THIS SEASON: SKI WITH RENE-MARTIN

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Hello telemark tribe.

For this season, I have set myself some goals.

I do this every season.

This season, I want to experience the community like never before.

You have been so awesome supporting this website and I now feel that it has grown into something bigger.

During the winter, I get 20 or 30 emails a week specifically thanking me on how my teaching has changed your telemark technique. Most often, people will talk about how one of the 7 flaws has solved a lot of little bad habits.

This is great but this season, I want to experience something new.

I want to invite you to ski with me in Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

This is a mountain in Western Canada, and I have never been. I’ve heard a lot of great things from Cristina Gareau and Stephane Riendeau, two past guests on the Telemark Tips Podcast.

And so here we are.

Ski with Rene-Martin in Revelstoke

This is made possible by Gendron Travel, Quebec’s biggest ski travel agency.

I’ve partnered with them to organize one week of Telemark skiing in Revelstoke.

 

WHO IS IT FOR:

  • Strong intermediate and above, you have to be comfortable going down in a strong telemark turn and have experience skiing in powder. This destination is not for beginners. Much of the territory is composed of glades and alpine terrain. Expect moguls, powder and long runs.
  • 19 years old and older

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT:

  • This is not a private or group lesson.
  • This a guided trip with teaching so that you can improve your telemark technics significantly. I will film you, teach you, give you tips, exercises to do BUT, in the end, expect more skiing and less than two hours of teaching a day.
  • Expect resort inbound skiing. No backcountry with the group, but you can always choose to leave the group and ski by yourself.
  • I’m not a travel agency, that’s why I’ve partnered with Gendron Travel. In the end, they will be responsible for putting together your trip, booking your insurance, taking care of cancellation if the need arises… Make sure you address all questions to them regarding these topics. Gendron Travel can also book your flight and offer advice.
  • I will take up to 11 telemark skiers.
  • The price does not include flight, equipment, meals and alcohol. It will include lodging, transportation, ski tickets and my services.
  • The Sutton Place is a 4-star hotel. So, Tele-ski bums are welcomed but will have to shower.

Want to join?

Easy.

All is explained on this page.

Price, what’s include, visit http://ski.voyagesgendron.com/en/2017/09/28/13768/

If it’s meant to happen…

This is my goal

Have a great season.

Rene

 

Repost: Training for the season

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Hey Guys,

This is the time of the season where you need to think about what will make the difference.

 

Telemark Training For The Season

 

This  is a blog post from last season and it’s still extra valid

Make sure you get the training you need, meaning, don’t just copy, make it your own and DO IT.

Avoid injuries, make the most of your season from day one, get to the next level, WHATEVER your age or health.

If you train right, it will make a difference.

 

 

Review of the Meidjo 2.0 Telemark Binding

See the Meidjo 2.0  with brakes

This is my review of the second version of the Meidjo Telemark Binding, made by the French company The-M-Equipment.

Hey Guys, this is René-Martin for Absolute Telemark and here is my review of the Meidjo Binding.

 

First, I really like the first version but I found a couple of flaws.

This binding is just awesome for touring, giving you the same ease of ascension as any low tech alpine binding. This is what brought me to the Meidjo from the get-go.

This is probably true for all the TTS family binding as I like to call them .

So what is so different about the 2.0 version?

Is it durable?

Does it ski well?

What’s changed?

Check out the video above for all my thought on this binding and what will improve for the upcoming 2016-17 season.

 

For more info, check out my friend Craig Dostie’s review on Earn Your Turn

You can get the binding in the US at Telemark Down.

 

 

Chic-Chocs Series: Discover Vertigo-Aventures

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Discover the Chic-Chocs Mountain Range in Eastern Canada

Let’s discover one of the best-kept secrets, Vertigo-Aventures

You like fresh snow, remote mountain range, you are in for something different.

Eastern Canada is not the number one destination in the world for backcountry skiing. But if you are in the East, this has to be on your radar for its accessibility and the possibility to get very good turns for a fraction of the price to go to Japan.

Discover the Chic-Chocs with this special series on the different location and guiding services available.
We start this series with Vertigo Aventures. This is the destination for serious backcountry skiing. Located in the Western part of the Chic-Chocs, Vertigo Aventures is based at the foot of the Mont Blanc Massif and it get dumped with massive snowfall year after year.

This is the destination for serious backcountry skiing. Located in the Western part of the Chic-Chocs, Vertigo Aventures is based at the foot of the Mont Blanc Massif (Quebec, Canada) and it get dumped with massive snowfall year after year. This is my third season and I’ve seen snowpacks ranging from close to 2 m this year all the way to close to 3 meters in the valley. Ski Runs are very diverse and you can choose from 200m vertical 25 degree

Ski Runs are very diverse and you can choose from 200m vertical 25-degree angle slope all the way to close to 600m vertical and 40+ degree. The terrain is in majority below treeline but you also get some nice open fields above tree at or above treeline. Oh, and the tree runs are just out of this world.
The real benefit is the number of people on this huge territory. You are basically alone. With a capacity of 12 clients, it is actually rare to even see a skin track, and you certainly never have to ski in anyone’s tracks.

If you are in for adventure, if you like remote places, if you’re in for the snow, the terrain, and the quality of the crew, this is my number one place in Eastern Canada (so far! and by far!)

