During the 19th century, a carpenter living in the province Telemark in Norway attributed the name of this region to his invention. The province, which is home to much more rugged terrain than elsewhere in the country, made traditional skiing impossible, the only means of transportation during the winter at that time. Thus, to be able to go to the nearest village via the hills, the carpenter invented an alternative technique that he called telemark and giving him shortened skis and equipped with a wasp waist, a groove under the sole as well as a wicker binding leaving the heel free. This success, certainly dazzling, was of short duration, because left aside at the end of the century in favor of more modern techniques from the big cities.
After having totally disappeared from the slopes for almost one century, telemark made his comeback in 1974. The great return of this technique of yesteryear took place after Scandinavians who emigrated to the United States discovered there postcards representative of his practice during a garage sale in 1971. It is also that the professional instructors returned to their country of origin to research. Some years later, the whole world discovered telemark.
Today, telemark allows us to descent on all kinds of snowy slopes. A good shape is necessary and also a certain level to practice it like traditional ski, this historic technique permits to glide with much fluidity to benefit of a feeling of speed and heightened gliding from the position adopted on the skis. The telemark fixations are necessary elements in the basic equipment and are installed on the skis in a way that the shoe snub can bend during a turn knowing that the turn in question can only be undertaken while kneeling.
It offers a big freedom in movement but it does impose a very good physical condition like doing an intense activity.
Telemark shoes are the basic element to do this. They need to be chosen with care and possess preferably a nuzzle in the front, keeping in mind that they need to fit the ski level. They also need to be relatively flexible and dispose of a good leather handle. You can find two systems: the 75 mm or the NTN with respectively the same types of fixations.
Special telemark skis exist. These, with regard to ordinary skis, permit facilitating amply the montage of the ski fixations.
Different models of telemark fixations can be used to be able to telemark. These are connected with the ski in the front of the shoe and the back. We can also find a point in the jaw or cable. Pay attention, the choice of fixations must be done with the type of ski you are going to use. They exist in two types, 75 mm or NTN. They also need to have a system of release.
For telemark, it is possible to go with ordinary ski poles, telemark poles are just as short as the ones usually used for alpine skiing.
It is possible to discover telemark in Tignes during long walks that are organized by the ski resort.
The resort in La Rosiere is known for its diverse activities like telemark where it is possible to start in a beautiful snowy landscape.
Val d’Isere, exceptional ski resort and known for its activities, and it offers numerous presentations on telemark.
Norway is naturally the place where you can find many ski resorts that offer telemark, because it originates from this country. It is also almost always possible to do this activity or start with a teacher.
