When I look back at my old YouTube videos, I can really see how my skiing style has changed over time. The clips I shared are from about 15-16 years ago, around 2010. Back then, I was aiming for what I called a kind of “powerless carving turn” made possible only with a free heel.

It’s obvious when you watch. There’s none of the typical “up-and-down” movement you see in alpine skiing?no rhythm coming from flexing and extending. I’m just sliding smoothly down through uneven terrain, and you can see the outside ski tracing a clean arc.

At the time, I often talked about the “X-axis and Y-axis.”

• The Y-axis means vertical movement. Alpine skiing is basically built around that?pushing and releasing force perpendicular to the ski.

• The X-axis is more like horizontal movement, from the tail to the tip of the ski. In alpine gear, it’s structurally almost impossible.

With free heels, though, your heel is released, so stepping forward becomes an X-axis move. Think of it like this: chopping straight down on a cutting board is the Y-axis, while slicing sashimi by pulling the knife is the X-axis. Both work together, but with free heels you can actually make the X-axis the main focus.

In those videos, the outside ski’s arc wasn’t something I was consciously steering. It was almost “automatic.” The real driver was the inside ski. If you slow down the last part of the video, you’ll see it: at the end of the turn, the outside ski ankle is extended. Then it contracts, while the inside ski rotates first. That movement pulls the outside ski into a smooth arc.

And here’s the key: the big toe edge of the outside foot stays in contact the whole time?it never lifts. That’s why the ski draws such a clean curve, both into the fall line and back out of it. Honestly, alpine skis just can’t do that. Hehehe.

Why? Because in alpine skiing, the outside ski ankle never actually extends at the end of the turn. That’s the crucial point. That’s exactly why I wear low-cut boots. Ha-ha.

The video focuses on skidding. The skis are positioned perpendicular to the fall line, and from this position, sliding down along the fall line is called “sideways skidding,” while moving diagonally is called “diagonal skidding.” Let’s clarify the terminology first.

On the slope, start with the skis sideways to the fall line and the body upright. The legs are positioned on the uphill and downhill sides, with the uphill leg usually more flexed. The edge angle of the uphill ski is relaxed and lightly pushed in the desired direction. Here, “pushing” does not mean putting body weight on the ski?it refers to extending the flexed leg. Since the uphill leg is already flexed, it can be extended. Relax the edge and push in the chosen direction, which can be along the fall line, forward, or backward. The orientation of the body or gaze does not matter.

This sideways skidding is a braking element, performed on groomed or firm snow, where the skier adjusts the braking force while skidding. To illustrate the subtleties of this pushing motion, I often use the analogy of spreading cream on a cake (“napper”) on a rotating stand with a stainless steel spatula?the spatula represents the ski. The delicate pressure and angle are what give the sense of skidding. It’s not a brute-force action. In short, skidding primarily uses the outside edge of the uphill ski, leaning it and pushing, not standing on it. Imagine spreading cream on a cake.

At the beginning of the video, both alpine and telemark stances demonstrate skidding. Both share the visual appearance of the body being bent, with weight on the downhill ski. This is perhaps the most common form.

In contrast, with B-tele skidding, the body remains upright because the uphill leg is being extended. This upright body posture leads to the later elements of twisting, untwisting, and the rotation axis.

In the latter part, the video shows turning (spinning) from skidding in both alpine and telemark stances. Compared to the alpine stance, the telemark stance twists the whole body more strongly relative to the fall line. As a result, the energy released during the untwisting produces stronger force, allowing the skis to spin faster. Although either stance can achieve the spin, the telemark stance is preferred to generate greater twisting and untwisting power, enabling the skis to spin more than 90 degrees almost automatically. This is an advantage of heel-free or low-cut boots.

The next step is the moment when the body “snaps” from being extended during skidding to a slightly contracted stance. This characteristic posture is called the B-tele icon stance.

The icon stance occurs the instant the body contracts after being extended, with the following features:

• The upper body is upright, and both feet are positioned directly under it.

• Both knees are pointed forward and flexed (a stance only possible with heel-free or low-cut boots).

An analogy is lying on your back with knees bent; the back, hips, and feet are aligned on a straight line. This straight line becomes the rotation axis.

