I Skiied For The First Time In 20 Years

[jyl]

Took my kids up to a local bunny hill, my daughter skiied a few times twenty years ago and my son has never been on the slopes. She did fine, about as well as she did at 6 y/o. My son rented a snowboard and, while he fell a lot, did really well - which I expected, him being a dancer and skateboarder.

This was my first time on skis in twenty years. The rental skis were short and weird, since I’m used to straight skis (my skis, which are still around somewhere, are 205 cm K2s from the era when that was not long). The rental boots sucked, had me bolt upright, otherwise they don’t seem to have changed. After I figured out how to not “over-turn” the skis, the (bunny) hill got boring pretty quick.

I’m kind of thinking about doing more skiing this season. The slopes are only 90 minutes from my house. I could find my old skis and boots, maybe, or if not then buy a starter set. Lift tickets are outrageously expensive but I could buy a pass, the season only recently started.

So, any advice on what to look for in modern skis, bindings, and boots? Back when I skiied, my favorite runs were the steep ones. Hard and icy was cool, but I never was great at the VW Bug size type of mogul, or powder.

[stevej37]

The newer shaped ski's are so much easier to maneuver than the older ones. Once you get used to them, you won't go back.

[MarcoB]

I’d suggest you get fitted for a good pair of boots, and demo different brands of skis to see what fits your style and skiing preference. Like Steve said - new generation skis are like getting power steering!

[Bill Douglas]

And a pack of anti-inflammatory voltaren to keep the body in order.

Skis. You could look at those ones that are rounded up at both ends. Hot dogger style, and impress your son with stuff usually done by snowboarders.

[Daves911L]

Originally Posted by MarcoB

I’d suggest you get fitted for a good pair of boots, and demo different brands of skis to see what fits your style and skiing preference. Like Steve said - new generation skis are like getting power steering!

I’m still on old skinny skis, about 25 years old now. Several pair, all dead or very near to now. edges paper thin, definitely broken down structurally. But I can’t change. Been skiing since I was 3 years old. Ski bummed several semesters in college. There was a time when I got 40-50 days in a winter. I love my long thin light bump sticks. Lightning fast edge to edge. Steer the shovel in, compress, explode out on the tail. Knees welded, quads sucking it up. This modern crap? That’s not skiing. Took out a demo set for the day last season at my daughters urging. Spatulas under my feet. Soft and vague. Easy? Yes. Satisfying ? No.

[cantdrv55]

I used to love skiing but I was never good at it. Now though, I’m really scared of heights.

[jyl]

I found my old skis! K2 Extreme, 195 cm, bought them in the mid/late 90s, only skiied a few more times after that. Still looking for the boots but I might want a new pair, I guess plastic doesn’t last forever.

[LWJ]

Hey John!
I just got home from a late afternoon / evening ski at Ski Bowl. I plan on going up every Wednesday more or less. I have a large SUV with plenty of room. Let me know if you have interest. Skiing is the only sport that I have a level of skill that is worth mentioning.

Come on up! It's good for the soul.

[berettafan]

Gone twice in the last two years with a group of baseball parents. I was the only parent actually on the slopes last year. The others were smarter than me.

I gotta say I sincerely wish I’d taken it up when I was young and had good knees. What an awesome feeling. Doubt I’ll be able to get in good enough shape to do much more than the bunny slope. Couldn’t climb stairs or walk very well for days after the last trip.

[gchappel]

You brought back great memories!!
I also had several pairs of 205's- from the 1970's.
My orthopedic surgeon would kill me if he ever heard I even looked at a picture of skiing.
He is the one that put 8 bolts in my knee from a mountain bike wreck.
I will live vicariously through you- please let us know how it goes.
gary

[greglepore]

I've wanted to go back. Loved it thru the early aughts, but pain in fingers in the cold made me give it up. Was an aggressive, fast skier in the day, 5'5 130 on 205 Olins.
I'm told you sorta have to relearn on the new boards as you don't muscle an edge the way we had to back then.
Its a shame its become prohibitive for a family to ski unless wealthy.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Hey John!
I just got home from a late afternoon / evening ski at Ski Bowl. I plan on going up every Wednesday more or less. I have a large SUV with plenty of room. Let me know if you have interest. Skiing is the only sport that I have a level of skill that is worth mentioning.

Come on up! It's good for the soul.

Thanks! If I decide to pursue this, I’ll jingle you!

[stevej37]

I haven't skied for almost 20 years now. I have been to most all of the major CO resorts and all in MI.

Until someone starts making bunion ski boots...I am retired.

[Mike Andrew]

Originally Posted by jyl

I found my old skis! K2 Extreme, 195 cm, bought them in the mid/late 90s, only skiied a few more times after that. Still looking for the boots but I might want a new pair, I guess plastic doesn’t last forever.

