Home > Telemark Ski School > Festival > Instructor Roster
| The Bear Valley Telemark Festival invites the best telemark ski instructors in the West. Without a doubt, the festival instructor roster is the largest and most talented group of folks you will ever see on freeheel gear. Each year we receive a lot of praise for the high level of instruction participants received during the festival. We hope you can join us. |  |
Learn more about the festival instructors:
| Bill Bowie |  |
I have taught Tele since the 1980's in Yosemite National Park at Badger Pass and with MAS in Bear Valley. I enjoy the Tele Fest year after year because of the shared passion for free heel skiing, and the look on beginners' faces when they experience that "break through" In addition Bill has skied 10 Tran-Sierras and the Haute Route in the European Alps on telemark gear. Credentials: |
| Geoff Clarke |
|
Geoff Clarke has been a powerhouse of the freeheel movement in California. Although he has worked worldwide his main focus has been developing high teaching standards for both himself and the countless telemark instructors he has trained over the years. Geoff definitely walks the walk, talks the talk and has the hairdo to back it all up! Credentials: |
Dale Drennan |
|
"OK so I love sliding, especially on a pair of boards with one knee bent. As an instructor, I like to help people pursue having fun. I like to see the look on students’ faces when they master a maneuver that they thought they would never be able to do. I like to share their joy when they conquer terrain that they thought was impossible for them. Skiing well is part of having fun. I have spent a lot of time learning how to be the type of skier who will have fun in powder, on race courses, on ice, and in half pipes." |
|
"The training that I have received through the Professional Ski Instructors of America has helped me to become a better skier, and has helped me learn how to communicate skiing skills to people. I am always working on these two things: skiing better and teaching better. So I hope I can ski with you at Bear Valley and that we can ski well while we learn from each other." |
|
| Credentials: PSIA Level III Nordic Downhill and Track PSIA Telemark & Track Clinician & Examiner 7 years teaching at the Bear Valley Telemark Festival |
top |
Larry Drennan |
|
I just got back from the 2008 Nordic Symposium at Sugar Bowl and am more excited than ever about tele skiing and teaching. There were some great skiing and instructional clinics so, I'm loaded up with new ideas and am really looking forward to another chance to teach at Bear Valley and soak up the vibe at the best tele festival anywhere! Credentials: |
| Walter Edberg |  |
Walter is fondly known as the "Telemark Technician". Not only can he lay down some sweet turns but he has an unmatched knowledge of the mechanical aspects of how to make good telemark turns. Coupled with his clear and organized teaching style, Walter is an instructor worth seeking out. On the lighter side Walter can also surprise you with inspiring clinics such as "Walters Wacky World of Balance" in which he challenges participants with exercises including skiing on modified "Big Feet" which are super short & fat skis with telemark bindings. Obviously skiing with Walter is a memorable experience. |
|
| Credentials: PSIA Level III Telemark & Alpine Tele Trainer & Instructor, Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe, CA 9 years teaching at the Bear Valley Telemark Festival |
top |
| Urmas Franosch |
|
Urmas is gifted teacher and has been turning people onto the telemark stoke for more than two decades. Urmas has a friendly and contagious enthusiasm for freeheel skiing as is a much sought after instructor at the festival. It doesn't matter what level you ski, Urmas has a knack for giving you a "tele-nugget" for you to think about and pursue for your future telemark turns. Credentials: |
| Steve Heerema |
|
Steve lives and works in Bear Valley each winter with MAS and the Bear Valley Cross Country Center. Steve is a talented instructor who receives many accolades for his ability to decipher students needs and teach to the moment. Steve is a well-rounded nord who often spends half his day on the tracks on the other half skiing the Grizzly Bowl. Then if the moon is out he is often talking folks into a moonlight backcountry adventure. "Telefest is the social event of the season and I have never been dissapointed". Credentials: |
| Paul Henrickson |
|
Paul Henrickson has been the driving force of the MAS Telemark Ski School and one of the original festival instructors. He is an ace skier and can quickly identify your skiing strengths and weakness. Don't be surprised if Paul launches into a string jokes and amusing commentary while riding the chairlift, but then it's all business on the slopes. Paul is know for raising your skiing ability with a smile. Credentials: |
| Ted Hullar |
|
