The first ever Alpine Meadows Telemark Festival went down in the books as a wild success last Saturday. Event Coordinator, Coach Wayne Smith, reports that about 75 people participated in the event, which was double what they had hoped for in its first year. It was a perfect day in the sun to learn some new skills, try out some demo equipment, win some swag and hang out with other people that understand the draw of the telemark turn.
There were so many people enrolled for the morning clinics that some extra instructors were sent down to help out with people ready to push their turns to a new level. My group was instructed by none other than Alpine Meadows Ski School Manager Kevin Klein. As many of my instructor friends have pointed out, I am just not that coachable when it comes to skiing (or golf). Kevin had his work cut out for him! I got it Kevin…edge transition in sync with the lead change. He makes it look so easy. Kudos to every coach and instructor that made it happen for eager students.
There was also was an awesome lunch provided by Melanie from Treats. It’s not often that you are faced with a whole tray of Melanie’s cookies. If you missed out on yours, I am sorry. It may be my fault. Lunch was followed up by a spontaneous raffle with a lot of prizes donated by some generous donors.
The day ended more informally, with small groups of tele skiers marauding around the mountain. I’m not sure which frightened me more – the dual tele setup for 2 skiers at a time or the Kneissl Big Feet mounted with tele bindings. All in all it a beautiful celebration of a beautiful sport.
Event organizers want to give some shoutouts to the people that supported the event. Here’s the list:
- Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows
- Alpenglow Sports
- Tahoe Sports Hub
- Treats
- 22 Designs
- Flylow Gear
- Moment Skis
- G3
- UnofficialAlpine.com
There was also a long list of individuals that helped make it happen, too many to list really. but we wanted to recognize the support that Wayne got from his father, mother and sister in making it all work. It was a true reminder about how skiing and riding brings families together. We’re already looking forward to next year’s festival!
