The Freeheel Life Podcast

On this week's podcast I sit down for a conversation with the founding members of Midwest Telefest that included the owners, employees, and friends of Life Tools Adventure Outfitters. The Co-op turned outdoor shop was a hub for Telemark equipment in the Green Bay, WI area for many years and helped bring awareness to the great Telemark turn.  Midwest Telefest info: midwesttelefest.org  

Today’s guest has been in the Snowsports industry for nearly 30 years. He has worked in various retail positions along with working as a rep for such brands as Karhu, Dynafit, and more. We had a great discussion about where Telemark has been and where it’s headed, where specialty retail might be going in the future, shifts in manufacturing, and why Telemark skiers are so passionate. I’m psyched to call him a friend and was really excited about this conversation we had recently. Find Mike on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mike_kaz_abstracts JOIN OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AS A MEMBER: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9tPPZqLPCw2q4-tu9q3Ynw/join Newsroom & Notes: Current Boots - what’s up - will do video soon. YouTube Black Members LIVE w/ Craig Dostie THIS TUESDAY 1/30/24 at 5pm MST  We are open today and still have SOME appointments THROUGH SATURDAY so be sure to book those on the service section of the website. NO MORE SERVICE DROP OFFS UNTIL FEB. 16TH. YOU CAN HEAD TO 7EVEN SKIS FOR MOUNTS UNTIL I GET BACK. https://www.7evenskis.com/ BOOK SERVICE AT FREEHEEL LIFE: https://www.freeheellife.com/pages/telemark-ski-binding-service The week of February 5th-14th the brick and mortar shop will be closed. Midwest TeleFest  WORLD TELEMARK DAY 2024 Meetup Locations: https://www.freeheellife.com/pages/stores-events-locator Check out my website and online store: https://www.freeheellife.com/ Here is my latest free technique video for you to check out:https://youtu.be/SIs3qT4E2VY Latest Member Video: https://youtu.be/qPo98GcI_pE Check out my website and online store: https://www.freeheellife.com/ Our weekly e-mail newsletter is a great way to stay in contact with all of our content, events, product launches, etc. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList

Andy Jacobsen has been a friend of mine for 20+ years and is a Telemark skier that I’ve always respected for his great style, backcountry proficiency, and determined and skillful competition skiing. He was always a top performer in the early Telemark Freeski competitions during the early to mid-2000s and graced the big screen not only in the early Toughguy Production movies, but also as one of the original Powderwhore crew during the 10 years that Powderwhore was producing movies.  We had a great discussion about Telemark competition and film history, his inspirations early on as a young Telemark skier, and his experiences and life lessons along the way. JOIN OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AS A MEMBER:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9tPPZqLPCw2q4-tu9q3Ynw/join Check out my website and online store: https://www.freeheellife.com/ Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList    

Drew Nylen lives in northern British Columbia, on the Alaskan border, in a town of 300 people. His interest for Telemark skiing began in his youth when he started working at his local gear shop and was able to get his first freeheel setup. He’s an ACMG apprentice ski guide who will be taking his full ski exam in April. His extensive guiding has taken him to the Arctic, including: Baffin Island, Greenland, and more. Currently he’s working as an avalanche forecaster and field technician for Avalanche Canada. Find Drew Online: IG: https://www.instagram.com/drewnylen Guiding Services: https://yamnuska.com/ Join my YouTube channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9tPPZqLPCw2q4-tu9q3Ynw/join Here is our latest technique video for you to check out: https://youtu.be/WOu6G2-nKGs Check out our website and online store: https://www.freeheellife.com/ Our weekly e-mail newsletter is a great way to stay in contact with all of our content, events, product launches, etc. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList #telemark #spreadtelemark #freeheellife #skiing

