Light gear does a good telemarker make?

[Montana St Alum]

^^^^
Nice turns.

[lowangle al]

All those skiers on NNN-BC with red flexors at the resorts in Japan can't be wrong.

Does it make you a better skier? Does it make you ski better? Does it make skiing better for you?

I’ll just touch on the last question. I feel like I’ve always tried with my lighter NNNBC stuff— and there is the gratification of squeezing the most out of the least— but in terms of hitting the blissful heights of turn sensation, the sweet spot remains Excursion/T4 with a Vector/Kom type ski.

NNNBC (red bumper)with Alpina Alaskas on Guide/Annum/M78:

IMB_QcwrkA.gif

Hardwire with Excursions on Koms:


IMB_PA60qH.gif


It may be hard to see from lo-res gifs, but from a feel point of view the turns are just real, full potency arcs on the Excursion/Koms. While trying to ski in the same space, the same way, with NNNBC the turns are choppy skid turns as here, or would be much slower, tenuously balanced bigger arcs.

It is hard to tell from the video but when you feel it you know it. I also get that better feel from the T4/Vector combo. The stability and more precise carving let me do more on the down. The ability to do smoother, sharper and quicker turns feel better to me.

I also think that is the best weight gear to learn on. It has enough stability and edging ability to keep you upright while you're getting things figured out. With really big boots you also have to learn or relearn how to get centered on them, as evidenced by peoples experience with the new Scarpa boot. Where as with a T4 or T2 it comes more naturally.

[fisheater]

@lowangle al i have been having a lot of fun on my Alaska/Falketind combo. Conditions have become more difficult and that party is over.
I really enjoy light and leather, but if you like to rip turns, the conditions will become more difficult and heavier gear, in my case T-4/Tindan rule the day. Unfortunately for me, that gear is over kill. For me it’s Gamme, ski fast, wedge when I can’t make Tele turns, and enjoy my time on the wood’s trails

[Lo-Fi]

...I only have so much time on my hands at the resort and would rather not mess with gear if it's to my detriment. I feel like some gear consistency is key when learning but there's a lot of chatter about lighter stuff "helping" technique... I understand there's differing philosophy, just looking at all my gear and wondering what's going to make me the best skier I can be...

...I also get that better feel from the T4/Vector combo...
I also think that is the best weight gear to learn on. It has enough stability and edging ability to keep you upright while you're getting things figured out. With really big boots you also have to learn or relearn how to get centered on them...

On a practical level, I have found that in general, equipment on the lightest end of the use spectrum can distract, delay and distort the learning, practice and mastery of the telemark turn. It's a great reference point, but having learned on that stuff originally, it probably took years off my life and I would have loved to have had more downhill capable equipment!

... For me it’s Gamme, ski fast, wedge when I can’t make Tele turns, and enjoy my time on the wood’s trails

I have NNN-BC with red flexors on 71-59-66 Rossignol "Haute Route Telemark" ... and they are a ton of fun on the local hill. Definitely one of my favorite setups...

Beyond a minimal definition of the functional and aesthetic quality of what the telemark turn and the activity of telemark skiing is, whatever anyone has, uses and enjoys, is fine by me!

skiing different gear in different conditions does a good telemarker make.

(Also,) Trying to be a better telemarker, does a good telemarker make.

[Lhartley]

Good advice and much appreciated!

[Lhartley]

Some inspiration for broke folks like me that spend too much time at the nordic centers on the twigs, run what ya brung. Every cross country area should have these bunny slopes

[phoenix]

"While trying to ski in the same space, the same way, with NNNBC the turns are choppy skid turns as here, or would be much slower, tenuously balanced bigger arcs."

Lo-Fi expresses an important poing. What I see in so many instances of "tele turns on light gear" here, and well represented by the guy on xc gear on the pristine gentle angle hill, is stem/tiptoe on the back foot, all leading done on the front foot. No offense meant here. I often ski that way myself on skinnies, leather, and 3 pins. But that doesn't really help to learn a solid turn, and is very limited in what conditions and slopes you can ski. You'll get better at skiing within those limits, but are not likely to learn truly solid turn.

[fisheater]

"While trying to ski in the same space, the same way, with NNNBC the turns are choppy skid turns as here, or would be much slower, tenuously balanced bigger arcs."

Lo-Fi expresses an important poing. What I see in so many instances of "tele turns on light gear" here, and well represented by the guy on xc gear on the pristine gentle angle hill, is stem/tiptoe on the back foot, all leading done on the front foot. No offense meant here. I often ski that way myself on skinnies, leather, and 3 pins. But that doesn't really help to learn a solid turn, and is very limited in what conditions and slopes you can ski. You'll get better at skiing within those limits, but are not likely to learn truly solid turn.

I agree, but sometimes the terrain doesn’t justify bigger gear. Sometimes that XC gear is best, and the Tele turns on that gear aren’t the best. I like heavier as well, on terrain suited to heavier gear.

[Lhartley]

This is the the thing, I'm gonna end up at a nordic center at least once a week. I'm gonna be on skis that fit in tracks. I can already tele the whole resort, and I get by in the backcountry. I like Jared and his videos. He's humble and puts skiing out there, and demonstrates through repetition. He's not online talking about skills he doesn't have.

I'd love to look like this...



But reality is on my mr48s, skiing like Jared is something I could reasonably expect. Sorry, but I don't see that taking away from any ability I already have. In my mind I could ski around the nordic center endlessly on fat fishscales, but I'll struggle on lightweight stuff and my skiing is inevitably bringing me to places where I'm on lightweight gear and I want to make turns. For example, Blueberry Hill at Peter Lougheed Nordic Center. You connect this massive nordic groomed hill with other routes to make routes up to 35kms long. Makes zero sense for me to bring my 86mm findrs, I'm gonna be on mr48 or e99, and I want to tele them

[fisheater]

I have an MT 51 which is similar to the MR 48. It’s just not a turning ski at all. My Gamme has some rocker, it will bend a bit, the edge engages and I rotate my uphill ski. It definitely finishes as a Telemark turn. The MT 51 has a noodle tip, no engaging that. It doesn’t turn, period. Now in ideal conditions, could I make turns that utilized rotation and skidding, yes I could. So if you wanted a ski to ski tracks, and there were downhills that were nicely groomed, you could utilizing lots of rotation and skidding, make nice Telemark turns.
To me that isn’t really turning, because you’re not bending the ski. However I do it a lot on my Gamme, sneaking in knee drops wherever I can. I enjoy it too. It’s a lot harder to do on the MT 51, but that’s my track ski. Floppy tips, stiff underfoot, great for tracks, not for turns.