Free-Heel Skiing: Telemark and Parallel Techniques for All Conditions

by Paul Parker

Incorporating the best and most recent techniques from both alpine and Nordic skiing, Free-heel Skiing presents skiers with the latest methods for tackling the full range of terrain and snow. Everything from beginning turns to advanced telemark techniques is covered, along with tips for choosing and caring for equipment and suggestions for conditioning and strength training.

This is the seminal text on this sport and Paul Parker is the sport's recognized guru, which is the reason why many who began their love affair with free heeling refer this book simply as "The Parker Book". That says it all

Genres: Sports, Reference

Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

another oldie but goodie. I love that this book takes the framework of trying to convince you that you should know all the various skiing techniques so you can handle whatever is thrown your way and enjoy adventures in all kinds of terrain and conditions. I'm sure there are better books on each particular technique, but this is a great primer for someone looking for the fundamentals of each technique. In the current era of specialization, i found this really refreshing and aligned with my attitude towards skiing, and desire to be able to tackle backcountry adventures that include uphill, cross-country, and downhill in one go on one set of skis.

[Sitting Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently re-read this excellent technique manual. The title is quite telling: it does not concern only the telemark turn. Rather, it includes telemark as one of many techniques available for skiing in a free heel rig. The idea is not "tele turn every turn" but to match the technique to the needs of the terrain and snow quality. Highly recommended.

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

sooooo nerd

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly to review this, really. If you're interested in free-heel skiing, you'll have already read it, and if you're not, you should do your best *not* to become interested, since it's a sad and lonely life, full of leg-press machines and ice-baths.

[Peterthelibrarian Thelibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Parker's book is pretty much the Telemark Skiing Bible. If you want to learn to telemark, you need this book. I've consulted it every season for about fifteen years, and I still keep learning from it. And I'm fairly sure that it's not just because I'm a slow learner. ;)

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emphasis is on telemark and AT gear. Good photos. Goes well when accompanied with "Cross-country downhill and other Nordic mountain skiing techniques" by Steve Barnett.

[Alistair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enlightening book. Tips from this book improved my downhill skiing as well as clarifying what I'd learnt through a number of telemark lessons.

[Maria Ettlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I have to exersise all that I have read...