DH vs. Telemark

Everybody is different.

I personally didn't see the need to tele. But that's just me. I'm having to much fun do what I'm doing. I don't feel the need to try something new.

There are other things I'd rather do.

You mean I'm working harder and going slower than some one skiing DH!? Thanks for telling me, I feel so foolish. (Don't wait for me.) I wonder why nobody noticed that telemark was more physically demanding and slower than DH before. How do you think it compares to SL or GS? I'm guessing Daron Rahlves works harder skiing DH than I do telemarking, but maybe he got sold some hype too. How about running DH on telemark gear? Maybe you should try that before jumping to any conclusions!

Boy, that didn't take long.

Don't get me wrong, I have friends who tele, and do admire someone who can do it well. They are a joy to watch.

It's just not something I want to do. I'm just lazy.

You got it, Max! If you're having too much fun, don't tele. If you can stand to have more fun, do it. Or snowboard, that's more fun than DH. Try something new, Max. It keeps you young. It will make your alpine skiing better too. I bet AT posted some of his best DH results after he spent a few hours on tele gear. It will develop balance fast and muscles (somewhat slower), both useful for DH and recreational alpine skiing.

I had to do it over I would go with AT instead of tele but that is a lot of water under the bridge. I started a switch from alpine to tele in the 70's and tele about as well as I alpine.

If I am doing alpine turns on tele gear I do not find it to be any more work unless the skis are not sliding all that well like sticky snow or deep crud.

I find I use more energy doing tele turns than alpine turns. That's probably why 90% or better of my turns on tele gear are alpine turns.

That said my first impression when I jump back onto alpine gear is "Man the sht is way to good. I could probably run over a body and wouldn't notice". Its simple, the feedback from alpine gear vs telemark gear is the difference from driving a 1974 U haul truck to a Porche. On tele gear I can tune in and notice every little mistake or just tune into the total feedom and smoothness centered balance has to offer. On the alpine gear I can be more aggressive without a noticeable penalty.

If I am tired or slipping into the "Hey guys watch this" mode, I want to be on alpine gear. If I am working on my own skiing or I am more in the classical music type mode, I want tele gear.

Well said, #44! But why would you give that all up (if you could start over)? AT!? That's instead of the chairlift. An alternate way to go uphill, not an alternate way to go downhill, like telemark. Basically you are saying you would have just skied fixed heel only, driving the Porsche and skiing to Bach was a mistake you made a long time ago and can't stop now??

I would never switch back to my alpine gear... it is way too boring. Sure I can go faster and it isn't as demanding physically, but that doesn't mean it is more fun to me personally. Other than huge speed I never feel like there is something I can't do tele that I can alpine anyways.

Plus our boots are way more comfortable. =P

Take this one step further. If I had to learn to ski today I probably would not. The effort and pain would be more than I was realistically willing to endure. I have not learned to snowboard for this reason. I am no stranger to pain and low energy, I just don't volunteer as readily for it as I use to.

I remember my first day on telemark and it was some serious pain. I was bored at Snowbird and looking for some excitement. I noticed a couple of obvious tree huggin gorp eaters on tele gear in the Gad Chutes area and got in their face as to how to ski that kind of terrain on x country gear. They informed me I was missing tele and since I was an obvious gaper that couldn't possilbly measure up that if I wanted to try it, I should go down to a shop in Sandy and rent the gear. They informed me that it really wasn't much different and that I should have no trouble.

Well, I was off to rent the gear. Low cut Merrill comps and skinny Rossi's with Chouinard three pin bindings and metal edges. Wow, cool. Lets go to a whimp resort like Solitude and do some skiin eh. I took a lift to the top that only services black diamond terrain. Never been on the damn things mind you but WTF how hard can it be.

By the time that I reached the bottom two and a half hours later my toes felt like they had been bent backwards and broken, my knees were black and blue with cuts, my chin and elbows felt like I had been dragged behind a red neck pickup truck and I could no longer stand. In addition I was emaciated due to lack of beer for two and a half hours. My buds were disgusted with me and ask me if I had learned my lesson and had enough. The only thing I could do was crack a smile and say "I gots to get me some of this here telemark gear fur my own! What a rush, far out man". Visa plastic and the rest in history.

I can assure you I would not approach it in the same arrogant fashion today.

DH? What is DH?

AT gear is far more efficient for climbing and traversing than Telemark gear.

Sold a lot of hype? Who's selling hype? Where are these hype sellers that you speak of?

I know there's hype in here ...I can smell it.

He is speaking to me. Telerod knows I presently hike as far as the base of the ski lift so your argument is mute.

Don't forget your suspenders, eh?

Vs????

Tele Vs Alp? Alp Vs Tele?????

