How to Use Plastic Skins for Telemark Skiing

One of the advantages of telemark skiing is that you can actually climb up skiable slopes on your skis. Just add plastic skins to your skis and up you go.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ski Clothing
• Telemark Ski Equipment
• Telemark Ski Skins

1. Purchase a set of plastic telemark ski skins from a ski store or Web site.

2. Unroll the skins and face the ridges down so that they will be in contact with the snow. The smooth side will be next to the bottom of the skis.

3. Place the plastic loop that is connected to one end of the skins over the tip of the ski. The other end of the skins will have a metal hook attached.

4. Adjust the length of the skin with the cinch buckle near the plastic loop, so that the length of the skin is a few inches shorter that the ski.

5. Pull the skin down so that it stretches and the metal hook fits over the tail of the ski. When plastic skins are stretched, uni-directional ridges form - this allows the skis to slide forward but not backward. These ridges resemble alligator skin.

6. Buckle the elastic belts of the skin across the skis. There are usally two near the center - they keep the middle of the skin in contact with the base of the ski.

7. Put the skis on and climb.

Tips & Warnings

• Tie a piece of string around the metal hook at the bottom of the skin. This way you have something to pull on when you stretch the skin down the ski.
• Telemark skiing is a physically demanding sport that could result in serious injury. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.

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