The following directions are for making a Telemark swing to the left.
The directions for making a Telemark swing to the right are identically the same, substituting left for right and right for left throughout.
To Make a Telemark Swing to the Left.—(a) From the normal position for running down ([see p. 63]) advance the right ski till the right ankle is opposite the bend of the left ski. Raise the heel of the left foot off the left ski, bend the left knee, and throw all the weight forward on to the right foot. (This is what we mean by “the Telemark position.”) (b) Place the right ski slightly on its left edge and turn and lean the whole body to the left.
If these directions are correctly carried out, the runner will come round with a sweep, the sharpness of which will depend upon the force with which he turns his body as advised in (b).
An excellent way of learning this turn is to practise running straight down hill in the Telemark position. Note especially to raise the heel of the left foot as shown. This is highly important, and is, in fact, the key to the whole affair, for if the runner raises his heel he is almost compelled to throw the weight forward on to the right foot, and if he can once succeed in doing this everything else is comparatively easy. So remember to raise the heel of the left foot and to kneel well down on the left ski. Cultivate as narrow a spoor as possible, and as soon as you can run straight like this at a moderate speed try turning the body ever such a little. Look the way you wish to go. You will be delighted to discover what a small amount of turning will cause you to come round very quickly.
To compensate for the centrifugal force exercised by the turn on the upper part of the body, you will have to lean inwards; in fact, after you begin to get the knack of the thing, you are pretty certain to be thrown outwards once or twice. But do not trouble about that too much; do not at first make any conscious effort to lean inwards, or you will probably fall in that direction; you will very soon begin to compensate for the outward throw quite unconsciously.
Do not try to turn too quickly when learning, but rather take matters easily; speed will come by and by—in which connection note that both the “Telemark” and the “Christiania” are swings and not jerks, and that, however rapidly they be performed, the body should be turned crescendo and not (to continue the music metaphor) sforzando.
Another capital way of practising is to stand on some level space at the edge of a steep hill in the position shown in Fig. 27 (a) and then to slip over the edge and instantly to begin to swing. This method will allow you to practise a great number of swings in a short time without the trouble of walking a long way up-hill in order to gain speed. The following diagram shows graphically how to do so:—
Fig. 28.—A C B is the edge of a steep slope falling in the direction of the arrow. Stand at the point C. Slip over the edge, and at once make a swing to the left, stopping at E. Walk up the dotted line to O, turn (see p. 55) and return to C. Then make a swing to the right, stopping at D, and returning to C via L. Next, run a little further down, and swing to G, &c., &c. In this manner the difficulty of the swing is gradually increased.