The twisting energy accumulated in the telemark stance during skidding is released by contracting in the icon stance, generating powerful untwisting force. With the rotation axis straight, the skis spin nearly in place. Furthermore, since the movement is a contraction rather than a squat, the skis momentarily lift off the snow, accelerating the spin.

The continuous B-tele turn combines the pushing/extension during skidding (braking element), the contracted icon stance (acceleration element), the extension twist and contraction untwist, and the straight rotation axis. This sequence of braking, acceleration, twisting, and untwisting is what the video demonstrates.

B-tele Icon Stance Explanation

The B-tele icon stance represents the posture in which the body (and legs), previously extended during skidding, has been compressed and returned to a neutral position.

Visual characteristics:

• In the icon stance, both feet are positioned directly under the body

• Both knees point forward (possible due to heel-free bindings or low-cut boots, not achievable with alpine skis)

Functional principle:

• The starting point of movement is what we call the center of mass, roughly located at the core of the skeletal structure, around the solar plexus

• From this point, you can extend to apply pressure / skid, and return to it to release pressure / perform aerial spins

Body sensation / imagery:

• Visualizing this while standing can be misleading

• A closer approximation is lying on your back on the floor with knees bent

• When the knees are bent, they move toward the hips relative to the original foot position

• This movement represents decompression of what was previously under pressure, and if performed rapidly in a vertical context, it lifts the skis into the air

Summary:

• The starting point of motion is the center of mass, which serves as the reference for extending and compressing the body

• Whether the icon stance is a high posture or a compressed posture depends on the environmental requirements

Have you ever taken a video of your own skiing and really studied it?The truth is, while we’re skiing, very few of us can actually see what our skis are doing. I’m the same?most of the time my skis aren’t in my field of vision, so I’m really operating based on feel and imagination.

Let me share a recent insight I gained from filming myself. I was skiing NTN bindings with step-in plates, in slightly sticky snow. Right after starting, my inside ski (the rear ski in Telemark) began to wobble, and after a few turns it actually popped off. While skiing, all I noticed was a strange feeling?“something’s off.” But watching the video, I could clearly see what was happening.

Here’s the key point: my control comes from using the inside ski’s tail as a brake. On hardpack, that means smearing; in powder, it means burying the tail. The action is the same. I move the tail through a sequence?1 → 2 → 3 → 4?and that movement leaves its trace as a turn, a line in the snow.

Now, with low-cut boots, this movement is smooth and natural. But with NTN, the point of leverage shifts, making it harder to execute. That’s why my inside ski became unstable. In other words, much of my braking happens behind me, at the tail of the inside ski. It’s almost like applying the brakes from the backside?an unusual but fascinating perspective. And I would never have understood it without the video.

In alpine skiing, we often use the terms short turns and long turns. For Japanese skiers and instructors, these expressions feel completely natural. “Let’s try some short turns next.” “Now let’s make some big, round turns.” In other words, in alpine skiing, the skier consciously chooses the turn size.

So, how about Telemark? Saying “Let’s make short Telemark turns” or “Let’s try long Telemark turns” also works, of course.

But in the video I’m showing here, what I’m doing is B-tele. By appearance alone, you could classify it as short turns. But here’s the important part: I’m not actually intending to make them short. They’re almost automatic, or passive. On a steep slope, if you just let gravity do its work and apply braking alternately left and right, the rhythm naturally becomes short-turn-like.

So why do the skis snap around so quickly?It comes down to two things: braking and the rotation axis. With a free heel?especially in a low-cut boot?you can keep that axis straight. Combine that with stored energy and a bit of torsion, and the skis will turn quickly and smoothly.

To summarize:

• Alpine short turns → an intentional movement pattern.

• Telemark short turns → a rhythm created naturally by slope and gravity.

When you think of it that way, isn’t Telemark an incredibly useful tool on steep slopes?

Let me explain some key points about my skiing style.
I don’t raise my arms. I don’t push my elbows forward. My elbows don’t flap or jerk. Why not? Because I don’t throw my shoulders forward.

