The New Generation of Telemark Skiers is Here to Challenge the Status Quo

This article originally appeared on Ski Mag

Since the first recorded recreational telemark turns in the mid-1800s, the turn, the tech, and the riders have seen incredible advancements, but the perception of telemark skiing remains aged--with floppy bindings, granola diets, unkept beards, and smells of patchouli. TELE COLO is here to present the ski world with the new age of telemark culture that exists beyond the stereotype.

TELE COLO was founded in 2018 by CJ Coccia, a skateboarder introduced to telemark in 2011. CJ's goal was to redevelop and reintroduce the culture of telemark through meet-ups, athlete programs, films, and media. TELE COLO's main objective is to provide the current and future communities with a platform like those available to telemark's alpine and snowboarding brothers and sisters: a true springboard for the community to share, celebrate, and innovate all things tele.

And so, TELE COLO, originally Telemark Colorado, was born. Since then, TELE COLO has produced multiple films, including three short films that toured throughout the US last season, created merch embracing the less serious side of telemark, hosted demo days, and thrown huge parties yearly for World Telemark Day.

Their new film, "This is Telemark" pairs footage filmed during the 22/23 season with early 1980’s scenes of telemark (as captured by the North American Telemark Organization) to play with the audience's perception of telemark skiing through its history. The film features skiers from around the Western slopes, showcasing their innovation and personalities in the park, in the streets, in the resort, and the backcountry. Accompanying the film this year is a limited edition Telemark Zine. You'll find interviews with some of the leaders in Telemark, including 22 Design Owner Chris Valiante, certified tele master Ty Dayberry, and more. The film is on tour around the Western US and Burlington, VT. It's a thrilling display of the momentum of Telemark skiing that is sweeping today's ski community, one low standard at a time.

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