How To Telemark Ski

You've been interested in learning how to telemark ski. Telemark skiing, also known as free heel skiing, focused around the telemark turn. This will allow skiers to have greater control over their movements. Telemark skiing originated in Sweden in the late 1800s. In the 1900s, North Americans adopted this sport and used it on the ski slopes. Telemark skis have the tendency to be lighter and are a bit more flexible than alpine skis. Learning how to telemark ski can be a challenge, but there are no limits to what you can do or where you can ski with telemark skis.

To telemark ski you need:

• Telemark skis
• Ski clothing

1. Get into position. As you begin sliding down a slope, get into a balanced stance by having your feet shoulder width apart. Make sure your waist, knees and ankles are flexed slightly going towards the ground.
2. Initiate a turn. To begin a turn, bend one knee close towards the ground while sliding the same foot as knee back. Next, slide the other foot forward. If you want to make a right turn, bending the right knee will allow you to turn right and vise versa for a left turn.
3. Position your pole and body to assist with your turn. For a right turn, reach out and plant the right pole downhill and to the right of your body. If you are making a left turn, plant the left pole when turning. Next, steer both feet by rotating your hips, knees and ankles in the direction that you want to go in. You can use your planted pole as a marker to help you when your turn around.
4. Initiate a turn in the opposite direction. To keep your balance, maintain equal weight on the edges of both skis. To end the turn, extend your knees, ankles and waist upward. To initiate a turn in the other direction, switch feet and plant the opposite pole.