In their final executions are both enjoyable and notable art forms,...
Why not embrace both of them and broaden your "mastery" of winter sport. Efforts at gaining proficiency in one only improves your strengths in the other!
I "alp" in the mornings and tele in the afternoons when area conditions have deteriorated to a degree. Talk about improving!!!! You also get legs like a telephone pole!!!!!
Serious,,,try it and the next time someone brings up the subject,,,"I do both"!!!!!!!!

If I was going to access the back country I would have already switched from tele to AT gear so I could be in good company with the rest of the cheaters. (In a deep condescending voice) Oh I just can not resist taking the high ground. Especially since its a armchair assault.

Hype can be rather hard to find when just sniffing for it. Unless you are on Tell-E-Mark Equipment only ! Seven, now you should know, that you can only be sold Hype. But seriously, I never understood why people tele unless they are trying to skin somewheres. Then I found out about Alpine Touring. I was truly at a loss for reasons on why people would tele after that discovery Like they say though, "Different strokes for different folks". I really do enjoy watching a good tele skier tear shit up hardcore catching air and all. That is SWEET; Good stuff

If you cannot understand I betcha never skied here in Ohiya. And Air? WTF is that! Man just thinking about that makes me wanna grab for the bottle of glucosomine and chondritin.

So freakin' stupid it's not even worth commenting on.

No Pierre, you are correct. I have never skied ohiya and never will. Though I visit relatives who live close to toledo Ohio and in Ida Michigan. Non winter visits, no time, have to ski. I do love the walleye fishing on Lake Erie though
Yes Indeed

My Tecinca Fire's are very comfortable thank you.

DH is not just about going fast. It's the total experience. It's trying to perfect your balance and being able to ski any conditions at any time in control. It's the challenge of trying to ski the very edge of the trail when all the snow is piled up there from all the other skiers pushing it over there. Trying to ski it slow, make all your turns in a area no wider then your skis are long, do it while trying to keep your balance and be two footed. Years ago I could never ski in that type of snow and used to envy those that could. Now I love doing that drill.

It's about being at the top and looking out at the view, notice how it changes every run on an overcast day. It's about being with friends who you only see in winter. It's about getting to the same place at the same time with said friends with out ever planning to meet there.

It's about watching your kids and the children of other friends grow up on the hill and move on into life. Last weekend I skied with a friends son, junior in college, I'm 51y/o we had a great time.

Not saying that can't happen with Tele, but I have so many happy times at Okemo it's hard to move on.

As #7 points out, AT is better for the skinning and as #44 implies, AT is better for the descent too. What they also know is that telemark not only looks sweet, it feels sweet. The "SWEET; Good stuff " is why. #15.

Pierre, I hear you about not choosing to ski if you had known better. That makes a lot of sense but I don't believe a word of it.

I loved your story about your first time heel free. I knew I was reading a tall tale as soon as I got to "...bored at Snowbird...".

"...emaciated from no beer for several hours..." was real funny too... I'm calling it a tall tale but I believe every word...

Powdr, too easy? Oh well, I'm hopeless when they troll the "why tele" bait. "Why ask why? Drink Budwieser"...

Seven, DH is the longest, fastest discipline in alpine ski racing. I think free heel bindings are prohibited in FIS sanctioned alpine ski races to make it fair.

DH IS only about going fast. It sounds like you are describing recreational skiing not downhill which is a VERY FAST event. Recreational skiing is much better on free heel bindings for all the reasons you mention in this soulful post and for the reasons others have stated. Free heel skiing enhances all those experiences. Oh has anyone mentioned "more soulful" yet ?

Ohhhh, Bend Over man

I'm punching the next hippy who starts talking to me just because we both tele.

How will you know that's why she's talking to you?

Same lame discussion that crops up every year on every board. :
"...what I do is the best yadda yadda yadda...''
''....tele sucks..."
"...no alpine sucks..."
"...tele is slower than alpine yadda yadda yadda...."
"....ok but tele is more efficient for touring yaddda yaddda yaaadda...."
"...no it's not yadaaa, yadda,yaaadda,...."

It's all good if it's done well and you have fun doing it, weather it be alpine, freeheel , monoski, snowboard IT'S ALL GOOD

I think you missed the point of this thread. It's about DH skiing as in Alpine skiing vs Telemark not DH racing. I know the difference. A young friend that goes to Burke Academy and is out in Western Canada now for Nor-Am's doing 85% of her races in DH and SG this season.

I'm not sure, but I think I have said it before:
Can someone please explain why it is better to ski efficently? Don't you ski because it's fun?! I do, and I find Teleing more fun, so I tele.

If I wanted to put tracks in the pow as efficiently as I could, I'd buy a snowmachine! There's no way a skier, even if he's on AT gear, can track out a pow-field as fast as I can on a sled!

C'mon! How cares if you enjoy the snow on skis with fixed heels, floppy heels or even sliding sideways?

BTW, didn't we have this discussion not long ago?

Pierre, your Tele turns are solid. I saw you in Ootah and you don't need to cheat. So why switch to AT for BC travel if not for more efficiency?