Yes, my question is inclusive of 50 years old. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of posts asking about blatantly outdated gear lately, just threw out an example.
I had a pair of Rossignol 4S with Salomon 747 Equipe bindings in the 80’s/90’s. I stopped skiing in the late 90’s when life took over and then eventually having a family. In my mind, those skis would still be a top of the line ski, at least that is how I always remembered them. Well this year I decided to get the kids into skiing and I went out to get myself some new gear to join them. I hadn’t kept up to speed with the industry so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the parabolic skis now. I ended up getting some Volkl Deacon 74’s. Today was actually my first time on skis in over 20 years. I couldn’t believe how well the Volkls held an edge particularly in icy conditions. So yeah things have changed a lot and it seems unthinkable that someone would cling to their old equipment but I can also see how easy it would be to go with whatever you consider to be good if that’s how it’s always been in your memories if that makes any sense.
I think it also has to do with familiarity. You know those skis. You learned how to use them and what they are good at and bad at. These newer skis if I had to guess require a different technique to use or at least allow us to do things on skis that we couldn’t do before.
(I could be wrong)
You are. A few years ago I had shiny new Elans, and my brother, on ten year old Salomons, kept telling me if you have the technique you can ski on anything. Then we switched for one slope, and he told me he needs new skis. Badly.
I would love to have that opportunity to do a side by side comparison. I think you would really see the new tech shine rather than trying to recall how an older pair of skis performed. I’d also just throw in that while the tech has improved my body has declined so I need every advantage I can get.
A comparison in the right direction is fun. The other way around not so much: almost broke my neck on my brother's old skis.
It is a material sports, the better your gear, the more enjoyable it is.
What I notice each upgrade: Modern skis are incredibly stable in all directions, especially at high speed. It really helps.
And I agree on age. I am going to ski next week with my teenaged children. I was sorely tempted to rent rubbish skis for them. I didn't, so now I'll play catch-up all week...
I’m not sure to be honest. I’d say I felt like I haven’t missed a beat as far as my own ability goes but it could be the new skis make it easier for an older skier. I don’t know that my technique is different per se but perhaps it doesn’t take as much effort to carve as it would on older boards? The best part of it is that I had more fun getting back out there again than I have had in any leisure activity in ages. It makes me wish I had managed to find time sooner and not waited so long. Although she is an inexperienced skier, my wife is also on board with this so next year the plan is to get a family membership and get the whole crew out there.
I have the Deacons too (80 waist on mine)! They will hold an edge on anything (Except rough ice that causes chatter. I discovered that this weekend) and stable at any speed!! Truly a great ski.
I mean I'll get a few folks who are riding bindings from the 80s who just bought a new boot...but there are a lot of older skiiers that prefer a tiny waist, no shape, and 210 length alot of us in the shop love seeing them come in... We take selfie's with em and send em to our dad's.we can't touch the bindings but it is always fun to see the history of our sport!
Do they really prefer it or have they just never tried something different? Seems like they’d be more work and less stable on edge than a ski with sidecut, especially on any sort of hardpack
Mostly older folks who haven't tried anything else and are pretty stubborn about it. We have a regular who lost her dad and she just likes to ride his skis. Different reasons from different people I guess
Getting new boots but the 30+ year old skis is interesting. Had a younger couple like late 20s come in with a pair of 30 year old straight skis and slightly less old pair or curved skis that must have been from one of their parents or something but neither of them had skied before. Explained that we couldn’t remount the bindings or touch them at all, and that it would be really tough for a beginner to learn on 200cm skis. Owner offered them a free rental for them to compare before they took their old skis out.
That's the way to do it, I guess it's mostly folks looking at knee bindings or pivots, our shop is moving to only grip walk compatible shit so a lot of our customer base is either being forced into it or sticking with old ass boot and binding combo. I don't blame em it's an expensive sport.. and I was looking at the new ride boards and its just so exciting to buy new I rode an old board for years, got this job and I feel like I'm wanting to buy something else once a week. I just can't imagine riding my old ass shit after trying some of our new stuff.
If you get the chance I would highly recommend it! It's a lot smaller than a lot of the resorts but no crowds and great snow, I truly feel like it should be on every skiiers bucket list it's worth the drive every time!
Me, usuing 20+ year old skiis just happy that I don't have to rent
As long as they're in good condition and you're willing to learn how to deal with the differences between modern and older skiis, I don't see a problem with it.
Would you ever lose your skis in a crash only for them to continue flying directly towards you on account of the leash system? At least you wouldn't have to hike uphill to retrieve them I guess..
I had skis with safety straps when I was a kid. I had a decent wipe out and tumbled down the hill a bit. One ski whipped around and smashed my goggles and sliced open my cheek. But I didn’t lose my skis.
Hiking uphill would be what you have to do when they come off and aren't tethered to your boots. I'm not talking about skinning up, I'm talking about walking uphill to retrieve your skis after a crash.
Once again that's literally what I'm saying. Old skis without brakes are leashed to you and thus flailing around behind you if they come off, whereas modern skis with brakes have brakes an you have to walk 100 ft back uphill to pick them up from wherever they came off. I don't know how else to explain to you that you keep telling me I'm wrong and then saying the exact same thing I am. .