Now, think of the typical silhouette we often see: shoulders forward, face forward, arms reaching out. You’ve seen that before, right? It shows up in both alpine and Telemark skiing, especially when someone is working hard to make a turn.

So why does this happen?
Because the hips and pelvis drop backward. To counterbalance, the skier throws the shoulders forward, reaches out with the arms, and even pushes the face forward. It’s an attempt to compensate.

And why do the hips move backward in the first place?
Because of boots with little ankle flex, and bindings that fix the heel?the standard alpine setup of the past few decades. As the skier compresses, the hips naturally shift back.

Now, why do skiers compress in that way?
Often it’s because they are “bending the knees while applying pressure.” Personally, I don’t really understand the logic behind that movement, so I simply don’t do it.

In my video, though, you’ll notice that I also get smaller at times?for example, riding over a roller at the start. But notice: my shoulders don’t push forward, my arms don’t move, and my upper body stays upright.

Why?
Because my knees move forward. With low-cut boots (T4), the ankle can flex, and with Telemark the heel can rise. This allows the knees to come forward, keeping the feet right under the hips and pelvis. Even when compressed, the line from the upper body through the hips to the feet stays straight. That’s impossible in alpine, because the knees can’t come forward. Hence the “typical silhouette” I described earlier.

Let’s summarize:

• Getting smaller is not about adding pressure. It’s about absorbing pressure.

• If you keep a straight line through your body when compressed, you can use that moment as a rotation axis.

• That’s why I can pivot cleanly, upright, without flaring my elbows or jutting my face forward.

The pressure that bends the skis is managed by extending the joints. That’s B-tele.
On the other hand, there’s A-tele: even though the fore-aft stance is “Telemark,” the actual movements are essentially alpine.

Which approach you prefer is up to you.

Everyone, I want to share a memorable lesson I learned when I earned my cross-country ski instructor certification in New Zealand, from a Norwegian instructor.

“Walk on your ski, not on snow.”
He said, “Don’t walk on the snow with your skis?walk on the skis with your boots.” The moment I heard this, I was shocked…and deeply impressed.

Think about it. On hard asphalt, even if you’re a little tipsy, you can walk, right? Walking on hard ground with sneakers is essentially the same as walking on the hard surface of a ski with a flexible classic boot. Isn’t that a brilliant idea?

In daily life, we sense “hard” or “soft” through our soles. That’s exactly why cross-country skis have bindings. No matter how far you walk, the boot sole is always on a hard ski surface. You can feel the firmness underfoot, so walking feels natural?just like in everyday life. You can enjoy the scenery, chat with your neighbor, and still move comfortably.

In Japan, we often hear, “Equipment is part of your body.” In that case, the boundary we think about is usually between the ski and the snow. But the Norwegian instructor taught me a different perspective: the boundary is between your boot sole and the ski (or binding).

This is a view shaped by a long history of using skis as a means of transportation. I felt it deeply?it really touched my heart.

Everyone, today let’s think about speed control.
First, let’s take cross-country skiing as an example. When you ski on a course, you increase your speed by pushing with your own power, right? And to slow down, you need to use braking. Think of it like a car: accelerator and brake. Or a bicycle: pedaling and brake. The concept is the same.

Now, what about downhill skiing?
How do you speed up? How do you slow down? Here’s the key:

• Slow down → apply the brake

• Speed up → release the brake you’ve been applying

That’s right, everyone. Speeding up is also part of brake control. You’re not producing extra power; you’re controlling your speed by adjusting how and when you release the brake.

So when people say, “Speed control is crucial in downhill skiing,” it really means the same thing as how well you can use the brake.

Try this in your practice: pay attention to the brake not only when slowing down, but also when speeding up. You’ll notice your skiing becomes much more stable.

This is why I always say, “Skiing is all about the brake!”

Everyone, today let’s think about the question: “What is a Telemark turn?”

My answer is this:

“It’s a mark that shows you belong to the same tribe, or like a tattoo.”

A bit of a funny expression, isn’t it? Let me explain what I mean.
When you put on Telemark gear and stand on the snow, first try spreading your feet front and back. Can you do it? Great?that’s how you know you’re part of the same tribe. Then, if you can execute that posture sharply while going downhill, you earn points! Your status within the tribe goes up.

