That will merely add to the fun. If I can ski Armada AK JJs at MK (SH ski test 2013) then y'all can get on those medieval planks.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I haven't skied on old skis recently (threw most of mine away at the last move of house) but today, while sitting at the Winklmoosalm, a man walked past with skis with cable bindings (and not dressed as though for a special retro gig). So it seems there are still some using real skis
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 19-02-15 22:47; edited 1 time in total
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I threw out my pair Volkl P10's years ago .. I don't know why ..they would have made good sledge runners.
I know that the last time I tried them, it was like trying to ski with railway lines attached to your boots.
I took my 1995 Volkl Snow Rangers out for a trip on the local heath a few years ago .. supposedly back in the day they were an semi off piste ski.
I could not turn them .. very embarassing
That will merely add to the fun. If I can ski Armada AK JJs at MK (SH ski test 2013) then y'all can get on those medieval planks.
You should have tried Counthill ski slope in Oldham when it was around.
Length was about 100m, and quite a bit steeper than slopes like Rossendale and not smooth so quite fun to learn to ski.
The social side was pretty good though
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Should I admit to having a set of wooden skis and bambo poles with leather and alloy baskets
Plus I have some with the look 7007 bindings, these where designed to meake adjustment of bindings for sole lenght a thing of the past for rental shops, ( I don't have the boots to match though ).
And my other really old pair with absolutley mint bindings are some Dynastar Chevrons with red Look 57 bindings.
Actually ignore the above, you will all think I am some old fart
I made the change relatively recently. I don't know if anybody remembers, but I attended my first snowhead bash on a pair of long straight skis!
Contrary to many comments here, the one thing I don't think change much is how I ski moguls on either kind of skis. My old straight skis were relatively soft. It handles bumps as good as the owner can expect it to. In other words, the skis are as capable as what my skills demand.
Being almost straight on the side, side slipping was a doodle too.
Carving? Not so much. It prefers to go straight, or only big lazy arcs. But yes, you can still lay it on the side and it would turn, just a very large radius turn.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
You still see a few around in Scotland, with matching (and now VERY faded) Neon one pieces.
I always wanted Blizzard FireBirds. Just the name, it sounded like the ski equivalent of a Fireblade (I wanted one of those as well and ended up with a Honda CB100 )
After all it is free
After all it is free
@abc, if you're skiing bumps, the technique is broadly the same...
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Quote:
Im far to young to even remember those things, half expect to see them show up on the Antiques Road Show soon ......
haha the same here! well didn't start skiing until mid 2000's
is there anywhere you can rent them for a day some of us to be really laughed at, because we never skied on them? i think that an 80's days could be on the cards?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Not only did I only start skiing after carvers were introduced but I started skiing when all mountain and fat skis were gaining ground. So, I missed the 'straight and skinny' and 'just plain skinny' era.
I know, I know, I don't know I was born...
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
No, last time I skied "old skool" long thin planks was in 1997 on a trip to Banff. Binned them halfway through after testing a pair of "carvers"! They were actually in the garage up until I had a clear out last year and they went in a skip.
Never been tempted to go back since. Only thing they were better at was going in a dead straight line i.e. while not on edge. But I always keep modern skis on an edge anyway, so never been an issue.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I've been skiing since '87, when long skis made a cable car look like a small forest. Once I could ski reasonably well, my favourites were P9 SLC, which had a cracked edge (designed that way, not broken), giving massively more flexibility to the ski. My last spaghetti skis (which I still have, with matching poles) were 198cm Salomon Superforce 2's. I switched to renting the new parabolic skis as they were originally called, as soon as the came out, as development was so rapid. If you look at an early carving ski like the Head Cyber, they would now appear to be long and straight.
Then as now, maybe only 1 in 10 people actually really carve, as opposed to skidding. So carving skis largely became popular because they were generally at least 30cm shorter, so all things being equal, they are much easier to 'skid on'.