Showers not included

 

 

021 – Chris Valiante from 22 Designs and the new Outlaw Telemark binding

Outlaw

Building a new NTN binding is a mission 22 Designs set out to do.

The Outlaw, most anticipated binding from the small Idaho company is sure to make some noise.

I had wanted to talk to Chris for a long time. This true step in, simple and though binding have received great critiques and 22 Designs has managed to keep the weight down.

Let’s hear more about this well established Binding company run by Chris and his partner Collins Pringle.

Show Notes for this episode:

the Outlaw and 22 designs Website

Telemark skier Chris is looking up: Paul Kimbrough

Rainey Superloop binding (note from earnyourturns.com)

In 2005, 22 Designs purchased Rainey Designs and continued producing the binding with very minor adjustments to the binding through 2012. They created a free-pivoting version of Hammerhead called Axl that maintained the same underfoot cable routing with easier to adjust power pivot points. The spring system was different than Hammerhead and in an effort to streamline sourcing costs the Vice telemark binding was created, effectively ending production of Hammerhead. It is one of the few, true, legendary telemark binding designs that had an effect on nearly every telemark binding design since its inception although its inventor, Russell Rainey, would be quick to point out even Hammerhead borrowed from other, less successful designs (the Pitbull), only with a better execution.

 

 


019- JT Robinson From Big Mountain Telemark to Big Spring

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This episode features JT Robinson.

He is a world class telemark skier that have competed in the Big Mountain Telemark tour, created a movie production company, and has helped TelemarkSkier.com become the reference it is today. By the way this episode was only suposed to air in 10 days but, since Telemark Skier is Launching There New Website, might as well share this with you today.

With Telemark, you have to do it your way…

From his awesome Sick Bird awards through out his pro days to the ways he has created his own mark in the history of telemark in the last decade in the US, JT always seems to be around the big scene and creating his own destiny. This is one fascinating telemark skier. And so inspiring too


Show Notes:

JTRobinson.Com

VI Group

Though Guy Production and the interview with Stephane «Frenchy» Riendeau

Unparallel II and Josh Murphy

TelemarkSkier.Com  (Check out there new website)

The Telemark Skier that JT looks up to the MOST: Josh Madsen

And more riders to look after: Bennett Drummond (youngster); Erik Anderson (guide); Jake Sakson (king of the Hill :)

 

 

You know you’re in the big league if you can throw down like JT.



The Moonlight

What Big Mountain Comp looks like. I think the guy in blue doing a front flip/off axis at the start is JT

And what last year looked like in 2014

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018 – Weston Deutschlander Telemark ambassador

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The Life Unbound.

This clearly applies to Telemark.

One understands this better than anybody, Weston Deutschlander or Weston D as he likes to say.

You’ve never Heard is name?weston avatar

 

He was named by Shaun Raskin in Session 09 the telemark skier that she looks up to the most.  His Bio on 22 Design sas it all:

Even if you don’t recognize his name, you’ve probably seen Weston in a ski magazine, movie, or just ripping by you in the Wasatch. He brings his infectious energy to the hill every day, whether it’s for a shoot or working with the kids of the Park City Tele Tribe.

After seeing some videos of Weston, I have to say that he is one of the best Telemark Skier of his era.

 

Show Notes:

The Life unbound (Weston and Shaun’s website)

inspiresummit.com (Private Ranch guided skiing with two of the best telemark skier on the planet… I’m in)

pccats.com (another great way to ski with Weston)

Bindings talked about:

The hammerhead

The Outlaw

The Meidjo

The TTS

Best Telemark skier:

Frode Gronvold (I found him Weston, he even have a DVD on sale on Amazon :)


Weston’s Sponsor

Weston’s Videos

Ear the drizzled snow hit the cam and feel every turn

and more…

To Deep, Too Step

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“…Telemark skiing has a time and place and it’s not in the big mountains…”

Well, that quote from The episode One from Beans and Rice season One is sure to get some talk.

Cause if it’s to Deep

 

I can’t pass the opportunity to share this nice video with the Telemark Tribe. If you don’t know Beans and Rice, make sure you check them out. Enjoy

Beans and Rice: Episode One “To Deep, Too Steep” from BeansandRiceFreeride on Vimeo.

Beans And Rice also promote the youth. Check out Jake’s Telemark Freeride Camps

You can also check a podcast episode with Paul Kimbrough, usual partner with Jake.

 

Episode 17: Evans the Snowchaser – The Ultimate Ski Bum

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The Ultimate Ski Bum !

Today we meet with Evans from the blog www.snowchasers.blogspot.ca

This passionate telemark skier as made a life of skiing all winter long, every winter!

This is more than the average Joe. And in my mind, he his the Ultimate Telemark skier. (Debatable in the comments, LOL)

He has skied from Norway to Japan, from Kyrgyzstan to Greece in the last 10 years.

Listen to the Podcast here

 

Links to the Show:

Snowchasers Blog Spot

The Facebook for the Snowchasers

At the end, Evans put the emphasis on Avalanche Awarness. Here’s a list of what he suggests:

Avalanche Canada Courses

BCA, a Gear compagny has some great videos here

Ortovox, Gear compagny, others videos here

The Human Factor Season 1 and Season 2

 

Evans Sponsors