Talk:Telemark skiing
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[edit] Bindings
The section on equiptment has to be cleaned up and the various bindings mentioned. As an example; the current version indicates that all bindings have three pins. I'll try to come back to this soon when time permits.--Swift 19:46, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Competion Event
I'm watching the Telemark World Cup even in Rjukan, Norway on tv right now, and they called the event "Telemark Sprint". However, unlike what's described in the section in the article, they use the freestyle cross-country-skiing technique.
--Unclevortex 00:39, 15 February 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Weight distribution
I have edited the statements about even weight distribution over both skiis. This is completely wrong. I have skied Telemark for most of my life having grown up in Norway and have recieved instruction from a lot of excellent skiers there. They have all consistently said that the way to ski Telemark is to put your weight on the outer ski. This enable faster, tighter and more powerful turns. I must make it clear that though this is the optimal way to ski Telemark, it is perfectly possible however to use even weight distribution if you are just going for a quiet relaxing ski. My other changes were minor. Cheers --Hugin&Munin 22:16, 9 November 2005 (UTC)
I'm not sure where the idea that the weight should be put on the outside ski comes from. I am aware that telemark racers do this when skiing gates, but when someone puts too much weight on the lead ski while recreational skiing, it's not usually considered good form. The popular term used in the US for placing too much weight on the lead ski is "fakamarking", recognizing that the trailing ski needs to be engaged in the turn to really obtain the feeling that most enjoy, as well as being able to control the rear ski. With shaped and softer skis, parallel skiing has evolved into more of a two footed technique, and if you wish to carve both the rear and the lead ski in a telemark turn, you just can not leave only 20% of your weight on the back ski.
Notably, in powder, trying to obtain even weighting between skis is important for equal flotation of the skis.
Try to Google telemark weight distribution to find what the consensus on this is. --Johnleeinslc 01:19, 26 March 2006 (UTC)
- I also dispute the idea that as a basic notion up to 80% of the skier's weight should be on the outside ski, or that weight on the rear ski should top out at 50%. I also dispute the statement that "turns are led with the heel flat on the outside ski," as some turns can result in slight front heel lift as the skier drives the front of the front boot forward. Others may disagree. So my basic suggestion is this: the description of the basics of the turn in the initial paragraph and the initial paragraph of the "Technique" section should be stripped to the bare minimum (feet staggered fore and aft, trailing heel lifted), and remaining aspects of technique should focus on variances and the debate surrounding them, similar to the treatment of stagger. We should note that technique continues to evolve, particularly in light of recent equipment evolution. Perhaps we could also include a statement that freeheeling more about freedom than rigid formalism?. Freeheel 2:17, 26 September 2006 (PDT)
- Excellent suggestion! --Swift 00:36, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Three bin bindings usage
Recently there was the following change in the Telemark#Bindings section:
Bindings hold the Telemark boot to the ski by the toe only. Three-pin bindings are now rarely found i in lift-accessed terrain
Is this to mean that terrain not accessible by means of lifts, has a high number of three-pin bindings? What exactly is a lift-accessible terrain? The slopes that lead down from the lifts, or also areas which skiers might use lifts for some elevation gain?
The phrasing is vague and unless someone improves on it or objects, I will remove it.--Swift 17:48, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
- And now it has been changed to
Bindings hold the Telemark boot to the ski by the toe only. Three-pin bindings are now rarely used for lifted resort skiing
- Thanks for the suggestion Shogun, but the clause still sort of implies that three pin bindings are commonly used where there are no lifts in sight. Can anyone corroborate this? If not I'd like to revert it to the sweeping statement that three-pin-bindings are a dying breed, on piste and off. --Swift 03:15, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Hinged plate bindings
Hinged plate bindings are becoming more and more popular for telemark skiing. Look at http://www.linken.com/ and http://www.bombertele.com websites. In the article hinged plate bindings are mentioned in connection with alpine touring, which is right, but so are the three-pin and cable bindings. But when you have the ability to lock the heel down, you do not have a telemark binding. Those are called randonnè bindings, and are in general alpine/slalom bindings that you can use for walking. When I was in the USA some people used the term "Freeheel skiing" when they were talking about telemark skiing. This might be a good place to start when writing about the bindings on telemark skis. --hhagelin@gmail.com (sorry for not logging in) 12:33 CET 15 December 2006 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 84.48.23.17 (talk) 11:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC).
