#FREEHEELERS
#SNOWPROS INTERTELE 2015:
SHARING INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES WHILE DANCING WITH GRAVITY By Tim Sattelmeier
In one on-snow session led by Kjetil Birkeland Moe, the
INTERTELE RETURNED TO SNOWBIRD AND ALTA, UTAH, ON APRIL 22-26, IN WHAT HAS FAST BECOME A PREMIER BIANNUAL MEETING OF TELEMARK INSTRUCTORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
T e event, hosted by PSIA-AASI’s Intermountain Division, included representatives from Italy, Norway, Japan, and Canada as well as many skiers from the various regions of the United States – including a large contingent from PSIA-AASI’s Eastern Division. More than 40 telemark instructors participated in four days of on- snow clinics, indoor presentations, and social activities. Snowbird and Alta rolled out the red carpet and even off ered powder for the weekend. I carved out some time from my jobs to attend and then spoke with several participants a few weeks later. Based on my own observations and interviews with attendees after the event, it was clear that attendees valued three elements of the event above all others: the opportunity to share ideas and perspectives, access to a collective knowledge base, and the collegial and fun atmosphere.
INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE, TELE STYLE Scott McGee, coach of the PSIA Nordic Team and mastermind of the bi-annual event,, summed it up well when he said that having the international attendees there off ers not just a forum in which to share the team’s message, but also an opportunity “to compare what we are doing with what others are doing. InterTele gives the team a chance to challenge its own assumptions.” Glenn Lee, a representative from the Canadian Association of Nordic
Ski Instructors, said InterTele was a good learning session, adding “T e real value is that we get diff erent international perspectives.”
40 | 32 DEGREES • FALL 2015
Norwegian representative, I found myself engaged in a conversation about the basic progression for building a telemark turn. First we explored the Norwegian approach, which seems to arise from cross country technique and focuses on the telemark lead exchange as a step forward. T en we talked about how that might be the same or diff erent from a Canadian, American, or Italian point of view. T ese others might think of the lead exchange as a step backward or a scissoring of the legs. Fascinated by how wildly diff erent our approaches to the same goal might be, I now have fodder for long conversation over beers and new directions to consider when I am trying to fi nd that one move that clicks with a particular student.
ATTENDEES TAP INTO NORDIC TEAM EXPERTISE Mickey Stone, the Nordic Steering Committee Chair for Eastern Division said, “It was a pretty cool opportunity for the team to bring the ideas in the new Telemark Technical Manual and talk about national standards.” Access to the PSIA Nordic Team and to the greater knowledge base was cited as important by many attendees. Peter Ness, an instructor at New Hampshire’s Cannon
Mountain and Gunstock Mountain said a chairlift conversation he had with Nordic Team member Jim Shaw gave him valuable personal access to the team and their knowledge base. Ness is developing a technology to help build continuity in lessons and found Shaw’s expert perspective useful. He now feels that he has options so that when he is faced with a telemark teaching challenge, he has people to whom he can write an email or just call.
Philippe Astie, a Frenchman who teaches in Park City, Utah, described his experience this way: “In general, what struck me was the lack of testosterone… in telemark everyone accepts that you might fall, including the presenters. T e humility of this
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MAJERL
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