The School They Love But Never Attended

[highpeaksdrifter]

Magic just has a cool old school vibe. That's why I like it.

Now I’m not picking on Greg, we are boyz, but this is a perfect quote to support something I’ve been thinking about for awhile.

Young guns and people who haven’t been skiing that long often write about how they like old school mountains like Magic, or old school lifts at MRG. My question is how the hell can they talk about old school when they weren’t born yet or not skiing back in the day?

I started skiing as a kid with leather lace up boots, Cubco bindings and before there was snow making. That’s old school. Back then you actually needed skills to caurve a turn, the side cut didn't do it for you. All you guys with your "I hate groomed trails " takes don't get that back then there wasn't a choice, cause there where no groomers. Oh yeah, no seeded bumps.

Let me add this, all of you young guys who long for “old school” skiing don’t even know how good you have it. Everything is better today. The gear, lifts, snow conditions, lodges, lift lines, even the roads to get there. The only exception is young hot babes don’t wear stretch paints anymore.

Now if an old geezer like Jimmy G. wants to retort this I’ll respect that cause he was there. The rest of you old school wantabees give me a break

 

[Greg]

Now I’m not picking on Greg, we are boyz, but...

Yes you are, you crusty old coot. Oh, and guys your age should know better than to use a term like "boyz". :roll:

The rest of you old school wantabees give me a break

You're one grumpy old bastard, aren't you...

 

[Greg]

Now that I got that off my chest, I'll take a stab at addressing the essense of you post.

Young guns and people who haven’t been skiing that long often write about how they like old school mountains like Magic, or old school lifts at MRG. My question is how the hell can they talk about old school when they weren’t born yet or not skiing back in the day?

This will only be my 14th season skiing. My parents could no way have afforded to take me skiing growing up. I'm only 34 so even if I had started as a kid, I still wouldn't qualify for your definition of "old school". So I guess my use of "old school" is what I think it must have been like to ski before what many call "McMountains" became the norm. Some people consider places like Magic a "skier's mountain". You know, no frills, basic lodges/lifts, mellow atmosphere. I'll refrain from using "old school" to describe such places in the future to avoid offending the old codgers here.

 

[wa-loaf]

Young guns and people who haven’t been skiing that long often write about how they like old school mountains like Magic, or old school lifts at MRG. My question is how the hell can they talk about old school when they weren’t born yet or not skiing back in the day?

I was born in 1968 and have been on skis since 1970. I remember the feel of Sugarloaf from back then and my first set of equipment was leather boots and those bindings with the cable that went around your heels. I remember the first pair of plastic boots I got probably around '73 sometime.

Now I didn't have the experience of skiing in the 50s or 60's, so can I talk about old school? Where do you draw the line?

I think the fact that places like MRG, Magic and Cannon among others exist largely unchanged allows folks to get some of that experience from the early days. If you have a rustic baselodge, narrow twisty trails and minimal grooming that's pretty much old school. So if you've skied one of these places you've experienced it and you can talk about it. Of course I don't see anyone strapping on leather boots or longing for old school skis. That would be true old school .

 

[djspookman]

well if you look at the technology in skiis today vs even 6-8 years ago, to me, skiis older than 8 years could be in the "old school" book. I started skiing at 2 1/2 and the ski technology has jumped leaps and bounds since then! (that was 25 years ago!) I learned to ski in a different style than I ski now, (you know, narrow, tight stance then; "wider is better" stance now) mostly due to equipment advances and such.

If there is a point to be made here, its that the equipment has constantly progressed thru the ages, and the term old school is really quite relative when you think about it. It all depends where your baseline is, right?

dave

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Oh, and guys your age should know better than to use a term like "boyz". :roll:

True, but somehow I pull it off.

 

[Greg]

True, but somehow I pull it off.

Whatever you say, gramps...

 

[JimG.]

Now I’m not picking on Greg, we are boyz, but this is a perfect quote to support something I’ve been thinking about for awhile.

Young guns and people who haven’t been skiing that long often write about how they like old school mountains like Magic, or old school lifts at MRG. My question is how the hell can they talk about old school when they weren’t born yet or not skiing back in the day?

I started skiing as a kid with leather lace up boots, Cubco bindings and before there was snow making. That’s old school. Back then you actually needed skills to caurve a turn, the side cut didn't do it for you. All you guys with your "I hate groomed trails " takes don't get that back then there wasn't a choice, cause there where no groomers. Oh yeah, no seeded bumps.

Let me add this, all of you young guys who long for “old school” skiing don’t even know how good you have it. Everything is better today. The gear, lifts, snow conditions, lodges, lift lines, even the roads to get there. The only exception is young hot babes don’t wear stretch paints anymore.

Now if an old geezer like Jimmy G. wants to retort this I’ll respect that cause he was there. The rest of you old school wantabees give me a break

The only things you forgot were having to wear 2 pairs of socks, wool sweaters, no water repellent clothing, ropetows, and having to sidestep uphill in your beginner lessons to get to the top instead of using the tow rope.

Although some of the hike to afficionados here may have actually liked that part.

 

[2knees]

Old school new school no school whatever. Everyone's point of reference is different. I try not to label things too much but it happens. The only thing i am pretty sure about is that skiing style has changed dramatically since the advent of super short shaped skis. For me, old school is skinny straights and the style associated with them. If leather boots and mule powered t-bars are old school for others, thats cool too. :smile:

 

[cbcbd]

So the norse dudes who were skiing way back when it all started... what are they? Old old old school? OG school?

