Episode 05: Interview with Dickie Hall from NATO Telemark

vintage gear

Dickie is a hall of fame first pick in the telemark scene. It is said he has taught more poeple how to telemark than anybody on the planet. He is the founder of the North American Telemark Organisation or NATO and organiser of the North American Telemark Festival in Mad river Glen who is celebrating its 40th aniversary this year. And the list goes on…

Let’s meet one of the most influencial character of the telemark scene in North America in the last… did I say 40 years!

dickie hall
Dickie split snow

An example ogf what Dickie Hall early season war machine might look like.

alaska with NATO

Going to Alaska before people where going to Alaska to ski.

TELEMARK TUTORIALS

VIDEO LESSONS that will change your skiing

Links talked in this Episode:

NATO, Dickie’s organisation, home of all clinics, trips and more

Killington ski resort

Pico ski resort. Where Dickie had the first telemark festival.

The NATF, The Mother of ALL festival, the 40th aniversary will be just awesome. Put it on your calendar, March 7-8 2015

Mad River Glen, 100% wild, 100% mad

Le Massif

Backcountry skiing next to my house, Jacques-Cartier National Park

Catamount Trail

Brian Mohr & Emily Jonhson from the Adventure Skier

Rasta: Rochester Area Sport Trail Alliance

 

Music for the show:

Marc-André Béliveau interview by TGR

KarhuTitan

The original telemark skis with Edges, Karhu Titan.

dickie single chair

The Famous single chair at Mad River Glen.

Episode 04: Interview with Devon Wright

devon racing

Devon Wright is a telemark racer on the US national team and a solid freerider. In his early twenty’s, his goal is to telemark around the world and to compete in what he describes the best competitive community on the planet. Telemark tribe, join us in this awesome story, with one of the best telemark skier on the planet

Show your love, SUBSCRIBE, rate and review

devon powder

SEE OUR TELEMARK LESSONS

TUTORIALS that will change your skiing

Link mentionned in this episode:

US telemark ski team

Alta ski resort

Niseko ski resort

Rusutsu ski resort

Portillo ski

Wasatch weather forecast

Kare Anderson

Share your love for Devon:

Devon’s website (great place to help Devon funding for the season)

Big thanks to his sponsor’s

Scarpa

Flylow

Atomic skis

Podcast 03: Interview With Craig Dostie, Telemark Skier

cdostie_17may11

In this episode, I interview Craig, a telemark passionate, but more than anything a backcountry enthusiast. He runs a website called EarnYourTurns.com and a forum, BackcountryTalk.com

Craig is a reference in telemark gear. His reviews are well documented and renowned. In the end, Craig ends up being a super passionate person and a true story teller. Embark with us in his journey to a quarter century of BC and Telemark experience.

TELEMARK TUTORIALS

Videos that will change your skiing

 Links talked in the episode:

The original Alpine touring binding: The ramer

The Sierra High Route

First plastic telemark boot : Terminator

Telemark Tech System (TTS)

First free pivot: the 7tm

We talked about a lot of binding models, See Craig’s binding review

 Telemark prophets:

Steve Barnett

Allan Bard

Dickie Hall

Super Athletes:

Geoff Clark 

Jake Sakson

Destination:

The selkirk

Reach Craig

Website: EarnYourTurns.com

Forum: BackcountryTalk.com

Music for the show:

Thanks to Marc-Andre Beliveau. See his music on Itunes

Interview with Pierre Mouyade, Founder of The M Equipment

Meidjo interview feature ima

In this episode, we meet with a true product developer. Fortunately for us, his cousin introduced him to telemark. The first thing he realized, the bindings on the market where not the sport’s greatest assets. Discover the Meidjo, the new binding that is a cross over between NTN and TTS.

the Meidjo resize

TELEMARK TUTORIALS

Videos that will change your skiing

Links from the episodes:

Pierre’s web site The-M-Equipment, the Meidjo binding

Telemark Pyrennees, online telemark store : See the Meidjo for sale

Frank Telemarcoeur from telemarcoeur.com

Meidjo telemark festival: one cool telemark festival

Seb Mayer, Pro Telemark skier

 

Music for the show:

Thanks to Marc-Andre Beliveau. See his music on Itunes

Videos of the Meidjo binding

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prodimg4979
prodimg4978

Telemark Podcast is Live: Episode 001

podcaster Rene

Welcome to the Absolute Telemark Tips Podcast,

It is here to talk about telemark skiing, interviewing community leaders, talking about equipment, telemark tips and more. My goal is simple, get as many people talking about telemark. Through out my many years as a telemark skier, one thing as always came out, the telemark community is just awesome. Discover all there is about the latest trends, the best places to go, the best athletes, the history of telemark through are awesome guests. I will also answer your questions what ever your level and ability. Telemark is full of passionate people, this is theTelemark Tribe I want you to discover.