World Telemark Day Celebrates 10 Years For Telemark skiers from around the world the 1st Saturday in March is a special day, it’s always World Telemark Day (WTD). This international celebration takes place this 2023-24 winter season on Saturday March 2nd, 2024 and marks one decade since its inception. “As a Telemark skier myself I saw how great the energy at Telemark gatherings always was,” said WTD Founder Josh Madsen. “So I created a de-centralized event for everyone around the world, every year, that both the individual and groups can celebrate at the same time.” That’s what sets World Telemark Day apart from a normal organized event at a specific location, because it can happen any place you want! Whether you are the only Telemark skier at your local ski area or live in an area where you can meet-up with a group of other like-minded freeheelers WTD is for everyone. How Can You Participate?  Go Telemark skiing! You can make it a day at the resort or a day in the backcountry — you choose. 2. Connect with people on social media using the hashtags #WorldTelemarkDay & #SpreadTelemark - this is a great way to share where you are making the best turn on snow with participants worldwide. 3. Set-up a group meetup at the hill for your local Telemark community to ski together for a few runs and take a group photo. 4. Rolling solo? No problem. World Telemark Day is still for you. Connect with other Telemark skiers via social media that are celebrating the same thing on the same day. 5. Use the high resolution WTD logo to make your own digital flyers, merch, etc.   Want To Take it To The Next Level? For those individuals or groups looking to use World Telemark Day to help build their own event and grow their local Telemark scene here are some ideas: Contact the marketing department at your local ski area. Contacts for the marketing department can generally be found on the ski area website or visit their office. Ask them if they would like to help get the word out via their channels and make it into an annual calendar item.  Feel free to use this press release along with the high resolution logo that you can download at: https://www.freeheellife.com/pages/world-telemark-day for any promotion. Create your own WTD merchandise with the logo and use it as a fundraiser for your local Telemark club, kids program, etc.     “World Telemark Day is for everyone,” says Josh Madsen. “I can’t think of a better day to share the turn with first-timers, old friends, and your local community. It’s your day to make it what you want and share it with the world.” #ProtectorsOfTheTurn #SpreadTelemark #FreeheelLife #Telemark #TelemarkSkiing #TelemarkSki #Skiing #Ski  Join our YouTube channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9tPPZqLPCw2q4-tu9q3Ynw/join Here is our latest technique video for you to check out: https://youtu.be/WOu6G2-nKGs Check out our website and online store: https://www.freeheellife.com/ Our weekly e-mail newsletter is a great way to stay in contact with all of our content, events, product launches, etc. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList #telemark #spreadtelemark #freeheellife #skiing

The other day I had the opportunity to teach a friend how to Telemark ski for the first time. I absolutely love sharing the turn with my friends but it’s been awhile since I’ve gone out with someone that has never made drop-knee turns before and starting from scratch. It reminded me of of things that I wanted to share with you as we head into this holiday season. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING ME DO A TELEMARK TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWN of this you can become a Blue or Black-Level Member of my YouTube channel and listen to the commentary as we watch me breakdown skiing with my friend.  Become a Freeheel Life YouTube Member Here:  https://www.youtube.com/@FreeheelLife/membership So I’m calling this podcast GIVING THE GIFT OF TELEMARK | Your Guide To Sharing The Turn  And I put together a pretty simple list of some of key points that I remembered while I was sharing Telemark with my friend along with some new things I learned from this particular experience.  Assess the level of your friend or family member before you hit the hill Make sure they have gear that is going to help them enjoy the experience. Match it correctly to the person if possible. The very first run let them warm up with some P-turns to understand the skis, what it feels like to have a free heel, and what the boots feel like. Start on some flat snow to do a couple of things: Teach them how to step-in and fasten their bindings properly. Then show them the basic shape of the Telemark stance. Then have them practice doing one Telemark stance to another — keeping in mind the distance of the feet apart and heel to toe.  Identify some very beginner terrain - slopes that are wide open and have less people on them. No Poles - ditch them or have them or hold them out like a tray in front of them on the down hill side of the slope Have them traverse the slope holding the shape of a Telemark stance. Learn balance, foot distance, etc. STOP ONCE YOU GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SLOPE or DETERMINED STOPPING POINT. Once they have a stable stance — move from stopping at the end of the traverse and have them come into a snow plow position and use that as the transition to turn their skis to go the other direction. ONCE THEY COME ACROSS THE FALL LINE have them drop into a Telemark stance again and continue to traverse to the other side. If they can get the hang of the snow plow transition — have them try coming fully parallel at the end of the traverse and then using a parallel turn instead to make the transition. Slowly work out the parallel at the end of the traverse moving towards a Telemark stance into a Telemark stance Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList   Emails: customerservice@freeheellife.com   Podcast@freeheellife.com

