LOL, thanks for support Kurt. You're probably right. First (and last) time I tried shaped skis was easily 7-8 yrs ago. Just didn't feel right.

I'm still happy w/ my slalom skis from mid '90s. Alberto Tomba's "vintage" slalom skis w/ *gasp* vertical sidewalls! :D

And yeah, I'm having fun but I don't know what I'll do when those get really chewed up. I'm worried there won't be many of such skis around any more... they are heading the way of the aircooled motors...

Next you'll probably tell me that they can make my "Purple Haze" XR9's easy to get into AND comfortable ;)

X-SCREAMS! they'll change your life!

I have a set of 200cm k2 extremes w/M-40s (i think) that someone can have if they want. I'm sure they would be happy to be off the hook they have been hanging on in my garage for the last 3 years.

(...and any of you fellows w/a pro-form want to help a brother out...?)

<i>And yeah, I'm having fun but I don't know what I'll do when those get really chewed up.</i>

hahaha .... I can fix you up. I've got a wall in my garage I refer to as the 'rack of shame'. I kinda hold onto all of my old skis .... Spaulding Squadra Corse Super G (210 & 215) and Downhills (223!), a few pairs of various Atomics from the 70/80s, Dynamic VR17s, etc. :)

I tend to hold onto my old skis too:

Head Std's - 210cm
PRE 1200's - 204cm
Rossignol 4G - 217 cm (Racing Stock!)
Atomic Super GS's - 215cm (also Racing Stock!)
Volkl GS boards - 210cm (can't recall model, bought the year prior to the shaped ski boom).

Haven't skied in 5 years though. Kids are getting to be the age to start them so this thread is timely for me.

Sadly I don't have a wall of shame-unless my Chubbs count:). I've had a lot of the skiis mentioned above though.

I usually demo a pair of skiis out in Vail. If I like them, I buy a pair and leave my old ones in the rack for some needy skiier.

My Kastle National Team Super Gs (213) lasted two seasons in the rack:).

Actually the boots that I liked the most were Hansons (remember them?) which just fit my narrow low-instep foot well. But of course those are all in landfills now.

I will look into the custom footbed. I have a hard time understanding how a footbed will correct a geometry problem of my lower leg and knee, but I've heard this advice before so I will heed it.

My old skis mostly linger on in the garage too. Besides the K2 Extremes, I have Rossi 3Gs and the orange/black Rossi STs enjoying a well-deserved retirement. But I am trying to simplify and will probably toss them one of these days, regardless of the memories that will go with them.

Telemark turns are lovely and graceful, but it just looks too hard on the knees, plus even the best telemark skiiers I've known still couldn't handle dropping into a steep chute or picking a path through big bumps very well.

Hansons? My only experience with them was at a summer ski demo at a local resort. They had setup this artificial ski hill of wood framing and a rolling carpet just outside of the ski shop. You would essentially ski in one spot as the carpet rolled beneath you! Well, Hank Kashiwa (Olympic skier and Pro Champion) was the Hanson spokesperson. He did some sort of demo and then they ask for a volunteer with small feet to fit in his boots (8 or 8 1/2 as I recall). So I got volunteered by my buddies. Squeezed into his experimental Hanson Competitions (they came up just below my knees and hurt like hell!) and skied the rolling carpet with Hank's boots and skis. That's my story! ;)

I've done those carpet things-they're a trip! I've also tried Hansons. Killer painfull for me, but some skiiers I knew swore by them. They usually were perched atop some Hexcels or The Ski. Another ski boot of that genre-Scott boots-more pain for me, but a significant cult following. The guys I envied the most had the two different colored Scott boots and The ski-likewise different colrs. Usually a bandana factored as well as a wine skin and the red, white, and blue aviator shades.

Ski ad trivia: Remember the Lange girl? (Yes-there were a few) I mean THE Lange girl-the one with the shorts and bent over in a crawling position. I dated her. Woo-Hoo!-My fifteen seconds of fame! Trust me-15 seconds was a long time with her. Dohh!:)

OH MY GOD THAT IS A RIOT! I forgot about all that, the wineskin, the bandana... Lest we forget the jeans tucked into a nice set of gators! Or vuarnet glasses! CB two colored pullovers.

(ok, I'll admit it...I had the Roffe pants that flared out from knee down and demetre sweater with pads on the arms...you guys know you did too).

joe 68 L

http://www.desciose.com/Advertisemen...otos/Lange.jpg

OMG! Where did you find that?? I've been looking EVERYWHERE for that pic!

Damn! I haven't seen her in more than twenty years. Good memories.

Believe it or not-she even looked better in person and was totally cool. One of my regrets that I let that one die on the vine.

Thanks for the memory jolt:).

As a young teenager, and skier, when that poster came out, it goes without saying that I spent much time staring at that image...

PS - And I really, really anted a pair of Lange's but couldn't afford them...

PPS - goto: http://www.desciose.com/Advertisements/AdPhotos/Lange.jpg for the page I got it from, did a google for "lange boots"...

ha ha great ad guys. made my day

http://www.desciose.com/Advertisemen...otos/Lange.jpg

It was weird how I met her. Some friends and I were j.d.a. and she's next to us at a stop light. She is so totally hot that I make an idiot of myself and start up a conversation-I HAD to. The light changes and we take off side by side (I'm in the passenger seat-she's driving). We keep talking from light to light. I have NO idea what I said to keep her interest, but I ended up asking her if she wanted to go party. She waved us in behind her and we followed to her apartment.

I had no idea who she was until I returned to her apartment later that night. I used her bathroom, and there it was-The Poster! It was framed and hanging on her door. Like most models, she had pictures of herself all over the place. I knew then and there exactly who she was.

Christ, I still got that poster taped to my bedroom wall ..... :D My wife doesn't care for it that much.

<i>"(ok, I'll admit it...I had the Roffe pants that flared out from knee down and demetre sweater with pads on the arms...you guys know you did too)."</i>

Yes, but did you have JetStix?

LOL! Yes! How could you "noodle" without them?:D

Lest we also forget Spademan bindings that held Scott boots to The Ski.

My first skiis were K2 Cheeseburgers with Besser safety bindings. God those sucked!

And pins! Lotsa pins from all the ski hills!

If you guys want some nostalgic skiing, if you're ever in the the Northeast, try Mad River Glen. Simply amazing atmosphere w/ very scenic runs. It's not big or wide open like the trails in the Rockies but it has that something...

https://www.vintageskiworld.com/imag...soft_thumb.jpg

The other popular Lange poster. She didn't do it for me as much as the other one.

I would love to get one of the other posters. This one is $125!

Guilty on all counts. Man, those were the days. :cool:

I loved the way Lange boots skied but damn they hurt until about the 5th run...or when your feet go numb. Switched to Raichle Flexon Comps...much softer boot but my feet were much happier.

I worked as a ski tech back then so everything was on shop form. Even made my own custom foot beds (highly recommended).