Now, here’s an important point: It’s hard to shake the assumption that “a Telemark turn is natural just because you have heel-free equipment.” That’s why I described it as a “tattoo.” And you can also think of it as “a formal practice or etiquette.”

A Telemark turn is an intentional movement. It’s not something that appears spontaneously, like a child simply trying it for the first time. That’s why the word “practice” fits perfectly here. Skill level is just part of the etiquette.

Another interesting thing: people who ski Telemark naturally notice others doing Telemark turns. “Ah, a Telemarker!” In my case, that feeling brings joy. Lucky! Positive emotions!

On the other hand, when I see someone using Telemark gear but only doing alpine turns, I feel a little sad, a bit disappointed. But it’s not about skill. The root of that emotion is, “They’re in the same tribe, but…” I understand it well, having spent many years in A-tele myself.

Next time, we’ll discuss: “Is B-tele a Telemark turn?” Stay tuned… maybe!

Good morning, everyone. Today, I was out for my morning jog thinking about a question: “What is Telemark skiing?”

I’ve always liked thinking about something while walking or cycling, even as a kid (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?). It feels more constructive?and somehow slimming?than just sitting in a chair pondering.

So, how would we explain Telemark skiing? Let’s organize it in this order:

1. Visuals

2. Characteristics

3. What it allows you to do

4. My personal experience

5. Current situation

Summarizing all that, here’s my conclusion:

“It’s a heel-free genre that evolved toward downhill skiing?and today, it has reached the NTN system.”

Pretty neat, right? Maybe jogging helps clear your mind! The pattern is: start with a concise statement, then expand with explanation.

Now, what do I mean by the “heel-free genre”?
Snowshoes, cross-country skis, BC X-C, XPLORE, 75mm leather boots, 75mm plastic boots, NTN… Basically, the names of the equipment. Among all of these, Telemark skiing is what evolved especially for downhill.

When I started Telemark, it was leather boots. Then plastic boots, 75mm standard, and now the NTN system. Looking back over 30 years of changes, I’d say: “It was a straight path toward more rigid gear.”

However, for someone starting Telemark today, this is their first experience. They don’t have the sense of “it’s gotten harder.” Telemark skiing happens on the same slopes as alpine skiing?downhill skiing, Telemark style.

Incidentally, if you check the Rottefella website from a few years ago, 3-pin bindings no longer appear on the Telemark page?they’ve been moved to backcountry. BC X-C, XPLORE, and 3-pin are now backcountry. NTN is Telemark.

Seeing this, I sometimes wonder: “Are we really running a proper Telemark ski school?” or “Should we rethink the sign that says ‘Easy Telemark’?” That’s the kind of reflective mood I’m in these days.

If all goes well, next time we’ll continue with: “What is a Telemark turn?” (Fingers crossed!)

Everyone, today let’s think about what it really means to be “good at skiing.”

For me, I focus on three main points:

1. Speed ? skiing fast

2. Being able to ski down steep slopes

3. Being quiet ? smooth, controlled movements

If someone meets all three of these criteria, I consider them good at skiing.

Interestingly, turning isn’t included in these criteria. And the same goes for Telemark skiing.
In other words, in my view, being good at skiing and being good at turning are separate things.

Of course, this is just my personal standard, but it can be fun to think about your own definition of what it means to be “good” at skiing.

Everyone, many people think that skiing is all about drawing continuous turn arcs.
But today, let’s consider a slightly different perspective.

In fact, skiing is a combination of braking and turning.
If you watch my videos on YouTube, that’s exactly how I ski.

Let’s start with braking.
Braking isn’t controlled by the turn arc itself?it’s done by drawing a banana shape on the slope.

• On hard snow, drawing the banana is called “skidding”

• In deep snow, drawing it is called “digging”

Both use mainly the inside ski’s outside edge, and especially the back half of the ski.
The key point: braking works best with the inside ski, not the outside ski.

Next, let’s talk about turning. There are three types:

1. Kick Turn ? performed from a stationary position

2. Wedge Turn ? performed while moving

3. Aerial Spin ? a full rotation in the air

Note: The aerial spin is possible thanks to heel-free systems or low-cut boots. You cannot do this with alpine skis?even small turns remain turn-arcs.

