Who started skiing after straight skis?

[Geoff]

I was already a ski technician by 1967. I have home movies of me skiing at Cranmore in, I think 1965.

 

[Geoff]

Yes, I had Cubcos on Hart Mercurys

I was on Cubco bindings until the runaway strap broke my tibia from a premature release in 6th grade during the Stratton Xmas junior racing program. That would have been December, 1969. The coaches had a discussion with my parents and I was on Look Nevada after that.

 

[skiadikt]

Before shaped skis - first time ever on them was demo of K2 Fours

k2 fours were also the first shaped skis i skied. liked them when i demoed them but later found they were a bit difficult in the bumps. sold them at the ski swap the next season.

started around 74-75. when did they do away with those retention strap thingys? they were a pain. ski brakes were a welcome relief. first skis were rossi's. i think the bindings were the salomon 444's.

i kinda remember a phase where mid length skis were popular then back to longer skis. my longest were 200's. still have a pair of the yellow volkl p9's in the closet. sometimes i think about taking them out for giggles. then i realize i'd probably kill myself. i think salomon came out with cap skis somewhere in the early 90's which kinda preceded the shape ski development.

 

[SkiDork]

I was on Cubco bindings until the runaway strap broke my tibia from a premature release in 6th grade during the Stratton Xmas junior racing program. That would have been December, 1969. The coaches had a discussion with my parents and I was on Look Nevada after that.

wow - its hard to believe straps could break a bone. That must have been some force.

 

[Geoff]

wow - its hard to believe straps could break a bone. That must have been some force.

It was a classic boot-top fracture. The ski caught on a gate. The strap is made of a synthetic that won't break. The strap is wrapped around the boot. The boot actually causes the fracture.

I was an early adopter of ski brakes. I think I swapped over in 1973. I got hassled riding lifts for years. I used to have a fake runaway strap rigged up that would survive a mild tug by the ticket checker. The ski shops stopped calling them "safety straps" after some lawsuits that showed they were unsafe.

 

[SkiDork]

It was a classic boot-top fracture. The ski caught on a gate. The strap is made of a synthetic that won't break. The strap is wrapped around the boot. The boot actually causes the fracture.

I was an early adopter of ski brakes. I think I swapped over in 1973. I got hassled riding lifts for years. I used to have a fake runaway strap rigged up that would survive a mild tug by the ticket checker. The ski shops stopped calling them "safety straps" after some lawsuits that showed they were unsafe.

Oh, I get it. Interesting.

I remember having to fake safety straps for the lifties.

 

[mister moose]

Pre shaped, pre brake, pre step in, pre plastic, pre scanner, pre P-tex, pre buckles, pre foam, pre wicket, pre aluminum, pre Hanson, helmets, hot wax & Hexcel. There were buckle boots before 1968, by the way. I remember drooling over them. Not sure what year my first pair of hand me down buckle boots was, but my first new pair was silver leather Koflach's circa 68 or '69. They might have been a composite boot with some plastic in the sole.

Regretably, my parents didn't take a single photo of the early years of us skiing. It was also pre "Instamatic"

 

[campgottagopee]

Yes, I had Cubcos on Hart Mercurys

Cubcos, dang I remeber those things. They could snap your finger off real quick if you weren't careful

 

[SkiDork]

My first boots looked almost exactly like these, except they were Henke brand:

They had the Cubco plates on the bottom which I hated because they branded you as a Cubco user...

 

[Jeff Isabelle]

Rattler

I've been skiing to long

First time out was way back in 1961-62 as I was a 3 years old with my father a St. Johns first aid ski patroler at the local ski hill - Campfortune Gatineau Canada.

 

[prisnah]

Pre. started in 94. And had straight Blizzard skis for my first few seasons.

 

[4aprice]

My first boots looked almost exactly like these, except they were Henke brand:

They had the Cubco plates on the bottom which I hated because they branded you as a Cubco user...

Yea I remember the plates on the boots. Stairs were a nightmare. Came close to taking a couple of headers walking down steps. I had kind of forgotten about the safety straps. I now remember how cold the hands could get trying to thread them through the latch. I also raced on my Cubco's and blew a couple of sets apart. Was thrilled to switch to Markers when my parents finally said yes.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[wa-loaf]

Pre, started in 1970 at 2yrs old.

 

[marcski]

Pre. I started in about 1970 also, just as Wa-loaf. I was 3. My first couple of pairs of skis were wood!!!

 

[gymnast46]

Straight skis

Interesting thread.

I first strapped on skis in Bertchesgaden in Bavaria in December 1956. A few years later bought a pair of Erbacher wood skis with Marker Toe Release bindings and bear traps on the heels. My boots were lace up leather and the poles bamboo. I got out of the sport in 1962 when I took up competitive sky diving. Here's a shot of me on those wood skis in 1961

Fast forward to the winter of 1996-97 when I returned to the sport. I bought a pair of used Rossi Stratos (straight ski) but then picked up a pair of used rental 180 cm Dynastars with sidecut. I took up snowboarding that same year and bought a very heavy 168 Burton Air and 154 cm Hot Shine slalom board. The latter had a nice sidecut and with hardboots I learned the joys of carving. Today my focus is on racing (board and skis) and pretty much every piece of gear I own has a pronounced sidecut. Even on most GS courses I like to run slalom skis.

 

[kcyanks1]

Pre. I started either the 1984-85 or 85-86 season, can't remember which.

 

[playoutside]

Pre shaped, pre brake, pre step in, pre plastic, pre scanner, pre P-tex, pre buckles, pre foam, pre wicket, pre aluminum, pre Hanson, helmets, hot wax & Hexcel. There were buckle boots before 1968, by the way. I remember drooling over them. Not sure what year my first pair of hand me down buckle boots was, but my first new pair was silver leather Koflach's circa 68 or '69. They might have been a composite boot with some plastic in the sole.

Regretably, my parents didn't take a single photo of the early years of us skiing. It was also pre "Instamatic"

Neat list, scary to think of all the change in my lifetime. I knew some people had buckles on their boots in 1968, but my brothers and I and all the kids I skied with had lace-ups. Not sure which I hated more as a kid...lacing ski boots or lacing ice skates. Both are vivid and miserable memories from my childhood.

 

[Philpug]

My first boots looked almost exactly like these, except they were Henke brand:

They had the Cubco plates on the bottom which I hated because they branded you as a Cubco user...

Why be lacing when other are racing...8)

 

[air0rmc]

1975 on Hart Gremlins, I still have them and 1979 K2 comps.I gave up skiing in 1982 for snowmobiling and cross country skiing.I started again with my kids in 2007/2008 and I am amazed at the results of the geometrical change of the skis and am now mild'ly obsessed with skiing....! The bonus is my wife also loves it after starting again after many years.

 

[bvibert]

Started skiing in the early 80's then stopped in the late 80's. Took it back up in 2006 and was amazed at how the equipment changed.

Same with me, started in the late 70's then stopped in the mid 80's and took it back up again in 2006, it was a huge difference, I really like shaped skis so much more.

When I started skiing again in 2006 on shaped skis I felt like my skiing progressed over the 15 years I didn't ski

Similar to me. I skied in grade school and into part of high school. I always enjoyed it, but was never particularly good. When I picked it up again several years later, on shaped rental skis I couldn't believe it. I definitely felt I was skiing better on my first day out than I had been when I stopped.