powda tele 0 Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Come on out all you free-heel minded people and make yourself known now the ski season is starting. Stand up! Speak out! Fight the tyranny of the mainstream! Anyway... Where are you? What are you riding? BC, resort, or park? Dedicated telemarker, or also boarder/alpine skier? Ride with other telemarkers, friends on other mediums, or are you a lone wolf? Did you start on teles, or are you a convert? Enjoy the new season. There's only 5 months of snow left. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Telemarker entering my fifth season, and slide with my girl, a recent convert. Previously (and still occasionally) a boarder, prefer BC but spent the last two (not so much time on the slopes) years training my partner and getting up to speed. Currently enjoying my new last season Vectorglide bolds w/G3 tit bindings... a beautiful, lightweight rig. This seaon, torn between Nagano/hokkaido, or just BCing it around lake Biwa... we:ll see how the season progresses... Link to post Share on other sites
quattro 1 Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Well been trying to tele since last season. Basicly I'm all screwed up some tele turns and some parllel turns. I just need to breakdown and take some lessons. Will figure it out one way or another. Convert from alpine. picked up some tele boards at the end of last season. Will probally retire the alpines. Link to post Share on other sites
Snowhaus 0 Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Telegirl going into my 4th season up here in Aomori. Mostly ski at Hakkoda with alpine and boarder mates, but try to keep up with some of the gun Japanese teleboys too (perve on their technique and fit bods ). Line motherships, G3 bindings, switched from Scarpas to Crispis last year (hallelujah!). Ski a mix of resort and BC, but all I'm doing at the moment is going up to the mountain and staring glumly at the grass " title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Been Teleing now for 7 seasons but still alpine when needed, trying to convert wife but no joy. Got K2 enemy with Hot Chilli bindings for skifeild and K2 Work Stinx with Chillis also for BC and Scarpa T1 that are badly beaten and need replacing but wife wont let me as Im poor. Still sucking abit in the Pow as we never had it this deep in NZ but givin it my best. Keen to get together with anyone who want to go out there (Mr Wiggles, Pull your finger out this season ) Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I spend lots of time reading (not posting) on TTips. You teles are a strange bunch ps - it is a real pitty that they lost so much massively valuable posting history after they got hacked. Link to post Share on other sites
powda tele 0 Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 Great to get some responses. I posted yesterday while working. Sun night now & I'm back from my first day out (Kiroro - Hokkaido). Average snow, but fantastic day with a boarding friend, and my girlfriend who teles (we met because I was 'desperate' to tele with someone else and a mutual friend hooked us up). As for me, I moved into tele from cross country years ago (pre-plastic, but I'm not as old as that sounds), but stopped for a long time. Took it up again a few seasons back and skiing better than ever. Love going BC, but happy to practice on piste. I just got a pair of twin tip Rossignol B2s (alpine ski) to learn a little park on, and to use in spring when you need the bite. I've been skiing Work Stinx back country, which rock in so many ways. I have to admit, I also just bought a pair of Seth Pistols for big mountain skiing, hucking stuff (got a lot to learn there!) and cruising the big powder. I'm just a beginner at all this park and hucking stuff. Lots to learn there! Often ski with a split boarding friend (love the contrasting styles) but stoked about tele-ing (how do you spell that?) with someone now I'm hooked up. Glad to hear there's a tele girl out there online as well. Hope we get a few more teles on this thread. I tried something similar last year and was shocked (scared) at the lack of responses. There must be a few of us out there. So how many of you read TelemarkTips? Yes, huge shame they lost so much in the hack job, but it's a great site (the web hub of teles?). I'm a frequent reader but never posted. Link to post Share on other sites
quattro 1 Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 Ttips is a great forum lots of good info. It's a shame that there are people who would destroy all the posts. So much stuff was lost. Mitch and Gwen did alot of work getting it back on line as fast as they did. I hope they take the measures to protect this site. I would hate to see it get hacked also. This has to be the best place for getting info about skiing Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
powda tele 0 Posted December 14, 2004 Author Share Posted December 14, 2004 I should have said I snowboarded for a season or two a couple of years ago, but now I'm back to 100% tele. Never had the heel locked in on skis, not even once. Don't really intend to either. I can't really parallel, but might learn this season. (Quatro - don't worry too much about mixing styles. Seems sensible to use every technique available to you, but it is sexy to telemark where you can.) If anyone's coming up Hokkaido way, let me know. And how do I put one of my pictures up as an avatar under my name? I want to use a picture that's saved on my computer. Any tips? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 Did they get hacked for the rossi scratch stuff that went on over there? Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 Volant PowerKarves, Red Chilis, Scarpa T1, all second-hand, with one dodgy ankle and two stiff knees that are all my own. At 184, the skis are probably too long for my non-existant skillz. I've only tele-ed a few half days so far, coz I twanged my ankle last season. I'm slowly changing from regular snowboarding. Can't ski to save my life. All I can say so far is that telemarkers definitely have the greatest variety of falls. My plan for this season is regular board for powder/hikes, and tele for the gelende getting in Telleboy's way and generally trying his patience. Some "get up early" days cutting up the corduroy on my borrowed hard boot snowboard setup would also be nice. I had one go last season and it was mint. Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Mr Wiggles, not long to wait now, hows the ankle so far this year? holding up? Anyone comin to Hakuba this year give me or the wiggleses an email and Im sure we can get a crew to go out there together. Link to post Share on other sites