To summarize, here’s what you should practice:

• Braking: “skidding” and “digging” → in practice, these are the same, so just remember skidding = digging

• Turning: “kick turn,” “wedge turn,” and “aerial spin”

Master these, and you’ll be able to ski not only on the slopes but also down mountain ridges?regardless of snow conditions.
And remember, always with a smile!

About B-tele
Thank you for watching. Most of the videos showing B-tele skiing are from 2020 onwards.
Earlier videos are positioned as A-tele or A+.

It’s always me skiing?whether in a video from over 10 years ago or in yesterday’s clip?but what I focus on or challenge myself with changes over time. That way, when you look back, you can see it as a record of evolution.

When talking about B-tele, please refer mainly to the more recent videos. Above all, I believe the illustrations are the clearest guide.

Everyone, today let’s talk about the differences between A-tele and B-tele.

First, let’s look at the basic approach:

• A-tele: Skiing is all about the turn

• B-tele: Skiing starts with braking

In A-tele, braking is included in the turn itself.
In B-tele, braking and turning are independent actions.

How you enter the turn also differs:

• A-tele: You wait for the brakes to engage before starting the next turn

• B-tele: You can operate the brakes independently of the turn, so there’s no need to wait

This also affects the turn radius:

• A-tele: Turns tend to be larger

• B-tele: Turns can be either small or large, freely

And the slope steepness?

• A-tele: Steep slopes are challenging

• B-tele: Braking is actually easier on steeper slopes than on gentle ones

How you apply pressure to the skis is different as well:

• A-tele: You load your weight onto the skis

• B-tele: You push and pull on the skis to control them

Up to this point, these concepts apply to both alpine and Telemark skiing.

Now, specifically for Telemark:

• A-tele focuses on the Telemark stance itself, almost like a show or cosplay

• B-tele focuses on using the advantages of the equipment?heel-free bindings or low-cut boots

The “showpiece” of each style is different:

• A-tele: The distinctive Telemark stance at the end of a turn. Bold movements look cool.

• B-tele: The brief transition and subtle braking. Quiet, controlled movements also look cool.

However, when skiing in complex mountain conditions, I personally stick with B-tele mode?it’s safer, more stable, and makes full use of the gear’s advantages.

Alright everyone, today we’re going to talk about how to generate power in skiing using your body.

Let’s start with the center of mass?but not the center of gravity. Here, I mean the center of the skeleton.
The place that moves the least when you sway your body?most likely just below the lungs, around the solar plexus.

From this center of mass, joints at the same distance tend to move in paired patterns. Imagine this:

• Shoulder bones and pelvis

• Elbows and knees

• Wrists and ankles

For example, bending both your elbows and knees at the same time is easy. But bending your elbows while extending your knees? That creates a slight moment of hesitation.

Also, the closer a bone is to the center of mass, the bigger and stronger it is; the further away, the smaller and more intricate. Same with muscles and tendons.
The center of the body has large bones and big muscles, the extremities have many small bones and tendons.

Now, here’s the key point:

• Power comes from the center of your body?the big bones and muscles

• Sensing, adjusting, and controlling comes from your hands and feet

Can you picture it?

Now let’s go a step further. When improving your skiing, many people focus on hip or shoulder alignment. But honestly, this isn’t the most effective. Why? Because hips and shoulders are “dumb”?they’re hard to move precisely on command. Even if an instructor tells you, you can’t instantly fix it.

Hands and feet, on the other hand? Simple. “Raise your index finger”?everyone does it immediately and correctly. That’s what I mean by smart, responsive parts of the body.

Here’s the conclusion:

Downhill skiing requires big power. That power comes from the center of the body.
Trying to consciously move the center directly is extremely difficult.

The trick is this: use your hands and feet as the “switches” or “dials” for output.
Focus on smart hands and feet, let them lead, and control the output from the center.

This is my B-tele concept.
Specifically, it focuses on how you move your feet. In Japanese, I express it as “CHU♪”.
Unfortunately, this part can only be fully demonstrated in person.

