While we all know the saying, “Practice makes perfect,” it can also be said a little bit of information goes a long way. Enter “Ask the Instructor,” our new series designed to help you get the most of your days on the slopes. Each week we’ll talk with one of our local pros to dig up those golden nuggets of insider info to help you excel in your snow sport of choice – alpine skiing, snowboarding, telemarking or Nordic skiing – we’ve got you covered. Check out this week’s edition for beginner’s telemarking tips!


http://apps.tahoe.com/images/powderhound/Kevinheadshot.jpg" vspace="3" align="left">Kevin Klein, Telemark Instructor, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
Why he’s the expert: Formerly Sugar Bowl snowboard school manager for 7 years, Klein’s dually certified. On his snowboard, he’s been teaching for 13 years and as a free-heeler, he’s been teaching for 12. He’s a certified Level 2 Professional Ski Instructors of America in the Nordic Downhill Division and a certified Level 3 snowboard instructor.



http://apps.tahoe.com/images/powderhound/parallel.jpg" vspace="2" align="right">Can a snowboarder learn to tele? Klein said the progression for a snowboarder wanting to switch to telemarking is natural. “I think making the crossover from snowboarding to telemarking is fairly natural for a lot of people,” he said. “Snowboarding is like telemarking because in a telemark turn one foot’s in front of the other kind of like snowboarding.” But there’s more. “Snowboarding used to be a fringe snow sport and now that it’s more mainstream. I think some people want something that’s a little more fringe. Telemarking is the new fringe snow sport.”







http://apps.tahoe.com/images/powderhound/wedge.jpg" vspace="3" align="left">Telemark 101: Detonate the deadly cross. So you’re getting the hang of the one foot in front of the other telemark turn when suddenly and without warning your tips cross, throwing you into the “deadly cross” and possibly head first into the snow. Don’t worry, it’s a common problem with an easy solution, Klein says. “If you’re having trouble with your uphill ski crossing with your downhill ski, learning how to rotate your leg and steer the ski will help,” he said. “Enter the fall line in a wedge for good speed control and then think about getting your skis parallel. Think of pressuring your big toe in the wedge and pressuring the little toe of your uphill ski to bring that ski parallel with your downhill ski.” The solution: Pressure the uphill pinky toe to avoid the cross.




http://apps.tahoe.com/images/powderhound/monomark.jpg" vspace="3" align="right">Telemarking 201: Cut the chop. While many people learn to telemark without ever taking a lesson, there may come a time when it can catch you off guard and in the chop. “There’s a lot of people who may have been teleing for awhile, but their turn looks kind of choppy because they’re lead changing before their edge changing,” Klein said. “If we can roll the skis over on our new edge before the lead change it makes a much smoother turn.” How to practice? Klein suggests the ‘mono mark.’ “Stay in one stance – let’s say, right foot back, left foot forward. From that stance, you want to make turns in both directions without changing your lead foot,” Klein said. This skiing drill helps you learn to change the edge before the lead, the result: a smoother turn. The solution: Practice the mono mark on easy slopes for smooth turns.

http://apps.tahoe.com/images/powderhound/slush.jpg" vspace="3" align="left">Telemarking 301: Off piste in heavy snow and slush. While edging seems to be the name of the game on groomed slopes, the same is not true in heavy snow or slush. “You want to be like a butter knife,” Klein said. “You don’t want to get your skis way up on edge in the heavy snow and slush or you’ll create too much of a platform and it can actually throw you forward.” The alternative is to go a little softer on your edges and think of “spreading the snow instead of banking hard,” he said. A gradual edge change is key. “Don’t get too much on edge, the skis will stop you’ll keep going – head first into the snow.” The solution: Less edge in deep snow.



Last week's tip: http://www.tahoe.com/article/20070214/TOP_SKI/70213003/-1/SKITAHOE">Perfect your snowboarding turns