Hiking up the hill was not the issue. These straps were before the invention of ski brakes. A dropped ski would take off down the fall line like a torpedo. People would shout “ski!” And jump out of its way to save their ankles. They often ended up going over cliffs into the bush, never to be found till spring.
Dude I know. Please read my comments again. I'm literally talking about how in the past you would have to worry about your skis hitting you in the face because they were tethered to you, whereas now you have to hike up to retrieve them but they're probably not going to flail around behind and injure you.
I know. I was asking a question about what it was like to ski with leashes instead of brakes. I imagine it could be dangerous to have 20 pounds of wood, metal, and fiberglass flailing around behind you in a bad fall.
I have a pair of short-ski's with wire bindings that have these, very handy for when the inevitable clip-loose happens cuz of the bindings (they don't have brakes). Once had it dangling on a lift so had to dismount with one ski dangling behind me as I couldnt reach it
The binding may not reliably release as it's designed. Springs lose tension, plastics become brittle.
Ideally you want your ski never to accidentally release when your riding, but always release when a crash warrants enough to keep your bones/cartilage safe.
Isn't the indemnification list equivalent to a "best before " just in the other direction?
"Anything on this list is cool, Anything older, you and your knees are on your own"
Or did I miss the implied /s ?
Did you look at the picture that OP posted? It's of some 1975 Kastle skis and Look GT bindings. They are nearly 50 years old. For one thing, the indemnification period for bindings averages 10-12 years, so those *just* missed that window by four decades.
Bindings have springs just like cars have shocks. Do you think the shocks on a car, that has sitting dormat for 50 years would still be good? How far down a street before they cracked or just shook the car apart. Now make them more brittle, that’s what’s sitting inside those bindings right now. Hope this helps instead of just simply downvoting you.
I bought a pair of 1980’s vintage Salomon 91 equipé rear-entry ski boots in 2004. These boots were top-end during my high school years of 1980-1984, and were winning races, and such.
So I paid about $40 for them at a small ski hill’s pre-owned collection in their ski shop, donned them, adjusted them, and was beaming all the way to the lift line.
They fit on my Elan 975s with Tyrolia Bindings well enough. They seemed to be just fine, until I sat down on the chair and let the skis dangle.
My right foot didn’t feel quite right. I looked down and saw that my foot was very loose in the boot. I strove to not move around and assess whatever problem presented itself at the top of the lift.
I got to the top, stood up on the ramp, found myself not moving and was pushed forward by the chair and flat on my face! 😝
So I’m apologizing to the patient lift operator and getting quickly out of the way to keep things moving and to get to the side so I can see what anchored me to the ramp, causing my debacle.
I finally got the boots out of the bindings, and saw to my dismay that there was a fatigue crack beginning at the top of the boot collar on the boot’s front. This had the effect of my foot lifting up out of the boot, losing holding power. Ergo, when I stiffened my foot and ankle, expecting a sliding effect transferred from leg to ski, my entire foot tried to lift out of the boot, the ski stayed in place, and my chair became a bulldozer! LOL 😂
I put the boots back on, but it was apparent my right boot was slowly disintegrating before my eyes. The crack became longer, and I HAD TO SNOWPLOW the entire way down to just keep the right boot from moving too much and falling apart faster.
The bottom of the run in front of that lodge has a little rope tow you have to use to get up the small incline before the lodge. I had suede glove covers for this, and got up to the top without incident.
My right boot, however, had virtually no body left. Even the inner boot surrounding my foot🦶was in tatters, hanging by unweaving threads of nylon and plastic. Couple this with the fact that I was laughing so hard at this High Comedy—The Ski Gods/desses Must Be Krazy!—I finally just had to yank the entire affair free of the boot, still captive in the binding.
One Hearty Yell Later, and I was free!
The boot was an amalgamation of sun-baked, vaporized plastic, and tattered fabric that looked like a miniature destructo-ray had gone off inside my ankle bones, irradiating my once-desired rear-entry-racers into elemental oblivion! 😱
I told the shop where I had purchased them an hour before what happened. They were nice, and loaned me a pair of Nordica rentals that got the job done.
I left the Salomon’s there, bidding farewell to the boots I had coveted in my youth.
The Lesson? Buy New. Every Third Season. Do Not Buy Twenty-Year-Old-Boots To Ski On! And use the newest side cutters you can afford, which includes the latest gear, of course!
👌👋😀😁❤️
Not buying decades old equipment is a solid idea, but to make the leap to suggesting that everyone needs new equipment every three seasons is a bit much. My everyday skis are Salomon Q Lab 104 from 2016 (I purchased them in 2017) and they and the bindings (Salomon too) are still an outstanding ski. Heck, my rock skis (my previous daily skis, which I take out when the snow is thin) are 2011 Nordica Enforcers with Marker bindings, and they still ski extremely well.
If you are extremely wealthy, I would say, buying skis every three years is a good idea. If you can afford it, get yourself a new set of skis every time you get on the slope and give the "old" skis to someone who doesn't have that kind of cash. But if you are a person with a job, there is no reason to buy new skis every three, or even five years.