Since I now spend as much time off piste as possible, I definitely would not want to back to the legs glued together style of spaghetti skis.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I broke out my old Dynastar Course ( the golden ones with the red plastic bobble on the front) which I think was a late 1980s model, as the ones before that were white with red and gold stripes.
They are 190s, I skied around La Chappelle, but did not look out of place as a few French holiday makesr were there on Rossignol Opens (the white ones, not the XPK Black Kevlar one with a graphite base), the French in their stylish Killy 1sies of course. The skis themselves were fine, but I did find myself going a bit old-skooly, by locking my boots together and humming "Eye of the Tiger" as I did my turns.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
abc wrote:
Carving? Not so much. It prefers to go straight, or only big lazy arcs. But yes, you can still lay it on the side and it would turn, just a very large radius turn.
I used to bounce my salomon 3S skis just for fun they could turn pretty sharp when really pushed ( I generally pushed further than the ski would like hence the bouncing from turn to turn. I used to see how far I could pop ).
@WindOfChange,
If memory serves me the Course came out with the gold top first ( my old Course SL are still in the loft ) and never really liked the white top that came out later just did not look as sexy.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
speed098 wrote:
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
Nothing beats a pair of 80s ski with 'Turbo' written on in neon green.
How about some with the word "QUATTRO"
Did pee off that German car company quite a bit back then
My current skis are Aero GT's which is taken from Saab I believe. It did the trick for me and I bought them. they're also Hybrid which sounded too good to resist too.
I was always disppointed there was never an XR3 ski.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I drove a 1980s ford fiesta recently, just for fun.
It wasn't.
Embrace the technological advances folks, and pray they never leave us.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
NoDosh wrote:
I drove a 1980s ford fiesta recently, just for fun.
It wasn't.
Embrace the technological advances folks, and pray they never leave us.
Some of the best cars to drive are either a lot older than 1980's or are in the case of cars like the Chaterham Super 7 an old design still being built.
Whisky is better the more it has been aged
Embrase the past it mould's the present and the future.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
WindOfChange wrote:
I broke out my old Dynastar Course ( the golden ones with the red plastic bobble on the front) which I think was a late 1980s model, as the ones before that were white with red and gold stripes.
They are 190s, I skied around La Chappelle, but did not look out of place as a few French holiday makesr were there on Rossignol Opens (the white ones, not the XPK Black Kevlar one with a graphite base), the French in their stylish Killy 1sies of course. The skis themselves were fine, but I did find myself going a bit old-skooly, by locking my boots together and humming "Eye of the Tiger" as I did my turns.
I skied a lovely pair of pre-red bubble Dynastar Course in Italy in 1979 or 1980 with a predominantly white colour scheme. The gold ones came out a few years later and then they changed the colour scheme to white, gold and red (the pair that now live in my garage roof). 203cm long, Look turntable bindings, Nevica jacket and trousers with day-glo panels and flashes and Salomon SX90 rear-entry boots. That was real skiing!!!
@LOTA, hmmm, pre- Course, Dynastar for a few years were silver background Omeglass/II (orange/red font) for SL and Acryglass (blue font) for GS.
Omeglass Is and mark 1 IIs were white background with black and orange graphics, I think.
There was also an Omeglass Equipe (ridiculous) which was apparently uber rigid and only available in a 205. One of my chums had a pair.
I think the Course gold with red vibration absorbing devices were released to the unsuspecting public in 1985.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Remember the "tracking groove"? . As if the lack of sidecut wasn't enough to keep 'em straight, we also had the equivalent of a dagger-board! . Nightmare for ptexing and waxing too.
The course gold with red button came out in the 84/85 season ( sad git I am, I checked the 1985 ski magazine ).
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@shep, didn't you ski on amy DHs with two grooves? Double nightmare!
After all it is free
After all it is free
@speed098, that's what I meant, honest guv.
