Episode 196 | Armond Dubuque — Inventor of The Ultimate Telemark Binding

2025-11-17

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Armond DuBuque grew up just outside Seattle, Washington, and started skiing at the age of nine. He later picked up snowboarding, but by the early 1990s, while working at Stevens Pass Ski Area, he discovered Telemark skiing—and it stuck. In his mid-20s, he set out to design his own Telemark binding, incorporating features he felt were missing from the options available at the time. With the help of his father, who had a small machine shop, he began prototyping his ideas and eventually produced a limited batch f...

In his mid-20s, he set out to design his own Telemark binding, incorporating features he felt were missing from the options available at the time. With the help of his father, who had a small machine shop, he began prototyping his ideas and eventually produced a limited batch for public use. He called it the Ultimate Telemark Binding—or UTB, as it became known.

The UTB introduced several groundbreaking features that had never been seen before, including enclosed compression springs, rigid cables, a spring-loaded heel piece with bidirectional tension, a six-hole mounting pattern, a step-in mechanism, and built-in crampons.

This is an incredible story of youthful ambition, innovation, legal battles, and, of course, Telemark skiing. I had an amazing time documenting this chapter of Telemark history, and I hope you enjoy it too!

SHOW NOTES:

Armond's Original Patents:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6234514B1/en?q=(armond+dubuque)&oq=armond

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5823563A/en?q=(armond+dubuque)&oq=armond+dubuque

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6923465B2/en?q=(armond+dubuque)&oq=armond+dubuque

Reading:

North America, United States, Alaska, Denali National Park, Mt. Hunter, First Ski Descent: https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200419500/

Mt. Hunter Ski Descent - Alaska: https://pawprince.com/pawprince/adventures/hunter/home.html

Here is my latest technique video for you to check out: https://youtu.be/3b3X3EiQCCo

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