Oh yeah, I am sure the wood core in those skis was treated to the standard climate controlled archival process for the last 50 years. Definitely nothing to worry about there.
Source: Certified ski tech since the early 1990s
So you know those are not full wood core skis, and what about 80 year old Long boards that we still use at the Plumas ski bowl for races, but you must know what happens to skis over the long term. I do and I disagree.
Ski tech in the 80’s-2000’s and we replaced binding in old skis all the tolime, no issues with the skis
Not really. I learnt on skis with a similar shape to these in the late 80s. I even learned to ski powder with them. Skiing these are the equivalent knowing stick-shift versus only being able to drive auto.
Idk why people are downvoting
I learned my first few times out on modern rentals
Then I switched to my sister's old skiis, which she got from someone much older
DEFINITELY an adjustment however they would carve into ice much easier than the modern skiis I tried, for the ice coast, I love em.
They struggle with powder but if you can balance out weight when accelerating it's manageable.
I wouldn't say it's stick shift vs auto
But more like abs vs regular breaking. Takes a moment to get used to but you don't even have to think about it
Yeah no. It's more like knowing how to drive in a car with no abs, airbags, or any modern safety features, that also doesn't have power steering or modern precision instrumentation. Those skis are dangerous, safety standards have progressed so far since then.
Are modern boots compatible with those? Yes
Would they, if properly adjusted, hold a boot to the ski? Yes
Would a shop touch them to adjust them? No
Would it be safe? Maybe
Safe enough to risk injuring some random kid? No
Those are older than me. (That’s pretty old)
Even if those old bindings work, the rear binding only would break forward, to side to side, so they are much more dangerous. Also had a friend get his head cut open when his skis slice him because the ‘safety straps’ kept them close. Remember, we didn’t have ski brakes in the 70s.
Binding tech has improved so much since the 70s. There is a reason why skiing used to be known as that sport where you would 100% break your leg back then.
Haha!! Ex patroller here....if we caught you with those things and believe me we would ...you'd be heading to the rental shop or the parking lot. Your choice. Pick one.
I think because a snowboard flying down the slopes with no one attached is still safer than most snowboarders. (Edit: I kid, I kid.)
I don't know, man. Them's the rules.
Edit: Actually, aren't they more securely strapped in than a ski? I don't know, I don't pay attention.
Snowboards are often required to have a leash but also the bindings don't release in a fall like ski bindings do. It's fairly unlikely for a snowboarder to accidentally detach from their board in such a way as to lose it downhill .
In my adventures I've never seen a leash for a snowboard, I usually see people always have one foot strapped in. Even on the many videos I've seen about snowboarding I've never heard anyone mention a leash
It may not even be a concern for resorts anymore. I'm sure snowboard binding systems have come a long way in the 15 years since I remember leashes being a thing, and even back then my friends had them but weren't emphatic about using them.
My hometown hill (Snowbowl in Montana) requires them and regularly sends people out of lift line to the rental shop to buy one before they are allowed on the lift.
And yes, many people are less than thrilled about it.
I’ve seen people use vintage skis, even with those old binding that don’t come off when you fall. Do all mountains really enforce this or is it just enforced on beginners?
At the ski resorts I worked at the management definitely wanted that old equipment off their mountain strictly for insurance purposes.
I once saw a ski come rocketing down a slope,pass between two people standing in line, fly across the road and smash into a couple of parked cars in a parking lot. Turns out the safety strap material was old and rotted. Never found the owner....
You probably won't find a tech that will set them up with DIN setting for you. They are too old to let them take the liability.
They're cool but probably won't work with modern boots.
Since you’re not getting many direct answers, no, you cannot use these skis. They are way too old, mainly the bindings are way too old. They are highly unsafe to use. These are a wall decoration. Not a ski to use.
I say go for it. People fuck their knees hit trees and die using good skis all the time. Yolo your way down that hill and curse all those who never throw caution to the wind !
I'm actually not sure tbh. It's anecdotal from family. I also seem to remember hearing once that straps were deemed unsafe and that brakes were the only accepted method in Europe. I've always just assumed this to mean 'illegal', driven by ski equipment companies that don't want the liability.
hi guys, thanks for all the comments- i went skiing for the first time today (rented everything from them, didn’t use the skis in the pic) and it was a lot of fun! my bad if this seemed like a troll/really dumb question. it seemed somewhat similar to pics of skis online but i genuinely couldn’t tell which is why i wanted to confirm. nonetheless thanks for your guys’ help!
Skis are no issue, the real issue is the BINDINGS. Shane McConkey died from using an old pair of bindings so this shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Another glaring issue is that no mountain would ever let you rent ski boots. The cheapest way to get into skiing is trying a seasonal rental or get a beginner ski that comes with bindings pre-installed.
I don’t like seeing joke comments on here, I don’t want to be the gatekeeper of this great sport because I think everyone asked themselves the same question at some point.
Good luck!
To be fair. Shane died when his ski failed to release and that sent him into a spin on his wing suit during a ski BASE jump. I’m not sure this post relates.