Rene-Martin

banner for podcast 1

In this first episode, I will tell you my passion for telemark and where it comes from. This is simply to present the podcast format.

We will talk about:

  • What is telemark skiing
  • The great Telemark community which I like to call the Telemark Tribe
  • My history, how I got hooked on telemark
  • What’s to come in futur episodes

You can help this show by sharing this post on the web ANd by commenting below.

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, please ask

Also, when the episode is going to be accepted on Itunes, I will put a link so that you can leave a review and (hope fully a good) rating.

Spread telemark. Love the telemark tribe.

NEXT EPISODE IS FRIDAY OCTOBER 24TH

A new NTN and TTS telemark Binding made in France: The M Equipement

M-equipement-photoprototype resize

I hope you are well seated.

This is the most exiting news I’ve seen this year. Damn, in years.

A true, one piece TTS binding with Step in and Release capacities.

A prototype is starting to hit the French Alps, The M Equipment (www.the-m-equipment.com) as just release this prototype. It’s an Hybrid of the NTN system and the Tech system used in TTS. It looks just amazing.

If I had to describe a perfect Telemark binding, the M equipment would be pretty close

  • Great downhill stiffness,
  • Tech touring capacities,
  • Step in,
  • Ski brakes (not on the prototype),
  • Releasable,
  • Light,
  • Crazy light,

<a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/absolute-telemark-tips-podcast/id935522187?mt=2&uo=4″ target=”itunes_store” style=”display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;background:url(https://linkmaker.itunes.apple.com/htmlResources/assets/en_us//images/web/linkmaker/badge_subscribe-lrg.png) no-repeat;width:135px;height:40px;@media only screen{background-image:url(https://linkmaker.itunes.apple.com/htmlResources/assets/en_us//images/web/linkmaker/badge_subscribe-lrg.svg);}”></a>

See this video to get STOCKED

And at (less than) 800 grams, it’s not light, it’s ridiculously light.

 

But there is more than weight to a telemark binding.

 

RIP WITH OUR TELEMARK TUTORIALS

Videos that will change your telemark

How does it ski ?

The prototype was tried by my good friend Frank from Telemarcoeur.com

Frank was called by a guy he’d never hear of to meet in a parking lot to see his new telemark binding prototype. Pierre Mouyade, engineer, and telemark skier had the next big thing to show. What a surprise Frank had. He couldn’t wait to try them on. He manage to borrow a pair of Scarpa TX pro (which he found too soft for the binding !) and of he went to La Meije to try the M Equipment prototype (see the original review here, use Google Translate if you don’t understand French)

Because Google Translate has it’s limits here’s a summary. He describes the binding as a very good prototype, very close to the final version. Frank was impressed by the feeling, very close to the NTN, coupled with the touring capacities of a Tech binding. he noted the attention to details on the prototype, he liked the step-in, the 6 holes mounting pattern and the great touring efficiency of the Tech toe piece. On the down side, the binding was not a good match for the Scarpa TX pro, the boot was too soft. Seb Mayer, a pro telemark skier from La Grave also tried the binding with the Crispi EVO boots and did not have that problem. In the end, both Telemark skiers  loved the binding.

 

M-equipement-photo-pierre1

Pierre Mouyade – Engineer and inventor

 

If the commercial version can deliver, my prediction is that this is most probably the Editor’s choice of next year in many reviews.

We will try to get in touch with Pierre for more details so stay tuned…

 

UPDATE: Introducing Meidjo

We reached Pierre again and good news for all those of us who are waiting for the commercial version, the Meidjo

It is now in production and it will be launched on November 1st.

