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Sponsored 11 Most Influential Skis of All Time

https://www.skiessentials.com/

RickyG

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Gang, buried in the deep dungeon of time is some of John Howe's master piece the original "Yahoo". In the middle of the short ski fad, John saw the future and produced a light short ski with a side cut that would not be seen again until Elan started the "wasp waisted ski " revolution. Loved that ski, I actually got to ski on a prototype set that had less glass load and with my light weight it was a treat. 1974-1975-head-skis.jpg Rick ABasin 75.jpg
 

Tom K.

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I grew up in the (short-hilled) midwest, so maybe see things from a different perspective. Not to take away from the original list, but for discussion I'll add these:

1. I'm with @crgildart on the Olin Mark IV and/or the Head Yahoo. They were EVERYWHERE, doing the silly freestyle stuff of the day (worm turns, tip rolls, shoulder rolls, etc.). I had a pair of Yahoos, and was always amazed at how well they also actually skied.

2. Dynamic VR17. Seems like it kind of started the mass migration from metal to fiberglass skis.

3. Any of the red, white and blue K2s. For awhile, I think they filled 50% of ski racks in the midwest in the 70s!
 

raisingarizona

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The original dynastar bigs (the orange/red ones) were a lot more of a revolutionary ski than the inspireds. I tried the inspireds once, they were terrible skis that were floppy noodles marketed as big mountain skis.

What about the original Atomic fat skis? I think those were the firsts.
 

Joal

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The list is not coming up any more and does not seem to be anywhere on their website. Does anyone have it?
 
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Noodler

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Gang, buried in the deep dungeon of time is some of John Howe's master piece the original "Yahoo". In the middle of the short ski fad, John saw the future and produced a light short ski with a side cut that would not be seen again until Elan started the "wasp waisted ski " revolution. Loved that ski, I actually got to ski on a prototype set that had less glass load and with my light weight it was a treat. View attachment 30313 View attachment 30315

I learned to ski on the Head Yahoo at 8 years old. Brings back great memories.
 

Joal

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"70's Head Yahoo Ski Demo by Roger Brown at Summit Films Featuring Debbie Mead, Eddie Lincoln and Marc Jones. The Head Yahoo was the worlds first shaped ski. Please note: Debbie Mead later married John Howe the designer of the Head Yahoo and they are living and skiing happily ever after in Maine."

 

BMC

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I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but when I click through that link there’s no list. I do hig your website but the page is devoid of an article.

Anyway in my time as a skier I reckon the most influential skis were

  • K2 Four. Took “shaped skis” mainstream.
  • Salomon XsCream. “Wildly” wide at 68mm but totally unbiquitous.
  • volkl Mantra. I feel like this ski invented or at least popularised the circa 100mm robust all mountain ski.
  • maybe the Rossi Soul 7.
 

Jeffdag

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"70's Head Yahoo Ski Demo by Roger Brown at Summit Films Featuring Debbie Mead, Eddie Lincoln and Marc Jones. The Head Yahoo was the worlds first shaped ski. Please note: Debbie Mead later married John Howe the designer of the Head Yahoo and they are living and skiing happily ever after in Maine."

Is John the same came guy who came out with "The Claw" race ski about 20 years ago?
 

Joal

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Is John the same came guy who came out with "The Claw" race ski about 20 years ago?

 

Uncle-A

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"70's Head Yahoo Ski Demo by Roger Brown at Summit Films Featuring Debbie Mead, Eddie Lincoln and Marc Jones. The Head Yahoo was the worlds first shaped ski. Please note: Debbie Mead later married John Howe the designer of the Head Yahoo and they are living and skiing happily ever after in Maine."

That is a good video, it looked as if they had some type of Head version of a plate binding. They must have had those plate bindings cranked up very tight when doing those jumps. I remember demoing a pair of skis with a plate that was set correctly and when I did a jump off a small bump I found myself in mid-air with out any skis on my boots. As far as the comment about the Yahoo being the first shape ski, I thought Elan had that locked up. What we call straight skis did have some shape but not as we know it today.
 

Dave Marshak

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I couldn't open the article, but this is the list:
  1. Whatever ski was the first to have metal edges.
  2. The Head Standard.
  3. The VR17.
  4. Atomic Powder Plus.
  5. Elan SCX
  6. The first rocker ski.

