Like mentioned in my previous post, I’m embarking on a journey to become a level 4 telemark instructor course from CANSI, the canadian gouverning body for telemark instructors.
The PODCAST revived
In this episode, I talk about why I want to do this level 4 and my philosophy on teaching telemark in the past 2 decade and how it’s evolved.
In this Journey, I will document every step of the way in this blog, through the podcast and on YouTube as well.
Envoy.
Since I first slipped into telemark bindings, skiing has been more than just a sport for me. It’s shaped my life, my career, and my connection with the mountains. Teaching telemark has been at the heart of it all, and over the years, I’ve introduced hundreds of skiers to the art and flow of the free heel. There’s something special about telemark—its rhythm, the way it feels like dancing down a mountain. That’s the feeling I want to pass on to others.
CANSI is the Canadian Association of Nordic Skiing Instructors. It certifies the cross-country instructors and the telemark instructor in Canada. This year, there will be a fourth level. Up until now, Telemark was the only snow sport in Canada with a fourth level of instructors.
So, why go for Level 4 now, after decades of experience on the slopes? To be honest, it’s about challenging myself to be the best I can be for the skiers I teach. Level 4 will now be the highest telemark certification in Canada, and as one of the first to attempt it, I feel a mix of excitement and responsibility. Achieving this certification isn’t just a personal goal; it’s a chance to bring something new and elevated to telemark instruction here in Canada. And maybe, just maybe, inspire a few others to push their own limits along the way.
For the last 10 years, I’ve trained with Denis Vezina each year.
One of my biggest influences has been Denis Vézina, one of the lead evaluators for Level 4. His technical precision and approach to the sport have made me look at my own skiing in a new way.
First, he has giving me new advice and my skiing has changed significantly. He is a big reason why I want to push forward and improve my ability to teach telemark skiing. He has directly influenced a shift in telemark teaching from exercise based progression to a more feeling progression. This is a major change that has happened in alpine skiing and snowboarding as well. And this is where I think a level IV makes sense.
The Brain
Approaching a Level 4, I know I needed to dive deeper into technique, analysis, and even some details I thought I’d long mastered. This isn’t just any certification; it requires an in-depth understanding of telemark’s technical aspects and a high level of skill in all conditions. So, I’ve been studying. A lot.
I’ve watched countless videos of telemark skiers. I’ve focused on racing, technical turns, freestyle—anything I can find to study the flow and movements at this level.
And I’ve watched myself a lot.
It’s a humbling process, watching myself on video alongside all these experts. I pick apart every movement, every turn, looking for ways to make it smoother, more controlled, more powerful.
I think this is my superpower. Analyzing movement. I’ve talked about this a lot on this blog. But I need to improve the way I bring my student to a new feeling, a new movement. To give you perspective, I’m still very far from the ability Denis has to analyses telemark skiing. So I’m asking a lot of questions.
The Body
Then there is the skiing. I know that every detail counts, and seeing my own skiing alongside people who’ve mastered the craft has made me aware of nuances I never paid attention to before. Trying It’s been an eye-opener, and I’m thankful for all the learning moments—even the frustrating ones.
I have started to train, stretch and to gain mobility. In the end, we are not eternally young and starting the season ready is one of the keys to success.
For me, Level 4 isn’t just a title or certificate; it’s a chance to elevate my teaching.
If you have followed this blog and my email newsletter (subscribe here ) you know that the competitive side of things is not my forte. This was one of the reasons I liked telemark in the first place. I don’t want the title. I want the journey.
I want to master the technique and the teaching. I want to undertake a doctorate, to think, to reach that next step. Eventually, my goal is to contribute to the community of telemark instructors just like I have done with this blog. This really is about the journey.
Teaching and technique are evolving. I don’t teach the same way has I used 10 or 20 years ago. I feel that CANSI offers the best way for me to reach that next level.
One of the keys to improve is to surround yourself with motivated and talented people. The more I understand, the better I can explain every subtle movement, every technique that makes telemark skiing what it is. I want to help skiers of all levels find that sense of flow and control, and to feel the same excitement I do when I drop into a turn.
What’s Next: The Journey Begins
Telemark skiing has given me so much over the years. It’s taken me to beautiful places, introduced me to inspiring people, and taught me more about focus and resilience than I could have imagined. Pursuing Level 4 feels like a way to continue on this journey. There’s always room to grow, no matter how many years you’ve been at it.
Throughout the season, I will be adding content this blog, I will revive the Absolute Telemark Tips Podcast (in a new format). Sharing my thoughts through different social media like Facebook and YouTube.
In the next post, I’ll share another version of this story through a podcast episode, explaining the unique process I went through to be allowed to try the level 4 without actually having the Level 3. This is rare, and it’s only possible because of my years of teaching and skiing experience. I’ll walk through what that meant for my journey and why it was such a significant step forward as I move closer to Level 4.