If what you refer to is the old school.. then we are new school? and from here on there will be future schools? and future future schools? Or maybe new new new school?

It's all relative - I'm sure when I'm an old man the technology will have changed and today will be my personal old school, and whatever gizmos the "damn punk kids" of the future will be using will be the new school to me.

 

[cbcbd]

If leather boots and mule powered t-bars are old school for others, thats cool too. :smile:

hahaha, thanks for the laugh and the image

 

[JimG.]

So the norse dudes who were skiing way back when it all started... what are they? Old old old school? OG school?

If what you refer to is the old school.. then we are new school? and from here on there will be future schools? and future future schools? Or maybe new new new school?

It's all relative - I'm sure when I'm an old man the technology will have changed and today will be my personal old school, and whatever gizmos the "damn punk kids" of the future will be using will be the new school to me.

Actually, old, old, old school is the lumberjacks who invented skiing to begin with. Those guys used 10 foot long planks that were bound to their feet...no release mechanism. Boots? Those would be work boots. Turns? They didn't need no stinking turns, the idea was to go down the hill fastest, so straight was best.

Poles? Excuse me, no poles. Pole...as in one. As in about 5 feet long. Used like a tightrope walker used it for balance. And occasionally dragged on the ground for leverage to avoid trees.

 

[tjf67]

Now I’m not picking on Greg, we are boyz, but this is a perfect quote to support something I’ve been thinking about for awhile.

Young guns and people who haven’t been skiing that long often write about how they like old school mountains like Magic, or old school lifts at MRG. My question is how the hell can they talk about old school when they weren’t born yet or not skiing back in the day?

I started skiing as a kid with leather lace up boots, Cubco bindings and before there was snow making. That’s old school. Back then you actually needed skills to caurve a turn, the side cut didn't do it for you. All you guys with your "I hate groomed trails " takes don't get that back then there wasn't a choice, cause there where no groomers. Oh yeah, no seeded bumps.

Let me add this, all of you young guys who long for “old school” skiing don’t even know how good you have it. Everything is better today. The gear, lifts, snow conditions, lodges, lift lines, even the roads to get there. The only exception is young hot babes don’t wear stretch paints anymore.

Now if an old geezer like Jimmy G. wants to retort this I’ll respect that cause he was there. The rest of you old school wantabees give me a break

I don't like old school hills. I will offer this up. There is no way you could ski the terrain back then that you ski now with the equipment that you were on. Today skiing is so much easier but I think the risk/reward nature has gone up considerably as well. Heck the terrain was not even open up to you back then.

 

[kcyanks1]

When people talk about MRG as "old school" everyone knows what they are talking about - natural, ungroomed, narrow-ish, uncrowded trails. It's obvious to me, and I believe pretty much anyone, that people are not longing for the days of leather boots and old equipment. If the meaning of the term is clear, why does it matter whether people using it have experienced leather bindings? That's not the point and we all know it.

 

[Greg]

When people talk about MRG as "old school" everyone knows what they are talking about - natural, ungroomed, narrow-ish, uncrowded trails. It's obvious to me, and I believe pretty much anyone, that people are not longing for the days of leather boots and old equipment. If the meaning of the term is clear, why does it matter whether people using it have experienced leather bindings? That's not the point and we all know it.

Don't worry about it. HPD's Depends just sprung a leak so he's a bit ornery, that's all.

 

[wa-loaf]

I don't like old school hills. I will offer this up. There is no way you could ski the terrain back then that you ski now with the equipment that you were on. Today skiing is so much easier but I think the risk/reward nature has gone up considerably as well. Heck the terrain was not even open up to you back then.

What do you mean we couldn't ski the old school trails with modern equipment? They used to ski narrow twisty trails with equipment in which you had to plan your turns 500 ft ahead. How would our equipment not work?

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

My grandmother...now 95, stopped skiing 3 years ago...she started skiing in the mid 30's...no lifts, earn your turns, wool everything. One of my favorite stories she tells was of the first time she saw someone TURN on skis. Everyone she'd ever skied with or saw ski before then would climb up the slope, slip into the leather strap bindings, then do a figure 11 until the slope ran out and they came to a stop...then one day this woman from Austria shows up and starts making long, sweeping turns down the slope...blew everyone away. Only thing i've experienced that comes close is the first time I saw a snowboarder on a hill...late 70s.

 

[kcyanks1]

Don't worry about it. HPD's Depends just sprung a leak so he's a bit ornery, that's all.

I'm not worried, just trying to discuss. I worry too much about other things so I'm not going to start worrying about whether it's appropriate for relatively young people to call MRG "old school"

 

[tjf67]

What do you mean we couldn't ski the old school trails with modern equipment? They used to ski narrow twisty trails with equipment in which you had to plan your turns 500 ft ahead. How would our equipment not work?

The extreme skiing that goes on today could not have been done on yesteryears equipment is what I meant

 

[JimG.]

The extreme skiing that goes on today could not have been done on yesteryears equipment is what I meant

You mean falling off a 250 foot cliff and landing on your head?

I could do that with 2x4's on my feet.