Check out our interview with Pierre here

Check our blog for more info, Pierre promised to give us so scoops in the next fews weeks

in the meanwhile check out the m-equipment website for this

presentation-en-Meidjo

 

 

[ois skin=”M Equipment”]

Telemark FLAW #1

beginnner

Hello Telemark enthusiast,

The Telemark Foundation subscription are well under way. TODAY is your last chance to get in the most complete telemark tutorial program ever presented on the WEB

The Foundation is built around the 7 FLAWS that are killling your telemark technique
Let’s see what is Flaw #1
Don’t forget that you have until TODAY 11:59 PM to subscribe

>> Click Here to get newson the next TELEMARK FOUNDATION opening <<

When asked what the Foundation could help solve, here are some ideas  some of you shared:

«I had the most problem with equal weighting – getting enough weight onto the inside ski. This issue always resurfaces when I start to get tired, and I can see/feel my inside ski flapping about. I now know that when I feel this instability on the inside, I need to focus on pressing on that little toe but it took me a long time to work this out. The second biggest issue I had was ‘poodling’ – all the pictures from my first winter show a 3′ gap between my feet – seeing pictures and videos of myself helped fix that one.»

The Telemark Foundation will reveal the 7 flaws that is killing your telemark technique. Improving only one of these flaws will improve dramatically your telemark technique, guaranteed.

It is the first time that I will reveal those flaws, as it’s always been kind of my little secret. I use it to analyze  what people need to improve. I’ve been successfully using this approach for 15 years now.

There is actually nothing like this on the web right now.

«Fear of change is probably the biggest challenge for most people. Not for me though, I embraced telemark fully and learned quickly. Now my biggest fear is being able to make quality, in control turns when the terrain is steep and narrow and conditions are tricky.»

Spots are limited

Because of the personalize approach, their is ONLY 20 open spots. The Telemark Foundation is now closed

This first version of the Foundation is going to be unique. As Founding members you will get more for your money than we will ever give,  promise.

 

>> Click Here to get news on the next TELEMARK FOUNDATION Opening <<

The Telemark Foundation

cover foundation

-Update- click here to check the up to date tutorials including the 7 flaws

The First Telemark Members have graduated!

I’m really proud of the first class of members we had.

 

Registrations are closed for now but a new class will be up in November 2015.

If you want to be part of it, Don’t miss your chance and register to our Telemark Foundation newsletter. We’ll keep you posted.

If you have any questions, please ask away at info@absolutetelemark.com

 

 

In  the 15 years I’ve have been teaching telemark skiing, I’ve always though we could do better. I Love telemark festivals for the buzz they create around our sport. But I always felt like we couldn’t serve the community on a regular basis. What if life could be a every day festival ?

 

In my last post, I revealed my new Project:
The Telemark Foundation

In my quest to make a better difference in the telemark community, I’m launching a project where you can REALLY improve your telemark skills.

And in the little survey about what you want to accomplish, you said that your biggest fears or problems were:

  • The main challenges for learning telemark is learning to balance yourself on a good centered position while always being in movement. No fear at all, just gliding down a mountain on a pair of telemark skis is something worth more than a million $$$$.
  • My main problem with learning tele, other than lack of opportunity to ski, is weighting my back foot properly. Biggest fear is that I will fall wrong and wreck my knee.

And maybe the most revealing

  • Very limited opportunities to ski with other skilled skiers and to continue improving skills and knowledge to continue improving. Biggest fear is to lose the motivation

More precisely, I was ask to solve these different problems:

  • getting enough weight onto the inside ski. This issue always resurfaces when I start to get tired,
  • failure and not being as good as in alpine skiing
  • being able to do fast sharp powerful turns and mastering the stance and keeping it on steep icy run and glades
  • not falling and getting a knee injury
  • not having a good first experience.
  • on steep terrain, on my weak side, I have issues committing to the lead change.
  • how to land after jumps

 

  • and even...icy bumps in the steeps

What a challenge…

So here I though that in front of a big problem, WE need a great solution.

As I said, I’m going all out in giving YOU all the secrets that have always guided my teaching, the 7 flaws of telemark.

In these seven flaws, I will cover all the flaws one telemark skiers can have from beginner to expert. In fact, every flaw is affecting your technique in one way depending on your skills, the terrain and the snow condition.

 

The project is going a personalize program:

The Telemark Foundation

>> Click Here to register to the TELEMARK FOUNDATION <<

The Telemark Foundation will reveal the 7 flaws that is killing your telemark technique. Improving only one of these flaws will improve dramatically your telemark technique, guaranteed.

It is the first time that I will reveal those flaws, as it’s always been kind of my little secret. I use it to analyze  what people need to improve. I’ve been successfully using this approach for 15 years now.

There is actually nothing like this on the web right now.

 

This is the intro video of the 7 flaws.

Wednesday, I will post the first flaw, for FREE

Spots are limited

Because of the personalize approach, their is ONLY 20 open spots.

This first version of the Foundation is going to be unique. As Founding members you will get more for your money than we will ever give,  promise.