Thank you for following along on this journey! I’m excited to share the highs, the challenges, and everything in between. Whether you’re a fellow telemark instructor, a recreational skier, or just curious, I hope my experience can offer some insights into what it means to push the limits of telemark skiing.
Stay tuned!
A few years ago, I was in my mid thirties and was ripping the mountain.
I remember that I could ski quick turns in tight trees, jump off (small) cliffs, rip throught moguls…
THIS IS WHAT TELELAMRK IS ALL ABOUT.
But in the last 4-5 years, I’ve considerably slowed down. I don’t get the same feeling, the same ripping feeling.
I’ve done a series about the telemark ski evolution and it made me realized that telemark is a feeling and what ever the era of equipement, it remains FUN
But this latest generation of ALL MOUNTAIN SKIS just doesn’t seem to work for me.
Or did I just get older?
Are alpine skiers just getting better and I can’t keep up anymore?
Is it me or the equipment?
This descent in my confidence to ski all terrain, rip and turn heads started when I tried the Black Diamond Helio 95mm in 2018. I choose a smaller size at 173cm instead of the 178cm I’m usually going for.
I have a friend who had the Helio 105 in a shorter lenght and he liked it a lot, praising the small size to manoeuvre in tight trees.
Well the Helio 95mm in a short size didn’t work. At all.
—
For general information on ski selectrion I have wrote a blog on the subject here.
This blog will only be covering problems for resort oriented all around, all mountain ski in this blog.
Fat skis used for powder do not suffer from those issues.
These are my evolving thoughts as of March 2022.
Note: I have a prodeal with Black Diamond Equipment like most industry professional. I can have prodeals with most ski manufacturers but I’ve been skiing BD for 14 years because they serve me well. I still pay for most of my skis.
This is my story, my skis, the thoughts shared here are mine and reflects my experience:
Skier: Rene-Martin
Year telemark skiing: 26
Weight: 200 pounds
Height: 6.1 ft
Days on snow: 100 days a year (around 60 resort skiing, 40 backcountry)
First, I’ve been telemark skiing for a 25+ years.
I’ve tried hundreds of skis over the years.
Some years, around 2004-2006,when telemark was at it’s peak of popularity, I would even go at test events to review telemark skis for specialized magasine.
Nowadays, telemark demos are hard to find.
But I work as a ski patroller at Le Massif where about 20 of us are on telemark.
So even in recent years, I’ve tried a lot of different setup.
Atomic, Volk, Rossignol, Nordica, Blizzard, Salomon, Moment, Dynastar, Armada, Xalibu at almost all Black Diamond skis in the last 14 years…
Even with all this testing, I don’t consider myself a great tester. It takes me some time to identify what works in a ski or a binding.
With years, I’ve become better and better at identifying what works and what doesn’t.
I’ve been looking for a ski that works for telemark in the 85-95mm range. That’s the width of the ski under foot.
Most skis under 90mm are just too stiff and mainly aimed at carving. The industry calls them all mountain skis or front side skis, but really it’s meant to ski 75% on groomers and occasional powder, chopped powder. No moguls, no eastern tree skiing where there’s always bumps, powder or chopper powder
Most 90 to 95mm skis are oriented for light touring. Those skis like the BD Helio 95mm not only have gone stiffer and stiffer but this combined with the lightess makes the skis very unstable for the variaty of snow a resort have. It’s just not damp enought.
There are skis that works but in general, for me at least, I have not found a perfect all mountain telemark skis for a LONG time.
And it made me think, what is the greatest all around telemark ski I’ve ever tried?
In 2021-2022, I have:
Problem: the spatulla doesn’t rise enough. Note: Fat skis used for powder do not suffer from this issue.
In 2018, I thought that the small size combined with the tip rocker of the Helio 95 was the problem.
The tip rocker problem was easily identified. The tip only lifted a few cm of the ground and the telemark squat would frequently make the tip dive in a bump.
I could make it work but I needed to keep my telemark lead change VERY small. Like less than a boot long. And I needed to be very active to get the skis to manoeuvre around moguls. It was a nightmare.
So I sold the ski to a smaller skier and thought that was that. Well over the years, I’ve realized that there is actually 4 shape changes that have impered our ability to telemark on modern all-mountain shape.
My Quest was only starting.
Problem: stiff tip combined with a shallow rised tip makes the tip catch in bumps. Note: Fat skis used for powder do not suffer from this issue.
The next year, I went for a narrower ski, the Black Diamond Route 88. I picked them the right lenght at 178cm.
I moved away from carbon as I realized that it was too light for resort skiing and also that it was just too stiff.
This solved the tip diving problem, ouf!
