Tele lead change

[bornaginalpiner]

Just read this article yesterday and think it does a good job of describing the teletern and lead change. Of course, if it works don't fix it. But if you're looking to tinker with your telly turn, read on.

When watching a talented telemark skier link turns down a slope, the words that commonly come to mind are “rhythm” and “flow.” Smooth movements performed with symmetry and grace allow good tele skiers to flow effortlessly from turn to turn. This beautiful movement turns heads on the slopes and draws people to the sport.

As much as they admire – and wish to master – this elegant technique, most telemark skiers don’t start off with this ability to simply flow from one turn to the next. It’s actually quite common that this flow is interrupted from turn to turn.

As the need to control speed and manage terrain arises, telemark skiers can get defensive and start to add braking movements into their descent. One of the most typical movement patterns is one in which skiers rush through the top half of their turn by quickly steering their skis through the initiation and shaping phases. As a result, they need to press hard on the edges at the end of the turn to shut down their speed. It’s here in the finishing phase of the turn that telemark skiers often get stuck! With that braking movement diminishing their rhythm, they have to quickly regroup to start their next turn. Bye-bye flow.

Getting Unstuck!
For telemark students who want to ski with smooth symmetry and grace (and, really, isn’t that every student?), emphasize these three things:

Speed control is product of turn shape. To eliminate braking movements at the end of the turn, skiers must first look at their approach to the start of the turn. Manage rotational movements throughout the turn so they’re being applied evenly through the entire turn. The path of the skis in the first half of the turn should be similar to the path at the end of the turn. By rounding out the top of the turn, the speed can be managed early and allow for a smoother exit at the end of the turn.

Edge earlier. To be a skillful skier, a good goal is to tip the skis up on their new set of edges early in the turn. This allows the skis to engage and bend and help to pull the skier through a turn. As the skis pass the fall line, it’s then time to start the movements to release the edges. An earlier flattening of the skis will reduce those edgy braking movements that bog skiers down at the end of the turn.

Keep the feet moving. The telemark lead change plays an important role in managing stability and pressure. Quickly applying the lead change early in the turn can lead to a static stance at the end of the turn. To avoid getting stuck in this stance, skiers should keep the fore/aft movement of the feet constant through the turn. By flexing and extending the legs from one stance to the other, they can better manage the pressure that builds from the snow to the ski. To reduce the build-up of pressure, skiers should work towards the new lead change as soon as they move into the finishing phase of the turn.

Rhythm and flow are the hallmarks of a beautiful telemark skier. Learning to time movements so they can be more continuous rather than static will help reduce that stuck position at the finish of each turn.

This article, by Greg Dixon, originally appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of 32 Degrees. Log in now to the online version to access other great content that will up your instructor game.

Dixon is a member of the PSIA-AASI National Team. He teaches at Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood Meadows and is the lead telemark examiner and trainer in PSIA-AASI’s northwest division.

[Montana St Alum]

Just read this article yesterday and think it does a good job of describing the teletern and lead change.

Edge earlier. To be a skillful skier, a good goal is to tip the skis up on their new set of edges early in the turn.

Article page/source?

I've never been a fan of the "big toe/little toe" method of explaining the tele-turn. It doesn't capture the need to commit aggressively, in my mind. I prefer the idea of driving the knee/knees as needed.

I also don't care for the "uphill ski/downhill ski" definition of what ski is engaged in what action, during a turn, preferring "inside ski/outside ski" as a way of visualizing what's going on. For me, it's not unusual to commit to the lead change, such that the ski moving forward (right ski in a left turn) occurs while that right ski is still uphill from the left ski. Calling that the downhill ski is only correct during a portion of the turn. Calling it the outside ski (in the turn) is correct throughout the turn. This also helps in defining movements while skiing "switch". It's just a more consistently accurate representation of what's going on, dynamically.

Sounds like an interesting site for information.

[Stephen]

Just read this article yesterday and think it does a good job of describing the teletern and lead change.

Edge earlier. To be a skillful skier, a good goal is to tip the skis up on their new set of edges early in the turn.

Article page/source?

https://www.thesnowpros.org/2019/07/30/ ... emark-tips

[bornaginalpiner]

https://www.thesnowpros.org/2019/07/30/ ... emark-tips
[/quote]


Stephen, thanks for posting the link. I tried but couldn't get it to work.