Everyone, let’s think about this for a moment. Telemark skiers often seem not very comfortable talking about technique, right?
Why do you think that is? I have a hypothesis: it’s because there isn’t a clear skiing goal to aim for.

So, what is the goal for someone starting Telemark skiing? Let’s not call it the ultimate “goal” yet?let’s say an immediate achievement. It’s probably to complete stable Telemark turns in the Telemark position. Yes, that stance with one foot forward and one back.

Here’s the key: that immediate goal is often a dead-end. Even after ten or more years, there may be little growth beyond it.
Now, think about this question:

“Have you just been performing the Telemark position?”

You’ve probably sensed it too: the goal of skiing itself is not the same as the goal of performing a stance.

If that forward-backward foot stance aligned perfectly with the true goal of skiing, skiers could confidently discuss technique with one another. But in reality, looking at YouTube and elsewhere, it’s like this: 50% of people are working hard just to “perform” the stance. Of the remaining half, half try to approach the power of Alpine skiing, while the other half go back to “performing” with weaker equipment. That’s my observation.

So, what is the real goal in skiing? I think we can explain it like this:

“It’s what comes from fully leveraging the advantages of your equipment.”

For example, fully fixed high-cut Alpine boots have a goal only Alpine skiing can reach. On the other hand, heel-free Telemark systems have their own goal. Light, agile XCD gear has its own goal too.

I like to think about capturing the essence of each goal in a single, catchy word.
For Alpine skiing: “strength” or “power.”
For Telemark skiing: “dexterity” or “softness.”

Isn’t that a beautiful way to divide things?
And this is why trying to make Telemark skiing more like Alpine skiing is actually… a little misguided.

One more point: in Telemark, spreading your feet forward and back is possible, and often treated as an icon of the technique. But unfortunately, it’s not necessarily an advantage in downhill skiing.
The advantage only appears when both feet are together.
Think back to my “B-tele” icon.

Now, I want you to consider this: if we set “dexterity” and “softness” as the goal, how do we develop from there?
Take a moment and think about it.

Now, everyone, there are two elements to braking: skidding and digging.

On hard slopes, we use skidding, while in conditions with deeper snow, we use digging. The key point here is that in either case, you primarily use the uphill ski. You extend your joints to flex the ski and push your weight into it. One important detail: only the rear half of the ski is flexed?you don’t flex the ski from tip to tail. I’ll explain the finer points of the technique another time.

After completing the braking action, you contract your joints to return. When you contract and return, the ski briefly lifts off the snow, and your speed increases. If you have pre-twisted your body, you can also rotate instantly at that moment. In other words, if you push and extend the uphill ski in the direction you want to twist, the ski naturally rotates when you return?in the air and quickly.

After that, you gradually apply force to the later part of the opposite side’s outside edge and repeat the same motion. This is the basic pattern of my skiing.

Everyone, when it comes to downhill skiing, people often talk a lot about turns?specifically, the shape of your turn. Sure, making turns is fun and exciting?I get that, too. But if we look at it from an instructor’s perspective, the most important thing is not how to perfect your turn shape, but how you control your speed while going down.

You might be surprised, but the shape of your turns and speed control are actually unrelated. So let’s focus on the core of speed control: braking. The key is whether your brakes work properly and whether you can adjust the pressure as you like. If you do this right, speed naturally comes along. On a slope, physics does the work?you’re going to accelerate anyway?so speed control really means controlling deceleration.

There are two ways to use brakes. One is to wait for your speed to drop naturally, and the other is to actively control your speed at will. The first one is common among skiers who think skiing is mainly about turns?they wait for the speed to drop before starting the next turn. In Japanese, this “waiting” state is sometimes called ‘riding’. It works fine on intermediate slopes, but on steep terrain it becomes difficult. After all, do you really make turns on a 40-degree slope? Most likely, you’ll just slide sideways.

This is where universal braking techniques come in. On hard slopes, we use skidding. That works well even on groomed runs. But when there’s deeper snow?powder, crust, or anything thick?your skis sink and skidding becomes difficult. So what do you do? You dig your skis. When the ski sinks, it slows you down. Many of you may have experienced sudden stops and falls?that usually happens for two reasons.