But even if the ski was ok in moguls, ok on groomers, ok in powder, I still wasn’t ripping like before. For the story, the last ski that BD made that worked for my was the Aspect that was produce in 2014-15. After that the Link, the Helio, the Route all had the same problem.
Stiffer and stiffer tip mixed with a shallow rise tip really kills the energy tranfered to the back ski in a telemark turn.
See how low the tip is barely off the ground.
You have to think of the back ski as a second point of balance. When turning, we are puitting our skis on edge. On the front ski, our weight is distributed on the whole edge of the ski. It’s centered.
On the back ski, using any modern active binding, our energy is more transfered half way between the center and the tip. We can even see my back ski lifted of the snow in this image.
Now if the spatula doesn’t rise a lot or if it’s too stiff, it will catch a lot more into things.
But there is more!
Problem: the ski has no energy to give back to the skier. Note: Fat skis used for powder do not suffer from this issue.
Again, telemark skiing, we transfer half way between the center and the tip of the back ski by the boot-binding combo. If it’s too rockered, the energy is lost in the ski shape. Tradional shaped skis have camber to give energy to the ski. When pushed, it wants to come back into it’s original shape. With a tapered tip, we are pushing the ski into it’s designed shape, just making it rounder, and the ski is not going to give any energy back.
Problem, the shape of the tip changes the radius of the turn on the back ski. Note: Fat skis used for powder do not suffer from those issues.
The final factor is the tapered tip. This is when the max wigth of the ski is not at the top of the spatula. On hard pack snow, this changes the way the arch of the edge conduct the ski. It’s like if your back ski had a big belly.
Basically, they move the widest part of the ski toward the center. This has many advantages. It reduces mass at the tip, thus reducing swing weight, it creates a shorter turn radius without a super large tip that becomes bulky and clumky. But for our back ski while telemarking, it reduces grip and edge control. A bit of tapered tip is not a problem, but laterly, ski company have increased it on some models to become a problem.
And these 4 problems are not exclusive to Black Diamond. In the last 5 years, almost all brands are going in this direction
There is worst.
This is not working for telemark inbound as an all around ski. If you are like me and ski moguls, tress, powder, groomers, ice, this shallow tip rise and stiff tip is just deadly, rocker and tapered tip definetly doesn’t help. I found that this is NOT a problem for fat skis aimed at powder.
But why are the manufacturers going for those kind of shapes then?
You have to understand it works of the alpine turn. It works really good.
It took me a while to understand that.
One of the most difficult techniques to master is
Compared to moguls or steep skiing, I feel that carving is a more complex technique to master.
And in the last 4-5 seasons, I really focus on improving my carving.
—
I’ve been carving for 20 years but the ability to carve on any surface and slope is definitely still a challenge. I would say that my first passion as always been powder tree skiing. Then, I spent a lot of time in moguls,it is only in later years that carving has become a real passion.
I’m lucky enough to have probably the best technician in Canada, Denis Vezina, teaching at my home resort. He represents Canada at Interski. His telemark technique is flawless, and he has the ability to dissect my skiing better than anybody. His knowledge has allowed me to improve significantly my technique.
Here are the things I think I’ve changed or improved over the last five years. Note that these are tips are what made a difference for me. It’s areas I focussed and that has given me results.
If you want more general tips on how to carve, check this post here.
OK first I got real carving skis. One GS and one Slalom ski that I mounted on NTN Freerides. This is a game changer for sure, especially my Salomon slalom with 13 m of radius.
Here are my quiver for 2022.
From left to right:
Black Diamond Helio 115 (2020-21) with Meidjo 3 and alpine heelset. Powder skis used almost exclusively in the backcountry
Black Diamond Impulse 98 (2021-22) with Meidjo 3 and Alpine heelset. All Mountain skis that I mainly use for resort skiing, ski patrolling, slack country.
Dynastar Speed Course Comp 64 GS skis (2007) with Rotofella NTN Freeride (with switch plate)
Salomon X-RACE 65 (2013-2014) with Rotofella NTN Freeride (with switch plate). This is the ski I use the most to focus on my carving.
Those two skis although older are SO much better on groomed snow than any skis I’ve ever tried. Really, it’s cheating compared to a 90mm modern ski.
Both hold an edge like crazy and speed is not a problem.
I use the Salomon the most. I love the short radius feeling. But I will spend a lot of time of the Dynastar GS ski in this season to try to master this beast of speed. It’s crazy how you need some serious courage to really push a GS ski.
I have them mounted on the NTN Freedom which are Okay but I’d love a more progressive binding such as the Bishop BMF 3 or even a Meidjo 3 with its incredible lateral stiffness.
Telemark skiing in all conditions, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to stay balanced in variable conditions such as moguls, powder and I was a big proponent of having your body weight distributed evenly 50% – 50%. I still think that this ability is great in a lot of situations but for carving I’ve definitely moved away from that to focus on 70% on the front ski which in terms of technique is described as being the outside ski to the centre of the turn.
