Hello Telemark Tribe,
I just published the second episode of the Podcast where I share my journey to become a level 4 CANSI telemark instructor.
CANSI or the Canadian Association of Nordic Skiing Instructor is the governing body that certifies telemark instructors in Canada.
This is a new level for telemark instructors, and I will be among the first to try it.
You can also subscribe to our podcast on all major podcast distributors like Apple or Spotify.
Here is my jouney to the level 4 telemark intructor course
I’ve been watching a lot of different videos over the last month to prepare for my level 4 course like mentioned in Ep1 of this series
So along my journey I want to share the steps I’m taking for this PhD in Telemark skiing.
In this blog post, let me share my approach to get inspired and learn from other telemark skiers. CANSI as just release very good videos that show the Canadian standards for telemark. Most and foremost, this is what I’ve been watching. I can’t share those videos here because they are not public.
But I thought I could show you other videos that have inspired me lately.
I’ve now telemark skied for almost 30 years. And I can easily say that I have a good understanding of what works, what I’m doing to make it work.
But I still need to find ways to improve. And to get those 5-10% marginal gains, I feel that I need to challenge my understanding of the freeheel turn.
For example, I once thought that, when mastering telemark, I would ski without any unbalances all the time. Ski perfect. Then, my mentor, Denis Vezina made me realize it was not the case. At all levels, unbalances are happening. But good technique can reduce the frequency of unbalances and the strength of each.
Here are a few of the really good videos I’ve been watching again and again.
First this old video is simply stunning. The quality of the technic of this skier is just outta this world. I challenge anybody to replicate his skiing with the equipment used. Just WOW.
And it’s amazing to see how much still applies today.
Then I have these videos of my mentor Denis Vezina, showing different exercises and technique. In my mind, he is the best technician I have ever seen. Please send me your thoughts about this, or if you have another telemark skier that does it better, let me see it.
Denis was the technical director for CANSI for many years and has developed a lot of what the Canadian telemark ski instructors are teaching nowadays.
This led me to be curious about other countries. I found two very interesting videos.
And then finally, I’ve watched a lot of alpine ski videos, starting with JF Beaulieu’s vision to develop new motor patterns. I think, I kow, that alpine skiing is so very close to telemark skiing. I’ve been telemark skiing full time with little or no alpine for more than two decades and I can definetely say that I’m a way better alpine skier today than when I was a certified level 2 ski instructor.
With JF’s approach, It led me to see alpine skiing from different eras and how the turn shape evolved.
Here is a generational idol, Scot Schmidt skiing in the 90s. A lot have changed since then, but the extended outside leg is very similar to what all the top skiers are still doing today. I found this VERY suprising and interesting.
Telemark is a mix of three pilars in the CANSI approach:
I feel that Scot Schmidt skills showed these three elements so much. Of course he is not 100% of the time balanced. Not all is direction changes are prefect. But look what he is skiing, with what equipment and how aggressive he is skiing those lines. On a technical basis, he was so strong.
To conclude, I feel that I’ve always learned by watching others do. This is a very good way for me to try and execute. This si just a small survey of what I’ve been watching lately. Winter is barely here so I have to feed my urge this way.
Next, hopefully, I will be on snow.
Rene
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!
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.
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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.
Hello Telemark Tribe,
I was contacted by CANSI, the Canadian Association of Nordic Skiing Instructor to write a paper to my fellow instructors. Unfortunately, it never got published so I taught I could share it here.
Here is what I wrote for my fellow teachers.
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When I teach telemark skiing, my number one objective is for every student to retain a clear learning objective and to know precisely how to achieve it.
Too many times, I have taken the wrong approach by trying to have my students find instant results with advice such as: “Do this, move like that…” Sometimes it works. But often, it does not.
As telemark skiing instructors, we want to give our students several tools to achieve a given movement. Our goal is for them to be confident in the way they improve.
Every time I meet with students, I want to know two things: What they feel good about (their Positives) and what they want to improve (Their Objectives).
First, I will ask them about their experience, their strengths and what they have improved on recently. My goal is to quickly assess their mental game, because learning starts in one’s head. I am looking for positive thoughts. I will ask about things that they feel good about:
I only ask specific questions if they cannot seem to bring positive ideas. I want to know what makes them feel good before what they want to improve.