[Stephen]

@bornaginalpiner, right on — good stuff.
I agree with @Montana St Alum, about wording — the way he’s suggesting is easier for me to visualize and understand.

[Krummholz]

I second the Montana way of thinking inside/outside ski. Took my SB-98s to a resort for the first time, got a free day pass from a friend, haven’t resort skied in 5+ yrs. Trying to remember unphill/downhill, big/little toe, watch terrain, keep out of the way of Kamikaze snow boarder’s was a bit overwhelming. And that was on a green run! Going to go back to Tele Tips and sub inside / outside to visualize the turns.

@ Montana St Alum What is the reference to driving the knees?

Just read this article yesterday and think it does a good job of describing the teletern and lead change.

Edge earlier. To be a skillful skier, a good goal is to tip the skis up on their new set of edges early in the turn.

Article page/source?

I've never been a fan of the "big toe/little toe" method of explaining the tele-turn. It doesn't capture the need to commit aggressively, in my mind. I prefer the idea of driving the knee/knees as needed.

I also don't care for the "uphill ski/downhill ski" definition of what ski is engaged in what action, during a turn, preferring "inside ski/outside ski" as a way of visualizing what's going on. For me, it's not unusual to commit to the lead change, such that the ski moving forward (right ski in a left turn) occurs while that right ski is still uphill from the left ski. Calling that the downhill ski is only correct during a portion of the turn. Calling it the outside ski (in the turn) is correct throughout the turn. This also helps in defining movements while skiing "switch". It's just a more consistently accurate representation of what's going on, dynamically.

Sounds like an interesting site for information.

[Montana St Alum]

I second the Montana way of thinking inside/outside ski. Took my SB-98s to a resort for the first time, got a free day pass from a friend, haven’t resort skied in 5+ yrs. Trying to remember unphill/downhill, big/little toe, watch terrain, keep out of the way of Kamikaze snow boarder’s was a bit overwhelming. And that was on a green run! Going to go back to Tele Tips and sub inside / outside to visualize the turns.

@ Montana St Alum What is the reference to driving the knees?

Just read this article yesterday and think it does a good job of describing the teletern and lead change.

Edge earlier. To be a skillful skier, a good goal is to tip the skis up on their new set of edges early in the turn.

Article page/source?

I've never been a fan of the "big toe/little toe" method of explaining the tele-turn. It doesn't capture the need to commit aggressively, in my mind. I prefer the idea of driving the knee/knees as needed.

I also don't care for the "uphill ski/downhill ski" definition of what ski is engaged in what action, during a turn, preferring "inside ski/outside ski" as a way of visualizing what's going on. For me, it's not unusual to commit to the lead change, such that the ski moving forward (right ski in a left turn) occurs while that right ski is still uphill from the left ski. Calling that the downhill ski is only correct during a portion of the turn. Calling it the outside ski (in the turn) is correct throughout the turn. This also helps in defining movements while skiing "switch". It's just a more consistently accurate representation of what's going on, dynamically.

Sounds like an interesting site for information.

Yes, thanks for posting the site, Stephen.
The idea of weighting the big or little toe just didn't resonate with me. It's correct of course, but visualizing the knee movement translated into actually getting the ski up on edge better for me. The knee movement, Vs. weighting was important in alpine skiing and that's my background.

[bauerb]

I made a couple of videos last season about how "I ski Tele". they are not awesome videos, but I did my best. in the first video I do explain what I am doing. its a little awkward because I am holding a selfie-stick, but the video might be useful to someone trying to learn.



this 2nd video is kind of weird camera angle, but I was trying new things. what you can see is that lower body is is doing the work, and my upper body is pretty quiet as I connect turns. spoiler alert, I crash in the middle of the video



I am posting these vids only because sometimes a video is easier for beginners to understand than long write-ups

[lowangle al]

I didn't watch the whole video Bouerb but you did a great job on what I saw. From what I saw your turns differed from what the author of the article was trying to convey about smoother turns. To achieve smoothness in the turn make the transition where the author states but then weight the skis and let them turn themselves. From what I saw in your videos you make the transition and slide your skis across the fall line and then weight them after you change directions. I'm not sure it was stated in the article but to achieve a smoother turn you need to weight the skis after transitioning but before crossing the fall line or changing directions.

It is not only important when you make the lead change it needs to be coordinated with weighting and edging too.

[Montana St Alum]

I'm partial to Geri's iteration:





I tend to be a stickler for the pole plant.