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Muleski

So much better than a pro
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I'm just smiling. Lots of menories. I have posted some stuff earlier in this thread, among other things a video of Ingemar's DH crasch in Italy. Safe to say that the "Featured"-function works. All hell seems to brake loose. Sweet.

Neat stuff, neat memories, and even more sweet for you, @Swede.

Yes, the "featured" function seems to be killing it!

And yeah, makes me get very nostalgic for the "old" Ski Racing. Loved it.
 

Muleski

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With all this talk about painting boots and changing buckles are we sure that the pink boots on his feet are Lange and not his old Cabers just painted pink?

You never know, but my heavy bet would be no.

The painting and doctoring of Langes was pretty funny, as they really only cared about the boots "looking right" for the top guns who would find themselves on the podium, or in the press. There were some wild setups. Clogs of current color with cuffs that were treasured and were seasons old, and a few colors "ago" etc.

Tomba's boots were nothing like a realgar WC boot, as he was such a physical brute. So, the job of my friend to get them looking good was important. He had a tool box, which he kept locked that was full of model paint, spray paint, buckles, decals....the works. Funny.

Many, many years later, Lange made carbon fibre boots for a very small group of athletes. Americans Chip Knight and Daron Rahlves and most noticeably Stefan Eberharter and Herman Maier. They also, like a huge number of WC skiers, had custom made leather foamed liners built in the Stroltz factory. Very obvious if seen. The boots were blue, and a close color match. Buckles and decals were good. However if you were within six feet of them and had a keen eye, they looked very special.

At the time, athlete on the podium generally had their boots over their shoulders. Part of the drill was for the Lange guy to hand them production boots for the pics. Can't recall where, but Eberharter ended up on the podium twice with his actual carbon boots, and let's say that some folks at Lange were not pleased. Because this as when they were first selling a "plug" boot to the public and telling people that they could buy the exact same boot that was winning on the WC. Hmmm. Skied on the WC, yes. By many. And maybe winning once in a while.

Lange and Stenmark is something that I totally missed. Cool thread!
 

K2 Rat

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Photo credit - Olle Larsson


IMG_7039.JPG
 

K2 Rat

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IMG_7040.JPG
Based on the bare spots right below the gate, it is amazing they could keep the gate in...
Olle did amazing work.
 

K2 Rat

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I assume a lot of you know where the photos I posted came from. I studied this book from cover to cover when it came out in 1979. Along with How the Racers Ski, I think it was one of the 2 best ski racing books ever published. Still like to look at it !!

IMG_7044.JPG
 

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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I assume a lot of you know where the photos I posted came from. I studied this book from cover to cover when it came out in 1979. Along with How the Racers Ski, I think it was one of the 2 best ski racing books ever published. Still like to look at it !!

View attachment 30116

LOL, I have 2 copies. The first one fell apart from overuse. I think 80% of the photos were of Stenmark!
 

ScotsSkier

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Pretty sure all those boots in my photos are blue & likely the same pair, at least for those years79'-86'. I know the pair that I saw up close were not a current Caber boot model & had been through the ringer. Of course that could all be folklore.

...

Interesting trivial trivia :doh:

yes, that is what I thought, just the picture fading, always remembered the boots as blue. Pretty sure it was the Caber Alfa boot all through that period,. Not that different now i guess with so many Atomic Athletes still skiing the old boot!!!ogsmile
 

K2 Rat

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You never know, but my heavy bet would be no.

The painting and doctoring of Langes was pretty funny, as they really only cared about the boots "looking right" for the top guns who would find themselves on the podium, or in the press. There were some wild setups. Clogs of current color with cuffs that were treasured and were seasons old, and a few colors "ago" etc.

Tomba's boots were nothing like a realgar WC boot, as he was such a physical brute. So, the job of my friend to get them looking good was important. He had a tool box, which he kept locked that was full of model paint, spray paint, buckles, decals....the works. Funny.

Many, many years later, Lange made carbon fibre boots for a very small group of athletes. Americans Chip Knight and Daron Rahlves and most noticeably Stefan Eberharter and Herman Maier. They also, like a huge number of WC skiers, had custom made leather foamed liners built in the Stroltz factory. Very obvious if seen. The boots were blue, and a close color match. Buckles and decals were good. However if you were within six feet of them and had a keen eye, they looked very special.

At the time, athlete on the podium generally had their boots over their shoulders. Part of the drill was for the Lange guy to hand them production boots for the pics. Can't recall where, but Eberharter ended up on the podium twice with his actual carbon boots, and let's say that some folks at Lange were not pleased. Because this as when they were first selling a "plug" boot to the public and telling people that they could buy the exact same boot that was winning on the WC. Hmmm. Skied on the WC, yes. By many. And maybe winning once in a while.

Lange and Stenmark is something that I totally missed. Cool thread!


Nothing to do with Stenmark of course, but another one that people tend to not recall was Klammer skiing on Kneissl for a brief period between Fischer and Blizzard


IMG_7051.PNG
 

Doby Man

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Well, he certainly didn't seem to be enjoying "these damn skis!" so no wonder he moved on. That is exactly the move I make when I don't like a ski. I pick it up to look right at it closely while I ski and go: "WTF?" Especially after I make a bad turn so those looking on know that it is due to bad skis rather than technique. Just like when I trip over a crack in the pavement I go back to examine the defect closely so that it becomes understood by everyone that there is something wrong with the sidewalk. Eventually, all my skis were bad and I began using the move often enough that people were asking me if it was a new technique. Embarrassed, I would just say "yes" to get past the awkwardness. I kept up that lie until one thing lead to another and I have been teaching this as turn technique to hundreds of students year after year simply to avoid awkwardness and embarrassment of always skiing on "bad" skis. I hereby apologize to all the instructors that got those students after me. Looking back, I should have said it was a drill. Incase this happens to anyone else, tell them it is a drill.
 

da-cat

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This was an awesome to read!
Especially as he felt your favorite skis can be broken in to a certain degree allowing all of the materials to come together in synergy so to speak making them better compared to new off the rack.
I can picture it kind of like an Italian dish tastes better the next day as the flavors come together- your ski core materials are stretched and twisted from some actual use and now it's go time!
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
Tricia

Tricia

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The thread title is flawed! First thing is you never state Ingemar Stenmarks name without being preceded by "The Great". Kinda like someone who has been knighted is "sir" or the Queen is "Her Majesty". 2nd, it's Ingemar not Ingmar ogwink.

Thread title should read: THE GREAT INGEMAR STENMARK or INGEMAR the GREAT may be acceptable.
Thanks


I was thinking about this in regards to Lindsey trying to catch the record prior to retiring.
Does anyone think we'll ever say The Great Lindsey or The Great Bode?
My gut is, no.

Stenmark is the man!
The Great Man!
 

dbostedo

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I was thinking about this in regards to Lindsey trying to catch the record prior to retiring.
Does anyone think we'll ever say The Great Lindsey or The Great Bode?
My gut is, no.

Stenmark is the man!
The Great Man!
We might be saying the Great Mikaela...
 
Thread Starter
TS
Tricia

Tricia

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View attachment 66274
The Greats!?!
But as usual Bode is on the the fence :ogcool:
That photo is actually what made me think of bumping this thread.
As great as Bode and Lindsey are, they aren't quite as "great" as Stenmark
 

4ster

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That photo is actually what made me think of bumping this thread.
As great as Bode and Lindsey are, they aren't quite as "great" as Stenmark
I think there is a long list of greats of which Ingemar stands at the top.
 

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