Subscriptions are NOW OPEN andcloses Thursday, February 20th at 11:59 pm
The Program is now closed, subscribe here to get all the news regarding the next group
 

HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

  • This program will be over 5 weeks starting Friday February 28th and ending April 8th
  • I will disclosure the 7 flaws and tell you what is your main flaw. (week 1 and 2)
  • I will not only tell you what your main flaw is, but I will accompanied you through out the way with exercise for you. I will provide detailed tutorials just for you what ever your level, to solve at least one of your flaws.
  • I will ask you to film yourself telemark skiing, analyze your technique and provide personalize exercises that will really make the difference. (week 1 and Week 4)
  • I will answer two of your questions through high quality videos just for you. (Week 2 and 5)

DISCLOSURE
We will set precise date for our communications, especially at week 2, 4 and 5. Communication will be by Google Hangout and email.

  • because of my busy schedule; skiing, having a family, traveling,
  • because of the amount of work required to help you as much as humanly possible
  • because this has never been done, I want to take extra care and time to set this right. I want you to understand that this is a complete program that will need your full participation.
  • as with all our products, the Telemark Foundation is covered by our 100% money back guaranteed. Note, because of the teamwork associated with a personalized coaching program, I will ask for a detailed reason for your withdraw of the program. I’m very confident that this is going to be just awesome AND I want seriously dedicated telemark enthusiast to joint

BONUS

  • You will get every tutorials we have ever made. (Beginner, Fast track and Fakie)
  • I will give you a step by step check list of the exercises and abilities you need to practice
  • And some surprises

What will the program cost

  • It costs 497$. 

  • As I said, I’m going all out. Considering that I charge 100$ for a one hour of private lesson, I think it’s a pretty good deal.
  • When I compare the price people pay for equipment and lift access, I’m very comfortable of the small investment this program is.
  • You have to understand that this first group will be founding members. This will be a first for me. I’m really motivated to create something for real people that I can interact with.
  • This is going to be a one time founding group. It will never be repeated, especially for this price.
  • Place are limited to 20.
  • You have until Thursday to register

My project revealed

mur en cross

Finally, I’m ready to announce my project I have been talking about for like two weeks now.
And I’m telling you I’m going all out.
If you have been reading this newsletter, you know that it all started by a little disappointment from my part. I want absolute telemark to have a greater impact…

I though of organizing a telemark festival, but it would only affect the people around Quebec (I will still do that but that’s another story)

I thought of organizing a day of clinics, to introduce women to telemark. Same problem (I will also do it anyways… :)

And then it kind of came with your input. We need to go to a hole new level…

The project is going a personalize program:

The Telemark Foundation

The Telemark Foundation will reveal the 7 flaws that is killing your telemark technique. Improving only one of these flaws will improve dramatically your telemark technique, guaranteed.

It is the first time that I will reveal those flaws, as it’s always been kind of my little secret. I use it to analyze  what people need to improve. This is no , I’ve been successfully using this approach for 15 years now.

There is actually nothing like this on the web right now.

I told you I would make a free product just for you so I will reveal the first flaw for free
To be honest with you, when I said that, I never though I would make this program. But a promise is a promise.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

  • This program will be over 5 weeks.
  • I will disclosure the 7 flaws and tell you what is your main flaw
  • I will not only tell you what your main flaw, but I will accompanied you through out the way with exercise for you. I will provide detailed tutorials just for you what ever your level, to solve at least one of your flaws.
  • I will answer two of your questions through high quality videos just for you.
  • I will finally ask you to film yourself telemark skiing, analyze your technique and provide personalize exercises that will really make the difference.
  • I will give you a personalize email and a phone number so that you can reach me almost every hour of the day

BONUS

  • You will get every tutorials we have ever made.
  • I will give you a step by step check list of the exercises and abilities you need to practice
  • And some surprises

What will the program cost:

  • It’s going to cost 97$.
  • As I said, I’m going all out. Considering that I charge 100$ for a one hour of private lessons , I think it’s a pretty good deal.
  • You have to know that this first group will be founding members. This will be a first for me. I’m really motivated to create something for real people that i can interact with.
  • This is going to be a one time founding group. It will never be repeated, especially for this price.

Spots are opening Next Monday.

Because of the personalize approach, there is a very limited number of places available.

Early Birds: If you want to reserve your spot, you can email me at info@absolutetelemark.com

Until then, we are expecting a big snowstorm, so I’ll be gone skiing.
Can’t wait for Monday…

Rene-Martin