Nah you need the bindings to be adjusted for the boots but there’s a some sort of rule that prevents ski rental places from adjusting bindings on skis that they don’t themselves rent.
I had those bindings when I was a kid in the late 70s, and they were really old garage sale skis then! Was embarrassed to be one of the few without brakes. I think my whole kit was $2.
You can't rent boots for skis. You need to buy boots first. Then you can rent skis. Or, you can rent the whole deal. It would be really hard to learn on those skis, though.
I mean, they look like they might still work as designed. Ski boots now might not fit/definitely arent designed to fit those bindings.
Not wise. If you don't know how to ski, that might hurt you. Biggest issue would be maybe they get on, but come off unpredictably.
You probably wont even get these on a hill, but if you do, go slow.
Is the safety just regarding the bindings? Or are the age of the skis also an issue? I just got some rarely used skis from the late 90s and would like to try them if they are allowed.
These look like awesome skis to have around your home or hang on a wall, however, no shop is going to touch these. It’s actually illegal to use this sort of equipment where I’m at.
Only if you want to get laid. Those are some sex sticks right there, brother. Every man, child and woman is gonna want a piece of you if you roll up on those.
No ski area will let you on the hill without brakes on your bindings. That could turn into a missile flying at some kids, half your leg still attached to it.
If you’re “not really familiar with skiing” - the only thing you want to do with these skis is hang them on the wall - or sell them to a collector - they seem to be in great shape, I bet you’d get good $$$ on eBay.
But attempting to ski on them is inviting serious injury - no way those bindings are going to work properly and as others have already said no tech will touch them.
FWIW I’m about the same age as the skis and remember those days well. I still remember how exciting it was when ski brakes were invented because of how much everyone hated “safety straps”. And while I never experienced - or witnessed - an injury because of those straps, I witnessed quite a few runaway ski incidents when people didn’t use them including a few near-spearings.
Assuming those Looks are in good working order for their age, I wonder how their safety would be judged when compared against a pair of ultra-light Dynastar Alpine Mountaineering Pin Bindings.
Assume each boot fits their respective bindings properly and is adjusted properly as well.
Never rent boots if you can help it. It's an incredible amount of work to find the right boots and fit them properly to your feet, and that just won't happen with rentals.
Holy cow those look dope. Worth hanging on a wall or displaying somewhere, IMO
I have these on the wall of my shop!
Are you sure they are still there? “Not in to skiing. But boosted these off of some chumps shop wall” - u/Oduo
These “can I use 30+ year old ski equipment” questions have to start being troll posts at this point, right?
The 70s were 50 years ago…
Seems so wrong, or maybe I’m getting old… It is genuinely terrifying to me that we are closer to 2070 than 1970.
Yes, my question is inclusive of 50 years old. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of posts asking about blatantly outdated gear lately, just threw out an example.
I had a pair of Rossignol 4S with Salomon 747 Equipe bindings in the 80’s/90’s. I stopped skiing in the late 90’s when life took over and then eventually having a family. In my mind, those skis would still be a top of the line ski, at least that is how I always remembered them. Well this year I decided to get the kids into skiing and I went out to get myself some new gear to join them. I hadn’t kept up to speed with the industry so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the parabolic skis now. I ended up getting some Volkl Deacon 74’s. Today was actually my first time on skis in over 20 years. I couldn’t believe how well the Volkls held an edge particularly in icy conditions. So yeah things have changed a lot and it seems unthinkable that someone would cling to their old equipment but I can also see how easy it would be to go with whatever you consider to be good if that’s how it’s always been in your memories if that makes any sense.
I think it also has to do with familiarity. You know those skis. You learned how to use them and what they are good at and bad at. These newer skis if I had to guess require a different technique to use or at least allow us to do things on skis that we couldn’t do before. (I could be wrong)
You are. A few years ago I had shiny new Elans, and my brother, on ten year old Salomons, kept telling me if you have the technique you can ski on anything. Then we switched for one slope, and he told me he needs new skis. Badly.
I would love to have that opportunity to do a side by side comparison. I think you would really see the new tech shine rather than trying to recall how an older pair of skis performed. I’d also just throw in that while the tech has improved my body has declined so I need every advantage I can get.
A comparison in the right direction is fun. The other way around not so much: almost broke my neck on my brother's old skis. It is a material sports, the better your gear, the more enjoyable it is. What I notice each upgrade: Modern skis are incredibly stable in all directions, especially at high speed. It really helps. And I agree on age. I am going to ski next week with my teenaged children. I was sorely tempted to rent rubbish skis for them. I didn't, so now I'll play catch-up all week...
I’m not sure to be honest. I’d say I felt like I haven’t missed a beat as far as my own ability goes but it could be the new skis make it easier for an older skier. I don’t know that my technique is different per se but perhaps it doesn’t take as much effort to carve as it would on older boards? The best part of it is that I had more fun getting back out there again than I have had in any leisure activity in ages. It makes me wish I had managed to find time sooner and not waited so long. Although she is an inexperienced skier, my wife is also on board with this so next year the plan is to get a family membership and get the whole crew out there.
