Why do I Telemark???
Besides the cliché half-binding/half-brained hippy statement: “because the turn looks and feels so sweet dude,” I telemark because it is a key to unlock the hidden treasures of the mountains and because it allows access the backcountry. Telemarking allows me to enjoy mountains, and express myself better than I could do with tradition alpine skiing. “Then why don’t you just A.T.” you might ask? We all know that A.T. means “Almost Telemark.” I feel that A.T. doesn’t allow the seamless and fluid movement through the mountains, that telemarking does. I believe that A.T. is a great way for beginners to experience touring, but why not loose that clunky heelpiece?
To me, telemarking is like using handwritten calligraphy instead of type: it’s more technically challenging, it boasts additional style, and it contains an individual flair unique to each artisan… Plus it just looks cooler. Duh!!!
Haig Glacier
Summer Jib Sesh… DNA rail jam
As you can imagine, I was surprised to see posters up around town for a ski competition on August 18th this summer. Sure enough on August 18th, The DNA Evolution Tour set up their mobile rail park outside PK’s ski and sports for a summer jib-sesh. It was super fun to break out my ski equipment on one of the hottest summer days. The event was great, there was lots of music and it drew in a pretty good-sized spectator crowd. I had a great time, and I got a lot of respect from the other competitors for competing on tele-gear. I think I even invented some telemark specific rail slides, like my “tele-stance slide” which got a lot cheers from the spectators. At the end of the day, I even qualified for The DNA Evolution Tour Finals in Las Vegas, unfortunately I won’t be able to attend main event this year…
2008 Telemark World Championships “Telepalooza”
After competing in the 12th Annual Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championsips in Crested Butte a weekend earlier, I knew that I was good enough to step up, and ski with the “big dogs,” the guys I had been idolizing in telemark movies just a few years ago. Guys like: Nick DeVore, Dylan Crossman, Will Cardemone, JT Robinson, etc… With the financial support of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol I was able to get a last second ticket to Alaska.
Alaska was amazing! I had only ever seen it in ski films. I had never imagined the vastness and the overwhelming scale of its beautiful and pristine mountains. I had never skied anything as steep and rewarding, and I cannot wait to do it again.
2008 Canadian Freeskiing Open
This was my first freeskiing competition of my 2008 winter season. I had a lot of fun and I placed well considering I was the only competitor on telemark equipment. The snow was amazing, but the visibility went to zero soon after the competition started, so finding my line was a bit difficult.
