ALPINE SKIING Shaped skis generated big excitement a couple of years ago and now they are here to stay, taking over the ski market since their debut three years ago. The side cut, length, flex pattern, material, and design determine how the ski will perform in certain situations. Ask a ski tech at the ski shop for advice. The right ski is out there for your skiing pleasure. Whatever ski you get, just allow the ski to work for you and skiing will be more fun and require less effort. Still, ski boots are the key to fun skiing, with comfort and degree of stiffness the only two things to be concerned with. Most ski boots today incorporate the latest and greatest high tech advancements. Red River offers all types of terrain that makes for mega excitement. TELEMARK Telemark skiing is sometimes confused with cross-country skiing because the bindings connect the boot to the ski only at the toe. Actually Telemark takes the best qualities from downhill and cross country. The skis and boots are more like downhill equipment and the bindings are designed similar to cross-country bindings. The big advantage to telemark is the mobility allowed with free heel bindings. Tele skiing can be used as a mode of transportation that does not always take you downhill. Backcountry skiing becomes available, opening up a new dimension in adventure. Alpine skiers learn to telemark a lot faster and easier at a ski area. Beginner skiers are better off learning to ski on regular alpine "fixed heel" skis before attempting telemark skiing. Telemarking can be most rewarding and a great challenge for even the most accomplished skier.