Plastic does not last forever and having a boot disintegrate does not make for a fun day on the slopes. I have seen 2 friends blow out boots and it is ugly. The $$$ spent for boots may be less than medical deductibles. Additionally, they will be fitted well and function better than a pair of packed out rental boots. Then you can demo skis until you find what suits you. Unless you do your own tuning, you will not likely find a shop that will tune your old skis. The bindings are also likely plastic and may shatter.

Big fan of end of season demo sales or summer interweb buys. The stuff is expensive, as are lift tickets. Pretty much buy for 50% off.

If you enjoy it, get back in the game. Sharpen your skills and get out there for some big G turns and tickle your need for speed.

Packing for a week long UP trip starting Sunday. Just got back Friday from a week there between the holidays. Not the west but time on my boards leading up to 2 weeks in CO later in the season.Typically get 35ish days in a year.

I am a 71 yo Skiaholic and can't quit. Anybody know of a Skiaholics Anonymous meeting in the Chicago burbs? One run is too many and a week isn't enough.

[Superman]

I had Olins and whatnot but my favorites were K2 IIIs. I can't remember the last time I went skiing.

[Leland Pate]

I'm looking into buying a set of alpine skis so I can hike up to a remote 40 acre parcel I bought in the Sierras. It's otherwise inaccessible during the winter months and I figure skiing must be easier than snow shoeing.

Thoughts???

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Leland Pate

I'm looking into buying a set of alpine skis so I can hike up to a remote 40 acre parcel I bought in the Sierras. It's otherwise inaccessible during the winter months and I figure skiing must be easier than snow shoeing.

Thoughts???

Seems more of a job for cross-country (XC) skis?

I did have a friend who used "backcountry" or "mountaineering" skis, which are Alpine skis with bindings that can be set to allow heel lift, used with boots that were a cross between hiking boots and ski boots, and removable skins when trekking. He struggled on the steep stuff with that gear.

I did most of my skiing in college, with the UC Berkeley ski club. Went to many of the Western resorts - Jackson Hole, Vail, Steamboat, Aspen, Breckenridge, Taos, and of course the Tahoe resorts. Lots of super long rides in chartered busses with more pot smoke than oxygen. Did 30-40 days a year. I had Hanson boots (remember those?) and Burt bindings (no-one remembers those), before switching to more conventional stuff. Skis were Rossignol ST, Rossignol GS, and some K2s. Less skiing in grad school, and hardly at all after becoming a full-time work drone. I still have the STs and GS skis somewhere.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by MarcoB

I’d suggest you get fitted for a good pair of boots, and demo different brands of skis to see what fits your style and skiing preference. Like Steve said - new generation skis are like getting power steering!

I had forgotten all about demo skis. Thanks!

[Mike Andrew]

Hanson boots! A short lived line. Add a 3rd buddy to the exploded boot club, a pair of Hansons at Blackjack on the U.P. Spectacular crash right in front of the lodge. Luckily, he was not hurt badly but his ego was

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Daves911L

I’m still on old skinny skis, about 25 years old now. Several pair, all dead or very near to now. edges paper thin, definitely broken down structurally. But I can’t change. Been skiing since I was 3 years old. Ski bummed several semesters in college. There was a time when I got 40-50 days in a winter. I love my long thin light bump sticks. Lightning fast edge to edge. Steer the shovel in, compress, explode out on the tail. Knees welded, quads sucking it up. This modern crap? That’s not skiing. Took out a demo set for the day last season at my daughters urging. Spatulas under my feet. Soft and vague. Easy? Yes. Satisfying ? No.

Learning to ski in the 1970's this was the mantra, some magazines even suggested binding the knees with a strap to teach the muscle memory to keep the knees together.

Well, I'm bowlegged (supine) and I could never really ski well until a friend taught me to concentrate all my turning energy on the inside edge of the downhill ski, through the big toe, modulating the turn by up and downweighting the knee into the shovel of the ski. The uphill ski was just along for the ride, more of an outrigger. My knees and feet were now acting totally independently like two McPherson struts. I COULD use the outside edge of the uphill ski if needed but that edge could also be ignored as the inside edge was most often more than enough to hold the turn. Undulations under one edge no longer affected the other.

This was a game changer, and I was able to build on this style for years and become a pretty good skier, with a smooth, fast style on most any surface or snow condition.

Now I have an artificial hip and my doc told me in no uncertain terms that skiing is no longer an option. (An awkward fall might pull the appliance apart or even out of the bone, and then I'd be Royally Screwed)
It doesn't really matter, I haven't skied downhill since sometime in the mid nineties. The cost of lift tickets and equipment pretty much priced me out,

(Brag alert, - we lived just about 40 minutes from the local ski hill, Bogus Basin, and because they offered night skiing, I was able to put something like 90 stickers on my ski pass one year, this was probably around 1980)