Ted Hullar is another festival alumni who graduated to become a festival instructor. Ted has an enthusiastic approach to both learning and teaching both on and off the snow. He is currently studying meteorology at UC Davis, so we have high expectations for Ted to learn how to manipulate the weather to produce cold winter storms before, during and after this years festival. So far it seems he his doing well in his studies. Credentials: |
| Paul Petersen |
|
Well what more can we say ... Paul Petersen is "The Man", "The Myth" & "The Legend". If you haven't yet taken a clinic with this guy you need to seek him out and experience what people have been raving about for years. But be prepared to wait in line, this telemark instructor is popular! Credentials: |
|
| top |
| Leslie Ross |
|
Leslie Ross is a commanding force in the telemark industry and we are honored to have her back at this years festival. Here is what she had to say: "Can’t wait for this year to spend my birthday weekend with the incredible group that will gather for this. Not to mention the top notch instruction that is there. I almost don’ t want to teach and want to shadow the demo team crew to absorb all the good juju from the pros." |
|
| "Bear Valley Telemark Festival Saves the World. Its true, it’s the incredible community that gathers together for the soul/ sole purposed of celebrating freedom- freedom of the heel. Freedom of mind, freedom of expression as we dance down the mountain. New Comers and festival veterans, like burning man, looking forward to next year even before the present event has concluded. BVTF is about fun, friendships, community, connection, celebrating life and oh yeah, spiffing up you tele moves" |  |
|
top |
| Mark Sanders |
|
Mark is a strong addition to the festival roster and offers a unique perspective to telemark instruction. He has a formal background and ski race coaching and has been influential character in both telemark ski film and competitions. "I've been enjoying tele skiing for close to ten years now and love it more and more. As the equipment boosts the confidence level, skiing has never been so much fun. I really enjoy fat skis, fatter the better, cuz I like to go fast and turn as little as possible." |
|
"Telemark skiing has given me a plethora of unique opportunities. From traveling to Japan with Unparalleled Productions as well as Italy and many local and not so local destinations." I was a career ski race coach for ten years, found Tele and the movies, I never looked back. One thing that will always be with me is my love of teaching. I tend to take a practical approach, basically, I teach what I've worked out and learned from my experiences living in North Lake Tahoe for 12 years. |
 |
Bear Valley Tele Fest has been my favorite event of the year for the past five years, and the opportunity to work with so many tele skiers in a short amount of time and seeing the fun factor grow is extremely rewarding. I look forward to many more years to come! |
|
| Credentials: Head telemark instructor for All Mountain Ski Pros 5 years teaching at the Bear Valley Telemark Festival |
top |
| Brandon Schwartz |
|
Brandon began guiding professionally in the backcountry in 1999 and began working for Mountain Adventure Seminars in 2005. He spent many moons guiding in Alaska before he found himself in the Sierra Nevada, where he works as an Avalanche Forecaster for the Sierra Avalanche Center. Brandon spends his summers working as an instructor for the Wilderness Medicine Institute. Having excellent repertoire with clients of all ages and skill levels, Brandon takes the success of his students personally. He hopes to retire having never worked an office job. Credentials: |
|
| top |
| Lorenzo Worster |
|
"I always say that teaching at the Bear Valley Telemark Festival is the best job I've ever had. I think that it is the combination of several things stemming from working for someone who makes every effort to let you know that you are an appreciated integral part of the festival. So in this daze of being appreciated all these fantastic telemark instructors from all over who don't get to teach tele as often as they would like, unleash a fury of pent up freeheel passion that in turn intoxicates the participants in the festival. And while drunk with telejubilation we all get together and dance our brains out usually while it is dumping feet of fresh snow out side...but if you haven't been you just don't know what I'm talking about." |
|
|
|
Credentials: |
top |
| Katie Zanto |
|
I love the Bear Valley Telefest; it's my favorite winter event because of the spirit and great community that MAS has created. I started attending in the 90's as a student and helped jumpstart the costume tradition. Now, as an instructor, I have an even better time! Our clinics are full of motivated skiers and interesting people. Our evenings are full of great food and entertainment. MAS takes great care of their instructors, and I love being a part of it! Credentials: |
|
| top |