83/84 I'd just gone to uni and skied that season on Fischer RC4 in 190. Was told in no uncertain terms that I was a pussy and needed 203s. At least. Course SLs ordered in September 94 from (I think?) Europa Sports (then importer) but delivery not till after ski club holiday - Dec 94 much dis-appointment but they were kind enough to lend a pair of Omeglass IIs in lieu.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Some of the articles are quite funny, just been reading one about music on the slopes.
No apple ipods here try a smallish boombox sticking out of the top of a rucksack.
Need to know your ski mileage for the day try a "ski-Dometer" sticks to the back of a ski has a tiny two digit display and a cog wheel at the back that revolves as you travel down the slope ( so no airtime please or you bug-ger up the reading ).
There seems to be loads of 80's straight skis on eBay at the moment...mostly from that seller...it's like some timewarp warehouse in Gt Yarmouth has just been liquidated!!
Check this hilarious vid out to see some 80s equipment being used in true retro style complete with neon fartbags and sweatband bandanas...I can't imagine that Les Carroz knew what hit it when that lot turned up...
@speed098, isn't it brilliant though having all those mags archived?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Anyone have the neon pink, green and orange face paint sunblock?
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Here is some 80s gear being used by 80s skiers. Ski rating 5.4 E4, slope : 1400m, 52°/200m . Repeated only once in the modern era I believe by Sylvain Meyet (I think OffPisteSkiing has skied with Sylvain) and Eric Guilhot.
What's funny about luigi's vid is those skier and their skis would not be out of place in the resorts I ski in. About 50% of the skiers are on 80s straight skis.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
speed098 wrote:
... No apple ipods here try a smallish boombox sticking out of the top of a rucksack. ....
I know it's not your main point, but it wasn't quite like that..
In the early 1980s I rode plastic slopes with an off-brand Sony Walkman.
By the mid 1980s I was skiing with a portable CD player, also Sony as it happens.
For me MP3 players came towards the late 1990s... early machines had sound quality issues with the 128kb/s encoding.
I still have a Compaq machine, which was the first solid state player I had, from around 1997.
Bum-bags were, in my humble opinion, the correct accessory for my Degre 7 one piece.
All history now - my Android phone plays FLAC for free, and old people like me aside there's no one thin and fit enough to wear a one piece.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@philwig,
I know just the pic in the mag had the guy with a small boombox sticking out the top.
I used to use the yellow Sony walkman tape decks they were ultra tough even had one bounce almost the full distance down the ski slope at Rossendale when it popped out of my pocket doing a jump at the top. Picked it up plugged the earphones back in and continued listening to the music ( Dire Straits ).
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@speed098, Sorry - I missed that, my bad.
I also had (still have somewhere) the big yellow Sony. Didn't break mine at Ski Ross, but I did break a later diskman in the Alps somewhere following a poorly controlled crash.
Those look to be the cap ski punter version, mine are the wood core race skis from the final year of production at the Kastle factory, Elan made skis for them the following year with the same topsheet design.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
under a new name wrote:
@speed098, isn't it brilliant though having all those mags archived?
Most are still in the loft. I like to go back and have a look every so often. Same goes for a lot of the old PC gaming magazines.
Yes, I have a copy along with the several other classics of that era - by Ali Ross, Sheds (John Sheddon's semi-erotic ones with the piccies of Sarah Lewis doing weird and wonderful contortions!), The Book of Skiing and a few ancient BASI Manuals dating from the 70s!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Pretty sure I have that and the Ali Ross book somewhere in the house.
Also have a copy of Ali Ross how we learned to ski VHS which I have just put onto DVD.
But more importantly who has still got copies of "Piste again" and "Back on the Piste".
After all it is free
After all it is free
@narc, still a well worn copy at my parent's house. Great book!
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@speed098, yep, also on my book shelves!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thought I'd join in the fun, so dug my old 9E1S (86-52-77) out of the loft to compare them with my current Sentinels (129-94-120).
Difference is shocking - can't believe I used to ski moguls; powder etc on them !!!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
to learn to ski.
)
. Nightmare for ptexing and waxing too.
