-
Powder Journal
Share Stoke and Obs, Raise Money For Charity. - Write an Article
Everyone has a story, tell it here. - Add a Photo
It doesn't count unless you take a picture - Add a Video
If you get gnar with no video, did you really get gnar? - Add a Route
Help build the only interactive backcountry ski atlas - Add an Event
Let us know about any hoot-nannys and shin digs.
-
Powder Journal
Tougher in Leather | UNITED STATES, CALIFORNIA | 02/17/2009, by McKerrow
My favorite telemark boots- Scarpa T1s - are about as heavy as tele boots get. Although I love the downhill performance, they recently caused me horrific pain on a long tour. Ok, maybe hiking five miles of rocky trail off Mt. Adams while wearing those monstrous boots was asking for it, but at least I was able to rip tight lines all the way from the breakable fine-china sastrugi ice mélange at the summit, through the perfect mid-mountain corn, and right over the wet cement snow just above the snowline.
I wasn't always a heaviweight slave. In fact, I learned to telemark with Merrill Supercomp leather boots. They had a buckle and a plastic cuff, which made them about the stiffest leather boots ever. Still, they forced me to learn proper telemark technique if I had a prayer of keeping up with anyone using plastic boots on the downhills. Even with all the technique I could muster, there was never really had a chance...
Droppin the knee
I looked at my friend's original T2's like I used to look at the most coveted Lego sets in the toy store. And when he moved on to bigger, stiffer boots I got those same T2's. They changed my ability level overnight. At last I could almost keep up, and the kinds of snow I could effectively carve up expanded to about 75% of what's out there.
But I still had to have decent technique. My mantra became "Crush that pinky toe!" If I could just get most of my weight on that uphill inside edge, those skis would come around. I learned to point myself down the fall line with those boots, jumping from pinky to pinky. I had to wrench the straps down hard at the top of each difficult pitch, knowing my toes would be numb by the bottom, but I was skiing like I wanted to. It just took every ounce of strength I possessed.
The next logical step was to the heavy setup I currently use. To put it simply, I can't even feel my pinky toe in the new boots. They're just too stiff around my leg. The snappy performance was something that a leatherhead could only dream of! It's almost exactly like jumping on a long-travel-suspension freeride mountain bike and rolling through a rock garden at speed. You plow into things that'd buck you right off lighter bikes without feeling like you're anywhere near the edge of control.
Crush that pinky
However, hiking and climbing in a pair of T1s feels like walking up an endless stairway in cement shoes. Wouldn't it be nice if I could ski well on lighter equipment without having to grit my teeth to do it? I can, if I'm in good shape and have excellent technique. But how am I ever going to perfect my technique when my boots are rendering most input below the ankle irrelevant?
I had to find out just how bad my technique really is. Fortunately a friend recently gave me his old Garmont three-pin all-leather boots. I have a set of straight metal-edged cross-country skis that work with them, but I once tried to telemark on straight skis and couldn't get them to turn at all. So I grabbed my old long skinny Telepathic skis and put the boots to the test.
My girlfriend is just learning to telemark, so we went up to the resort to try it out. It seemed best if we both had our hands full just getting down the mountain. I think it worked out pretty well. Right off the bat I almost fell getting off the lift. I tried to nudge the skis onto their edges with slight pressure on the side of my legs and...nothing happened. I just kept accelerating straight forward.
Knee behind knee
Spinning through all the files on how to tele ski in my brain, I finally put together a multi-step strategy for turning. To put them on their edges I had to shift the weight to the side of my feet, using what felt like every muscle below my ankles. Then I rolled as much weight onto that inside pinky as I could, which was made easier by how distinctly I could feel it pressed up against the leather, while dropping my leg back. I felt the pressure on my outside big toe and pushed back. A turn happened. Then I rolled it all the other way, and back again, and kept up the rhythm until my legs were too shaky to continue smoothly. This was usually about three or four turns.
Talk about getting back to the fundamentals! If one ski started to get away from me and I couldn't get the other around in time to follow it, I went right down. There was no bringing a wayward ski back. I couldn't go too fast because I didn't want my skis to have that much momentum in them. I had to anticipate a whole turn ahead to prepare for every maneuver.
Effective skiing required constantly repeating to myself all the tips I knew. "Crush that pinky, drop back instead of pushing forward, short pole plants, shoulders pointed downhill, pinch a $100 bill between butt-cheeks and don't let go, stay upright, little hop from turn to turn, crush that pinky!" It felt just like the first time I ever got on tele skis, only this time I knew exactly what I was doing.
