Monthly Archives: "January 2020"

The Telemark History Ep2: The Evolution of skis and Bindings

This is my Telemark challenge for the season, going back in time with set ups from four different eras.

We will go from the 80s super long skis to today’s wide boards.

Telemark skiing has evolved so much and I’ve kept updating my gear all along.

I want to go back in time and see the advantages we might have lost along the way, or the benefits I get from the modern set ups we enjoy today.

For the 80s set up, we have the Atomic 210 cm ski, with a lot of camber, mounted with the Chili binding from Rottofella. Then, I found my original telemark skis and binding. It is the Karhu Hardbody 203 cm mounted with Rottofella 412, a front-loading binding. I will ride both skis with a Vasque leather boot.

For 90s setup, I have the X-scream from Salomon, a parabolic ski, with the very popular Voile release plate. I also have the Rossignol Big Bang, mounted on the Rainey SuperLoop binding. This ski/binding combo is mine and I have skied it 5-6-7 years, can’t remember. I will ride the Garmon Veloce with these skis.

For the 2000 setup, I have found the Karhu Kodiak, mounted on the 22designs Hammerhead. This is a short ski for me, but it should edge and carve very well. Not in the video, I will also add a Black Diamond AMP ski mounted on a Black Diamond O1 binding. This is a fat ski, very good for powder. I feel that this is the era where people started to buy more than one set up, and choose according to conditions. I will ride both skis with the super-powerful Crispi XR boot.

For the 2010 to today setups are all NTN based setup. We have the Black Diamond Route 88 mounted on the Bishop BMF-R binding. This is my day-to-day patrol ski. I also chose the Helio 105 from Black Diamond mounted with the 22designs Lynx. This is my setup for backcountry telemark and the one I use telemarking in the Chic-Chocs. I might also show you a few other setups I have that are different for that era, plus a surprise. I will ride those with the Crispi Evo WC telemark boot check out the full series for more fun on the telemark history gear review.

 

Telemark Gear Evolution Ep.1: Boots

This season, I will try to go back in time.

I will ski set ups equivalent to the ones I had 20+ years ago moving forward

in time to what I’m skiing today.

If you are a member of my newsletter, you know that I’ve started to mountain bike over the summer and this really inspired my to search for learning patterns.

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This is just a just chalenge I gave myself when I found those beautiful leather boots.

And my goal is to become good enough to patrol in those before the end of the season.

Here is the Equipment I will use:

Set up Vintage:

  • vasque leather boots.

Early 2000 set up

  • Garmont Veloce

2010 set up

  • Crispi XR

2020 set up

  • Crispi EVO WC

I will gatther skis in the next few days and present the different setups.

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Every week I get emails asking me about changing from a 20 year old setup to something new and for my advice.

I want to reconnect to those feelings and share my thought

It’s just that, for me, I’ve always changed gear and I remember skiing crazy lines at Whistler on my Tua 70mm skis, with my Scarpa T2’s and I want to know if gear really makes us better.