Telemark Ski - Brief History of Freeheel Skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing in which the heel is not attached to the binding of the ski. In order to make a turn the skier drops the knee and raises the heel of his or down hill ski, sliding it back while the uphill ski remains in a forward position, allowing him or her to turn.
Telemark skiers are attracted to this form of skiing as offers a exceptional workout and is graceful and artistic. Compared to fixed-heel Alpine skiing, telemark skiing offers many more dimensions to the physics of the skiing turn, offering the skier a potentially deeper and perhaps more inspirational experience on the mountain. An analogy for telemark skiing to traditional downhill alpine skiing could be driving an automatic car to a stick-shift standard vehicle as driving a standard offers the driver increased dynamics to controlling the vehicle.
Telemark skiing is said to have been invented by the Norwegian Sondre Norheim (1825-1897) in Morgedal, which is in the Telemark region of Norway. Actually, according to archeology, skiing had been practiced from throughout Scandinavia and northern Russia for over 4,000 years on wooden skis for transportation, work, hunting and military purposes. However, Norheim was credited for developing and introducing a revolutionary binding which included a strap around the heel in addition to a just the toe. Norheim was known for his graceful dancing-like skiing techniques, ski jumping and fun personality.
Sydney Morning Herald