Happy New Year!
Yes, we finally closed the book on 2013 and made it to 2014; a new year and a fresh start. Leave the worries and troubles of the latest rotation around the sun in the past, because that’s what it is: the past. On to the future, and the future is bright. Bright with snow that is, as a winter storm bears down on the East Coast bringing winter conditions across the mid-Atlantic. Now is the time to kick start the resolution season by trying something new, getting outside, and hitting the slopes.
This weekend is the perfect opportunity to do all three. Get outside and hit the slopes at Timberline Resort in West Virginia on Saturday and take advantage of their Telemark Workshop and learn to telemark ski with the best of them. What’s old is new again in the world of telemark skiing. Here is an excerpt from an article we ran on telemark skiing last year (read the full story here):
“The basic telemark turn is made by doing the exact opposite that you have learned throughout your skiing career. In the parallel turn, your uphill ski is generally supposed to be in front of your downhill ski. This is not true for the telemark turn. If you want to turn to the right, you pull your right ski, uphill ski, back underneath your body, flexing at the forefoot and the knee. At the same time, your downhill ski, left ski, extends forward, flexing at the hip and knee. This is a similar motion to doing your simple lunge during that exercise class you hate. Oh, you don’t do lunges? Then you probably won’t get very far on telemark skis. The technique is virtually one lunge after another, except at speed, on snow. Interested now?
Since the technique has so many moving parts, tele skiers are free to experiment with the depth of their stance, their transition, and their balanced body movements, putting a personal stamp on each turn. The free heel of the binding allows for easy touring without changing the setup, permitting telemarkers the freedom to roam the hills for fresh tracks anytime. The very act of the turn, with its emphasis on fluid motion and connectivity, reminds one of other spiritual movements like tai chi— hence all the “free your mind” and “let go, just feel it” talk that purveys many tele conversations. This individuality, along with the funny boots, give telemarkers a camaraderie that may be missing from the alpine and snowboard sects.”
You can rent gear from Timberline or bring your own and the workshop is open to beginners and experts alike. Click here for more details.
See you on the slopes!