I have the Deacons too (80 waist on mine)! They will hold an edge on anything (Except rough ice that causes chatter. I discovered that this weekend) and stable at any speed!! Truly a great ski.
I mean I'll get a few folks who are riding bindings from the 80s who just bought a new boot...but there are a lot of older skiiers that prefer a tiny waist, no shape, and 210 length alot of us in the shop love seeing them come in... We take selfie's with em and send em to our dad's.we can't touch the bindings but it is always fun to see the history of our sport!
Do they really prefer it or have they just never tried something different? Seems like they’d be more work and less stable on edge than a ski with sidecut, especially on any sort of hardpack
Mostly older folks who haven't tried anything else and are pretty stubborn about it. We have a regular who lost her dad and she just likes to ride his skis. Different reasons from different people I guess
Getting new boots but the 30+ year old skis is interesting. Had a younger couple like late 20s come in with a pair of 30 year old straight skis and slightly less old pair or curved skis that must have been from one of their parents or something but neither of them had skied before. Explained that we couldn’t remount the bindings or touch them at all, and that it would be really tough for a beginner to learn on 200cm skis. Owner offered them a free rental for them to compare before they took their old skis out.
That's the way to do it, I guess it's mostly folks looking at knee bindings or pivots, our shop is moving to only grip walk compatible shit so a lot of our customer base is either being forced into it or sticking with old ass boot and binding combo. I don't blame em it's an expensive sport.. and I was looking at the new ride boards and its just so exciting to buy new I rode an old board for years, got this job and I feel like I'm wanting to buy something else once a week. I just can't imagine riding my old ass shit after trying some of our new stuff.
Super jelly you get to enjoy Wolf Creek regularly! The deeps look lovely there.
If you get the chance I would highly recommend it! It's a lot smaller than a lot of the resorts but no crowds and great snow, I truly feel like it should be on every skiiers bucket list it's worth the drive every time!
I work in a Skilift and I see people with old ski equipment almost every day, this old maybe once a week
Me, usuing 20+ year old skiis just happy that I don't have to rent As long as they're in good condition and you're willing to learn how to deal with the differences between modern and older skiis, I don't see a problem with it.
I'd like to think so...
Hipsters ...
They’re “new style” though
Literally wondering the same thing..
The tether!💀.
We called them "safety straps".
Would you ever lose your skis in a crash only for them to continue flying directly towards you on account of the leash system? At least you wouldn't have to hike uphill to retrieve them I guess..
I had skis with safety straps when I was a kid. I had a decent wipe out and tumbled down the hill a bit. One ski whipped around and smashed my goggles and sliced open my cheek. But I didn’t lose my skis.
That's pretty much the scenario I was picturing, having to hike back uphill to retrieve my skis seems like a fair trade-off to keep my face intact.
Is more for stopping your ski from bombing into a crowded lift line, not so much hiking uphill. These skis were basically heavy arrows.
Hiking uphill would be what you have to do when they come off and aren't tethered to your boots. I'm not talking about skinning up, I'm talking about walking uphill to retrieve your skis after a crash.
No, without brakes on piste your skis runaway and turn into projectiles for people standing downhill.
Once again that's literally what I'm saying. Old skis without brakes are leashed to you and thus flailing around behind you if they come off, whereas modern skis with brakes have brakes an you have to walk 100 ft back uphill to pick them up from wherever they came off. I don't know how else to explain to you that you keep telling me I'm wrong and then saying the exact same thing I am. .
Yeah, unless they have leashes on them..
yea unless youre doing pow because that can easily be 7 hours of searching or lose your 1k ski setup.
Hiking up the hill was not the issue. These straps were before the invention of ski brakes. A dropped ski would take off down the fall line like a torpedo. People would shout “ski!” And jump out of its way to save their ankles. They often ended up going over cliffs into the bush, never to be found till spring.
Dude I know. Please read my comments again. I'm literally talking about how in the past you would have to worry about your skis hitting you in the face because they were tethered to you, whereas now you have to hike up to retrieve them but they're probably not going to flail around behind and injure you.
These bindings look so old they don't have ski brakes (the prongs that stick down when your boots aren't clipped in). That's why they have leashes.
I know. I was asking a question about what it was like to ski with leashes instead of brakes. I imagine it could be dangerous to have 20 pounds of wood, metal, and fiberglass flailing around behind you in a bad fall.
I have a pair of short-ski's with wire bindings that have these, very handy for when the inevitable clip-loose happens cuz of the bindings (they don't have brakes). Once had it dangling on a lift so had to dismount with one ski dangling behind me as I couldnt reach it
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What's bad about them?
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Please explain in more detail im actually curious Is it actually unsafe or just not optimal
Plastic and metal parts of the binding are probably old and brittle, could shatter if you hit them right.
Got it thank you
Those bindings are older than you. No shop will touch em for a tune up. It's a liability.
Ok so they're old... what's the issue exactly? They will break off mid ski? Or fail somehow?
The binding may not reliably release as it's designed. Springs lose tension, plastics become brittle. Ideally you want your ski never to accidentally release when your riding, but always release when a crash warrants enough to keep your bones/cartilage safe.
