x-country to Tele transition

Question
Hi Lisa,
I am a longtime x-country skier, not an expert by any means, just like to have some snow fun in the woods. I'm a little timid on the downhills, especially where speed and turning are an issue. For this reason, I decided to take a Telemark class, thinking it would give me a little more confidence.  I have no Alpine skiing experience.  The class is thru our community college and is held at a local ski resort, on a "green" run - there are 9 other students, all of whom have Alpine experience.  Some are catching on faster than others.  I am having the most difficult time, mostly because I am too concerned about speed to focus on learning the Tele technique.  I feel like I am in over my head.  Should I have learned to Alpine ski before tying Telemark. Do you have any advice for me?  

Answer
Hi Carol and thanks for the question.

Telemarking for a cross-country skier can be intimidating as you are experienceing, more-so with the timid downhills.

Yes a bit of alpine skiing would assist in your learning of how to tackle the downhills - but taking the telemark class is a great start.

Things you can try to improve your experience:

SNOW-PLOW:

get comfortable, and confident with it.
Getting into the correct position and then using your poles to push yourself along maintaining the same slow speed. Going slower or same speed no matter the hill is indicitive you have it mastered!
Tips should be no more than 2inches apart and stay that way as you ski
Your feet will be just wider then your hips
If you are still sliding along too fast - you probably have a flat ski. You need to get the ski up on the inside edges to provide an opposing force to the direction of travel. Try thinking about lifting your little toes and see if that helps slow you down.

Once you can snowplow in a straight line at a speed determined by you, then start to add steering.

* You are trying to make your right toe/foot move across to the left side of your body. It is a move that comes from the hip - not from pushing the heel out wider or displacing your hips.
*imagine you have a childproof cap under your toe - you want to press down with your right toe and then turn it to the left. You will feel some discomfort and/or tightness in your hip and leg - this is ok as you are engaging muscles new to your sport!!
* your knee will want to twist as well - thats bad. move your knee over to the inside of your big toe and drive it forward and down. Again it will feel uncomfortable. But you are keeping the ski on an edge that is can dig into the snow and keep you upright.
* your hips and shoulders need to stay within your stance over your steering foot.
* Your balance needs to stay on the foot that is turning - it is completly un-natural and awkward, but it does get easier. You can try leaning the other way, after you fall over you will have a knowing smile. You will fall over because the ski edge is no longer your base and the skis slide out from under you.
* Do this to the opposite foot and you should be now going back the other way.

CHANGING direction -
you need to come back upto the centre - evenly weighted feet and neutral stance to be aboe to start new turn without getting caught up.

Once you have the snowplow in control you can begin with the tele-turning.
This is the snowplow turn but your uphill or inside ski stays behind - tip of the ski approximatley near toe of downhill ski. It requires more balance and confidence in your turn ability.

I suggest you work on the plow - get comfortable with it on different hills and then build from there. Give yourself a few hours of really feeling what is happening under your foot and feel the muscles needed to turn the ski.

Hope this gets you started - if you'd like more info, just ask

Lisa