Right on. Thanks brother!

Thanks, I’m trying! My ideal is the original non-3pin hardwire(no longer manufactured) set to low tension: super easy in& out, enough range of motion for the flats&ups and plenty of support on the downs with no adjustment needed. The next best is the switchback if you want the riser and free-pivot or the 3-pin hardwire which offers the versatility of cable on/off. The 3-pin with spring cable I just find a little too much heel resistance. Post a vid!

www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5914&p=60353#p60353

Thanks! They are a blast. I don’t know of any stores in the region that stock them but you can get them direct from the Canadian distributor at altaiskis dot ca

Thanks! I’ll keep trying. What kind of skiing do you do?

Thanks! What part of the world are you in?

Thanks!

Thanks!

Right on. I’m always looking to find that groove.

Yeah, no transition time is kind of liberating. Thanks!

You are correct - I think I kind of delude myself that I’m just going for a Nordic ski. Thanks!

Thanks!

Snow was good that day. Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Altai Kom 162cm ski, Garmont Excursion boot with lightweight simple wrap Intuition liner and original non-3-pin 75mm Voile Hardwire binding.

@@gusgusterfson6838 Nice. Thank you.

Ha! Actually I would say the gear is a little tricky to learn tele on. Try to get some time at a lift-served area with plastic boots like T4s and some fat short skis and a friendly good tele skier willing to share some tips. Keep at it!

Yes, it is possible to learn and have fun telemark skiing with just a three pin/75mm binding, but it is not ideal. A lot depends on the boot. Leather 75mm boots can vary a lot in terms of support and comfort, - floppier boots with just a 3pin binding, can make it feel like you are going to twist your foot off the ski, especially as you try to power the ski in deeper or icier, uneven, steeper snow - and it is frustrating having your equipment be an obstacle. If you really want to work on getting a handle on Telemark turning, I would recommend a light plastic Telemark boot like the Scarpa T4/T3 or the Garmont/Scott Excursion with a 3pin cable or just cable/hardwire binding and a shorter(160-180cm) and wider (>65mm underfoot) ski. If you are diligent searching, all of this equipment can be found used for $200-300 total Have fun! I

Dzięki!

Yep. Good skiing is where you find it.

how it all started. different feel for sure. Started on 55's,. Just rode stockli stormrider 102's all week in the Sangre de Christo: 2 feet of POW. Will post

Right on!

Thanks!

U bet.Posting some Tele-POW stuff on the fat boards soon, it was deep in Taos Valley this week@@gusgusterfson6838

So kind!

I try to remain open minded about the possibilities too. In this particular case there wasn’t really a base of hard snow under the 25cm snowpack so I couldn’t pressure the skis too much without them slicing down. The skis aren’t wide enough to give much of a planing surface so I couldn’t really skid them much either and with little sidecut to arc turns it was like I was riding long skate blades - I think you can see my legs quivering! The boots are actually skate boots Madshus Hyper RPS, that don’t flex very well and with virtually no resistance from the bumper it was hard to pressure and keep that foot under me. Ha! Do I sound defensive?! The two point connection of Pilot bindings is nice(I’m on nnn in the vid), unfortunately, I’ve had at least two of them shatter from fairly normal skate skis use.

@@gusgusterfson6838 I think you are skiing as well as can be expected there. We are having the "no base" issue out here as well though it's settling slowly. Trying to Telemark in 14-16 inches of heavy "powder" with wind drift holes is impossible -for me anyway- you try to press down to compact under the skis and you just bury the them. Kids ski it by straight-lining on rockered skis until... I just resort to trying to wiggle through it doing alpine turns.

@@gusgusterfson6838 I wish they made a strurdy pilot binding for skis maybe 70mm-75mm underfoot. Then I would probably still be doing more nordic trails.. I miss the solitude and lack of snowboarders 🤣

T’es proche!

Thanks!

Thanks!

62mm waisted skis are on the narrow end of the Telemark ski spectrum, and so they are definitely a little more difficult to ski than a wider ski. I suspect they are also a more cambered ski so they are harder to arc. A wider, softer ski like the Karhu Guide/Madshus Annum/Panorama M78 in a shorter 175cm length would be easier and more fun to telemark turn on.

Thanks!

Free the heel, free the mind!

@@gusgusterfson6838 My mind and heels are so free I can barely influence my body's course downhill and I definitely can't stop it!

Love Georgian Bay, at least for paddling! MSM backcountry is on my radar by I haven’t explored there yet.

