The DU Lounge

OAITW r.2.0

(31,035 posts) Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:15 PM Oct 23

Did you have a favorite pair of skis?

I did. My uncle, god love him, bought me Head 360's / 195 cm skis in 1968. Look/Nevada bindings, too. I was peaking at 5-9 back then.....I loved the speed/stability factor of these GS skis.

Your best skis?

On edit, I should mention....I pooched them in 1975 when I went off the gondola trail at Sugarloaf Mtn.. Lost an edge control and zipped into the woods, Luckily, I hit an edge mogul that shot me off the trail - skis first - into some birch trees. Busted my right ski ( fractured only).

No harm, no foul. I'll never do that again.

11 replies

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Highlight:

Did you have a favorite pair of skis? (Original Post) OAITW r.2.0 Oct 23 OP

I loved my Hexcel skis back in the '70s. They were the first advanced composite skis I ever had, but... Ol Janx Spirit Oct 23 #1

I should really give skiboarding a try. OAITW r.2.0 Oct 23 #2

I've never tried skiboarding, but it does look like a lot of fun. It definitely does not have the same... Ol Janx Spirit Oct 24 #11

My old faves were my 1981 Dynastar GS in a 207 length. Mister Ed Oct 23 #3

How tall are you? 207's in the East were really a lot of ski to control. OAITW r.2.0 Oct 23 #4

In my prime, I was just under six feet. Mister Ed Oct 23 #5

Back in the day you weren't taken seriously on 195s Bobstandard Oct 23 #7

Sadly. I never skied in powder. Maybe my next life, OAITW r.2.0 Oct 23 #8

Loved my blue Hexcels circa 1979 GreatGazoo Oct 23 #6

My two favorite skis: LudwigPastorius Oct 23 #9

I had, I think Salomon skis, in the late 80's and 90's with weights on the tops Bev54 Oct 24 #10

Ol Janx Spirit

(501 posts)

1. I loved my Hexcel skis back in the '70s. They were the first advanced composite skis I ever had, but...

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Original post)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:27 PM

Oct 23

...they were pretty flexible at high speeds. K2 was my second favorite.

Then came the new shaped skis. All of them beat the old straight long skis we used to ride hands down.

I expanded into snowboarding over the last few years and at the moment I'm kind of hooked on that.

You've got to have something to get you through the winter....

OAITW r.2.0

(31,035 posts)

2. I should really give skiboarding a try.

Reply to Ol Janx Spirit (Reply #1)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:31 PM

Oct 23

I get the balance and using the terrain to control your descent. In some ways, I think it;s probably easier on your lower torso.

On edit, you're right about the Hexcel's...they had a an epoxy honeycomb core, IIRC. They were definitely new tech....light and great lateral twisting to keep your edge on the ground,

Ol Janx Spirit

(501 posts)

11. I've never tried skiboarding, but it does look like a lot of fun. It definitely does not have the same...

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Reply #2)

Fri Oct 24, 2025, 08:31 AM

Oct 24

...learning curve as snowboarding. Maybe this winter I'll give it a try.

Yes, the name Hexcel was derived from the hexagonal cells of their signature honeycomb product. They were like putting spaceships on your feet. They were great for slalom, but not as good for downhill because they were so light and flexible. Hexcel still makes advanced composite materials even though they got out of the ski business in the late '70s.

I hadn't thought about those skis in a long time. Thanks for the memory bump!

Mister Ed

(6,748 posts)

3. My old faves were my 1981 Dynastar GS in a 207 length.

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Original post)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:33 PM

Oct 23

They were a giant slalom ski with a more aggressive, slalom-type sidecut. Gold in color, with a distinctive red plastic bulge at the tip that housed a dampening device.

They did everything well. They'd carve on hardpack, they'd snake through moguls, and they floated like a dream the first time I ever got to ski deep powder (underneath Devil's Castle at Alta).

OAITW r.2.0

(31,035 posts)

4. How tall are you? 207's in the East were really a lot of ski to control.

Reply to Mister Ed (Reply #3)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:42 PM

Oct 23

That's 5" longer than my 195's!

Mister Ed

(6,748 posts)

5. In my prime, I was just under six feet.

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Reply #4)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:48 PM

Oct 23

Those 207's were the longest skis I ever had, but they were surprisingly nimble. I had a couple of pairs of 195's for use at home in the Midwest, or for mogul-bashing at western resorts. Still, those 207's were sweet.

Bobstandard

(2,107 posts)

7. Back in the day you weren't taken seriously on 195s

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Reply #4)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:50 PM

Oct 23

The best mogul skier I ever saw back then rocked 210s. Ever time I get on my current 185, wide ass modern boards I kind of feel like I’m cheating. Plus, I miss the feeling of floating through deep powder rather than on top of it on modern skis.

OAITW r.2.0

(31,035 posts)

8. Sadly. I never skied in powder. Maybe my next life,

Reply to Bobstandard (Reply #7)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 10:08 PM

Oct 23

Seems like skiing in the East was always about the ice. At least in Maine mountains..

GreatGazoo

(4,314 posts)

6. Loved my blue Hexcels circa 1979

Reply to OAITW r.2.0 (Original post)

Thu Oct 23, 2025, 09:49 PM

Oct 23

Bashed moguls until the one of the tips delaminated. It was repaired with a rivet. I sold them in that condition through a consignment shop in West LA. They were bought by the prop master for "Herman's Head" because they needed "funny and pitiful" skis for a sight gag.

Also loved a pair of K2s that Dave McCoy lent me for the season that I worked at Mammoth. Great skis and his generosity made me feel like extended family. They had his name engraved across the tops.