There are many reasons why this is helping, but the main reason is definitely edge pressure. The other one is the way you can increase your angulation.
70% is just a mental reference, and I have never measured the actual percentages. And there is a limit to how much pressure you can put on your outside ski to keep your telemark stance efficient and balanced. Finally, I would say that the weight distribution varies during the turn and depending on turn shapes, so I could say a lot more on the subject.
This was a new concept for me
I am very good to angulate from the knees and I love to use my back knee to create a good edge angle. But this tip uses the biggest articulation in the body and for this reason is super strong to oppose the forces of carving.
At the start, when I feel that I’m strongly edging, I will focus on rotation my femur on my outside leg (front leg). This will help a lot to create opposing force to the turn and to start turning. I’m still exploring this feeling so more to come in the future.
This can only work if you have a good weight distribution, meaning that you need 70% on your outside (front ski). So here is another reason why overloading the outside ski is great.
Focus on horizontal extension at the start of the turn to get the new lead change edging as fast as possible.
I did understand the advantages of horizontal extension, but I now understand the advantages of an earlier extension to gain earlier edging.
I focus on the moment of release at the end of a turn. This needs to be a combination of letting the skis go under you into the new turn a bit passively and to put pressure immediately on the new outside ski (this will become your front leg). This weight shift is the key to get the early edging and this allows the skis to bend into the carving arch sooner, creating a nice constant turn.
So really the goal is to preload the ski to arch sooner so that when the pressure builds up in the turn, the ski is already in the right shape to push against the snow. I would say that this is the key to start carving in steeper terrain and at higher speeds.
FYI, this early edging is right before the femur rotation I talked about above.
Focus on breathing out at the end of a turn.
This tip has helped me tremendously and it was the first tip that Denis gave me that I was like: Okay, this guy really knows his stuff.
Telemark is a lot about coordination. To breathe out at the end of the turn as many advantages. First and foremost, it helps synchronize the most important part of the turn, the lead change. I feel that by exhaling at the end of the turn, it gives me a timing and rhythm to consistently start the sequence of the turn.
Second aspect might be psychological, but it works for me. Actually, it works really well. I feel that by breathing out, I have more room to angulate at the end of the turn. Try it, it’s fascinating. It’s like if my body is freer and it gives me a last little movement to really help close the turn.
Closing the turn means that you slow yourself by completing the circle of the turn a bit more like if you were going more uphill. (This is just a figure of speech as most often we don’t literally go uphill.)
I like to play with the breathing out speed, exhaling slow on long radius turns and exhaling super fast in short radius turn.
Breathing leads me to talk about different types of angulations.
Explain briefly, angulation puts your mass over your edges by moving your upper body in a C-shape. You can angulate from the knees, from the hips and the spine.
For this article, I want to focus on hips vs spine. I never understood that there was a difference between the spine and the hips moving to counterbalance the forces of the turn.
This year Denis was focusing a lot on my hips moving at the start of the turn. He then told another participant in our clinic to stop using the notion of squashing an orange into your rib cage. This is what I will call spine angulation.
This is a tip given by Mike And Allen famous Telemark Tips book.
I was surprised by Denis comment and we didn’t get the chance to talk about why he gave that telemark skier that tip.
But it struck me that this was actually two separate movements.
So I started to experiment. At slow speeds, moving only the hips is definitely not working as it’s just too big of a body part. On the opposite moving only the rib cage into the hip bone (Spine angulation), squashing an orange is not strong enough at higher speed and is a more complicated movement for steeps than simply moving the hips.
So here is where I stand and that I’m experimenting with. I now start the turn focusing on moving my hips, like if I was sitting inside the turn. This movement focusses on keeping my upper body straight and to angulate more as the turn progress. This is what I call hip angulation. It typically happens between the start of the turn and a bit pass the fall line at the middle of the turn.
At one point I will be limited on how much I can angulate from the hips, and depending if the turn needs more angulation, I will then start to arch my spine, moving my chin over my outside ski. This will get my spine to arch more and more and to cork my upper body over my edges. This is where the tip to breathe out actually helps create even more of this spine angulation.
I’ve always known that sharp edges are important but this next tip is the real cheat code.
Getting new skis every year, I know that sharp edges are a game changer. Over the years, I’ve gone from sharpening my own skis carefully, to sharpening then very crudely, to not sharpening them at all.
You have to understand that as a ski patroller the chances of hitting a rock during a day are very high. So the dedication to keep edges sharp are mostly a waste of time.
Having dedicated carve skis have changed that.
The Cheat code I’m going to share now is definitely not for everyone.
Read this carefully, you need to be very confident and skilled to do this safely. But Oh my God, what a change.
