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Retro/Vintage Talk...

Bill Talbot

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So while we have GREAT individual threads for every brand imaginable, I miss the stories and general chatter for all things Retro and Vintage. To jump start the conversation, I'll start with this nice wall pic and see what happens...
@Philpug , can we pin this up near the top to see if it can gather some momentum?!

So take a ride up the chair with me... let's talk!!!

nice vintage group.png
 
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RickyG

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I started skiing in 1070 once I got out of high school, the first real ski boots I bought for myself were the original Lange Comp...yellow liners, Lange Flow the works. I even had the Lange Spoilers put on them. Now some of you know that there must have been a 100% failure rate on those. Now I can see the stress riser that lives at the top of the boot upper and the interface of the spoiler. So finding a set for my collected (not the originals) Lange comps I used my skills as a 3D solid modeler and used the schools 3D printer to recreate a set of spoilers. For those interested AutoDesk Inventor and Dimension u-Print.
Lange Comp w-Spoiler.jpg
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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Very nice setup there (and recreation too!). I remember those days well. I was experimenting with JetStix and finding the extra leverage fantastic for recovery in the bumps. The stuff you could get away with that would have put you on your ass otherwise! It was ushering in a whole new era in our sport. Good times for sure :thumb:

Jet Stix1.jpg
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

Vintage Gear Curator
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Another fun topic is 60's/70's mix and match bindings. Remember when toe pieces and heel pieces came in separate boxes?!
What kind of Frankenstein combos did you try on your boards? I remember LOOK Nevada toes with Marker Rotamat FD heels.
I think when the Red LOOK Grand Prix Comp heels came out that solved the 'can't stay on them' problem. I've seen Solie 555 toes with Rotamat heels.
What other combos do you remember seeing on the hill when 203's and 207's still ruled the mountain?...
 

Philpug

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Another fun topic is 60's/70's mix and match bindings. Remember when toe pieces and heel pieces came in separate boxes?!
What kind of Frankenstein combos did you try on your boards? I remember LOOK Nevada toes with Marker Rotamat FD heels.
I think when the Red LOOK Grand Prix Comp heels came out that solved the 'can't stay on them' problem. I've seen Solie 555 toes with Rotamat heels.
What other combos do you remember seeing on the hill when 203's and 207's still ruled the mountain?...
I remember running a Marker M4 toe with a Salomon 444 heel.

I do find that everyone who skied "back in the day", when they comes into the shop, the all skied 207's or 210's..even the women. Uhhh, no you did not ski that Olin Mark IV in a 210.
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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I never skied anything longer than a 203 SL ski personally back in the 70's and 80's. And I was guilty of 'going short' (180cm) for my bump skis as those became common and the bumps got tighter and sharper faced as a result.
I have picked up a few pair of long board day skis just for fun in the last decade... they do remind you of just how well those skis can track flat on the snow. A harsh comparison to the various shaped skis we have today that must be on edge or else!
 

Don in Morrison

I Ski Better on Retro Day
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Mine were 208, 205, 204 and 160. The closest to a Frankenbinding I got was 502 toes and 444 rental heels on the harts. I had a friend who worked at Christy Sports and he scrounged them out of a pile of surplus parts, so I got them free and he mounted them for me.
 

Philpug

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The first Salomon skis, the 1S in a PR8 was about a 212, that is the first GS ski I skied regularly and immediately after that, they started to get shorter, and within a few years a 198CM GS was long. My ski in HS was a Pre 1200SP in a 204 with a race flex in the 23 range, at a whopping 150lb I am not sure how I skied that in the bumps at Camelback and throwing helicopters at will.
 

Bad Bob

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It was fun trying out off the wall sizes and equipment. When K2 Winter Heat showed up I thought it would be a good idea to ski it in a 195, 10-15 cm shorter than what I normally skied. They were very quick and had a very short lifespan.
 

RickyG

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On the ski length front...I was always a 200 cm guy...until I saw Wayne Wong on 180 Bermuda Shorts at the '73 Sun Valley Freestyle competition. So as soon as I got back to Denver I collected some Bermuda Shorts (Hart Short Stuff were OK also), and started tying colorful bandanas around my knee. The bandana didn't help but I felt like I was a member of a small band of forward thinking embryonic freestylers. The second picture is of Wayne's feet...I still have problems framing a shot. Number three is of me at St. Mary's Glacier on Bermuda Shorts...forgot the bandana that day.