Let me know if you do come to Georgian Bay Area We have some spots to backcountry here. Mountain view is an old downhill operation similar to Dacre heights … no lifts operating anymore The owner has given us permission to glade out a few runs. On a powder day it’s good fun. Especially good for lapping with the Koms … I use the same set up as you. I have tried some tree runs recently over beside camp fortune ski hill. But I don’t know the Gatineau that well. Couldn’t find anything else near P7 trees are pretty tight there. You have some great videos Nice tele technique.. mine is a work in progress

Well said!

Nice of you to say. Thanks!

Cheers!

I think you can dm me through my instagram telemark_xcd

Cool. Thanks!

For descending I can’t see any advantage to the Guide type ski. Read the full Kom design description on the Altai site because I think it really reflects how the ski performs. The overall greater width (more float)more proportionally moderate and symmetrical side cut(better edge hold, traversing, better flat tracking) shorter length(lower swing weight and more manoeuvrable= more turnable) rocker,tip shape and flex(decent edge hold but amazing quick and loose planing= fantastic pivot turning), all add up to what I think is incomparable turning performance. Although,all other things being equal, a longer ski (185/195) ski does provide more linear flow for straight line tracking on the flats or breaking trail, I think it has a direct negative impact on general and downhill manoeuvrability. Sorry, it’s hard to detail all the various dynamics. They are different categories of ski really. The koms are a downhill touring dream - crazy fast and easy to float, plane, slither, smear, foot steer, carve, and turn. The guides are still more like a Nordic ski, albeit a good turning one, but in all conditions it’s more like walking a tightrope . If you are touring for turns, you owe it to yourself to have a buttery ski like the Kom (ideally skied with a t3/4/excursion). Hope that helps but let me know if you need more. Do you have either ski yet?

@@gusgusterfson6838 great answer, thanks. I have 2 pairs of Annums (185 and 195) that I got for cheap/free, and I love them for skiing 6-12” of powder over a firm base. They certainly turn, but they generally don’t smear and can’t hold an edge. I live in Colorado and frequently encounter any of bottomless, weightless powder, wind slab, and sun crust, so the Annums meet their limits. I’ve been trying to figure out if I would be better off with something in the Voilé/Kom class of ski, and what sales pitch I would use on my wife. Thanks for giving me some technical descriptions to weaponize against her!

You know it!

You’re right. I was a little overzealous in the descriptors. Correction made. Thanks RB!

@@gusgusterfson6838 You're welcome. Please don't stop making em!

Thanks!

Hey Tom, thanks! It’s hard not to like the Koms for the kind of terrain I have available. From you ride here, I’m sure you were looking for winter lines through the trees as I do. It’s pretty tight here but the Koms let me squeak out turns where I can. Let me know what you think when you have some time logged on the Koms. Cheers

Hey so for budgetary reasons I had to go with the Hok which is coming Saturday. I was anxious to get something bc the snow doesn’t last here anymore and you gotta get it while it’s hot, er cold, you get my drift. Hopefully the hok will give me the taste of what you’re doing and if I slowly buy a T4, binding and then Kom over the summer the wife who is secretary of the exchequer won’t notice my acquisitions, lol.

@@tommansur6818 the Hoks are not a bad choice. I've recently upgraded to Koms after three seasons with Hok. The inserts in the Hok are great, and I ended up installing quiver killers with goop under the voile 75mm in my koms, after I ripped a screw out. If I were starting over, I'd consider the hardwires instead of the voile cables, just for durability.

What are you trying to tell me?

Ha! One turn at a time; lots of practice!

Thanks!

Hey thanks! In this video I’m skiing with T4 boots and switchback bindings. I could not ski as solidly on my Alpina BC set up. Check my other videos to see the comparisons.

@@gusgusterfson6838 thanks! Would you be able to do the same kick and glide smoothness with t4? Or the t2? Most of the terrain I ski is rolling, with a lot of kick and glide needed

Thanks! I think I have these mounted at the balance point or maybe a cm or two forward so the narrower tails sink less when stomping around in deep snow. I’m not sure the pin line was marked on these. I’m not sure I could tell the difference in most backcountry conditions though.

Also, I typically hot wax a glide wax on the whole ski at least once a season and then use a liquid glider as a touchup occasionally.

I might try to do something like that this season…

Thanks!

You can use telemark technique on any free heel skis. I can drop into a telemark turn even on my skate skis- they just don’t have any side cut , so they don’t arc and carve a turn, they just skid. I think the easiest thing is to learn and practice on real telemark equipment and then adapt those skills to narrower, lighter cross country equipment. Regular sns gear will be tricky but it is possible. Thanks!

@@gusgusterfson6838 Awesome turns. Yeah I am an aspiring telemarker and was out skating this morning practicing my turns. The 44mm waist and thicker ski also makes things tough. I am thinking of getting a pair of alaska 75's and a 80mm waisted ski to get some turns in here in Minnesota or just to go out and stride on Minnetonka.