skier_j wrote:I'd be interested in how---if it does at all--- do PMTS and telemark fit together.
Pierre, as I recall, you've been free heeling for awhile now---or am I confusing you with another?
In any event---question still stands.
No confusion, I started free heeling in 1979.
Telemark and PMTS are not incompatable with one another. You have all the alpine turns available, plus some turns unique to free heel. In the alpine mode, the movement are no different. In the telemark mode the only difference is the inside ski is back instead of forward. The movements are the same. The big difference is in the lack bility to rock onto the balls of you're feet or pressure the cuff of the boot.
This lack of ability to move forward onto the balls of you're feet does cause some problems. You can consciously dorsiflex the ankles and extend the knees to move you're center of mass forward but you have no ability to pressure the tongue of you're boots because you're heels are not hooked down. That somewhat limits use of the hamstrings.
To compensate, I have mounted my bindings forward of where an alpine mount would be located and I need more patience at the turn initiation. Even so, in quick short radius turns, its almost unavoidable to keep from adding just enough rotation to get the tips to engage. This effect becomes quite noticable in low energy quick round short radius turns. Maybe Harald has some suggestions.
Another problem is demonstrating movements to a student. Something like the Phantom Move requires and instructor to exaggerate movements in order to show a student. The free heel does not allow you as much freedom to move out of you're balance zone. Students can miss the visual effects you are trying to convey. For this reason its better to teach alpine skiing in alpine gear.
For the most part you cannot tell that my heels are not hooked down. I ski in alpine parallel mode 97% of the time. There are two areas where I differ widely with my fellow free heelers. In moguls and steeps I do not ski a telemark turn. In both cases I use a pure alpine parallel turn. That holds true no matter how big, tight or icy the bumps are. I reserve the telemark turn for deep crud and powder.