I started to have my skis sharpen at an aggressive angle like ski racers.
Ski manufacturers typically have angles that will enable the average skier to perform on any terrain. Those angles are the base angle of 1 degree and the side wall angle of -1 degree. Technicians usually refer to this side wall angle saying 89 degrees.
I went from a side wall of 89 deg to an angle of 88. This per se will not make major improvements.
I went from a base angle of 1 deg to an angle of 0.5 deg.
This combination is the cheat code. Edging as become SO easy. The difference is CRAZY. Really.
But it comes at a price. Your ability the slip in and out of your carve is drastically reduced, meaning that your skis will want to edge and to stay on edge. To reduce that, you can unsharpen the edge at the tip and tail, but in my mind, it defies the reason why you got them to sharpened this way.
Racers will even go to even crazier angles such as 87 and 0 degrees, which I am not ready to try. This is how they succeed in staying on their feet when completely off balance on crazy steep icy slopes. Because you can clearly see the off balance is supposed to make them fall.
AAAAAH Now I know how they do it.
Here is a progression I would suggest trying as you improve your skiing.
All levels of telemark skiers who want to carve: Keep your edges super sharp, sharpening them every couple of days on the slope. If you can, use a diamond stone after every day on the mountain.
STEP 1: You want to start to learn to carve on green runs, keeping both skis arching and leaving two tracks behind you – » keep your edges at 89 and 1 deg which is the manufacturers recommended angles, unsharpen the tip and tail about 10 cm.
STEP 2: You want to start carving on blue runs, keeping your skis arching and leaving track behind you in good grooming condition. – » Keep your edges at 89 and 1 deg but do not unsharpen the tip and tail.
STEP 3: You want to start carving on green and blue runs in hard-packed conditions (not icy yet) -» increase your edge angle to 88 and 1 deg (or 88 and 0.7 deg if your ski tech can do that) do not unsharpen the tip and tail.
STEP 4: You want to start carving aggressively on blue and maybe black runs -» increase the edge angle to 88 and 0.5 deg. do not unsharpen the tip and tail.
STEP 5: you want to race and carve aggressively no matter what – » well I’m not there yet and I would use caution here advising you on something I’m not familiar with. Maybe it can come back in the future and keep you updated.
I would suggest you take these steps very slowly, maybe trying one setting for at least one season.
Also, changing edge angle will remove a lot of metal on your ski edges, using them prematurely, so make sure you don’t go back and forth too many times.
Did you like this kind of format of blog?
I understand that this is not going to help as many telemark skiers than other lessons I’ve given. I give you my perspective, what I’m working on and what I have improved lately.
Leave a comment if you have any question or to share your perspective on carving on telemark.
I have tried and tested dozens of skis with the years.
I’ve been sponsored by Black Diamond the past 13 years, but I’ve still tried a lot of other brands.
In this article I want to talk about what you should look for/ avoid in your quest for the right telemark ski, whatever the brand.
In the last 5 years, more and more skis have early rise tips like shown. These tips can be great on big powder skis but don’t translate well to piste, all around skis.
I think the design is popular on alpine setup because it reduces ski vibration that they call chatter.
For us telemark skiers, the back ski gets a lot of pressure transferred to the tip when we flex in a telemark turn. From this, if the tip curvature is not big enough, like we see on all-around skis (95mm and less), I have found a lot of tip dive.
Telemark modern ski guide
Here are the ski categories I like and the use I make of it.
All Around skis (80mm to 95mm) For inbound, usually ski patrolling
I will look for:
Weight is often not important. I will mount these skis with a full frame binding like the BMF from Bishop or the Outlaw X from 22Designs.
I use these skis to rail turns on groomers, ski trees, bumps, all inbounds, with some quick outbound laps.
It’s been a couple of years I have skied a perfect ski in this category.
In the last two years, I’ve tried the Salomon QST 90, the Nordica EnRgy 90, the Nordica Enforcer, Atomic Backland 95, Black Diamond Helio 95, Black Diamond Route 88, Bishop Gonzo.
My favourites were the Salomon QST and the Bishop Gonzo.
My all-time favourites were the Black Diamond Warrant (2013) and the Black Diamond Aspect (2012). See the Philosophy section to learn why
Backcountry Telemark, Touring skis (100mm to 120mm)
I will look for:
My favourite all-time in this category are the new BD Helio 115. The old version called the 116 was already my favourites but the new 2020 version is just a notch better in variable snow conditions, the Achilles heel of big light skis.
These are just the guide lines I found in the last years.
On piste All-Mountain experience.
We see more and more telemark skiers on piste with wide skis. I’m one of them.
Going back to old set up last year, I realized that we are going too wide.
Reducing the ski width for inbound skiing has enabled me to ski with ease, in moguls, carving, even in powder. Yes, I went slower in some conditions but in general, it was the opposite, I could go a lot faster, especially on hard pack and in moguls.