Todays podcast is all about fitness and some of the important ways you can keep you body healthy and strong during the Telemark ski season. Kate Galliett and I discuss five important tips that range from diet and warm-ups to joints and apres-ski. Kate Galliett has been a Personal Trainer and Coach for 22 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science and has earned a multitude of certifications to help her develop the holistic approach to body care that she takes today. Her focus is on helping her clients achieve the best health and fitness of their lives. She serves her clients locally in Eastern Utah and around the world through her online workout and lifestyle program. began work as a trainer in commercial gym setting before opening her own facility in the suburbs of Chicago. You can find her online at FitForRealLife.com. Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

Every year we get so many voicemails, emails, DMs, and the like regarding Telemark skiing. A lot of these questions are the same because there’s generally a lack of information online or people have a hard time finding the answers they need. So today I thought I’d put together my top list of FREQUENTLY ASKED TELEMARK QUESTIONS IN 2023 and see if I can offer some answers, opinions, and insights on things. I’m looking to get into Telemark skiing. What type of ski should I use for my first setup?   I’m putting my first Telemark setup together. Should I focus where I spend my money on the skis, boots, or bindings? What is the most important things to think of?    I’m currently skiing a stiffer T-Race 75mm boot and need new boots. I don’t want to switch to NTN because I don’t want to convert all of my setups, what are my choices?   Where can I learn to Telemark ski? Should I get a lesson…is it worth it?   Do you carry Scarpa replacement mid-straps?    I’d love to get my kids on Telemark gear. Do you offer kids rentals? How does that work?   How many times can I mount and remount my skis?   I’m looking at getting new boots and trying to figure out my size because I don’t have a shop near me and I’m not sure what mondo sizing is.   Why do you guys say that there is no difference between whole and half sizes in Telemark boots?   Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

This week I talk to me good buddy Cody Smith. Cody grew up near Aspen, Colorado where he started skiing at a young age as well as Telemark skiing. He attended the Colorado Rocky Mountain School and was a part of the school Telemark team. Following high school he filmed with Falling Forward Films, competed, and then eventually started Lipstick Films with myself in 2006. Since We Last Spoke Telemark Movie (2007): https://youtu.be/95ViSzdfs2s Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList How You Can Support Me: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

You all know how much I love the history of Telemark skiing and that's one of the big reasons I started the podcast. In Today's episode I talk about 5 fun Telemark history facts that I've always thought were important to the rich history of the turn.  This episode is especially good for new Telemark skiers and those that may not know much about the history of things. I hope you enjoy.  More info on Sondre Norheim: http://sondrenorheim.com/ Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

There’s been some things that have gone down lately that really got me thinking about the current state of Telemark and where I think it’s heading in the next few years and beyond. At first these things that happened seemed like incidents that didn’t have much to do with each other, but as I started thinking more and more about them the connections between them become much more apparent to me. So I thought I’d connect the dots in a podcast and talk a little bit about each experience I had, how I think these types of things impact Telemark skiing, and ultimately discuss my THREE TOP REASONS TELEMARK SKIING STRUGGLES TO GROW. Thanks for listening. - Madsen

This week I speak with my good friend Richard Schürf. He grew up in Munich, Germany and was introduced to Telemark skiing through Paul Parker and Yvon Chouinard while he was working for Patagonia in the 1980s. He's had a long career as a distributor for iconic Telemark brands like Karhu as well as many others. These days he runs a successful Telemark event tour with nearly a dozen stops and is endlessly promoting Telemark across the European continent. We also announce our exciting partnership between Freeheel Life and Freeheeler.eu, which is his organization in Europe. We'll have a few pairs of our Protector skis over in Europe at his Festival tour stops that people can ski on. Find out more info about Freeheeler here: https://www.freeheeler.eu/ Freeheeler Tour Dates: https://www.freeheeler.eu/veranstaltungs-dashboard/ Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop  How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

This week on the podcast I'm digging into my deep mailbag to answer a few questions from listeners. If you want a question or thought to be considered for a Mailbag Episode, please send in your thoughts, questions, hate mail, etc. to podcast@freeheellife.com. Our weekly e-mail newsletter is a great way to stay in contact with all of our content, events, product launches, etc. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList #telemark #spreadtelemark #freeheellife #skiing

