In 1972 my dad decided to scope out the latest ski area to open in Wyoming. Grand Targhee was 3 years old with limited terrain. Wooden Cross country skis gave them access to unmatched access.
Followed right behind on the skiing timeline throwing downhill skis off for skinny wooden Nordic skis with no heel control - telemark. Inspired in 1972 at Breckinridge CO by an octogenarian gracefully ski around me turn 180° in street shoes hardly attached to his skis; call me awestruck. I watched as this gentleman danced across the slopes diving into deep kneebend in those days only to popup and 180° pivot switch-foot across the piste the opposite direction. Artful… for sure. Pro - impossibly on wood skis. I asked around to learn he was famous in Breckinridge. Now 70+ years age has cloaked his name from memory.
Texas struck an oil boom in 1976 flooding slopes of ski areas in the Wasatch( Alta, Snowbird, Park City) in skiers without a lesson in $2000 gear, skis I could never hope to afford and a sense of entitlement I couldn’t countenance. I bought the finest pair of Nordic wood/lignite edged skis, best boots and three pin bindings and never looked back.
Enjoyed 9 yrs backcountry in Wasatch, Uintas and stood at the dawn of the snowboard invented as a split board in SLC. Heady times great adventure until X-C skis went heavy as rondonée. My 1300g/pr of skis could never be replaced by 4 lb plastic-fantastics. The days of 10-15 mi deep excursions backcountry gave way to on-piste, helicopter and track skiing inside XC parks.
Ahh well, great while it lasted - by 1984 it was nigh impossible as Forest Svc barricaded roads and gear was too heavy to get much further than couple miles off-piste.
You’re right. It changed. What changed were resorts imposing their desire to eliminate off-piste skiers, helo rescues of nimwits and backcountry escapades that resorts only earned a lift ticket rather than lodging, meals and aprés ski revenue. SO ski industry responded by stopping 1300g/pr X-C non-race skis to the heavier 2-4 lb behemoths that suck the energy right out of all but the Olympic skiers. No one skis off-piste - problem solved.
Followed right behind on the skiing timeline throwing downhill skis off for skinny wooden Nordic skis with no heel control - telemark. Inspired in 1972 at Breckinridge CO by an octogenarian gracefully ski around me turn 180° in street shoes hardly attached to his skis; call me awestruck. I watched as this gentleman danced across the slopes diving into deep kneebend in those days only to popup and 180° pivot switch-foot across the piste the opposite direction. Artful… for sure. Pro - impossibly on wood skis. I asked around to learn he was famous in Breckinridge. Now 70+ years age has cloaked his name from memory.
Texas struck an oil boom in 1976 flooding slopes of ski areas in the Wasatch( Alta, Snowbird, Park City) in skiers without a lesson in $2000 gear, skis I could never hope to afford and a sense of entitlement I couldn’t countenance. I bought the finest pair of Nordic wood/lignite edged skis, best boots and three pin bindings and never looked back.
Enjoyed 9 yrs backcountry in Wasatch, Uintas and stood at the dawn of the snowboard invented as a split board in SLC. Heady times great adventure until X-C skis went heavy as rondonée. My 1300g/pr of skis could never be replaced by 4 lb plastic-fantastics. The days of 10-15 mi deep excursions backcountry gave way to on-piste, helicopter and track skiing inside XC parks.
Ahh well, great while it lasted - by 1984 it was nigh impossible as Forest Svc barricaded roads and gear was too heavy to get much further than couple miles off-piste.
The sport has changed. Some for the better- the lifts are faster. And some for the worse- the crowds to be sure.
There’s still nothing like it. I wish I could go back to appreciate what we had then. That always seems to be the case in life doesn’t it?
You’re right. It changed. What changed were resorts imposing their desire to eliminate off-piste skiers, helo rescues of nimwits and backcountry escapades that resorts only earned a lift ticket rather than lodging, meals and aprés ski revenue. SO ski industry responded by stopping 1300g/pr X-C non-race skis to the heavier 2-4 lb behemoths that suck the energy right out of all but the Olympic skiers. No one skis off-piste - problem solved.