I fell in love with a pair of Salomon Slalom ski, with 67mm underfoot and 13m radius for carving. I had the best feeling in years on piste with these. Of course they didn’t allow for variable terrain shred, so this is not the solution for an all-around ski. Still, I found feelings I had forgotten, carving each turn like crazy.
I will be looking for a true all mountain, good for the condition we get in the East. Carving, moguls, trees. The Icelantic Sabre 89 would be a ski I’d like to try.
Touring Experience
I tried 2 versions of BD Helio 105. These skis are great. They are good in all conditions, jack of all trade, quiver ski for snowy condition. But I really like the wider skis. 115 is so much more fun.
I will still try some 105 skis in the next few years because I can, but if I had one backcountry ski to get, I would go 110-115mm underfoot, light skis.
Some exceptions.
Ski shapes and intended use vary so much. There is one for everyone.
I ski manly East of North America with one occasional trip out West for the big mountains.
If I was out West year round, I would have a 100-105mm ski for inbound and the same 110-115mm for off piste
Also, I have a Bishop Chedi I really like. this ski doesn’t fit in any of the categories I explained above.
In short, it’s a boring ski.
But it just works. A bit like the BD Warrant I mentioned above. Those kinds of skis seem to work really well for telemark. (Or at least, my style of telemark)
Last word about lenght.
Skis lateral stiffness has increased in the last few years and people are tempted to try shorter, wider skis. For me, this has never produced positive results.
For reference here are my skis lengths. I’m 6’01” / 200 lbs or 185cm / 90 kg. The ski lenght will vary depending on the ski category
slalom racing carving skis: 163cm
GS racing carving skis: 170cm
All mountain skis: 178 to 180cm
Powder, touring skis: 184 to 188 cm
Yep,
Oh, by the way, this gear selection is often what you guys ask advice about.
This year, I will talk more about my backcountry telemark set-up since it’s this one that I will change this season. Because of the pandemic, this is probably going to be the biggest season ever for earning your turns, so it might apply to you as well.
I can tell you right away that after a very satisfying set up last year, I will go back to what has worked for me in the last few years.
In this post, I share my touring set up.
Disclaimer: I don’t pay for much of the stuff I receive but I can choose pretty much all I want. And I can surely say whatever I want about the gear I use.
Backcountry is the essence of telemark. Skin up, ski down, I first tried in 1996-97 in the Chic-Chocs.
Equipment has evolved and the 2020s should bring a very exciting era. Today’s telemark gear needs to be compared to alpine touring. This industry has made giant leaps in the last 5–7 years and the question is now can a telemark skier keep up with an alpine tourer. This is one of the reasons a lot of people have switched from telemark to alpine setups.
This has been my quest for the last 10 years, trying to keep up with my alpine friends in the Backcountry. Today’s equipment is almost on par, thanks to the binding manufacturers.
My setup for this season is the Helio 115 (now OK to mount with a telemark binding) with the Meidjo. I will keep my Crispi Evo WC boot for a 3rd year.
I received this setup late January 2020, so I’ve actually skied them quite a bit.
Here is what I use and also some alternate choice I think are good options.
Because of the NTN, you have to choose to go 75mm or NTN before anything else when you build up your touring kit.
If you go 75mm, I think the Voile Switchback is your only real option. This binding is light, provide a free pivot and the feeling of the downhill will satisfy all the 75mm lovers out there.
If you go NTN, you definitely have to go with a TTS like binding or as Pierre Mouyade, inventor of the Meidjo, calls this binding family: TTN. Telemark Tech Norm
Those bindings are the go-to options for touring. I suggest you choose from the original TTS, the Lynx or the Meidjo.
Pins hold the front of the boot, giving the best ROM (Range Of Movement) and resistance-free stride. This alone makes telemark able to keep up with the alpine tourers.
If you go with a TTS like binding, you will have the freedom and Range Of Movement (ROM) to hike uphill like any alpine tech binding.
All we are missing is the ROM of modern alpine touring boots. I’ve heard that Scarpa is working on a new NTN boot that should provide this but it’s not yet ready.
Still the combo of boots, binding and ski makes for a very decent kit to enjoy the backcountry. And I will say that it’s never been better.
I chose the Meidjo. I will change from the 2.1 to the 3.0 when I receive them. Notice that I have the Alpine Heel Set.
