by Patricia Measer
Ellicottville, NY – The 21st annual Telestock event at Holiday Valley is coming up on Friday, February 24, 2023. Hosted by City Garage is always slated for the last Friday of February and is touted as “a day of peace, love and telemark skiing at the Yodeler Champagne Sundeck.” But what is it exactly, do you wonder?
Telestock is about introducing the sport to a broader audience, for those who may have wanted to try it but have always been scared or busy. They offer free rentals, lessons, tips, group rides, and demo gear. It is a fun day beginning at Yodeler Champagne deck at 9am– bring a cooler and a plate to share.
Telemark skiing is a variation in which the toe is fixed to the ski binding but not the heel (similar to cross country skiing). FREE THE HEEL, SKI FOR REAL.This gives the skier greater control, especially in turns. It teaches you how to center your weight over your skis. It also enhances your general agility and balance on skis.
The sport combines elements of alpine racing, nordic skate skiing and ski jumping but requires different equipment from that used in both alpine and nordic skiing. Telemark equipment can be used both on and off groomed slopes and even in freestyle parks. It helps skiers to access areas they would not normally get to. Initially, it was embraced as a means of uphill skiing in the backcountry, where skiers could place skins on the bottoms of the skis and ascend steep slopes with their heel free. This style of skiing was named after a town in Norway, where its’ inventor was from.
Fans of Telemark often cite the “telemark turn” as the reason they took up sport. In this turn, one ski is slightly ahead of the other. The turn is led with the heel flat on the downhill ski while the uphill ski is pulled beneath the skier’s body with a flexed knee and raised heel. The technique allows for turning more easily in a variety of snow conditions.
Telemark has been around for a couple hundred years in Europe but wasn’t really popular in the US until the 1970s and 80s. This sudden interest spawned all kinds of new equipment. Skis designed specifically for telemark skiing will have medium camber and a good amount of flex to compensate for the fact that the skier isn’t weighting one ski more than the other to turn. That said, telemark skiing is truly a technique rather than a style of ski, and you can really telemark using any alpine ski today – the difference in gear really comes down to boots and bindings.
Traditional Telemark bindings (aka Nordic Norm) connect the toe end of your boot to the ski and have a cable that attaches your heel and can be loosened for cross country travel and tightened for a descent. However, the trade-off is that there is no “quick release” if there is an issue. Then along came the New Telemark Norm (NTN) bindings. This type of binding connects both the toe and instep – sometimes called the “second heel” – to the bindings, while still leaving the actual heel free. And it includes a quick release function.
The boots can vary a lot, from plastic boots with buckles and a lot of give similar to alpine touring boots, to ones that resemble lace-up winter hiking boots – though all need to be compatible with your tele bindings. Regardless of style, they are usually considered a bit more comfortable and flexible than alpine boots to allow for uphill access.
There has been some discussion that interest among US skiers has waned slightly in the past 10 years. However, some devotees will disagree and say that this is increasing as younger generations pick up the sport. Telemark skiing has been included in the skiing World Cup for many years, and finally will debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics as part of the ski mountaineering competition. This may generate a whole new round of interest and enthusiasm.
Tele demos are available at the City Garage. Brought to you by the City Garage and their favorite tele-brands. Special lift ticket rates for participants.
For more info, call 716-699-2054 City Garage, Monroe Street, Ellicottville