This is the story of how the NZSIA widened its scope from alpine to include telemark back in the 1980’s. Just as with the initial formation of the Alliance the previous decade, it was achieved through talented and resourceful people coming together for a common purpose.
Tracing the beginning of telemark ski instruction in New Zealand inevitably leads back to Norway and two legendary figures; Sondre Nordheim (1825 – 1897) and Stein Eriksen (1927 – 2015). Many ski histories describe Nordheim’s Telemark district as “the cradle of skiing” and certainly in the 1860’s he was instrumental in popularising the sport through some matchless competition wins and equipment innovation. While it may be debatable whether he was actually the first to execute the turns that forever link his region to the sport, there’s no doubt his skill and ability was a sensation and helped evolve skiing from centuries of utilitarian use to recreational. It’s also worth noting that the first recorded use of skis in New Zealand was by Norwegian gold miners in Otago in the 1860’s for overland travel about the goldfields in winter. Chronicles make no mention of their turning technique (if any).
Undated photo of early telemarkers
Sondre Nordheim was also at the forefront of designing bindings fixed at the heel, as well as ski sidecut, giving greater control, effectively consigning pure telemark turns to a smaller group of avid enthusiasts as alpine skiing took off, particularly with the advent of uphill transportation. However a second act was in store. In the 1950’s Stein Eriksen won Olympic alpine skiing gold, silver and a hatful of World Championship medals, shortly thereafter moving from Norway to the United States to begin an illustrious career running ski schools across the country, becoming skiing’s first superstar and a phenomenal ambassador for the booming ski business. As Americans flocked to the slopes in 60’s and 70’s Eriksen’s book “Come Ski With Me” with descriptions of early Norwegian skiing, is credited with inspiring a group of Colorado instructors to re-discover the free heeling sport. Embracing the counterculture spirit of the time, backcountry access was the initial incentive, however soon telemark devotees were swooping down groomed runs and competing in races as the sport enjoyed a major resurgence.
This rediscovery and appreciation for a traditional technique spread across the ski world, coming back to Norway by the mid 80’s with local ski manufacturers finding demand exceeding supply for telemark skis. Naturally fledgling telemarkers needed guidance and instruction, thus national snow sport organisations and equipment manufacturers responded with recognition and development.
Here in New Zealand in the early 80’s Shaun Norman in Mount Cook, one of the most experienced mountain guides in the country, seeing the ski touring capabilities of telemark equipment* was a catalyst. Skiing had also recently become more important for local alpine guides in order to attain full international mountain guide qualifications. Seeking input on a structured programme to meet the demand for telemark instruction, Shaun brought together two fully certified U.S. nordic and telemark instructors living in New Zealand. Queenstown based Jef Desbecker, fresh from running a telemark ski school in Sun Valley, Idaho and Whitney Thurlow based in Wanaka who was also teaching both nordic and telemark in Northern Hemisphere winters while competing on the U.S. telemark race circuit (with four national titles to show for it) out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Whitney Thurlow in race mode, 1986 U.S. Nationals. He won the men’s title four years in a row.
Gathering momentum, a working group comprising local enthusiasts Geoff Hunt, Euan Carr and Robina Bodle, plus Shaun, Whitney and Jef, along with Stu Buxton (NZSIA committee member and alpine examiner) convened. They agreed Jef and Whitney would write an instruction manual and develop a New Zealand teaching methodology for the sport of telemark skiing that could be presented as a basis for acceptance as a division of the NZSIA. They would also design a multi-day course for prospective instructors which would be monitored by Stu Buxton to ensure it met NZSIA standards.
In October 1985, the first Telemark Stage 1 Course was duly held at Mt Hutt with 13 participants, with seven passing the three day course. The delivery, format, and methodology of the course was deemed satisfactory and shortly thereafter the NZSIA Telemark Division was created with a voting seat on the Executive committee. Over the next couple of years, the Stage 1 course format was lengthened to five then six days, including one day spent on the Pisa Range terrain wearing XC boots and skis to simulate a beginner wearing telemark gear for the first time and also using real students for the assessment part of the course to truly test the course candidates.
In 1986 in an effort to promote Telemark skiing, Nevada Sports sponsored Telemark Division trainers to travel the country visiting as many ski areas as possible offering free telemark lessons. Robina Bodle recalls “We had a van full of boots and skis plus we slept on boxes of Kutz beer in our van since everyone got a free beer at the end of their lesson. On that tour we taught a total of 450 people to ski plus put on a dual slalom race at the end of every week.”
The 1986 Telemark Tour – free lessons and free beer!
“We would go to all the local shops and get vouchers for spot prizes from ice creams to bigger items. On the final race NZSKi contributed a season pass prize plus a Tasman Glacier ski experience. It was during this tour that we streamlined our progression so people would be able to do linked turns at the end of an hour. This tour really boosted the presence of telemark skiing and gave us a huge pool of people who came and did our NZSIA courses”
In 1988 a Stage 2 course was added to the curriculum and presented at Treble Cone. Peter Mack and Robina Bodle passed this course and both went on to become examiners, Peter Mack eventually taking his knowledge and skills to Australia to initiate a telemark instructor course format there. Robina had an immense effect on the development and growth of the division as editor of much of the original written material, architect of much of the course formats, innovator of exercises for teaching methodology, and skilled demonstrator for, and operator of, the camera used for the original teaching manual. Coming on as an examiner in 1989, followed by running the division as chief examiner and course director for many years, she played a huge part in the growth of the sport in New Zealand and the high quality of instructors that came through the programme.
Telemark Division Course poster 1990 season
The modern trend of multi-discipline instructors evolved with the likes of Jeremy Young entering the telemark programme in 1989 as a Stage 1 candidate, Murray Johnson in 1991, Peter Bilous and Marti Smith in 1993. These strong contenders would soon be involved for many years as examiners and representing New Zealand at Interski congresses. Bruce Hasler followed in 1996. Jef represented New Zealand Telemark Division in Nozawa Onsen, Japan at the 1995 Interski congress and in 1999 at Beitostolen, Norway with Robina and Pete Bilous.
Robina recalls a full circle moment from the Beitostolen Interski, “We were particularly popular during Interski in Norway as we were the only country teaching a telemark progression without a snowplough.”
Robina Bodle, Peter Bilous and Jef Desbecker at Interski 1999, Beitostolen, Norway.
It was shortly after this that Jef bowed out, following Whitney, who had departed a few years earlier to pursue a career in mountain and heliski guiding. Shaun Norman later retired as New Zealand’s longest serving mountain guide clocking up over 50 years and dozens of ascents of Aorangi Mount Cook. He was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2020 for services to mountaineering, alpine safety and the community.
Robina, Murray Johnson and Peter Bilous ran the show for many seasons, with assistance along the way from Bruce Hasler, Wayne (Taz) Dawson, Marti Smith, and Greg McIntyre. Further development included a Level 3 and a Cross Country training and certification programme was added in 2021. Greg and Marti are still at the helm (2025), offering a strong format, well-honed methodology, and innovative delivery of the sport still going strong from the 1800’s.
Cover of the 1994 Edition of the Telemark Division Instructors Manual
*Bonus Free Heel History: “Across the Main Divide” is a 1984 short film by Howard Moses documenting a telemark trip over the Southern Alps with Shaun Norman, Whitney Thurlow and Babette Bodenstein. Winner “Best Film” 1986 Banff Festival of Mountain Films, Canada & “Prix du Club Alpin” Les Diablerets Film Festival of Mountains, Exploits and the Environment, Switzerland.
Written by Simon Cawley with contributions/approval from Robina Bodle and Jef Desbecker