Two years ago I skied a 50-degree chute north of Whistler-Blackcomb. Conditions were perfect, 10 cm of fresh snow, avalanche hazard was low, stability tests were negative. The snow was somewhat dense, coastal like. I don’t get the chance to ski couloirs like that in the winter very often. So I charged the first 10–15 turns, tele-skiing in the wider funnel-like entrance. The couloir then narrowed and the center had slufted down. The 10 cm turned into trashed, irregular, firm snow in the center and soft, dense on the sides. It was really hard to keep my balance between the transitions from the snow sides to the center hard pack irregular snow. Skiing down suddenly became a real life or death experience. I tried a few turns, alpine skiing without locking my heel. It was even harder as I entered the sides, I was losing balance forward. I tried a few turns telemark skiing and the center of the couloir was a real challenge to hold the edge in this super steep couloir. Long story short, I stopped on the side, made myself a nice platform and locked my heels in the Alpine Heelset. I skied the rest of the couloir not in an elegant way but felt a lot safer than the few turns I had just made.
On the pros, the Meidjo is the most complete binding for me.
The Cons:
This is the missing link. While today’s boot are durable and perform very well on the down, we don’t have the same modern walk mode as alpine tourers. Their boots are significantly better for climbing. You have two routes from here in my mind:
Stay in 75mm boots and choose, light, flexible boots that will provide ease of walking. You will be missing the power to drive the big modern fat skis
Go NTN and use stiffer, higher boots. Here, you will carry more weight, have less ROM. Your stride will suffer but the way down is going to be as good as any modern alpine tourers.
Seventy-five millimeters boots are getting harder to find but Scarpa T2, Crispi XP are very good options.
My Choice: Crispi Evo WC for its stiffness, the fact that it has the tech toe inserts and the heel tech inserts.
The Pros:
On the cons:
The Helio 115 are my go to this season
Last year I was on the Black Diamond Helio 105 with the Lynx binding.
I really liked the combo and it’s one of the lightest setups I ever had.
For me the 105 is a very polyvalent ski that I brought guiding and ski patrolling, inbounds and backcountry. Of course you need snow for this ski to be fun but I liked how skiable it was in other conditions. If you want one ski, this could be it.
This year, I will go back with a wider ski. The Helio 115. Good news the new Helio revamped line-up is now telemark recommended. [BD actually removed the “not recommended for telemark” tag.] This ski is just a great size for powder. I like to guide with it, it floats, it’s playful, it’s just an incredible ski that gives me the most fun.
105 was a bit too skinny at times, and I just didn’t have the same fun. It worked great, but not as fun. It’s the old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Because I have a few options to choose from, I want the big boy in the line-up for 2020-21.
The Lynx binding by 22Design is also a great choice that I strongly recommend. Good value, simple design, light, efficient. Step in was not the best for me but I learned that 22Designs have changed a toe piece since my version (I think I had a pre-production version). You can look at my full review on YouTube if you wish.
I will still ski a lot more set-ups like the Bishop’s 100 mm Chedi and their super good binding, the BMF, a few racing skis with the Freeride, a few older 75mm setups.
I have used exclusively Black Diamond skins (and Ascension skins prior to that).
In 20+ years, I’ve had maybe 15 to 20 different pairs.
My go-to are the GlideLite Mix.
They’re just a good combo of lightness, placability and grip. These are the important factor for me. Oh and one super important quality is to be able to unglue the skins when they are packed glue on glue.
Last year, because of limited availability when I got my new Black Diamond Helio 115 at the end of January, I had to go for something new.
Skins are a simple product when it works well but it’s a real pain when it doesn’t
I bought a set of Pomoca Pro S-Climb skins.
Pros:
So far, I like them. It’s about the same as the Black Diamond GlideLite but with a better glide. Not a great difference, but noticeable.
Cons:
There are two metal wires that comes in the box. The White is not strong enough, they bent on me and then the modified shape affected how well they stayed in place.
They could just fall off the skins. I changed for the other all gunmetal ones and the problem was solved.
I will probably add a set up in December or January. I will probably go with a 22Design binding and a more biffy setup.
Not sure what to get? you can look at my Modern Telemark Ski Selection and Problems post coming up soon
This is a review of the Telemark binding Lynx from 22 Designs.
A Telemark tech binding made to go touring.
In this video, we are going to be evaluating how it skis, the step in step out, the durability, the tour efficiency and a little comparison with the Meidjo Binding.
The Lynx binding is the latest binding in the 22Designs line up.
22Desings is reputed to build durable bindings, from the HammerHead, Axl, Outlaw X and now the Lynx.
This Lynx binding is made for touring but its telemark descending abilities are quite good as well.
I have mounted my Lynx Telemark binding on the Helio 105 from Black Diamond. Note that Black Diamond does not recommend mounting telemark binding on this ski. If you do, you will void your warranty.
TTS the norm for touring on telemark
The Telemark Tech System family of binding includes the original TTS from OMG, the Meidjo from The M Equipment and now this binding, the Lynx from 22Designs.
The GOOD
Simply put, these bindings are the best at going uphill, touring, skinning. The low resistance of the low tech pin at the toes create this effortless range of movement that no other full frame telemark binding can beat.