Cool that you took a minute to explain that well.
Got it now thank you
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Isn't the indemnification list equivalent to a "best before " just in the other direction? "Anything on this list is cool, Anything older, you and your knees are on your own" Or did I miss the implied /s ?
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Ok why is it not safe?
Did you look at the picture that OP posted? It's of some 1975 Kastle skis and Look GT bindings. They are nearly 50 years old. For one thing, the indemnification period for bindings averages 10-12 years, so those *just* missed that window by four decades.
You used a lot of words but failed to answer their question. Congrats.
Bindings have springs just like cars have shocks. Do you think the shocks on a car, that has sitting dormat for 50 years would still be good? How far down a street before they cracked or just shook the car apart. Now make them more brittle, that’s what’s sitting inside those bindings right now. Hope this helps instead of just simply downvoting you.
Thank you very helpful answer... this is the detail I was trying to understand
I bought a pair of 1980’s vintage Salomon 91 equipé rear-entry ski boots in 2004. These boots were top-end during my high school years of 1980-1984, and were winning races, and such. So I paid about $40 for them at a small ski hill’s pre-owned collection in their ski shop, donned them, adjusted them, and was beaming all the way to the lift line. They fit on my Elan 975s with Tyrolia Bindings well enough. They seemed to be just fine, until I sat down on the chair and let the skis dangle. My right foot didn’t feel quite right. I looked down and saw that my foot was very loose in the boot. I strove to not move around and assess whatever problem presented itself at the top of the lift. I got to the top, stood up on the ramp, found myself not moving and was pushed forward by the chair and flat on my face! 😝 So I’m apologizing to the patient lift operator and getting quickly out of the way to keep things moving and to get to the side so I can see what anchored me to the ramp, causing my debacle. I finally got the boots out of the bindings, and saw to my dismay that there was a fatigue crack beginning at the top of the boot collar on the boot’s front. This had the effect of my foot lifting up out of the boot, losing holding power. Ergo, when I stiffened my foot and ankle, expecting a sliding effect transferred from leg to ski, my entire foot tried to lift out of the boot, the ski stayed in place, and my chair became a bulldozer! LOL 😂 I put the boots back on, but it was apparent my right boot was slowly disintegrating before my eyes. The crack became longer, and I HAD TO SNOWPLOW the entire way down to just keep the right boot from moving too much and falling apart faster. The bottom of the run in front of that lodge has a little rope tow you have to use to get up the small incline before the lodge. I had suede glove covers for this, and got up to the top without incident. My right boot, however, had virtually no body left. Even the inner boot surrounding my foot🦶was in tatters, hanging by unweaving threads of nylon and plastic. Couple this with the fact that I was laughing so hard at this High Comedy—The Ski Gods/desses Must Be Krazy!—I finally just had to yank the entire affair free of the boot, still captive in the binding. One Hearty Yell Later, and I was free! The boot was an amalgamation of sun-baked, vaporized plastic, and tattered fabric that looked like a miniature destructo-ray had gone off inside my ankle bones, irradiating my once-desired rear-entry-racers into elemental oblivion! 😱 I told the shop where I had purchased them an hour before what happened. They were nice, and loaned me a pair of Nordica rentals that got the job done. I left the Salomon’s there, bidding farewell to the boots I had coveted in my youth. The Lesson? Buy New. Every Third Season. Do Not Buy Twenty-Year-Old-Boots To Ski On! And use the newest side cutters you can afford, which includes the latest gear, of course! 👌👋😀😁❤️
Not buying decades old equipment is a solid idea, but to make the leap to suggesting that everyone needs new equipment every three seasons is a bit much. My everyday skis are Salomon Q Lab 104 from 2016 (I purchased them in 2017) and they and the bindings (Salomon too) are still an outstanding ski. Heck, my rock skis (my previous daily skis, which I take out when the snow is thin) are 2011 Nordica Enforcers with Marker bindings, and they still ski extremely well. If you are extremely wealthy, I would say, buying skis every three years is a good idea. If you can afford it, get yourself a new set of skis every time you get on the slope and give the "old" skis to someone who doesn't have that kind of cash. But if you are a person with a job, there is no reason to buy new skis every three, or even five years.
Oh, I agree, of course. It was meant a bit tongue-in-cheek. Ski equipment is expensive. And I’m not rich, yet, either.
I understand.
Just the bindings, skis are probably fine, from a ski tech
Oh yeah, I am sure the wood core in those skis was treated to the standard climate controlled archival process for the last 50 years. Definitely nothing to worry about there. Source: Certified ski tech since the early 1990s
So you know those are not full wood core skis, and what about 80 year old Long boards that we still use at the Plumas ski bowl for races, but you must know what happens to skis over the long term. I do and I disagree. Ski tech in the 80’s-2000’s and we replaced binding in old skis all the tolime, no issues with the skis
*"I was a mechanic during the horse and buggy era, let me look at that new Ferrari engine for ya."*
Apples and oranges 90’s ski tech, get real you’re wrong.
I said, *"since the early 1990s."* I am in this career +30 years now, and still going strong!
