How to Telemark Ski

In 1868, Sondre Norheim introduced the telemark turn in front of a crowd at a ski-jump competition. Today, telemark skiing is a sport with rising standards and popularity.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ski Clothing
• Telemark Ski Equipment

1. Start sliding down a gentle slope in a balanced stance with feet shoulder- width apart.

2. 

   Flex the ankles, knees and waist slightly toward the ground.

3. Initiate a turn by bending one knee close to the ground and sliding the same foot back. Bending the left knee will result in a left turn, for example.

4. Slide the other foot forward.

5. 

   Reach and plant the left ski pole downhill and to the left of your body when turning left. Plant the right pole when turning right.

6. 

   Steer both feet by rotating your hips, ankles and knees in the direction you want to go. Use your planted pole as a marker by which to turn around.

7. Maintain equal weight on the uphill edges of both skis.

8. 

   Extend your ankles, knees and waist upward at the end of the turn.

9. Switch feet, plant the opposite pole and initiate a turn in the other direction.

Tips & Warnings

• It is a good idea to start on gentle terrain and be able to perform a wedge stop.
• For more control and better balance, slide the front foot out no more than 18 inches from the back foot.
• Practice turning one way, stopping, and turning the same direction several times to get a feel for it - then practice in the other direction.
• Once you get the hang of the telemark turn, it should look and feel smooth, resembling Michael Jackson's moonwalk.

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[TerryNNevada]

on 12/25/2007 I have to disagree with the comment regarding rotation of hips in the direction you want to go (step 6).

The most consequential lessons I ever received directed me to keep my hips facing down the fall line. Otherwise I tended to over turn and end up facing nearly uphill.

Another trick was to pinch the top of the hip on the outside of the turn into the ribcage above it. This really helps to keep the body facing downhill while at the same time getting a really good edge carved on the outside ski. Those two things can turn a beginner into a very good intermediate telemarker.