The first reason is that the entire ski sinks. More specifically, the front part of the ski creates resistance and suddenly stops you?hence the “uh-oh” moment. That’s why, when burying skis, you only need to use the back half from the boots back, not the whole ski. You use this as your brake pressure control.

The second reason is ‘riding’, meaning your weight is constant. That doesn’t give you real control. So instead, convert your weight into pressure. Think of it as push and pull. This lets you adjust how much the ski sinks, which directly controls your speed. In short: dig to slow down, lift to speed up. The same idea applies to skidding: skid the tail to brake, then release to accelerate.

Here’s something that might surprise you: the leg that mainly performs this braking is your uphill ski, not the downhill ski. Specifically, the outside edge of the uphill ski, and the back half. The downhill ski has other functions, which we’ll cover separately.

To sum up: in downhill skiing, the most important thing is braking, not turn shape. Braking is mainly done with the back half of the outside edge of your uphill ski. On hard snow, slide it to brake; on thicker snow, bury it to create resistance. Brakes aren’t something you wait for?they’re something you actively operate. Adjust pressure: extend and push, contract and pull. This push-and-pull motion is where heel-free skiing really shows its advantage.

Alright everyone, compared to alpine skiing, heel-free skis allow you to make turns with a smaller radius. Why? Because you can create a straighter rotation axis.

For example, when you shorten or compress your body, your heels lift, allowing your knees to move forward. This keeps both feet directly under your upper body. The line connecting your upper body and feet becomes your rotation axis. A straight rotation axis naturally creates the smallest turn radius?like spinning almost in place.

Important note: compressing your body is different from squatting down. The moment you compress, the skis lift slightly off the snow. In the air, your skis rotate most freely. From the outside, this might look like a short turn. But if you slow down this motion, you can easily turn it into a medium or long radius turn.

Also, before you compress, you must extend your body. As I mentioned before, extending the body is how you apply a brake. By extending the joints of the uphill leg, power is transmitted from your ankles to the skis, causing the tails to skid?and that acts as a brake. In deeper snow, sinking the tails does the same thing.

So to summarize: extend your body to brake, compress your body to turn. That’s the fundamental movement in heel-free skiing.

First of all, I want to clarify that the way I categorize A-tele and B-tele is just my own framework. It’s not a standard way of thinking in Japan.

The important point is that B-tele is my original concept. It took me about 25 years as a telemark ski instructor to develop this idea. I’ve attached some reference material above, which I hope will help you understand it.

Now, let’s talk about A-tele. What is A-tele? Simply put, it’s all telemark skiing techniques other than B-tele. In other words, general telemark skiing falls under A-tele, including technical theories and teaching methods. I didn’t reject A to create B; my position is simply that both A and B exist.

A has been around for a long time, and its existence has reasons. There’s a purpose to dropping your hips and spreading your feet front-to-back. That purpose could be physical, or it could relate to the inner experience: maybe it’s fun, exciting, challenging, or gives you that “I’m really skiing” feeling compared to alpine skiing. I myself spent years operating entirely within A?trying to figure out how to stabilize the telemark position within a turn, or what meaning there might be in spreading the feet front-to-back. Back then, turns came first, and the telemark position was something to fit into that turn. That was basically my role as an instructor up until around 2008.

The trigger for creating B-tele came from a question: “Right below the ridge, on this extremely steep slope, do I really want to turn? Isn’t it dangerous?” On icy, steep slopes, we first slide sideways. In such situations, does it even make sense to teach turns? If you spread your feet front-to-back here, it could be disastrous. Do you raise the heel of your uphill ski? What is a turn? Is the telemark position even necessary? These questions came from skiing in the mountains, not on resort slopes.

What became clear is that what you really need in downhill skiing is brake control. People who are good at braking are good at controlling speed. I focused on braking itself and developed B-tele. To summarize: A is about turn shape, B is about braking. B works in any slope or condition. With B, you can safely get down.

Developing B also revealed a gift: in many ways, telemark skiing can be superior to alpine skiing. A demonstrates its value in conditions where you can enjoy turn shape?resort slopes, comfortable angles, safe environments?where you can move actively, enjoy bold turns, and even the physicality of the skiing.

