My very first skis, 1967

[CMCM]

Somebody mentioned we should do this, so here goes. I went to a ski swap my senior year in 1966-67 ski year, and I got used ski equipment. I had no idea what to buy, but I got long Kneissl 185 or 190cm skis, leather boots (Nordica I think), and Tyrolia cable bindings. The boots were a good size too small and absolutely killed my feet....they were always freezing cold since the boots were too tight, plus I stupidly wore heavy wool socks! The skis were heavy, long, thick, made of wood I guess. The cable bindings were scary....and took forever to put on right and get adjusted. You just kind of hooked them up and hoped they were tight enough but not too tight! I'm lucky I never broke anything, but in those days, I was basically just snowplowing and being very careful. Skiing wasn't that pleasant an experience, and after that year I didn't ski again for a LOONNNGG time. Here are some photos I found....my skis looked like these except the colors were reversed...black skis with white stars. Boots and bindings look like I remember. Boy has equipment improved a gazillion percent!!! You young things out there really have no idea!!!

Jeez Louise...and Yikes! Looking these photos makes me feel pretty dated! Even I can't believe how ancient this stuff looks today! :p

 

[IdahoSkiGirl]

Oh wow! That is really neat! I started skiing when I was 3 years old...my parents still have my little bitty ski boots. I will have to get a pair of skis out of my parents attic, they have a pair of 1963 Head skis...I will take a pic and post (it may take a few days)

 

[Solincia]

My first skis were a hand-me-down from my sister. Being two years older, my parents always saw fit to do this <how nice, eh?> with everything.

I started skiing when I was in the 8th grade <I'm turning 30 next monday>, and started using her old skis when I was about 14-15 when she stopped skiing.

They were straight black Rossignol skis w/ hot pink and purple on them, tyrolia bindings, and I had purple Nordica rear-entry boots.

Those were the last skis I used before skiing again this year! What a switch. Don't make fun, but I had a little bit of a hard time adjusting my new boots when I took them for their first run this year. I've never used anything but rear-entry, so it took a little bit of getting used to! As did the shaped skis.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Awesome pics! I think DH had a pair of boots like that when we first got married! I think, after season's finito for all, I'm going to start a thread in "Divas Only" called "The Way We Were." A lot of us have already posted neat old pics of ourselves skiing way back when. I think it would be fun to have them all in one section. Ya think??

 

[Native Vail Gal]

I have ALL of the equipment from my childhood! I started skiing when I was 2, and I have those little leather boots. I'll post later when I can pick them up from my Mom's.

Fabulous pictures....and this will be a fun thread to watch! :D

 

[playoutside]

I started a year after you, but my boots were still lace ups!! I was around 5 and I remember that being such a struggle :( ...there were 3 of us kids tossed to the slopes at the same time, very hard to get help from Mom with our gear. My skis were black, wooden, long, cable bindings, no idea what brand, & had leashes so that they never slid too far away.

Several years later I got hand-me-downs from my older brother. I remember raising my hand over my head to be sure the ski was the right size for me. They were red, white & blue, Northland I think and they had step-in bindings still with leashes. I managed to get buckle boots at a swap...at least a size too big...I didn't care they had buckles and I thought I was in heaven! Used this setup into high school and thought it was great!

Then I didn't ski for a dozen years. Started again in early 90s...biggest change at that point was ski length was shorter and ski brakes! I looked at the brakes and could not believe it would ever stop a ski. Now I can't imagine why we ever skied with loong skis lashed to our legs!

 

[Gloria]

Sweet, I blame my lack of ski technology knowledge on learning to ski on skis like this. We had a couple pair like this minus the rear straps that we would slide our regular snowboots into. We used to hike up the hill behind our house and "let em rip". I still have my first pair of skis, or one of the two, that I used for skiing on area. They had full bindings with safety straps, but boots were the same as yours. From there on out I used my brothers hand me downs even though he is a good 6 year older than me. So 33 years later, after skiing on anequated and too big equipment, I am finally realizing, hmmm maybe proper equipment does make a difference...With alot of help from my friends here.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

First pair of skis, purchased in '75, shown end of 75-76 season (32 years ago ). Kneissl Short Magic 170, I recall they were quite wide. Note straps. Brakes didn't start happening until around '80, and integrated bindings/brakes several years later. In those interim years, you'd buy the bindings and add the brake separately.

Wow, long braids, I'd forgotten!

 

[oragejuice]

You'll probably all laugh at me for saying this, but I don't remember un-shaped skis...

