In an effort to help spread the word about the inaugural Winter Mountain Games, the Games are asking for your help. You all know those athletes that inspire you to get out there and get after it. TEVA likes to call them Mountain Ninjas, and TEVA want them to be part of the Games!

“Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

I’m heading to my five year college re in June. I am sure I will run into plenty of “success” stories, those who jumped right into Wallstreet and make more in a year than I’ve made since graduation. There will be plenty of suits and ties, med students, law students and high-rolling executives in the making.

Jimmie Heuga is a legendary figure in American Skiing. As one of the first two American ski racers to win an Olympic medal, his place in ski lore is certain. After multiple sclerosis prematurely ended his athletic career, he started Can Do MS, an organization aimed at showing people with MS that they can live full, healthy lives. They host a series of on-snow fundraising events around the country called the Vertical Express for Can Do MS. To participate in the vertical Express, teams of three must each raise $1000. For the past 13 years, a group of telemarkers has been motivated to do just that.

The Teva Winter Mountain Games is quickly becoming “The event amongst the international telemark crowd,” says Andreas Sjöbeck of Stockholm, Sweden. Freeheelers like Andreas are realizing that this is the only organized telemark event — anywhere in the world — of its kind. It is a chance for freeheelers to showcase their talent in the air, and it isn’t against alpine skiers. This is where Andreas and others can, as he says,  “see a high level of freeheel competition and do some new big tricks for the public.”

TSM caught up with Andreas for a quick interview to hear a little more about him and his thoughts on the upcoming contest.



For Immediate Release

Telemark Skier Magazine to have new ownership

Freeheel Life Industries and Height of Land Publications agree to sale

Salt Lake City, UT, January 18, 2012 — Height of Land Publications (HOL) and Freeheel Life Industries have tentatively agreed to terms that will lead to the sale of 10-year-old Telemark Skier Magazine.

After a tremendous amount of anticipation, Rottefella has launched the Freedom binding. Rottefella’s Freedom is an NTN compatible telemark binding with an unprecedented range of motion when in its free-pivot tour mode. The Freedom also boasts progressive resistance while skiing down for maximum performance in loose snow or mixed conditions.

Tahoe City, California's, Alpenglow Sports, recently announced its sale to local freeheeler Brendan Madigan. Madigan, who started working at Alpenglow “as a classic ski bum” in 2003, admitted that now owning the shop that gave him his start is “a dream come true”. Alpenglow Sports is a well known landmark in the Tahoe area for all things outdoors, but it is especially renowned for its expertise within the telemark and backcountry skiing markets. As an accomplished telemark athlete himself, Madigan continues the legacy of a shop with employees — from ownership to sales team — that love the outdoors and use the gear they sell.

Category: Bindings

Product Description: The Rottefella NTN is a releasable, step-in telemark bindinga with ski brakes and free-pivot tour mode. It utilizes a non-traditional boot/binding interface that does away with the 75mm “duckbill.”

With the inaugural 2012 Teva Winter Mountain Games Telemark Big Air rapidly approaching, we are serving up an appetizer with some profiles of some of the invited athletes. Since the competition is being held in Vail, CO, we decided starting with local Vail athlete Christopher Ewart seemed like a no-brainer.

Like many of us, I have dreamed about doing something great for as long as I can remember. Getting caught daydreaming in high school math wasn’t always the most acceptable practice. But for me, daydreaming about skiing big mountains and deep snow helped me get by. From time to time, it even lead to my old friend Dave and I figuring out the best way to bail from the school cafeteria and head straight for Blue Mountain. I knew I wasn’t going to be a mathematician because I dreamed about being a skier, and in my dreams skiers skied. That’s just what I was going to do.

Telemark skiing is about to hit the big stage. How big exactly? Really big, like a 60-foot step-down jump under the lights at Vail’s Golden Peak big. Freestyle telemark skiing is getting a premier big-air event at the inaugural Winter Teva Mountain Games. The excitement around the event is palpable as the Teva Games’ big-air event is going to be a showcase for some of the world’s best telemark athletes.

A lot of telemark skiers are stereotyped as being the laid back type. Many people — especially those that are new to the sport — seem to think that they are supposed to adopt this vibe when they become a part of the tribe. “Competitions,” they say, “who needs ‘em.” Of course, many freeheelers are all about a mellow mountain vibe. As a result, large groups of telemark skiers won’t do competitions; they don’t feel there is a place in telemark skiing for a divisive competitive atmosphere. But not all telemarkers are just into keeping it chill on the hill, and what detractors don’t realize is competitions are actually a big part of bringing the community together.