Telemarks

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A downhill skiing turn in which one ski leads with a knee dipped low ; to carry out that kind of turn while skiing downhill
2. A ski maneuver where one knee bends deeply into a lunge-like stance ; to execute that turning technique on the slopes
3. A controlled turn on skis, with one foot forward and the other knee lowered toward the snow ; to make such turns while descending a hill

Etymology: The telemark turn takes its name from Telemark, a rural county in southern Norway, and the place name itself is older than skiing. It comes from Old Norse "Þelamǫrk", built from the genitive plural of "þelir", the name of an old Germanic tribe, combined with "mǫrk", meaning borderland or woodland. In other words, the county's name records a people's territory at the edge of the wild country. Telemark was the heartland of Norwegian skiing, and the turn is named for the region where skiers developed and practised it. The word is a noun for the turn itself, and it can also be used as a verb for performing that turn.