If they are new to telemark skiing, I will ask them about their skiing or snowboarding abilities, or other sports they practise.
Subsequently, I will ask them about their expectations and what they hope to improve.
All this takes about three minutes. If I have a large group of students, I will shorten this part and go for a direct question:
“Describe your telemark skiing experience and comfort level.”
Once I have compiled everyone’s input, the lesson starts.
I could go many ways from here, groups, first timers… But for this article, we will use the example of a one-on-one lesson with an experienced telemarker searching to improve.
We start with a warm up run. I will lead for the first third of the way. Then, I will stop to see how my student is doing. I will then let them take the lead so that I may assess these points:
I want to integrate the student’s requested areas of self-improvement to what I observe and apply it to a specific type of terrain.
People like to know promptly what you think of their skiing. I will often stop my students before the end of the first run to give them immediate feedback. If you both see eye-to-eye, their confidence in your teaching skills will be boosted.
Be forthcoming in your evaluation but, formulate it so that they feel their past efforts were not in vain. Remember to remind them that what they are doing is working for them.
“If you do something and you feel it’s working, then it’s working. If you feel like you are doing something wrong, then it’s most likely wrong.”
It is that simple!
Then, introduce one thing that they could improve on. It has to be related to their learning objectives. It does not have to be directly related. But it needs to be brought up as part of their progression plan. For example:
“I see that you have good balance and that your telemark stance is solid. This is good because it will enable you to gain more rhythm, make tighter turns in the steeps like you talked about achieving. One of the keys to really improve your rhythm is how you use your hands.”
BOOM!
You just reminded them of their positives, you have pointed out a possible solution for them to reach their goals. The direction: better rhythm, and the way to get there: your hands, are clearly pointed out.
You now have their full attention. They will focus on doing precisely what you suggest, knowing that it will lead to them achieving their goals.
This is the “easy” part. This is what we do as a telemark skiing instructor: Build a series of exercises that will get your student to discover new movements, thus getting them to where you think they should be.
Here are a few things that make a plan work regardless of the selected drills:
Take a minute to explain to your student the expected outcome of your plan.
What will they gain? If the exercise is about hand movement to increases pivot or rhythm, tell them. Relate it to the end goal; Hands = one step closer to their objectives.
Do not stick with one exercise, even if it is working. If it is working, find a variation. If it is not working, find out why and try to address it in the next exercise.
If you feel that your student has had a great gain, celebrate it. Talk about the success. Try to integrate it to their skiing.
Remember the moment you learned something new and how you felt about your past struggles, your previous failures and successes? That is the teacher’s challenge!
Now that your students have been working hard for an hour or two, get them back to something they feel good about: terrain, types of turns, body position…
Find a way to reveal their original skills at the end of the lesson. Link the newly acquired skills to their original positives. If you did it correctly, your student will feel like they have improved one or more aspects of their telemark skiing technique. They will know what to work on to keep improving. They will associate their learning to you, the instructor.
The worst scenario is a student leaving the lesson more confused than before. They will feel frustrated because they just do not get it.
Or worse, they will think that they have to learn something completely different because they had it wrong all along. This mindset will not lead to a quest for improvement.
Remind yourself the following:
Finally, you have to remind your students the number one rule of learning:
“If it feels good, it probably is. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.”
Because you finished the lesson on something that your student already felt like they were good at, the positive effect will create a good mental state to keep working and improving.
But there is more to it… It is called proprioception!
I will talk about proprioception next time. In the meantime, you can Google it if you are curious.
That’s it for now,
René-Martin his a certified telemark instructor. He is the creator of Absolute Telemark. You can book a private lesson here
Hey Telemark Tribe,
Here is a series on how to telemark in moguls. More videos will be added along the season.
I will try to explain my philosophy to understand the bumps like never before.
You will learn and get great tips along the way.
Skip the videos you don’t like but remember that this is more than pointers, it’s a concept that makes a whole.
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.
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
Hey Guys,
This is the time of the season where you need to think about what will make the difference.
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.
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.
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.
What others think about it