Swing low, sweet chariot
I learned enough that afternoon to keep me occupied for a good while. First of all, I have confirmation of the inverse relationship between technique and strength. The better your technique, the less strength you require. And lots of strength can make up for poor technique.
There were other lessons too. As I expected, hiking in the leather boots felt like walking rather than clomping. I'd hike all the way around Mt. Adams in them just for the fun of it. Also, for the first time ever, I experienced all of the complex foot manipulations needed just to stay in control for the first time ever. In my 1988 copy of Paul Parker's Free-Heel Skiing, from the days before plastic boots or even shaped skis, he talks a lot about this stuff. NOW I understand everything he was writing about!
Although this was an interesting experiment, my leather boots belong in the attic. Hopefully technology will allow the boot manufacturer's to cut the weight without cutting the performance of hard plastics. Until then, no pain no gain.
For more telemarking fun, check out this video of Nick Devore:
Today's Prize: 5oz Tech wash, 2 oz Waterproofing for Leather and 4.2 oz Nubuck & Swede Proof
(You can rest assured that we won't publish or sell your mailing address! If you feel uncomfortable leaving it in the comment field, feel free to email it to contact@skiingthebackcountry.com.)
That's Our Opinion. What's Yours?
gretchen wrote on 02/17/09 at 09:22:30 am pst:
I'm proud to say that I learned to tele in leather boots as well. It's pretty hilarious, I must have face planted 1000 times! CRUSH THE PINKY
Rick wrote on 02/17/09 at 11:11:41 am pst:
In pow i feel like i can ski in tennis shoes on plywood planks. The only time I want a stiff plastic boot is for those crap conditions. But i try to avoid those at all costs!
Lynn wrote on 02/17/09 at 2:35:29 pm pst:
1987, Fabiano leather tele boots on skinny fischer skis. Being completely clueless I had two left three pin bindings on my skis. Let's say my turns were not pretty to non-existent, lots of up close time with the snowpack.
I get by with T2's and Havocs these days. While not lightweight it is okay for 45 year old legs.
Tawcan wrote on 02/17/09 at 4:58:46 pm pst:
I only started teleing the last few years so haven't tried any leather boots.
Lynn Sanson wrote on 02/17/09 at 7:00:26 pm pst:
Tawcan, you didn't miss anything. As they said when plastic tele boots arrived on the scene "leather is for cows".
Stick to plastic and fat skis, makes life much easier!
powderjunky wrote on 02/17/09 at 8:13:00 pm pst:
I am way too clumsy to try telemarking, especially in leather boots, now that's hard core! :)
Teledinosaur wrote on 02/17/09 at 8:48:53 pm pst:
okay...teledinosaur weighing in here....yes leather boots had their time - when plastic wasn't available, though as any petrojunky knows, dinosaurs do eventually give it up for plastic. In their day, leather had a great fit, though were notoriously cold..but again we dealt with it as there were no options. Leather is for car seats. My advice to you newbies is go plastic, yet please revere those of us who learned on leather..and above all else squeeze the pickle....
yabadadoooo....
the dinosaur
freeheelgirl wrote on 02/18/09 at 04:34:52 am pst:
Man, I give you props for trying it out, but I don't think there's any way to avoid hauling around a stiff, heavy boot if you really want to ski. Some of my worst moments packing for spring BC ski trips have come from looking at my Garmonts, then my mountaineering boots, then back at my Garmonts....when you have to hike into the skiing, you're just going to have to suck it up and make like a pack mule. My only suggestion to make it seem lighter is to spend more time in the gym.
editors wrote on 02/18/09 at 09:53:43 am pst:
And today's winner is Lynn! Congrats on your Nikwax Pack!
climbhoser wrote on 02/26/09 at 06:51:33 am pst:
I'm late on the contest, but I wanted to chime in that leathers have their place. I have heavy duty gear and light gear and love them all in the environment they belong in. For super low density snow there is no feeling like being on some light skis and leathers. Of course, if any of the slope has questionable snow or terrain then the weakness of said system reveals itself in kind.
Matt wrote on 02/28/09 at 8:06:54 pm pst:
I recently walked into the tele shop and looked at the boots (been about three years since I have been back on the mountain) and said to myself, they are selling alpine equipment too... then i looked closer... I have some old t2's, I really feel like leather is better... not for performance, but for feel.. powerskiing is the new telemark, but it isn't for everyone.. I realize I only want to ski good snow anyways and leather is not for dinos, cmon . I am busting out my supercomps and and going back to work on my technique... anyone know where you can pick up the Andrews Shoes Teleboots out of Italy?? i am in NH. I will report back in a week after I rip some hamstring muscles and glutes
thanks for the great story...