On the other hand, the world of B-tele emphasizes skiing more quietly, softly, and lightly. Both A and B have their place, and understanding both allows you to choose the right approach for the situation.

So in summary:

• A-tele: techniques to enjoy turn shape

• B-tele: techniques focused on braking, adaptable to any slope or condition

Understanding both and using them appropriately is how I suggest approaching telemark skiing.

Everyone, today I want to talk about Lead Change.

To be clear, in B-tele, there is no such term and no intentional movement that corresponds to it. You might watch a video and see that the skis clearly swap front and back each turn, and think, “That’s a Lead Change, right?” I understand why you would say that. But in my system, there is no intentionally executed Lead Change.

Why? Because in B-tele, we don’t base our skiing around the shape of the turn. As I’ve mentioned before, the focus in B-tele is on braking. On hard slopes, this means skidding; in thicker snow, it means digging the ski. That is the concrete action we use to control speed.

Now, what appears to be the Lead Change within a turn? In my perspective, it’s better described as a spin?a quick directional change in the air, using both feet simultaneously. After that, we use the uphill ski to brake and adjust speed with a mix of skidding and burying. During this, we press diagonally with the ankle of the uphill foot. That’s why in high-cut boots, the heel looks like it rises, and in loose low-cut boots, the heel may barely rise showing the motion closer to what’s really happening at the ankle. Whether the heel appears to rise or not depends on the boot, not your stance width or foot placement.

So that covers the role of the uphill ski for braking. What about the downhill ski? It simply gets pushed forward. The front position of the downhill ski results from the push created by extending the uphill ski in the air after the spin. By extending the uphill leg, the downhill leg naturally moves forward.

Here, the sense of “forward” is crucial. Your foot can position itself in front of your body, which is easier if your boots allow ankle extension?again, low-cut boots help. And you do this while moving, while applying the necessary pressure, guiding the ski forward smoothly?like slicing sashimi with a sharp Japanese knife.

To summarize:

• Uphill ski: brakes with the ankle directed toward the downhill side

• Downhill ski: simply follows the forward path

• The aerial directional change, whether you call it Lead Change or not, I think of as “returning to zero”

• Then extend to brake again, repeat, and descend the slope

In short, I am just repeating spins and brakes in straight downhill skiing. This is why the thinking is not turn-arc based, and why I separated B from A.

Everyone, today I’m going to explain using the terms A and B. This is just for clarity and easier understanding.

First, A-tele. The key point in A-tele is that the main force used to flex the skis comes from your own body weight. There are debates about weight distribution?“70% on the front ski” or “80% on the back ski”?but in any case, body weight is the main factor. The underlying image is still very much about the turn shape.

On the other hand, in B-tele, we focus only on the uphill ski. The source of force comes from pushing, and the key is how much you push, how much you skid, or how much you bury?using only the tail of the ski. Importantly, this is done without leaning back, and the purpose is braking.

This B-tele technique works better with low-cut boots rather than high-cut boots, because the greater the ankle mobility, the easier it is to control the push, skid, and bury actions. The idea behind B-tele relies on having this freedom of movement.

In summary:

• A-tele: flexing the skis primarily with body weight

• B-tele: braking using pushing force through the tail of the uphill ski, leveraging ankle mobility

Everyone, think about bicycles and cars for a moment. They both have brakes. When you pick up speed, you apply the brakes to slow down. Sometimes you even apply a gentle, continuous brake while going downhill.

Skiing works the same way. In B-tele, we apply a gentle, continuous braking force while feeling out the snow conditions as we descend.

So what is braking on skis? It’s all about how you orient and use the skis to create resistance. On hard slopes, I create friction by skidding the skis sideways, which acts as a brake. We call this "skidding." In deep snow, I dig the skis into the snow to slow down, which we call "digging." Depending on the conditions, we combine these two techniques.

Here’s the key point: bicycles and cars don’t slow down by turning left and right repeatedly. They slow down using the brake itself. Skiing works the same way. Deceleration comes from braking, not from turn shape.

In my terms, on hard slopes we use skidding, in deep snow we use digging. That’s braking. Not the arc of the turn. And honestly, this might be a revolutionary way to look at skiing.