Tory Hauser – Reflects on 40 years of Telemark and Friendships
It was 40 years ago, 1981/82, that I took up this crazy sport of telemark ski racing. I was on a mountaineering trip traversing Denali on 3-pins and we got stuck in a storm at 17k’ after summiting. We met some other summiters that had done the Cassin Ridge who were from our county. Since we had a bigger tent and lots of food, we spent some fun time together trading butter for their pot, talking about sailing, etc. One of those guys, the mighty Thor Kieser became a good friend and climbing partner and later that year convinced me to do a telemark ski race. I had never raced in my life, but had skied around a few aspen trees in pow. I went to the race and fell every gate. I hated sucking, but I loved the challenge and all the people I have met along the way. Thor and I, along with parallel Dan Gillogly and Thor’s sister Kristy, Crash, Keiser Huff became travel partners together to the Rocky Mountain Telemark Series races with our other friends from Copper Mountain. Richie lobster claws Hawes, Davey Johns and Peter Bigford to name a few. My best skiing buddy was wild man Mike Wright, and boy, we had some fun doing crazy shi…stuff. So many roads and this is the rabbit hole I went down and have enjoyed so much. My best friends are in the group that we have named the United States Telemark Exhibition Ski Team, USTEST: Ellen Guthrie, Lars Anderson, Harry Hamill, Art Burrows, Dean Derosier aka Dali Wadmo, Scott Powers and Ned Ryerson. I also appreciate all the great folks from around the world that I have met and skied with on my tele journey.
It has been a wonderful, long, strange trip, as Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter would say. I would add great!
Here’s to all of you that Tele
Tory Hauser – January 2022