IM 0 Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Where are you? I am living in Tokyo, Meguro What are you riding? Rossi T4, Cycho, Volkl Sanook w/ G3 BC, resort, or park? Powder season : BC Post Powder: BC and parks Dedicated telemarker, or also boarder/alpine skier? I do all of the above. Ride with other telemarkers, friends on other mediums, or are you a lone wolf? Mostly w/ borders and AT skiers. Did you start on teles, or are you a convert? Sking since 2.5 yrs old and a covnert. Link to post Share on other sites
powda tele 0 Posted December 15, 2004 Author Share Posted December 15, 2004 I learnt a HUGE load last season, and ready to learn more. If you're the kind who likes a serious instruction book, I recommend Paul Parker's Free Heel Skiing. It's the bible of telemarking, has been since it was written, and will be for many years. If you're into an irreverant approach, try Allen & Mike's Really Cool Telemark Tips. Basically ideas from Parker's tele bible, but explained simply in ways you can remember (with funky cartoons). Need to carve harder? Think of squashing grapes under the front foot big toe and the rear foot little toe. Too stretched out and need a tighter stance? Pinch an imaginary coin between your butt cheeks while you ski. That's the kind of book it is. I have both. Parker is good for depth. Al & Mike are good for visual ways to remember the tips. Both are good for beginner and experienced alike, and both are available at Amazon. Try ordering on the Japanese Amazon site as postage is free for most orders (at least, it is in Hokkaido where their office is). Telleboy - Do you take those Enemys into the park? Tried riding switch? They're two of my plans for this season and I got HEAPS to learn. Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Not very often, Im kind of a blouse when it comes to the park. Gave riding switch ago last season and will hopefully get better at it this year, I like the pipe but big kickers are not relly my deal, I prefer rock and cornice drops as the landings are generally softer than a tabletop, I hurt really easy these days. Quick question, How many of you out there wear knee pads? Me, Iwear them everyday, once saw a tele guy who shattered his patella (Knee cap) vertically, man this guy was just lying there screaming cos his knee folded the wrong way, must have messed him up for a long time. Link to post Share on other sites
IM 0 Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I wear them, yes. This season I bought a pair from Arcteryx. My other ones were too bulky, too hot and velcros messed up my long johns. Those pairs I can take them on/off with my pants on and no velcros. Link to post Share on other sites
quattro 1 Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 powdatele Did you ever make it to Rishiri Island last winter? I remember you asking about it. Link to post Share on other sites
crazyski 0 Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Busted my alpine boots last year in Niseko, so my really cheap, second hand tele setup got some use. Since I had just bought new alpines while in Sapporo (just before the Niseko trip), I broke down and bought new alpine boots while in Niseko. I wonder what the tele skills would be like if I sold those brand new skis and went tele 100%... So I've been tele-ing (sure, that's a word) since '01, and the days have been split about 70/30 alpine/tele since then. I made a bit of a breakthrough last season and had a really good time on the teles, at least on the groomed and in light pow. Skiin' on Pre M5Bs 185 (They're 11 years old), voile bindings and Garmont Veloce's. Paid US$180 for the bindings, and US$50 for the boots. Not bad for endless potential for fun... Link to post Share on other sites
powda tele 0 Posted December 17, 2004 Author Share Posted December 17, 2004 Nic comment Mr Wiggles re the variety of falls. The guy I usually head out with is a split boarder, and he often says he only goes with me to watch the crazy dynamic falls with gear pointing in all directions. Teleboy - I've never skied park, but I'm game this season. I'm interested in small kickers and half pipe, but really only to get my skills honed and see what I can transfer to the BC. I was hoping to get a few tips. Switch tele is a bit of a joke really, but it does look cool, so I'll give it a whirl. I don't wear knee guards, but I have been thinking about it. I don't really smack my knees, but I wear a helmet and could imagine running into a submerged branch BC. I kind of think if I went that way I'd wear the full tib-fib/knee guards motorcross guys wear (or something like that). Might be crazy though. Did I get to Rishiri, Quattro? Hell yeah. Last Golden Week, and it was awesome. Snow wasn't great (corn/ice) and very wild weather, but what a great trip on a big mountain with a good friend. Everything the BC is for me: friends, big trip, huge lines, commitment, great scenery, lots of laughs. There are some MONSTER lines up there. We're hoping to go back mid/late April this year to get better snow. It's puking down outside, though it's a little wet. Hope you guys down there get some of this. Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Man, its raining in Hakuba a whole 5 degrees, spewin that is not snowin yet, gonna head down to my workshop and drown my sorrows in beer while I tune Davos board and play with gear, Nothing else to do. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Telleboy - if you drop me your address, I'll takyukin you two pairs of tele sticks to tune up, just to save you from boredom you understand... (I'll pick 'em up after the weekend..._ Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Hey Yakman just PMed you. Link to post Share on other sites
Telleboy 0 Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Rain just turned to snow, big fat wet goopy flakes but lets hope it keeps up. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Thanks for the update... at ten past six I just finished my deadline, so now my holidays can start when I want. A good omen... maybe. Link to post Share on other sites
powda tele 0 Posted December 18, 2004 Author Share Posted December 18, 2004 Lots of wind and some snow/graupel up here at the moment. Finally took the slicks off my bike this morning and put on the winter (spiked) tyres. So much more fun on the ice. If I get everything done today, I'm off for two and a half weeks of skiing tomorrow. All Hokkaido based. Will drop in for two days of rest (oops - work) so PM if you're heading up and want to meet. Hope you get some dumps down in the south soon. It's not huge up here yet, but it's def skiable. Schralp on! Link to post Share on other sites
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