This week Craig and I sit down and catch up about his recent trip to Bariloche, Argentina. We discuss hanging out with Diana Rivera from We Telemark, teaching kids to Telemark in South America, and where are the best spots to go when you visit there. Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop  How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

Today's podcast is with my good friend Keith Opperman. He is the the Midwest Tele Fest Organizer an annual event that will take place on February 9-11th, 2024 at the Porcupine State Park Ski Area in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan.  We discuss the upcoming event details, Keith's latest move to make the festival a 501c3 non-profit entity, Telemark skiing in the Midwest, and the importance of keeping this event going after 33 years.  Learn more about Midwest Telefest here: https://midwesttelefest.org/ IG: @midwest_telefest FB: https://www.facebook.com/telefestmidwest   Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList   Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Telemark Skier Magazine on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop      How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Subscribe & Become a Supporter of TelemarkSkier.com for articles, gear reviews, & more! Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

It's time to fire up the podcast again as we head into the 2023-24 Telemark season. Thanks for the wonderful break over the summer! I'm psyched to get back and talk your ears off about what we have going on at Freeheel Life along with a little history, equipment banter, etc.  Today I just want to catch you up on some changes this year, re-focusing on the objectives, and more. Thanks for your interest in FHL and what we do, and of course for coming along for the ride.  Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList   Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop    How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

Paul Flück started Telemark skiing back in 1989 and has been involved with everything from retail, to event management, marketing, and more. During the 2014-15 season he came up with a way to rent out the entire ski area of Schilthorn Piz-Gloria and create an on-hill experience called Telemark Only, where only Telemark skiers are allowed on the mountain for a private weekend event. 500-600 Telemark skiers continue to go to this event each year now and it’s THE spot to go in early May to wrap up the Telemark season worldwide. We at Freeheel Life are super excited to partner up with Telemark Only.  I think you’ll enjoy this conversation that sheds light on this incredible event.   REGISTER FOR TELEMARK ONLY 2023: https://telemark-only.com/en/Info/Tickets   Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList   Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop    How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

Jakob Schiller is from New Mexico where he grew up and went to school. As a high schooler, and when the snow was lousy at his local resort, he used to pull out a pair of 210 cm Tua skis mounted with flimsy Voile telemark bindings and then strap on a pair of thrift shop leather telemark boots. This is how he got started in Telemark skiing many years ago. He’s worked as a journalist for the likes of POWDER magazine, SKI, Outside, WIRE, and more over the years. But it was his recent piece in SKI, titled EVERYONE SHOULD OWN A TELEMARK SETUP, that caught my attention. We had a great conversation of what drives people to Telemark ski, how it looked back when both of us started vs. now, and maybe where it’s heading. READ SCHILLER’S ARTICLE HERE: https://www.skimag.com/gear/everyone-should-own-telemark-skis Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Telemark Skier Magazine on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop  How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com  

As we start nearing the end of another killer Telemark season I wanted to do a little clean-up in the mail department. Today I'm answering more of your questions regarding Telemark skiing in Mailbag Episode #13.  Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList   Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Telemark Skier Magazine on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop      How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Email Podcast@freeheellife.com

Craig Dostie joins me on the podcast after a day in the Utah backcountry to discuss the new Voile Transit Telemark tech binding. Our conversation goes over the new offering from Voile along with other tech-toe NTN Telemark binding offerings like the InWild Meidjo & 22 Designs LYNX.  Craig shares some details about the Transit mounting pattern, cable configurations, and what he's liking about the new binding. We also discuss other tech-toe offerings on the market and whether it's likely we'll see other similar bindings in the future from other manufacturers.  Sign-up for the mailing list: https://bit.ly/FHLMailingList   Connect with Josh and the Freeheel Life Family  Josh on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Telemark Skier Magazine on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Freeheel Life on Instagram and Twitter Shop The Freeheel Life Telemark Shop    How You Can Support Us: Shop Telemark at  FREEHEELLIFE.COM Subscribe & Become a Supporter of TelemarkSkier.com for articles, gear reviews, & more! Email Podcast@freeheellife.com