Editors wrote on 02/28/09 at 10:55:28 pm pst:
@Matt Love your enthusiasm for leather boots! How's the snow in the Northeast this year?
Matt wrote on 03/02/09 at 6:17:44 pm pst:
The snow has been fantastic out east this year.. I spent 15 years in Colorado and Montana, miss it terribly... but this and last year have been pretty special out here. I just bought another pair of Supercomps on craigslist out of Denver, $75 used less than 10 times, been sitting in the closet, he sent me photos and all, barely a crease in the toe.. so excited.. going to have to go back to the gym.. question... I am searching for skis for the leather, are there modern skis that can still be skied, I have piste pipes, 183, too big, thinking about finding some old Tua's or Rossy bandits... any suggestions? basically searching out side cuts and flex.. i believe that it will come full circle sooner than later (leather), especially with all the ntn's and such... Ie: K2 making one line of skis next year... kind of making the point.
thanks for the great story...
Mike wrote on 03/02/10 at 9:20:01 pm pst:
Don't put the leather's away prematurely! I thought I had to give up my leather Garmonts (like yours) when I gave up my E99's and bought a pair of K2 Heli-stinx. I coupled them up with a pair of T-2's and could no doubt carve it up...but a day of yo-yo's and a healthy trek to tele terain was a ball-buster. The dog chewed up the tongue of one of my boots, and serendipitously, had to resort to using my leathers with the fatter ski's. I thought no way would the boot turn them. To my surprise, they were heaven. It was like going from a mountain bike to a road bike. You paid for mistakes if you lost your technique, but as long as you kept your fundamentals, they were like riding on a rail....very sweet. As long as you have some snow to ski and stay off-piste, the combo, as far as I am concerned, is the way to go! If anyone has 10.5 men's leather boots with a buckle, I will definitely take them off your hands. Mine are on their last leg...and I have a pair of T-2's of the same size that are for sale to the highest bidder!
Joe wrote on 03/06/10 at 7:30:40 pm pst:
Are there more injuries with a higher stiffer plastic boot? I have been on the leathers since late 80s and do just fine but thinking about making the switch. I am trying a pair of Scarpa T2 Eco's and they seem awfully high. The soft flexibility of my Scarpa Leathers seem safer to me but perhaps I am just stuck in the past.
Ross wrote on 03/08/10 at 10:17:34 pm pst:
That's a good question Joe, I am not sure.
Randall Gelser wrote on 03/22/10 at 09:30:35 am pst:
I started out with Garmont synrgy for one seaeson didnt really get anywhere, switched to Scarpa t4 two buckle, now I can turn a Black Diamond Machines 166 length on Intermediates. Higher boots in my opinion make for faster Alpine style. Slow it down and enjoy the ride.
Mike wrote on 03/28/11 at 9:30:13 pm pst:
does anyone know where to get thermo liners for the Scarpa T1. i know you can buy them directly from Scarpa for $200 but was wondering if anyone knew of a cheaper option....
Tom Tharp wrote on 04/02/11 at 07:35:44 am pst:
I bought Scarpa thermos from Sierra Trading Post (last year) for $99, older 1's were 89, beats 150+ not sure if tall enough for T1
Love the T2x, 3rd tele boot for me
Sean wrote on 09/25/11 at 2:47:45 pm pst:
I dust off my leather boots when I need to mop up my technique. I can ski bumps about as well as anyone with a pair of two buckle leather Alico boots I bought in 1993. I took up tele skiing because it was hard, and made skiing fun again. Today tele skiing isn't that much harder than alpine, and is not as impressive to see someone rip the bumps as it used to be. It took me three years and the wind knocked out of me more times than I can count to do well in the bumps. I drew blood many times from the the tail of my ski arching over and whacking me on my head as I landed chest first two bumps downhill. I was obsessed with mastering it. Now the boots are so bomb proof any one can do it. Don't get me wrong, I like plastic boots, but I make sure I never forget how hard it was. It's also fun, especially when you are good at it. Living in the DC metro area and relegated to White Tail, PA, I'm back on my leather. I also still like to alpine and snow board occasionally, but the real challenge is to do it as well on leather as any other equipment.
