Who started skiing after straight skis?

[Greg]

Similar to me. I skied in grade school and into part of high school. I always enjoyed it, but was never particularly good.

Glad to see things haven't changed...

:razz: :lol: Sorry - you left yourself wide open for that one!

 

[bvibert]

Glad to see things haven't changed...

:razz: :lol: Sorry - you left yourself wide open for that one!

I had to give you an easy one, since I know you're not real good at ball busting....

 

[NHpowderhound]

Pre for me! I remember in 1986 buying my neon yellow Atomic Soft SL's with the neon pink bases.

I had a neon coat to go with them too! Man am I glad that fashion era is gone! :beer:
The new gear is awsome and I think the snowboard industry at that time helped kickstart the development of shaped skis.

*))
((*NHPH

 

[campgottagopee]

Pre for me! I remember in 1986 buying my neon yellow Atomic Soft SL's with the neon pink bases.

I had a neon coat to go with them too! Man am I glad that fashion era is gone! :beer:
The new gear is awsome and I think the snowboard industry at that time helped kickstart the development of shaped skis.

*))
((*NHPH

Diggin those yellow sleds baby

 

[ripzillia]

PRE.....White Rockets & Mickey Mouse boots. Someone will know about this gear.

 

[gymnast46]

Old school

Okay, I'm old. I began skiing in 1956 but my hero is my father. He and my ex-father-in-law competed against each other in the 1930s at Iron Mountain in Michigan, the top ski jump venue in the nation. Dad is now 87 and lives in South Carolina. He may still have a photo of him going off that jump. About 30 years ago I climbed Iron Mountain in the summer. The hike to the top of the jump was so frightening I experienced a lot of trepidation about finishing the ascent. At the time I was one of the top ranked sky divers in the country with over 2000 jumps. My hike up Iron Mountain gave me renewed respect for the cojones my father and father-in-law displayed in jumping from Iron Mountain. In 1961 jumped one of the jumps at Belknap (now Gunstock) in New Hampshire. I don't know how many of you have ever gone off a ski jump but it's an experience you'll never forget.

The changes the sport has seen in the past half century are mind-boggling. From year to year to the new offerings from the top ski manufacturer's display astonishing forward thinking. I can't wait for the next fifty years!

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

1975...3yrs old.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Pre for me! I remember in 1986 buying my neon yellow Atomic Soft SL's with the neon pink bases.

I had a neon coat to go with them too! Man am I glad that fashion era is gone! :beer:
The new gear is awsome and I think the snowboard industry at that time helped kickstart the development of shaped skis.

*))
((*NHPH

Those are some steezy skeeze..I bet they were like 400 bucks back then..in the days before ebay

 

[jaywbigred]

Started skiing in 1991, age 11. Believe my first pair of skis were straight cut, sidewalled Dynamic's with a fluroescent yellow base. Then in 93ish when capped skis came out, I had a pair of purpleish Kastles with Geze's bindings, and Raichle boots with the ribbed flex that I think I pushed for because they looked vaguely like the one AJ Kitt wore in the Ski Magazine Rolex commercials. I think the summer of '95 I bought a pair of Rossi slalom skis, they were 202 cms, for $100 at a going out of business sale for Herman's Sporting Goods, and skied those and the Kastles through most of grade and HS. Then, after 2 years, they magically went missing one summer, from my basement. It was the summer when my parents had the kitchen redone, and those skis are still missing. Family all assumed one of the construction guys took 'em, as they were at the house for a month with no one home, and prob knew no one would miss them until the Winter. I am not convinced, but I still wonder where they are.

During the summer of 1997, just after getting my license, I got into an accident in my car that resulted in $3k of damage to my hand-me-down Nissan Sentra. Hit and run, guy left, deductible was high and so were my rates, so the decision was unilaterally made that that summer I would work not 1 but 2 jobs to pay back my grandfather and my parents, who had split the cost of repair. They continued to blame me for the damage, and though I wasn't the best driver then, I can tell you, to this day, the accident was his fault (THAT'S WHY HE DROVE AWAY).

