For many skiers today, telemark is little more than a curious, old-fashioned way of skiing — recognisable by its distinctive free heel and deep, kneeling turns. For others, especially in the Nordic world, it is something much more profound: a link to the origins of modern skiing, a technical discipline in its own right, and for its most devoted practitioners, the purest expression of winter sport. Despite being marginalised on today’s ski slopes and absent from the Olympic programme, telemark continues to survive — quietly but stubbornly — sustained by history, philosophy, and a close-knit international community rooted above all in Norway.
What Is Telemark?
Unlike alpine skiing, where the heel is firmly fixed to the ski, telemark skiing is defined by a free heel. This single technical difference radically changes everything: balance, movement, rhythm, and even the skier’s relationship with the terrain. To telemark (the verb is used in English) means executing each turn in a deep lunge-like position:
the outside ski moves forward,
the inside heel lifts,
both knees bend deeply,
and the movement flows continuously, almost like a dance.
The result is fluid, elegant, and physically demanding — a style that rewards coordination and awareness more than brute speed. It is precisely this complexity that has pushed telemark to the margins of mass skiing, but also what makes it irresistible to those who embrace it.
A Deeply Nordic Invention
Telemark’s origins are inseparable from Norway. The discipline takes its name from the Telemark, the mountainous region where modern skiing techniques were first formalised. In the mid-19th century, Sondre Norheim, a skier from the village of Morgedal, revolutionised winter movement by developing flexible bindings made from softened birch roots. These bindings allowed the heel to lift while still maintaining control — laying the foundations of both telemark technique and modern skiing itself. For decades, skiing was telemark skiing. In the early 20th century, however, fixed-heel bindings made downhill skiing easier, faster to learn, and better suited to mass tourism. By the 1930s, telemark had virtually disappeared from competitive alpine skiing.
From Nordic Roots to Counterculture
While marginal in Europe, telemark found new life in the United States during the 1970s, where it became associated with backcountry skiing and countercultural outdoor movements. From there, it slowly returned to Europe — including the Nordic countries — not as a mainstream discipline, but as a conscious alternative. In Scandinavia, telemark retains a symbolic role:
in Norway, as a cultural heritage sport;
in Finland and Sweden, as a niche but respected backcountry and touring discipline;
and across the Nordic world, as a reminder that skiing was once about versatility rather than lifts and groomed slopes. Many practitioners describe telemark as almost philosophical. Freeing the heel, they argue, also frees the mind — forcing skiers to think, adapt, and reconnect with their bodies and the snow.
Telemark as a Competitive Sport
Despite its folkloric aura, telemark is also a regulated international sport governed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, which organises a Telemark World Cup.
Modern telemark competitions combine elements from several Nordic winter disciplines:
Alpine skiing (giant-slalom-style gates),
Ski jumping (mandatory jumps of 20–30 metres with telemark landings),
Cross-country skiing (flat sections pushed with poles),
and even biathlon-like penalties, though without rifles.
There are three main race formats:
1. Classic – longer, single-run races.
2. Sprint – shorter, explosive runs over two heats.
3. Parallel – head-to-head races where penalties translate into extra distance.
Crucially, telemark is judged not only on speed but also on style. Incorrect turns or poor jump landings result in time penalties, reinforcing the discipline’s strong aesthetic dimension.
A Nordic Sport Without Olympic Glory
Telemark is not an Olympic sport, though repeated attempts have been made to include it. The discipline lacks commercial appeal, television visibility, and financial backing — prize money is minimal compared to alpine skiing. Yet the Nordic ethos of telemark persists: community over profit, tradition over spectacle. The most successful athlete in telemark history, Swiss skier Amélie Wenger-Reymond, has more World Cup victories than stars like Mikaela Shiffrin or Johannes Klæbo — but remains largely unknown outside the discipline. Ironically, while telemark was born in Norway, the Telemark region has not hosted a World Cup race since 2020, highlighting the sport’s fragile status even in its homeland.
Why Telemark Still Matters in the Nordics
In a region where skiing is deeply woven into national identity, telemark represents something rare: a living bridge between past and present.
It is:
a reminder of Nordic skiing’s origins,
a discipline that values technique and beauty over pure performance,
and a community-driven sport where competitors, judges, and spectators often overlap.
After races, athletes gather together in mountain huts, sharing food, music, and stories — more like a Nordic folk gathering than a modern sporting event.
Telemark may never return to the Olympic stage. But as long as there are skiers willing to kneel into each turn, lift their heels, and honour the movement that started it all in Norway, telemark will continue to resist — quietly, gracefully, and unmistakably Nordic.