Maybe add the K2 VO slalom to that list. Everything else is just incremental improvements on what went before.

dm
 

Ken_R

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These were the most influential to me. They still look cool! I still want a pair.

rossignol-equipe-kevlar-4s-downhill_1_79a43d0d8aae92d28eee5836fd64b8a7.jpg
 

Uncle-A

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If you think of it the most influential are the ones that do it first. The first to market always get the big sales even though others may improve with 2G models. So if you have to narrow it down to the top improvements to the sport just list the names of the skis that were first to do what ever was the major step forward. So what are the top major improvements to ski?
These would be my Top Ten
1. Camber In Skis
2. Metal Edges
3. Metal Layer Construction
4. Fiberglass Construction (both layer and wrap)
5. Anti Vibration AKA Dampening Devices
6. Short Sized Skis
7. Foam Core Construction
8. Major Shape Construction
9. Rocker Construction
10. Fat Skis
 

Bad Bob

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Memory is hazy on this one but wasn't the Dynamic VR7 (the VR17's daddy) the first torsion box constructed ski? If so might think about putting it up on the pedestal too. How many really great skis liberated this design?
 

NZRob

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If you think of it the most influential are the ones that do it first. The first to market always get the big sales even though others may improve with 2G models. So if you have to narrow it down to the top improvements to the sport just list the names of the skis that were first to do what ever was the major step forward. So what are the top major improvements to ski?
These would be my Top Ten
1. Camber In Skis
2. Metal Edges
3. Metal Layer Construction
4. Fiberglass Construction (both layer and wrap)
5. Anti Vibration AKA Dampening Devices
6. Short Sized Skis
7. Foam Core Construction
8. Major Shape Construction
9. Rocker Construction
10. Fat Skis

Nailed it....I read the title of the thread and immediately thought of metal edges, synthetic bases, major construction innovations, shaping and rocker. Though on deeper thought often the first may be the most innovative but not necessarily the most influential (from a customer perspective anyway, as opposed to an engineering perspective).

By far the most influential for me personally was shaped skis in the 90's. That was revolutionary.
 

Doug Briggs

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I grew up in the (short-hilled) midwest, so maybe see things from a different perspective. Not to take away from the original list, but for discussion I'll add these:

1. I'm with @crgildart on the Olin Mark IV and/or the Head Yahoo. They were EVERYWHERE, doing the silly freestyle stuff of the day (worm turns, tip rolls, shoulder rolls, etc.). I had a pair of Yahoos, and was always amazed at how well they also actually skied.

2. Dynamic VR17. Seems like it kind of started the mass migration from metal to fiberglass skis.

3. Any of the red, white and blue K2s. For awhile, I think they filled 50% of ski racks in the midwest in the 70s!

The VR17 are significantly missing from the list as are the Strato/ST/ROC era Rossis.

The original dynastar bigs (the orange/red ones) were a lot more of a revolutionary ski than the inspireds. I tried the inspireds once, they were terrible skis that were floppy noodles marketed as big mountain skis.

What about the original Atomic fat skis? I think those were the firsts.
BIGs were ok. Really light using a high tech foam core. Same one they used in the Altiplumes, an early randi racing ski.

Atomic Powder Plus were the first really fat, powder ski. So fat, they made bindings with offset brakes so people could ski them in their usual narrow stance. I have a few pair for giggles and love.
IMG_20201116_185101124.jpg
Note how the binding is not centered but offset to the right on the left ski which is shown.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but when I click through that link there’s no list. I do hig your website but the page is devoid of an article.

Anyway in my time as a skier I reckon the most influential skis were

  • K2 Four. Took “shaped skis” mainstream.
  • Salomon XsCream. “Wildly” wide at 68mm but totally unbiquitous.
  • Völkl Mantra. I feel like this ski invented or at least popularised the circa 100mm robust all mountain ski.
  • maybe the Rossi Soul 7.
I clicked the photo in the OP's post and got to the list. More of an article, than a list, but it worked. Maybe someone fixed it today?
Is John the same came guy who came out with "The Claw" race ski about 20 years ago?
Yes, John Howe. He was a multi-disciplined designer at Head working on their tennis racquets as well, IIRC. I'm sorry to also learn of his passing. He was a Renaissance man of sorts; thinking outside the box.
 
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Joal

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Yes, it works. Still an interesting reference piece.
 

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