Anyway, I worked my a$$ off that summer, paid my parents back by early July, and then, in late August, went to pay my granfather back. He said to me "Jason, I have been very impressed with your work ethic this summer. You keep your money."

So I did the responisble thing and went out and bought K2 Fives, with the first (I think) Salomon Prolink bindings, and a pair of Nordica Next boots. Man did those skis RIP. Skied them all the way through college (i.e. through '02), then went to grad school in the midwest, during which three years I skied a total of 4 days (all on the Fives).

Finally, towards the end of the '05-06 season I picked up some Nordica SUV14s, and have been very pleased with those since. Also added some Cabrawlers last summer, only to have them ruined by a local ski shop during mounting, so wound up with brand new Mambas for free. Also finally got a decent pair of boots last year, Lange Fluid 120 Pinnafarinas, with Surefoot molded insole and lots of modifications (punch outs, scrape outs, etc...)

The evolution has been incredible. What a difference.

 

[ZYDECORICH]

Pre, 1972, i remember how much i loved my OLIN MARK III 195's. lotsa speed for back then. Now collecting dust in my basement. too many memories to throw away. ahh the good old days.

 

[djspookman]

Pre for me.. 1981. first pair of shaped skiis I skiied on were the Elan SCX's in 1995ish, first pair of shapes I bought were a pair of used K2 Four race stock 198's from a friend late in 1996, sweet skiis, even though they were WAY to long for me. I could charge hard thru anything and not have any issues. They were a little hard in the woods though!

dave

 

[RootDKJ]

I started in 1985 and skied regularly until 1991. Once I was in college I stopped skiing. After college, I couldn't afford to ski. It wasn't until I quit smoking in 2001 when I was able to afford it again.

I skied for 2 seasons on my K2 TRC Comps before I moved into shaped skis.

 

[andrec10]

Started in 1972 at Age 6. First real pair of shaped skis were K2 Fours. What a blast they were!:flame:

 

[Brettski]

started late...in my early 20's....say 1982

Took the used ski's to Herman's sports (anyone?) and they wouldn't touch the bindings

 

[SirShredsaLot]

The year was 1990. The pants denim, the boots rear-entry. Women wore spandex, men wore hot pink jackets. The Runnin' Rebs were tearing up the basketball courts. Young MC was Bustin' a Move.

What the f#ck were we thinking?

 

[andrec10]

The year was 1990. The pants denim, the boots rear-entry. Women wore spandex, men wore hot pink jackets. The Runnin' Rebs were tearing up the basketball courts. Young MC was Bustin' a Move.

What the f#ck were we thinking?

I still have my CB sport pullover with the BRIGHT NEON strip in the middle! I cant believe the stuff we wore in the late 80's/Early 90's:blink:

 

[RootDKJ]

started late...in my early 20's....say 1982

Took the used ski's to Herman's sports (anyone?) and they wouldn't touch the bindings

Hell yeah I remember Herman's sports. Livingston mall and I think there was one on 22. Long time since they've been gone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman's_World_of_Sporting_Goods

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I remember the Hermans at the Lehigh Valley mall..back then there were way more ski shops..Nestors, Army/Navy and Sports Chalet which still exist but also Hermans and Nazareth Sporting goods..skis were expensive before e-commerce

 

[mattchuck2]

Pre . . .

Started in 1985, I think, when I was 4. Had Rossis for a while, but I kept breaking them. Then Dynastar Bump skis. Then Raced in High school on 193 Rossi 9s's and 200 Dynastar G8's.

Went to college, skied tele on 200 cm K2 Totally Pistes for 4 years, barely touched the alpine skis after the first year.

Showed up at Gore to be a ski instructor in 2002 having never skied on shaped skis. Bought 165 cm Dynastar Omeglass skis at the tail end of the year when they told me that if I wanted to teach new concepts, then I needed newer skis. Shaped skis ever since.

 

[Trekchick]

Started skiing in 1984.
I'm betting that my niece still has my first pair of skis in her storage.

She still had them, and gladly gave them back to me.


K2 SP51's, 170cm, with Salomon 357 bindings on them.
I had matching blue/white rear entry Alpina boots that hurt my feet so bad I hated them.
I think they're around somewhere too, but not sure where.