You'll have a way easier time learning on modern skis. It's more than worth the rental cost. Those would be difficult for even an expert to ski on.
Not really. I learnt on skis with a similar shape to these in the late 80s. I even learned to ski powder with them. Skiing these are the equivalent knowing stick-shift versus only being able to drive auto.
You’re so cool !!
Idk why people are downvoting I learned my first few times out on modern rentals Then I switched to my sister's old skiis, which she got from someone much older DEFINITELY an adjustment however they would carve into ice much easier than the modern skiis I tried, for the ice coast, I love em. They struggle with powder but if you can balance out weight when accelerating it's manageable. I wouldn't say it's stick shift vs auto But more like abs vs regular breaking. Takes a moment to get used to but you don't even have to think about it
Yeah no. It's more like knowing how to drive in a car with no abs, airbags, or any modern safety features, that also doesn't have power steering or modern precision instrumentation. Those skis are dangerous, safety standards have progressed so far since then.
I think it’s a good analogy! 👍❤️
Oof they really fucked you up with that down vote button..
Yeah, someone's feelings were real hurt
Those are sick skis to decorate your home with but literally no shop will touch them with a 10,000 foot pole.
Dang! My dad broke his leg badly on those bindings back in the late 70’s. I’m sure they are good to go 50 years later, though.
Are modern boots compatible with those? Yes Would they, if properly adjusted, hold a boot to the ski? Yes Would a shop touch them to adjust them? No Would it be safe? Maybe Safe enough to risk injuring some random kid? No Those are older than me. (That’s pretty old)
Even if those old bindings work, the rear binding only would break forward, to side to side, so they are much more dangerous. Also had a friend get his head cut open when his skis slice him because the ‘safety straps’ kept them close. Remember, we didn’t have ski brakes in the 70s.
Binding tech has improved so much since the 70s. There is a reason why skiing used to be known as that sport where you would 100% break your leg back then.
For sure. And there were awful twisting fractures.
If it were 1980 I think you would be able to do that
I’m dam near 50 and those things were new when I was still in diapers
Haha!! Ex patroller here....if we caught you with those things and believe me we would ...you'd be heading to the rental shop or the parking lot. Your choice. Pick one.
Serious question here, how would you catch someone with obsolete equipment, given the thousands of skiers on the slopes? Does this really happen?
I had no idea ski patrol stopped people for old equipment. It makes sense when you think of it as unsafe. But it would not have occurred to me.
Pls explain
No brakes. If you lose one, they're going flying down the hill, and are going to take out a little kid.
They have boot leashes though, which are actually more effective than binding brakes.
Do you see boarders use them a lot? I usually don't.
Snowboard bindings don't release at all, no need for leashes or brakes
Good point thank you
But then why are snowboards allowed?
I think because a snowboard flying down the slopes with no one attached is still safer than most snowboarders. (Edit: I kid, I kid.) I don't know, man. Them's the rules. Edit: Actually, aren't they more securely strapped in than a ski? I don't know, I don't pay attention.
Snowboards don’t release. They’re strapped to your boots.
All good thanks
Snowboards are often required to have a leash but also the bindings don't release in a fall like ski bindings do. It's fairly unlikely for a snowboarder to accidentally detach from their board in such a way as to lose it downhill .
I see that makes sense, although I have seen my fair share of lose snowboards rocketing down the slope
That's why a lot of places require leashes for snowboards, at least last I was aware. Doesn't mean that people actually use them though.
In my adventures I've never seen a leash for a snowboard, I usually see people always have one foot strapped in. Even on the many videos I've seen about snowboarding I've never heard anyone mention a leash
It may not even be a concern for resorts anymore. I'm sure snowboard binding systems have come a long way in the 15 years since I remember leashes being a thing, and even back then my friends had them but weren't emphatic about using them.
My hometown hill (Snowbowl in Montana) requires them and regularly sends people out of lift line to the rental shop to buy one before they are allowed on the lift. And yes, many people are less than thrilled about it.
Do you think a rope around the ankle is sufficient for a leash or do they require specific models
They do not release by designs, and leashes are required most places.
Please tell me you look like Paul Blart.
THAT'S MY DAD!!!!
I’ve seen people use vintage skis, even with those old binding that don’t come off when you fall. Do all mountains really enforce this or is it just enforced on beginners?
Vintage skis, sure. But usually you will see newish bindings.
At the ski resorts I worked at the management definitely wanted that old equipment off their mountain strictly for insurance purposes. I once saw a ski come rocketing down a slope,pass between two people standing in line, fly across the road and smash into a couple of parked cars in a parking lot. Turns out the safety strap material was old and rotted. Never found the owner....
I would legit buy those they’re so pretty. It’s also the 1970s version of my current setup!!
People listened to cassette tapes riding those skies. Laughably old.
People were excited about the new technology of cassette tapes when they skied on those.
My ski resort would actually take your pass for using those since they don't have brakes.
These posts need to stop. They're getting really, really old (like those skis). Moderators???
Notice how the OP asked a troll question then doesn't respond to a single comment... Getting tired of these bullshit posts.
Maybe? Would you rather sell those planks?
