Telemark Skiing

Telemark skiing, also known as free heel skiing is the skiing style in which Telemark turns are practiced. Telemark skiing was brought to light by a Norwegian skier Sondre Noheim in 1868. He performed the Telemark turn at a competition and attracted viewers immediately. In no time, the Telemark turn became a dominant part of skiing. Telemark skiing uses a binding that only connects to the ski boot toes. This feature makes Telemark skiing similar to cross-country skiing, but different from alpine skiing. The equipment is designed as such that the skier can easily take the turn without toppling. When performing a Telemark turn, the skier keeps the heel on the outside flat, and flexes the knee and lifts the heel of the other leg. The skis are staggered but not entirely parallel in Telemark skiing. However, these motions differ depending on the snow conditions and the characteristics of the downhill slope. Telemark skiing, as you may have already guessed, was named after the Telemark region of Norway. Sondre Noheim not only tried Telemark skiing, he also introduced various other skiing styles, mostly those keeping your skis parallel.

After the mid 1940’s, the popularity of Telemark skiing declined rapidly, until it was revived in the 1970s in the United States. In spite of the high tech equipment used in alpine skiing, the basic and simple equipment used in Telemark skiing were popular; Telemark skiing even encourages skies to wear their traditional clothing. Even though the Telemark revival started in Colorado, it spread to mountains in Vermont almost at the same time. It was Ronal Ramsay, a Telemark skiing enthusiast, who, after having visited many skiing communities including Telemark, brought these techniques back to the beautiful skiing areas of Vermont. Telemark skiing gained more popularity after it was displayed by professional American skiers at Interski, Italy in 1983. However even tough Telemark skiing gained much popularity and was practiced throughout the world, and even if organizations such as NATO (North American Telemark Organization) and NET (New England Telemark) were established, Telemark skiing, until this day remains a minor sport.

The skis used in Telemark should be such that the skier can perform a deep smooth turn without difficulty. Telemark skis are lighter, and of different shape in comparison to alpine skis. All standard Telemark skiing boots have a “duckbill” at front and are of special quality because they are detached from the skis. Indeed everything about Telemark skiing is new and thus it is a whole new and more fun experience to any skier.