NEWRY, Maine — Sunday River and New England Telemark (NET), a group of telemark skiing instructors dedicated to teaching and sharing their love of the sport, will host the 5th Annual Maine Telemark Festival on Feb. 24, 2007. The festival includes equipment demos, clinics, a mogul competition, a costume contest, and other activities designed to bring devoted telemark skiers together and welcome newcomers.

Participation in all activities will be free with the purchase of a special festival lift ticket, or $20 for season passholders.

NET is the only Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) certified telemark-only ski school in the U.S. The group originated in Maine in the early 1990s and now includes 35 instructors who gather together to teach at telemark festivals and clinics all over northern New England. The Maine Telemark Festival is NET’s largest event, averaging nearly 300 participants annually.

“People telemark for lots of reasons,” said Biff Higgison, co-director of NET. “It’s versatile because you can climb as well as descend, it’s fun in the backcountry or on groomed trails, and it’s a different kind of skiing for most people. There’s just something wonderful about dropping your knee to make a turn and when you learn to link those turns it can be like dancing.”

NET’s instructors will offer a variety of clinics during the Maine Telemark Festival, including crossover clinics for alpine skiers who want to make the switch, as well as clinics for women, moguls, masters, and more. Clinics are 90 minutes long and each are to be offered in a morning and afternoon session.

Many top telemark gear manufacturers will offer demos during the event. Full-day rentals will also be available. The festival’s scheduled activities also include a mogul competition on the Tempest trail, a raffle, and an apr??s ski party at White Cap Lodge.

The Maine Telemark Festival headquarters will be at White Cap Lodge. Further information on the event and New England Telemark is available at www.netelemark.com. More information on lodging options and events at Sunday River is available at www.sundayriver.com.