 

[Kiragirl]

no, we're NOT laughing ; )

 

[oragejuice]

Two things came to mind, laugh or get mad at. I actually wish I remembered long straight skis... I'm a new-school skiier, its not quite as cool.

 

[IdahoSkiGirl]

You'll probably all laugh at me for saying this, but I don't remember un-shaped skis...

I was a ski instructor at the time shaped skis came out. I remember the instructors had to take a clinic to learn how to ski these crazy new "fat" skis

 

[Native Vail Gal]

You'll probably all laugh at me for saying this, but I don't remember un-shaped skis...

No laughing and not mad. Just a fact. (poor thing....the things you've missed! :D )

But...do you know what a Vinyl is?

 

[oragejuice]

HAHAHA. If you are talking about a record, then yes, I know what a vinyl is. Lol. I actually own one.

 

[vanhoskier]

I have a pair of fashion boots that look VERY much like your old Nordica ski boots. In fact, they were designed by an Italian company to resemble old ski boots...they have the same buckles and everything. Black leather. Except, unlike your ski boots, they are VERY comfy.

A lot of people that see me wear them comment that they look like motorcycle boots, and I say, "No! They are modeled after old ski boots!"

 

[vanhoskier]

Two things came to mind, laugh or get mad at. I actually wish I remembered long straight skis... I'm a new-school skiier, its not quite as cool.

Hey Oragejuice, no sweat. I remember long straight skis, but I was am not one of the cool ones...I didn't really learn to ski until the shaped skis came out. I see some people still on old Kneissls at my ski hill and I wonder, "What would happen to me if I tried to ski those things?"

 

[CMCM]

Hey Oragejuice, no sweat. I remember long straight skis, but I was am not one of the cool ones...I didn't really learn to ski until the shaped skis came out. I see some people still on old Kneissls at my ski hill and I wonder, "What would happen to me if I tried to ski those things?"

Of course, in my early ski days on LONG, unshaped Kneissls, I was a lousy snowplow type skier, BUT.....my strongest memory of it all was how to get around a turn without horribly crossing the tips.....easy enough to do with all that length. I suppose the skis were probably pretty heavy and stiff, too....no modern, lightweight, flexible materials to help a poor learner get around a turn! Yep....crossing those tips was the biggie at that time! And if you see old ski films, the skiing style then involved a pretty major hop in the turn. I still see some older skiers out there using their unshaped skis, probably from the 80's or early 90's, and they still ski that old style. It looks lovely, actually, but there's a definite bop upwards on the turn.

Another problem I remember was those cable bindings....you had to put them on and then adjust the tightness, and I always worried that I had them adjusted too tight and they might not release. I believe in the days of cable bindings, broken ankles were a lot more common than now. There were also no ski brakes....I think there was some sort of strap you wrapped around your ankle to contain the skis if you came out of the bindings. You can't imagine how wonderful the new easy in-out bindings are compared to those old things. Skiing is much safer now due to the improved equipment.

There's a restaurant in Truckee (near Tahoe) that has a display of lots of old skis....some from around 1900 most likely. The lengths are incredible.....a couple of feet above my head or more....made of heavy wood, quite narrow. I cannot imagine skiing or turning on those things! And how would you edge on them...no sharp edges!

 

[vanhoskier]

There's a restaurant in Truckee (near Tahoe) that has a display of lots of old skis....some from around 1900 most likely. The lengths are incredible.....a couple of feet above my head or more....made of heavy wood, quite narrow. I cannot imagine skiing or turning on those things! And how would you edge on them...no sharp edges!

I've been to that restaurant in Truckee and have seen those skis. Also in a couple of other places in Lake Placid. NO IDEA how people skied on those things or how in the world they turned them. No metal edges either. Man, those people had guts!

 

[Gloria]

First pair of skis, purchased in '75, shown end of 75-76 season (32 years ago ). Kneissl Short Magic 170, I recall they were quite wide. Note straps. Brakes didn't start happening until around '80, and integrated bindings/brakes several years later. In those interim years, you'd buy the bindings and add the brake separately.

Wow, long braids, I'd forgotten!

Good Lord MSL, is that your rear-wheel drive car in the background too? to think we used to drive those to the ski hill as well. Those leather tops rocked hard though.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Good Lord MSL, is that your rear-wheel drive car in the background too? to think we used to drive those to the ski hill as well. Those leather tops rocked hard though.

Nah, that would have been way too new to have been one of ours Had a 72 Buick Skylark at the time (now a collectible car!), and DH had a 67 Fiat 124. We had - and USED - chains, as the only 4WD's back then were basically Jeeps: CJ-7's (pre-Wrangler) and those great big Jeeps--Wagoneers, I think they were called.