Free the heel, free the mind, man.
Tele skiing (short for telemark) is the old-school holy grail of skiing. One of my favorite lift ride pastimes is admiring the tele skiers dance their way down Hollywood line bump runs. They always do it in such style and grace. It sure looks hard watching from afar, but it turns out getting into telemark skiing isn’t as challenging as you might think. Here’s the rundown of tele skiing; from what gear to start with, what kind of skis to buy, and how to pick among the various bindings.
Why should I try telemark skiing?
Tele skiing is a cross between Nordic and downhill alpine skiing. Your toe is connected solidly to the front of the binding but hinges up and down. Your heel is attached to a cable/spring that has adjustable tension. So, as you ski, you perform a squat/lunge movement. Your uphill ski takes a deeper lunge with a raised heel, while your downhill ski has equal amounts of pressure in the toe and heel. Overall, it’s a different style that is extremely fluid, helps you find more flow, and makes you look techy and rad.
Telemark is a great way to keep skiing fresh and refine your technique on skis. If you’re a new parent learning how to shred in new ways with the little ones, tele is a great way to slow down, focus on the turns, and enjoy low-angle terrain while chasing kids around. The boots are easier to walk in, which is a perk.
A few expert skiers at the shop wrangle up tele gear to learn something new and keep the slopes engaging. Whether that’s skiing with other folks or a partner newer to the sport, or just wanting something different. Same goes for snowboarders. We know a few snowboarders who tele in their spare time. It also serves as a nice alternative to splitboard travel in the backcountry.
Is telemark harder than alpine skiing?
Die-hard telemark riders will probably tell you it’s not as hard as it looks. But, if you come from an alpine skiing background, it operates with different mechanics. That means on snow, you might find yourself fighting your initial muscle memories.
If you’re new to skiing at all, telemark isn’t any harder to learn than alpine skiing. Depending on your area, you can likely find some telemark lessons. The Colorado Mountain College offers them at Loveland Ski Area. A great way to meet new friends and learn new things!
Telemark Skiing Gear
So, what kind of gear do you need to get into telemark skiing?
Telemark Skis
We get lots of folks asking about what kind of ski we recommend for telemark. Unfortunately, just like most skis, there’s not a clear answer. Some folks like more rockered skis for easier turn initiation, while some like more stable skis with a flatter tail that holds carves better. Overall, most folks like something with a significant amount of camber that provides plenty of energy as you flex into the ski.
We often see folks enjoying tele on skis like:
- Black Crows Camox: rocker at the tip and tail, but nothing super deep, a lot of camber underfoot, and a medium flex
- Dynastar M Pro: rocker at the tip and a small amount at the tail. Medium flex, with a light swing weight at the tip
- Volkl Mantra M6: minimal rocker at the tip and tail, stiffer flex. Perfect for a more aggressive rider
But that’s just a start. Listen to your gut and go with a ski that suits your style. If you have a spare set of skis that you can fit a tele binding on, that could be the best starter tele ski out there for you. Don’t forget to check out Bishop out of the Vail Valley—they make telemark-specific skis.
Telemark Bindings + Boots
Telemark boots and bindings come in two standards: 75mm (duckbill) and NTN (new telemark norm). 75mm compatible bindings are dedicated left and right and the boots feature a, you guessed it, 75mm lug at the front of the boot. NTN features a shorter toe lug with tech pins for uphill travel (with compatible bindings). NTN (like the name alludes) is a newer style while the duckbill style is older, and most manufacturers aren’t producing them anymore.
So if you’re getting into the sport, finding an NTN-style tele boot will future-proof you. Then, get a binding compatible with your boot style.
Some tele bindings can go both uphill for backcountry travel and downhill (sort of like hybrid-style alpine bindings). Here’s some examples from 22 Designs:
Outlaw X
The Outlaw X offers easy step-in and step-out for NTN boots, with the option to go uphill with two climbing aids. One of the most durable and easy to use telemark bindings out there.
Lynx
If this looks like an alpine touring binding, you’d be right about the inspiration. Shaving weight off of a traditional tele binding, this is for the folks who want something lightweight and optimized for backcountry travel, with the same tele fun on the down.
