Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

lowangle al wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:12 pm

Here is some advice for anyone trying to get to the next level. Take all advice with a "grain of salt." There are so many differences in skiing style, skill level, gear, goals, snow conditions and interpretation of the advice that not all advice is going to work, even if it's good advice. Take advice and try it out, if it works stick with it. If it doesn't file it away in the back of your mind and it may "hit home" someday. If you use the advice in this way and keep practicing eventually you will have enough salt for tasty dish.

One thing I want to say about my last post is that when I say to get back over your rear foot more, it is to get better centered, not to be in the back seat. MSA is a fine skier, he skis predominantly with his lead ski. Moving your weight back will help you get more centered over both skis. I'm not a resort skier and don't ski bumps, but if I did I'd probably be more front ski dominant in that situation. It's what works there.

Pole length is a personal preference, and whatever length you use is fine as long as they are not keeping you from being well balanced.

I got out tonight and did a few turns and ya know what. I've been thinking about something I read somewhere that didn't make sense. "Poles plants are not literally plants or stabs". Watched a bunch of great ski videos tonight. And pole plants are definitely just pole plants. Your poles aren't magic wands.

lowangle al wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:12 pm

I got out tonight and did a few turns and ya know what. I've been thinking about something I read somewhere that didn't make sense. "Poles plants are not literally plants or stabs". Watched a bunch of great ski videos tonight. And pole plants are definitely just pole plants. Your poles aren't magic wands.

The pole plant is pretty important for timing, body position, posture and is the "starting gun" for each turn. You can see this by not using them. There are things we do with arms, head and torso rotation that you wouldn't think are important in skiing, but they are.

In my case, it seems like I have to connect lots of actions above the knees properly to get stuff below the knees to work optimally. As an example, for me, head rotation is critical to skiing switch (which is of course, completely useless with no redeeming social value). Though about two weeks ago I skied switch past a young (maybe late 20's) guy on alpine who was skiing switch. He laughed and yelled, "hey nice switch......TELY?" If nothing else, it's a good conversation starter!

If your body is upright and you rotate your head left and right, the arc will be pretty parallel to the ground. Lean forward and that arc is pointed down. When I look over my shoulder, if that arc is pointed down (chin down), I skid all over the place because it allows my upper body to tilt forward. If I look over my shoulder with that arc level (chin up), I kill it! With practice, I might get good enough at it to not worry about something as innocuous as head position, but I'm not there yet and probably never will be.

Anyway, pole plants are like colons. When they're working well, all is good. It's only when they stop working that they get noticed.

For sure, I get that theres some serious complexities. I'm just confused by a critique I received and trying to sort it a bit. It's like Al said, instruction can be opinionated and nuanced. I'll be out to try again tonight after I put in my eight hours

The basic PSIA approach is the pole plant, signals the next turn. More importantly it naturally helps you to unweight.
The French call the ski pole a baton. I like to think of the pole as the baton, to signal the next turn. In the sense that an orchestra conductor leads the orchestra with a baton.

Btw @Lhartley , I thought you looked pretty good. Keep that basic form a lot steeper and faster, and you would be really good!

Montana St Alum wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:40 pm

lowangle al wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:12 pm

Here is some advice for anyone trying to get to the next level. Take all advice with a "grain of salt." There are so many differences in skiing style, skill level, gear, goals, snow conditions and interpretation of the advice that not all advice is going to work, even if it's good advice. Take advice and try it out, if it works stick with it. If it doesn't file it away in the back of your mind and it may "hit home" someday. If you use the advice in this way and keep practicing eventually you will have enough salt for tasty dish.

One thing I want to say about my last post is that when I say to get back over your rear foot more, it is to get better centered, not to be in the back seat. MSA is a fine skier, he skis predominantly with his lead ski. Moving your weight back will help you get more centered over both skis. I'm not a resort skier and don't ski bumps, but if I did I'd probably be more front ski dominant in that situation. It's what works there.

Pole length is a personal preference, and whatever length you use is fine as long as they are not keeping you from being well balanced.

Quite true. I hope I didn't come across as having the Holy Grail!

Of course not, I think we all know that the holy grail is being able to get centered and staying centered at ALL times. When you're not centered over your skis you're not stable. If you have this down everything else is easy.

Having your poles too long will throw your arms back knocking you off center. According to Dickie Hall, poles for tele should be shorter than the length you use for alpine.

fisheater wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:31 am

The basic PSIA approach is the pole plant, signals the next turn. More importantly it naturally helps you to unweight.
The French call the ski pole a baton. I like to think of the pole as the baton, to signal the next turn. In the sense that an orchestra conductor leads the orchestra with a baton.

Btw @Lhartley , I thought you looked pretty good. Keep that basic form a lot steeper and faster, and you would be really good!

Thanks! Will post a progress update when I step out into the alpine

Montana St Alum wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:11 am

tnt2of4 wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 04, 2024 10:56 am

I finally got to play with my S-Bound 98's and Alpina Alaska NNNBC on some groomers at my local resort. Feeling better and matching edge angles and fore aft balance, but I look very static and feel off balance at the end of my turns.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ngLOzUjDt88?feature=share

My vision is a bit degraded, so it's hard for me to make out some details in the video.
I think your pole plant is opposite of what would be considered "conventional". It appears you plant the right pole just prior to a left turn and plant the left just prior to a right turn.
My oldest son does the same thing, and if I could catch him, I'd correct this "flaw"!

As you progress, there are advantages to using the technique of planting just prior to the turn on that side. So, at the end of a left turn, for example, plant the right pole in preparation for the right turn. I think this will be more effective in transferring weight and help with edge changes from turn to turn more efficiently.

Thanks for the feedback. I definitely am planting the uphill pole instead of planting the downhill pole to initiate the turn. I am able to perform this on alpine gear, but struggle with the balance at the end of turns on XCD gear. I am probably failing to angulate the body properly.

It is with a heavy heart that I report I still just ski like me

https://youtube.com/shorts/sSIMuXUsESQ? ... QbNt2_KCGL

Just a vid to bump the thread. I like vids

Lhartley wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:44 pm

It is with a heavy heart that I report I still just ski like me

https://youtube.com/shorts/sSIMuXUsESQ? ... QbNt2_KCGL

Just a vid to bump the thread. I like vids

This may not be a glowing review from someone who has lost vision, but you look good to me!

Thanks! I think?

I'm really inspired by a couple YouTube channels that showcase telemarking on terrain I find interesting and relevant to where I'm trying to ski, specifically Goteleonthemountain, TomM, and Lofis channels. Like I mentioned before there's about zero telemark community in Alberta so this is all I have, so don't mind me if I spam this thread with some mediocrity as I learn to film a bit. Id like to showcase some of the terrain in our foothills that goes absolutely untouched while the alpine gets absolutely pounded even in extreme avy conditions. Its a mystery to me. Have learned a bit from TomM on his gopro and 360 techniques, might start a camera thread but don't want to drown out the Btele and Asnes content ya know?