Want to buy some Telemark Skis, any advice?

[Wilbyman]

Hey guys...I have been jonesing for a telemark setup for years but live on the east coast and I dunno any place locally that sells it. Are there any good online retailers anybody has some experience with or any sites where used telemark stuff is traded? Also, any advice on a setup for a first time telewhacker? (I have ski'd alpine for years, not an expert by any means...I have mainly spent recent winters in a whitewater kayak or playing the bass/World of Warcraft).

[iamlowsound]

No advice here, but telemark is some crazy stuff. I would love to do it.

lowsound

[jwbassman]

I would go to the mountain you plan to telemark at and rent some for the day and see how you like telemarking before you just take the plunge into buying all the equipment. Just my opinion. I have telemarked before and it's quite fun. Definitely different that traditional alpine, but if you know how to ski downhill, you'll probably pick up on if fairly quickly.

[Wilbyman]

I have done it a few times and had a great time. Years ago I did some backcounty/gasline hiking and telemarking and it was fun (and exhausting!).

[naturalkinds]

Ha! Never thought I'd see a thread about Telemark skiing. Are you doing it for backcountry touring, day trips, or just to go down commercial hills? Just curious. I was an avid alpine touring skier for a winter in Vancouver. I doubt there's a better place to be a skier!

: )

MEC, where I used to work, is a wonderful place to buy stuff. And it's cheap as sin. Trouble is that it's in Canada, but shipping to the US is usually free or very reasonable to the consumer, and what you save in buying skis there is just crazy. Trust me. Way more affordable than REI.

http://www.mec.ca/

I'd also recommend getting fat skis if you're doing touring. Fat, fat, fat. Well, I guess you're not in powderland, like I was, so that requirement isn't as important. In powder, there's just nothing worse than sinking while you're climbing a mountain with 50lbs on your back.