powder.com/gear/a-telemark- ... ith-shaken

I haven't ever felt the need to be completely faithful to the telemark turn, specifically because I have a bucket list of objectives in Alberta here that I know damn well I couldnt tele in any clean or safe manner if I dedicated two decades to the turn, it's just not in the cards. I'll do them on alpine gear, I'll ski them tele if I can, hell if I was with a splitboard crew I'd snowboard too. I haven't touched alpine gear in 3 full years now, but only because tele feels damn good and it's fun to learn....hard on the ego as it is being terrible at it at the start. Anyways, interesting article, thought I'd throw it up to fill the spring void

[JohnSKepler]

Anything can become a cult, even if it is only a cult of one.

[fgd135]

Rick Wyatt skied the Grand Teton in 3 pins and leathers.
Just sayin'.

[phoenix]

Always enjoy reading Jack O’s musings; he writes well and with a good perspective.

A long standing quote in the telemrk community: “It’s a turn, not a religion”. Another, in good natured derision: “Free your heels, and your edges will follow”. Followed by the bumper sticker ” Nobody cares that you tele”. Then there’s my favorite by the late Allan Bard, which I’ve posted a number of times over the years here so wan’t repeat it.

Back when I was a young and still tele zealous lad in my 50’s, I wanted to ski the same stuff on my tele gear, using tele turns, that I skied in my 20’s ski bum years in the Wasatch on alpine gear, to see what happened. Turns out I was able to ski the steepest (in bounds) lines at Snowbird and Alta just fine. Including a top to bottom non stop in foot deep chop on High Rustler. Conditions were pleasant, but not hero snow. This is absolutely not a boast,I am not an exceptional skier, though I can hang comfortably with the better posse’s (at least, when I still skied with a posse). Simply to point out that tele can be a quite capable technique. I also know as an absolute fact that I can most often ski parallel better/faster than tele on the same tele gear, and ski better/faster still on locked heels.

My gear choice these days remains free heel, 75mm, flowing freely with either parallel or tele turns as mood and conditions dictate. “It’s all skiing”.

[greatgt]

Skied some today. When snow stopped and leaves lichen and ferns appeared skied them too. Tele was a perfect turn for those conditions. CAUSE most of the time went into the non-snow in a ride position. No turn tele. Nice! TM

[phoenix]

"CAUSE most of the time went into the non-snow in a ride position. No turn tele.”

Makes sense; good for that fore/aft stability when things get grabby!