Farmer's Backyard

[anrothar]

The guy is mostly an AT skier based on his other videos. It's possible he just hasn't realized what Fischer's waxless pattern is capable of yet. Combine that with the AT reliance on skins for anything but downhills. Also possible that he was occasionally breaking through the crust to sugar.

[lilcliffy]

To me that looked like a pretty easy trail for tele turns even with nnn. Like most people I see on xcd gear he is using a turn that he is familiar with and maybe has no interest in the tele turn. Also, don't those Sbounds have a no wax pattern? It didn't look like he should have needed those kicker skins for that trail.

I agree - especially with those skis. They Tele pretty nice, tight turns.

If you guys can consistently complete linked telemarks in XC boots, on a tight trail, on packed down icy snow- then I clearly don't live in expertville.

[MikeK]

I'm not claiming I can do anything!!!

I have no idea what that snow was like - I could have been flapping around from takeoff, in which case I would have stood up and skied just like he did (I have no issue with it, do it, and will continue to do it - my wife skis exclusively like this for XCD because she doesn't even understand WTF the deal is with the Tele).

He's also carrying some good speed - I could give you a video analysis with some of my kart racing vids with go pro... but really who cares? I think passing the dog proves that

[lowangle al]

That didn't look too icy to me. If you are having trouble doing T turns on a trail like that check out Rodbelans zoneski link in his xcd history thread. Watch the silent spider video to get an idea of at least one way to ski a tight line on any snow. He is in a tight upright stance and is keeping his rear heel low which makes it easy to weight the rear ski. He is on xcd gear and I doubt he would have a problem doing teles on that trail.

[lilcliffy]

That didn't look too icy to me. If you are having trouble doing T turns on a trail like that check out Rodbelans zoneski link in his xcd history thread. Watch the silent spider video to get an idea of at least one way to ski a tight line on any snow. He is in a tight upright stance and is keeping his rear heel low which makes it easy to weight the rear ski. He is on xcd gear and I doubt he would have a problem doing teles on that trail.

Well- I don't recall me stating that I was "having trouble making T turns"...

If you want to make telemark turns- even when they are not effective- then go for it- I'm certainly not going to criticize you or offer you a "lesson".

The downhill technique demonstrated in the OP video makes sense to me- simple and effective.

[Woodserson]

Just FYI he's the Fischer company rep for our region.

[lowangle al]

Lilcliffy, I didn't mean you personally. I don't assume something can't be done just because I can't do it. If I had known what was possible on light gear years ago it wouldn't have taken me so long to get there. It took me over 20 years to get to what I thought was expertville and another 5 to actually get there. I admit I'm a slow learner, I figured it out on my own with the help of two books and a video. I know a guy who got there in one season, he had a season pass at Alyeska and probably skied 5 days a week for twenty weeks, realistically getting 1,000,000 vertical feet. So how many vertical feet does it take to become an expert? Maybe that is the question.

[MikeK]

Just FYI he's the Fischer company rep for our region.

He obviously has an excellent knowledge of his line

[lilcliffy]

It's an awesome video- perod. Read a post recently on this site about struggling with side to side stability...This might be the most useful Nordic downhill video I have seen posted here in a while...

[MikeK]

I know I said something about side-to-side stability.

I stand up and ski like that when I lose my stability. I don't see anything wrong with switching between alpine turns and tele turns in the same run. Some will say it's a mark inexperience and lack of skill - that's true, but most skiers, particularly using XCD gear, need to use every trick we can. If you don't, you'll get frustrated, give up and go ski AT or Heavy Tele.

Someone like Johnny who skis every day during the winter and skis a lot of XCD may be able to tele everything. For those of us who aren't ski bums and who live in areas where it's harder to get or get to consistent snow, you do what works.

I'm certainly not an expert, but I know what worked for me to break over the line of "tele is mysterious and confusing and I'm kind of scared to try" to "tele is not so bad and actually really fun". It was mostly just trying and getting a feel for those things I mentioned.

I cannot fucking stand all the discouraging tele "experts" and internet trolls out there that make skiing into some kind of mysterious cult or try to convince you, you need to buy a certain type of equipment and go about it a certain way. I'm sure plastic boots and modern skis make it easier, but it was never necessary, and it never will be. By the same token I can't stand the old school asswipes who prattle on about leather and skinnies endlessly.

It all works, pick your poison and work at it. You'll figure what you like and don't like.