So what makes the Lynx stand out?
First, the design of the binding is very innovative with the back link composite construction. This fibreglass link is strong, light and creates good power transfer when skiing. This is really what makes this binding incredible in my mind.
The Lynx binding skis really good. Laterrally, it transfers power edge to edge really good. As you can see in the video, I even tried the Outlaw X to compare bindings. Ofcourse, the Outlaw can be set stiffer, but the engagement and the latteral transfert are on par.
Tension adjustability is one of the most important factors in a modern NTN binding. The fact that you can adjust the Telemark Tele Vector is great, you can dial the amount of activeness you want from three positions, just like on the AXL. Also, you can’t adjust a screw to had or remove tension on the spring, but the addition of a spacer in the spring allows for some adjustability.
When you combine the tele vector and the spacer adjustment, this binding can be adjusted to almost any rider preference.
The BAD
There is not much to say about the bad of the Lynx.
In general it performed really well, was durable, and the design is very good.
I am having some problems stepping in, and I need to be in touring mode all the time, locking the front low tech for my pins to hold my boots.
22Designs is sending me a kit to solving this problem and the 2020 binding shipping now should not have this problem at all.
Also, the second heel anchor didn’t engage all the time and I had to force it in manually a few times.
If you are on the market for a low tech touring binding, I do recommend the Lynx from 22 design as a valid option.
It’s simple, efficient touring, skis really well and should up your game in the backcountry from any full-frame binding.
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.
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.
If you want to join the newsletter, just enter your info below
—
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:
Early 2000 set up
2010 set up
2020 set up
I will gatther skis in the next few days and present the different setups.
—
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.
Last season I spent a very good amount of time on the Bishop BMF bindings. I tried the NTN and the 75mm versions.
Well, that’s true. Their products are badass.
Coming from the very Burly Bishop Bomber was truly a very reliable, biffy binding. It had a very good reputation and thus a following.
Came the NTN revolution and now, the Telemark Tribe need to have NTN boots and binding, right?
Well, the Badassary Mojo is more than that, the BMF comes in an NTN or 75mm option.
They have created the most flexible binding on the planet.
This is the real question and it took me 5 minutes to say that I really liked this binding.
In short, it skies great. It’s powerful, there is no dead zone and the amount of adjustability makes it a great choice for anyone but the purist who want a true neutral feeling
Trying both options is an eye opener. Really!
To a point where I want a go back to 75mm.
Okay not full time but still, I had so much fun.
First off, the 75mm is just a great option that skies really good. It’s powerful yet you can adjust it the way you like, to get a more neutral feeling.
Plus, when you think about it, this 75mm binding is the holy grail of 75mm binding. Well almost.
This is what resort skiers have been asking for decades.
As for no dead zone, that is something 75mm bindings have always struggled to achieve. The way this binding is engaging the boot is superb for the experts telemark skiers that demands a reliable balance in all the phase of the turn.
The NTN version is also a very good binding that delivers a lot of punch. I quite enjoyed them and this has rapidly become my go to binding for the resort.
The real big difference over the competition is the ease of the step in step out. It really is better than anything else I have tried.
For this, I will mention that boot has an impact on this so take this considering I’m skiing with the Crispy Evo WC. But honestly, this is the closes we have ever been to the real step in of an alpine binding. Having a binding with a brake, that you can easily step in and out is such a joy when you are working as a ski patroller. It really makes my days easier.
As binding have become more and more active, you need a resistance-free mode to walk around the mountain. The Bishop offers their binding in the R version (stand for Randonnee) or the 3 (for non-touring.
This is really great because if you don’t need the touring option, you can save some money and weight and get a traditional binding.
But if like most of us, you end up adventuring in the backcountry, they offer a touring, resistance-free mode. Okay, it’s still a full frame binding, but it’s the best there is. It’s got a great ROM that the Outlaw X according to my tests.
Like I often say, I’ve never had a telemark binding not fail on me. And the BMF did have minor issues. Watch the video above for in depth description of my problems. But, like most companies, this problem was fixed during the season and I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the most durable bindings on the market.
Bishop has nailed it. Really.
If you are looking for a resort binding, if the step in step out is something important look no further, the BMF is just above the competition.
It skis very well in both 75mm and NTN version, it’s super flexible and will last you a long time.
The only thing still missing is a release binding. For that, you will have to look at the Meidjo which as the most sophisticated one on the market (Just my thoughts here, no hard data showing this)
Just to be clear, I still think the Outlaw X is a viable option. The 22 design Outlaw X only real disadvantage is the step in with a brake.
The price is still a major bump. At the time of posting, the price for the BMF-R is 699$ USD vs the Outlaw X at 399$ USD.
So you will probably use the switch plates and all the flexibility this binding as the offer.
What others think about it