We tried for you… TELEMARK
My reaction when my team offered me to take part in an initiation to TELEMARK could not have been more positive. Being a former racer, 10 years of competitive skiing, and even more years of recreational alpine skiing under my belt, it had been a long time since I had a “first experience” with snow sports.
Let me tell you that this experience in this sport that is new to me did not disappoint and that it will not be the only time I will ride down a slope with loose heels!
Equipment pick up
After you have made your reservation in advance, here comes the day of your initiation to TELEMARK, head to the Rental Center to pick up the equipment necessary for the practice of this new sport. You’re in luck since helmet, poles, skis and boots are included in the initiation package. In advance, when booking by phone, your height, weight, age and shoe size will be requested so that the rental staff can adjust your equipment well, which will allow you to have the best possible experience.
If you have any questions about the equipment, don’t hesitate! Employees are there to answer any questions, concerns, etc.
Once equipped, simply wait at the exit of the rental center and the instructor will come to meet you to start the lesson at the scheduled time!
Equipment familiarization
Once the presentations are done with your instructor, you will be asked to familiarize yourself with the equipment and basic movements of TELEMARK at the bottom of the slope. This is when you will put on the skis with the help of the instructor and then perform several exercises that will allow you to fully understand the movements required to practice this sport.
Small jumps, steps and stretches will be very useful to make you understand the movement and find your balance!
Appropriation of movement
After these small exercises, it’s time to take Chairlift II west to hit the learning slope!
Don’t worry, you won’t start speeding down the slopes right away. The instructor will take the time to explain the basics of alpine skiing that are also very important for TELEMARK such as the support on the outside ski during turns, the importance of keeping your hands forward, all that is important to know before trying TELEMARK. The first descent will be useful to test these bases and then start the TELEMARK turns.
If you are already an experienced alpine skier, this test phase should not last more than half a run!
As long as the basics are good, it’s time to start learning the TELEMARK turn! To ensure that the student performs correctly, the instructor decompose the turn into several steps. This breakdown of the turn will allow you to properly appropriate each movement necessary to achieve a good TELEMARK turn.
Solidification of motion
Once the different steps of the turns are well controlled, it’s time to start practicing by making complete turns! Don’t worry, the instructor is always there to suggest different exercises that he or she considers relevant to your level and to what you need to improve. Some exercises relevant in learning this sport are the variation of turns and speed, skidding and edging, among others.
The instructors are experienced and flexible, they will find your winning solution for a fun initiation!
For beginner skiers, the coordination and balance required to make a good turn TELEMARK can take longer to come and it’s very normal! Instructors know how to adapt their teachings and know all the little tricks to help you in this learning.
For experienced skiers, a good TELEMARK turn is not long to learn because of a good knowledge of the basics of alpine skiing. However, that doesn’t mean that the instructors aren’t able to adapt and push your TELEMARK experience further!
Go beyond initiation!
Once the initiation is over, it’s time to say goodbye to the instructor. This one will not leave you without giving you the last little tips that will be useful in the continuation of the practice of this sport.
However, farewell is limited to the instructor only, since you can keep the rental equipment until the end of the day! Your access to the Family Zone is also valid for the whole day. This is the time to implement all the learnings and to discover for yourself this magnificent sport.
For the experienced skier, it is possible to opt for the Initiation Plus Package. This package will give you a ticket to access the whole mountain whether during your lesson or after your lesson, for the rest of the day.
Rediscover the mountain
To summarize my experience of the initiation of TELEMARK as an experienced skier, this sport made me rediscover the mountain through new movements and new sensations without destabilizing me because of the good bases I had developed in alpine skiing over the years. The supervision of the instructor was nevertheless most appreciated in order to have a good first experience!
Despite a greater facility for skiers who already have a good knowledge in sliding sport, TELEMARK is also very accessible for all snow sport fans regardless of age (telemark initiation packages are available from 8 years old)!
Click here for more information or to book your initiation!
To discover TELEMARK from the point of view of one of our instructors, you can watch the following video.
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