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Free your heels! Genuflecting to the telemark gods by MICHEL THIBODEAU
Telemark skiing is the original form of skiing, invented by Sondre Norheim in the Telemark region of Norway in the 1860s. Needing a way to travel across mountainous ranges easily, Norwegians would strap wooden planks onto their feet, securing their boots to these primitive skis at the toes, thus allowing them to slide across the snow. People could thus "walk" across snowy expanses and, when going down hill, they could easily turn, slowing their speed in order to come to a full stop. This technique was used exclusively for the next 80 years, both for travelling across country and downhill. With the advent of modern equipment in the 1940s, skiing split off into two separate, distinct directions: cross-country and downhill. It wasn't until about 20 years ago, in Crested Butte, Montana, that a group of skiers "rediscovered" the telemark turn. Looking for a new method of getting down the mountain, this group of mainly college student-types realized that telemarking opened up whole new vistas. Over the years, the sport has grown steadily, while still keeping the numbers of participants low. It's all in the knees Telemark skiing entails bending down on one knee in order to make your turn. As you head down the slope, you slide one of your skis forward, simultaneously bending down, keeping your weight evenly distributed between both feet (think of all those lunges you've performed in your aerobics classes). Your forward foot is pressing flat on the ski, while your back foot flexes at the toe. (This position defines the other term of telemark skiing, known as free-heel skiing.) Then, you put your weight on the inside (uphill) edge of your skis. As you get to the end of the turn, you stand up and repeat the same movement in the opposite direction. Seen from a distance, telemark skiers look at though they're genuflecting down the hill. The equipment for telemark skiing consists of a pair of skis that are slightly shorter and narrower than the downhill variety, built of a wood core that allows for more flexibility. The boot-binding system is formed by a metal plate screwed about halfway up the ski, and includes a cable that secures the boot to the binding. These bindings are similar to those of the '50s to early '70s, quaintly known as bear-trap bindings because, if you took a bad fall, the bindings would nonetheless hold your feet to the skis, ensuring a nasty leg fracture. Boots themselves have changed radically in recent years. Once made entirely of leather, manufacturers have updated their boots, constructing them of plastic, making them warmer and more waterproof--important factors for long day on the slopes. However, although they are made of rigid plastic, boots nonetheless flex at the toes, allowing the skier to bend forward into the turn. Poles are normally of the telescoping kind, which permit you to shorten their length when going downhill and, conversely, lengthening them when you want to ski cross-country. Telemarking into new territory Therein lies the advantage of telemark skiing. Because their equipment is similar to cross-country equipment, telemark skiers are able to go beyond lift-served hills and therefore enjoy larger skiing possibilities. Many formerly inaccessible areas, such as the Chic Choc mountains of Quebec or the Rockies of Western Canada, have become major playgrounds for backcountry skiers who can travel long distances over flat land or up hill, and are able to descend hills with greater ease and less fear of a major garage sale (aka a crash). Most adherents of the sport are former downhill skiers who take it up either because they're looking for something new or because they want a more reflective pastime. Similarly, many cross-country skiers have taken up telemarking in order to perfect their turning movements. While most practitioners are in their 30s and older, skiing manufacturers have been targeting the younger generation by producing more radical looking and sounding equipment, with skis sporting logos such as Black Widow (motto: "She mates, she kills"), Telepathic or Psychopathic, and boots called Terminator and Terminator 2. Many downhill skiing centres and outdoor sporting stores now offer classes that initiate newcomers to the sport, with introductory courses costing around $40, equipment (and sometimes the lift ticket) included. Contact your local store or favourite ski centre for more information.
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You may have noticed a new breed of skier on the slopes over the past few years. You know the kind: they're all wearing floppy flannel shirts, pants and jackets straight out of the local Sally Ann depot and balaclavas that smell vaguely of mothballs. No, I'm not talking about knuckle-dragging snowboarders but rather telemark skiers, those atavistic Luddites who've brought their cross-country skis to the downhill centre.