On the Franken binding front I got very clear very early that forward pressure and return to center time were so inter-related and most of the mash-ups didn't react kindly. The standard Look Nevada toe Mark 1 or 2 really do not like forward pressure and the Marker Rotomat Heel is all about forward pressure. So I stuck with Salomon 505 and then the triple nickels. Just before I switched to Spademan I spent a year on Tyrolia 360's I managed of land a team deal and that year I was on Raichle Freestyle boots, the Tyrolias, and K2 255s (185) and K2 244 Ballet skis. I really wish I could find a set of 255 (even softs) to add to the museum. After that "THE System" was my hardware of choice. THE's, Spademan's, and Scott Boots.
 

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RickyG

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Wow...can I stop a line of conversation...it's my super power...! Sorry I was looking forward to more chatter on "the way we we're"...
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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No worries Ricky! It's just going to take a bit of time for folks to start 'stopping by' to sit on the Pugski chairlift swing and talk about some old times and gear. ogsmile
 

Philpug

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@Andy Mink was over last night and I am trying to get him to take out his Kneissl White Stars one of these days. I have a couple of pair of The Ski mounted up and ready to go at a moments notice..except the jelly beans...they just feel like they will be scary unsafe and could break.
 

ADKmel

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peak ski - Copy.png
@Andy Mink was over last night and I am trying to get him to take out his Kneissl White Stars one of these days. I have a couple of pair of The Ski mounted up and ready to go at a moments notice..except the jelly beans...they just feel like they will be scary unsafe and could break.

I loved my Kneissl White Stars! 210's and my first Real pair and favorite race ski in the early 70's I went from them to 190's Rossi 4-S & 4-G's w/ESS bindings- my first 'shaped' ski was 185cm Peak Rossis Picabo Street designed I loved the top sheets
Have a laugh these really are my first pair of skis.. photo not so good,. No edges! from early 1960's

CIMG0482 - Copy.JPG
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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The bindings I owned were matched toe and heel but I do remember seeing the Look 1 toe or the Marker Simplex toe mixed with the Tyrolia Clix 90 heel and that was the step in heel of choice back in the day. I think it was because those toe's had to be notched in the boot toe and so did the Tyrolia Clix 90 toe that may be why they worked together well together. As far as ski length 200 was what I bought new although I did rent, demo, and buy used longer skis all at 155 LBS.
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

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So as I am approaching my 50th year on skis next season, it's fun to think back to the different eras of gear I have been on. Started on wooden skis with screwed on edges, lace double leather boots and cable bindings with a releasable toe piece. I think it's fair to say we've come a long way since the later 60's!

What are your thoughts on the gear we have seen come and go in the 60's through 90's? What was your favorite period and reason why it stands out?
 

Philpug

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We just got our passes at Mt. Rose and what I immediately noticed is that every day is Retro Day there. I am sure is is not much different than most smaller ski areas. Quite frankly it is refreshing seeing the old Salomon SX boots, Techica Explosions, Rachle rear entrys, straight skis, and other items many of us have disgarded long ago.
 
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Bill Talbot

Bill Talbot

Vintage Gear Curator
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
3,166
Location
New England
We just got our passes at Mt. Rose and what I immediately noticed is that every day is Retro Day there. I am sure is is not much different than most smaller ski areas. Quite frankly it is refreshing seeing the old Salomon SX boots, Techica Explosions, Rachle rear entrys, straight skis, and other items many of us have disgarded long ago.


Well we know anyone lurking in this thread understands the draw. Outside of the Retro loving crowd seems to be folks that ski a couple days a year and never even knew things have changed a bit. Still rocking the gear they bought in the 80's... and why not! :)
 

Uncle-A

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We just got our passes at Mt. Rose and what I immediately noticed is that every day is Retro Day there. I am sure is is not much different than most smaller ski areas. Quite frankly it is refreshing seeing the old Salomon SX boots, Techica Explosions, Rachle rear entrys, straight skis, and other items many of us have disgarded long ago.
"Refreshing seeing" and fun to use, especially my Kastle Freestyle Pro's.
 

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