Becoming a triple threat

The term triple treat can be used to define a lot of things. But, I'm going to use it to define the creme de la creme of snowriders - the men and women that have mastered all terrains on alpine skis, telemark skis and a snowboard. Lots of people are good at one of the disciplines, but not many can do all three really well. One person who I got some tele tips from is Terry "T-Bone" Bannon of the Aspen ski school. He teaches all three, but said he prefers teaching teleing. He said it increases his teaching opportunities and allows him to mix it up once in a while. As with a number of people who live in a mountain town, if you have the chance to learn something new, you mind as well do it. He is not alone. Mountainzone.com profiles a triple theat instructor in Washington. Snowriders tend to be adventurous. We see someone do something cool and we want in. I saw some friends tele for a couple years before I finally learned and after not snowboarding for nine years, I finally got back on one and took a lesson last year. While my snowboarding leaves a lot to be desired, I am on the brink of calling myself a triple threat.
The lure of having that arsenal of equipment is too much. Every morning you get to chose your weapon and rip. Each is different and amazingly fun while providing pros and cons based on the snow conditions and personal preferences. Each day is a different challenge when you have no shortage of toys in the toy chest. The hardest decision when you have so many options is choosing. Next week I will detail my snow choices for each discipline.