How do you describe telemarking?

Here's a very little known fact: Silas is a secret telemarker, which explains why he's keeping quiet in this thread.

In fact, Silas has been conducting his own cutting-edge, hi-tech R&D on a revolutionary new tele binding system, which is nearly ready for field testing (in secret, of course).

The attached photo, from an unnamed and probably NDA-violating source, provides the world's first look at the revolutionary design of this new binding. The binding's OS is said to be based on the Mac iOS and to provide not only real-time adjustment of tension, based on instantaneous analysis of the snow conditions directly underfoot, but also real-time deep snowpack analysis of possible avalanche layers directly underfoot and to have full iPhone functionality built in, including hands-free calling while doing turns.

Can your so yesterday AT rig do all of that??

Please remember: you did not hear this from me.

SOUNDS GREAT!!!!!! Does it also make it snow blower powder?

Here's a very little known fact: Silas is a secret telemarker, which explains why he's keeping quiet in this thread.

In fact, Silas has been conducting his own cutting-edge, hi-tech R&D on a revolutionary new tele binding system, which is nearly ready for field testing (in secret, of course).

The attached photo, from an unnamed and probably NDA-violating source, provides the world's first look at the revolutionary design of this new binding. The binding's OS is said to be based on the Mac iOS and to provide not only real-time adjustment of tension, based on instantaneous analysis of the snow conditions directly underfoot, but also real-time deep snowpack analysis of possible avalanche layers directly underfoot and to have full iPhone functionality built in, including hands-free calling while doing turns.

Can your so yesterday AT rig do all of that??

Please remember: you did not hear this from me.

I'm tempted to get a 3 pin setup for the novelty. I'd still be faster than the knuckle draggers.

Superloops - almost forgot about those!  Old skool!   But I was happy to have 'em

Telemark opened up a world of terrain and possibilities for me back in the early 80? Robbie Fuller, an AAI instructor blew me away gracefully linking tele turns down a powder filled bowl near Teton Pass with Europa 99s and pins. 

Lighten up!

It's a turn, not a religion.

I started downhill skiing on nordic skis after my right tibia was shattered, from knee to ankle, by an AK-47 round in Vietnam in 1968.  After many months in heavy plaster casts, I was told that if I ever broke my right tibia again, it would mean amputation (which was threatened all during the many months after the original Tet Offensive wound).  I spent a lot of time researching, in very old books of course, how to ski downhill on nordic skis, and did so, in New England in the late sixties, and then in the Canadian Rockies in the early seventies.  When I took lifts up to summits in the Canadian Rockies, it was not unusual for a ski patrol person to jump on the chair with me, to make sure I got down in one piece--which I did, via stem christies, in three-pin bindings.

And then I met up with Steve Barnett and John Fuller and others, here in Seattle in the 1970's, as the telemark turn made a revival.  I remember Steve asking me if I'd teach him nordic if he taught me telemark--which I also began researching telemark turns in very old books in the UW Libraries, where I was working.  It was also how I got the name Pierre Nordique, since I was definitely far more nordic than downhill.  When my wife took up downhill skiing, we took downhill lessons at Hyak and I was creeped out by stiff plastic downhill boots--what a great way to fracture a tibia, I thought, with yet another chance of amputation.  I went on to competing in telemark slalom competitions in Washington and British Columbia, against lots of far younger skiers, many of whom wore name tags as ski school directors.

Maybe this season I'll get out my old leather tele boots and old tele skis--and give it another try.  I REALLY miss it!  My brother in Michigan sent me his old plastic tele boots and I set up some short downhill skis and tele bindings, years ago, but one try at Ski Acres creeped me out--those tall plastic boots and heavy skis and bindings could put me back in amputation threat!

Like a lot of old skier/hikers, it comes down, sometimes, to giving up skiing (to avoid injuries) in order to continue hiking.   Tomorrow will be my 113th hike this year, with 655 miles of hiking so far this year, and over 197,000 feet of vertical gain, plus 112 rock climbing days--and today is my 72nd birthday!  And all on one very old right leg, knee (replaced in 2006) and right ankle (replaced last year)!