Chris Jensen – Profile

US Team Member: 2020-2022 Seasons
Hometown: Nederland, Colorado
Home Ski Hill/Resort: Vail & Eldora, Colorado
Birthplace: Northford, Connecticut
Year of Birth: 1962
Education: BA Geology, Colorado College; MA Exercise Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder

USTSA Sponsors:  Karbon, Global Rescue,  Saucer Wax, Minus33, Telemarkdown, 22 Designs

My Skiing History:

I was raised by avid skiers – my dad trained with the 10th Mountain ski troops at Camp Hale during WW II, and my mom first skied in the early 50’s while studying in Norway. We spent weekends at Mt. Mansfield in Stowe and spring breaks skiing Jackson Hole, Snowmass, & Vail, then added nordic skiing when the Trapp Family Lodge opened the first real cross-country ski center in the US. I headed to Colorado for college where I met my husband Pete; he’s been my ski partner and mogul & telemark ‘coach for nearly 40 years. We started tele skiing in the early 1990’s, and after 25+ years of self-taught tele fun, the USTSA National Championships came to my local ski area Eldora in 2019. I’d never ski raced before, unless you count winning the costume category at Warren Miller’s Mad Mountain Marathon back in 1999, when our team telemark skied the course wearing retro 10th Mtn. ski troop garb. I decided to tackle the challenge of mid-life tele racing and had a blast learning new techniques for negotiating gates, the jump, and the crazy fun rap. Just as fun as the skiing challenges were all the playful and encouraging folks of the national telemark ski team community – what a great group to spend time with on the snow!

My Goals and Motivation:

Spread the love of tele skiing, especially to women tele skiers at all skill levels.

What I Love about Telemark Racing and Skiing:

No matter the run or the snow conditions tele skiing is always interesting and challenging, and there’s a blissful dancing swing to it when you get everything right! Tele racing is really exciting for both competitors and fans, but despite the challenging jump and rap elements, it’s still quite approachable for recreational skiers too. The highlight of tele racing is the fantastically supportive community cheering everyone on at the finish line and keeping the competition fun.

Interesting Facts About Myself:

My favorite Christmas song: Go ‘Tele’ On The Mountain
The most unusual place I’ve skied: Kazakhstan
My favorite off-season sport: rowing

I guess I’m an antiquarian. In addition to being an older telemark skier, I also own a small antique bookstore, I’m a fan of Shakespeare’s 400 year old plays, I work to keep our historic house & barns from falling apart, and I sing – to mostly older folks – in a Threshold choir.

Competition Results:
2020 Eldora
2nd, Sprint Classic Citizen Women
2nd, Parallel Sprint Citizen Women

2019 National Championships at Eldora: 1st place citizens women