How different is skiing from telemarking?

[skiNEwhere]

AT bindings aren't designed to freeheel downhill though, right?

If you buy NTN bindings you can set them for both tele and AT

 

[TheBEast]

Tele'ing is awesome..

I don't really feel it in my legs like everyone said.. The tele turn is sublime when you finally get it..
Works really great in pow and crud... never got the hang of it on hard pack... Just can't get the edges going...

+1

Started tele about 7 or 8 years ago part of the time to mix it up and try something new.....went over to full time tele probably 2 years ago. I certainly get a better work out skiing with it and it's just a ton of fun. Balance is one of the key differences in my mind. You really have to focus on reading the terrain and adjusting edge pressure and stance to fit the conditions. Granted you have to do that alpine skiing, but much more important for tele. Oh and ripping a fresh powder line on tele gear is surreal.......

 

[David Metsky]

If you buy NTN bindings you can set them for both tele and AT

Not true, NTN bindings don't feature a lock down mode. It's possible to fit an NTN boot in some AT bindings, but results are not guaranteed.

 

[skiNEwhere]

Not true, NTN bindings don't feature a lock down mode. It's possible to fit an NTN boot in some AT bindings, but results are not guaranteed.

No, you can't lock them down, but according to their website you can flip up a switch to allow greater movement for AT, and they have a heel lifter for steep terrain. So no, you can't switch between alpine and AT, but you can between tele and AT

 

[ski stef]

No, you can't lock them down, but according to their website you can flip up a switch to allow greater movement for AT, and they have a heel lifter for steep terrain. So no, you can't switch between alpine and AT, but you can between tele and AT

This. I have tried to use the heel lifter and just found it uncomfortable so far, even on steeper terrain. I'm also very new to this, so I am assuming I will find myself in a situation where that feature may be very handy.

 

[Scruffy]

No, you can't lock them down, but according to their website you can flip up a switch to allow greater movement for AT, and they have a heel lifter for steep terrain. So no, you can't switch between alpine and AT, but you can between tele and AT

I think you're confusing AT with Free Pivot mode for skinning? AT ( Alpine Touring ) is the Americanized version of Randonee, a French word for ski touring. AT requires the ability to lock the heel. NTN are not considered AT bindings. NTN has a free pivot mode to facilitate easier skinning, some other tele bindings also have this, others don't.

AT bindings at Dynafit, Fritchis, et all.

 

[David Metsky]

I think you're confusing AT with Free Pivot mode for skinning?

I think so too. Free-pivot is something tele bindings have stolen/copied from AT bindings for easier climbing. But it has no effect when skiing back down as you'll be back in ski mode.

 

[witch hobble]

It is mostly an aesthetic preference these days. IMHO (subjective, of course!) a well executed tele turn has a more artful quality than Alpine or snowboarding turns. Judging by the way a lot of people seem to ski like they are in a video game, I don't think aesthetics are high on a lot of people's priority list. Or maybe I just dont have a fine tuned appreciation of the video game aesthetic!

The three disciplines have been borrowing and stealing and refining techniques from each other ever since they began to coexist.

These days, if you are looking for a way to make self propelled, away from ski area skiing quickly accessible, or if you are looking to ski truly steep, tight gnar-gnar with regularity, you would probably choose an AT set up. They've come a long way.

I think most Tele turns are laid down at lift served ski areas these days. So right now there is a more "core" element to the AT thing. But every year you see more patrollers and race coaches and others who need to wear ski boots for long periods of time wearing an AT boot, so that percentage will probably change over the next 20 years the way freeheeling has over the last 20 ( I'm sure 20 years ago the percent of people using their tele gear at ski areas was a lot lower).

There used to be several bumper stickers: Free your heel, free your mind.
Free your heel, fry your mind
Free your heel, ski for real

It is funny to see Alpiners tweak that last one and reclaim it (I guess the disciplines steal each other's rhetoric too!)
I don't suppose their next one is gonna be: Lock down your heel, lock down your mind