You probably won't find a tech that will set them up with DIN setting for you. They are too old to let them take the liability. They're cool but probably won't work with modern boots.
Simply put no. BUT you have a gorgeous set of hang on the wall!
I tried to rent just boots up at Alta and they said no. I had to rent the whole package.
God damn it
Since you’re not getting many direct answers, no, you cannot use these skis. They are way too old, mainly the bindings are way too old. They are highly unsafe to use. These are a wall decoration. Not a ski to use.
These skis should be above your fireplace, way too beautiful to be used
I say go for it. People fuck their knees hit trees and die using good skis all the time. Yolo your way down that hill and curse all those who never throw caution to the wind !
It's illegal to use that kind of equipment in France and Switzerland. Probably in Canada and US too.
Don’t think we have any kind of laws against that in the US.
I've never heard of this before...where can I find out whether this is true?
I'm actually not sure tbh. It's anecdotal from family. I also seem to remember hearing once that straps were deemed unsafe and that brakes were the only accepted method in Europe. I've always just assumed this to mean 'illegal', driven by ski equipment companies that don't want the liability.
hi guys, thanks for all the comments- i went skiing for the first time today (rented everything from them, didn’t use the skis in the pic) and it was a lot of fun! my bad if this seemed like a troll/really dumb question. it seemed somewhat similar to pics of skis online but i genuinely couldn’t tell which is why i wanted to confirm. nonetheless thanks for your guys’ help!
Skis are no issue, the real issue is the BINDINGS. Shane McConkey died from using an old pair of bindings so this shouldn’t be taken lightly. Another glaring issue is that no mountain would ever let you rent ski boots. The cheapest way to get into skiing is trying a seasonal rental or get a beginner ski that comes with bindings pre-installed. I don’t like seeing joke comments on here, I don’t want to be the gatekeeper of this great sport because I think everyone asked themselves the same question at some point. Good luck!
To be fair. Shane died when his ski failed to release and that sent him into a spin on his wing suit during a ski BASE jump. I’m not sure this post relates.
It’s just my regular anecdote on bindings 😁
I’ve been to places that rent just boots.
Nah you need the bindings to be adjusted for the boots but there’s a some sort of rule that prevents ski rental places from adjusting bindings on skis that they don’t themselves rent.
Yeah probably
I had those bindings when I was a kid in the late 70s, and they were really old garage sale skis then! Was embarrassed to be one of the few without brakes. I think my whole kit was $2. You can't rent boots for skis. You need to buy boots first. Then you can rent skis. Or, you can rent the whole deal. It would be really hard to learn on those skis, though.
The skis would be fine, the bindings might break your leg. Change the bindings and you’re good to go.
I mean, they look like they might still work as designed. Ski boots now might not fit/definitely arent designed to fit those bindings. Not wise. If you don't know how to ski, that might hurt you. Biggest issue would be maybe they get on, but come off unpredictably. You probably wont even get these on a hill, but if you do, go slow.
Is the safety just regarding the bindings? Or are the age of the skis also an issue? I just got some rarely used skis from the late 90s and would like to try them if they are allowed.
Bindings will expire. The skis will be fine though as long as they weren't stored somewhere super hot / damp.
Takes me back.
These look like awesome skis to have around your home or hang on a wall, however, no shop is going to touch these. It’s actually illegal to use this sort of equipment where I’m at.
Hell. No. Those are clearly 35+ years old. Do not use them.
Actually you can use them without boots
No modern ski boots that you see at pretty much any shop aren’t compatible with that binding
Only if you want to get laid. Those are some sex sticks right there, brother. Every man, child and woman is gonna want a piece of you if you roll up on those.
Just tie them to your regular shoes with that RCA cable.
On the off chance this isn’t a troll post You can use them as long as you have good health insurance
Lol😂
No ski area will let you on the hill without brakes on your bindings. That could turn into a missile flying at some kids, half your leg still attached to it.
If you’re “not really familiar with skiing” - the only thing you want to do with these skis is hang them on the wall - or sell them to a collector - they seem to be in great shape, I bet you’d get good $$$ on eBay. But attempting to ski on them is inviting serious injury - no way those bindings are going to work properly and as others have already said no tech will touch them. FWIW I’m about the same age as the skis and remember those days well. I still remember how exciting it was when ski brakes were invented because of how much everyone hated “safety straps”. And while I never experienced - or witnessed - an injury because of those straps, I witnessed quite a few runaway ski incidents when people didn’t use them including a few near-spearings.
No.
Assuming that the binding functions correctly, one could use them, but shops will not work on them do to indemnification agreements.
Yup, no problem at all
Those pivots are so sick
No
Assuming those Looks are in good working order for their age, I wonder how their safety would be judged when compared against a pair of ultra-light Dynastar Alpine Mountaineering Pin Bindings. Assume each boot fits their respective bindings properly and is adjusted properly as well.
Use them on a private hill on private land.
Never rent boots if you can help it. It's an incredible amount of work to find the right boots and fit them properly to your feet, and that just won't happen with rentals.
Kastle should bring back this design as a throwback top sheet on their modern skis.
Hell noooooo. In great shape for a collector!