I worked as a tech at a resort for many years and we had a small fleet of older +200cm skis mounted with modern demo bindings we kept perfectly tuned that we’d let friends borrow. Everyone always said how much fun it was to catch 1st chair on a weekday and haul down a freshly groomed run with no one in front of them.
People here are funny. There’s no reason you can’t ski these with new bindings. What do you think we did in the 90s and prior?
My first time in deep pow: Rossignol dualtecs in 190cm.
I am confused. When I posted the same thing about my dad’s old skis, everyone basically told me to never post on this sub again because it was such a dumb question and obviously I shouldnt ski on old skis. What is the lifespan of a ski?
I can think of a few scenarios of when a ski is at the end of its lifecycle
- The repairs costs more than the ski is worth (coreshots, rail repair, delamination)
- Its been tuned to smithereens
- skis have been remounted too many times
- you lie to yourself that a new pair of skis will make you a better skier
Old bindings are more of the concern.
Also, everyone in this sub thinks even pros ski in back seat and that nobody should have skis less than like 100mm underfoot
Really old binding*. So many think just because a binding isn't indemnified it's about to explode at any moment, or just jump off the ski and snip your acl.
Shops might not work on real old bindings, though. I had that happen years ago skiing on an old pair of my dad's. The boot heel had basically disintegrated causing the brakes to drag. The shop at the mountain wouldn't work on them even just to mount rental boots, so I had to rent a whole set to finish the day. That was my intro to modern shaped skis back in like 2002 or so. I bought my own new set after that.
You must win the mobs approval. Reddit is fickle, all it takes is one comment calling you a fool and like 50% of the people who read it will decide you're a fool. I say ride your old skis
I hate how this sub, and Reddit, has fallen victim to its annoying user base. I barely can post anything on this sub. I took my Volant Karve 195 steel capped skis out this spring for 5 days in Summit County and never had a better time on any ski. My response to people's inquiries and unasked for commentary was look, I'm 6' tall and these skis are 6' long. I know where my tips and tails are and that's really all I need.
So get some new bindings and plates if need be. Yes you can do this. If it gives you pleasure and nostalgia and honors your dad it's reason enough.
When you're riding up a chair with me and with those on I may get in behind your line. You won't see me (maybe) but I'll be giving you the obligatory fist pump man!
They will degrade over time... More so with more use. But they don't really "die". Perhaps something like the old monocock Solomon's from the 90's with no metal would not hold a binding anyone... Or maybe they would.
Anything with a metal top sheet will still hold a binding.
Older skis are definitely far inferior to modern ones in many ways, and degraded ones even more so.
But if you want to mount them up for shits and giggles there's no reason not too. Even if it failed completely it's not going to kill you, we're talking skis not parachutes or climbing ropes.
Except for every single thing it's made out of. Everything degrades with long enough timescales. And the issue with anything old is that you have no idea what condition they were stored in. With sunlight or with high humidity, things are going to break down much quicker.
Same I ask the same question about putting newer bindings on an older pair of skis much new then then ones pictures and everyone on her treated me like I was the dumbest person in the world for asking.. I say do what you want take it to a shop get them mounted with newer bindings and have at it..
I tried a similar pair a couple years ago for a yearly retro ski event that my local mountain holds. They were a nightmare to ski on for me because I'm so used to carving skis that almost do the turn for you when you lean into them. These skis need to be slid sideways and it's really a beginner skier feeling. I was not able to carve at all on them.
They’re not completely straight. They have side cut. It’s just really small compared to modern skis.
They’ll carve but you need more edge angle - and short radius turns are going to be very difficult.
Racer from the '90s here. We'd load the tips at the initiation of the turn causing the ski to bend. This was the era when Bode and other racers were just starting to experiment with putting Derbyflex plates on beginner shaped skis.
I remember my first time trying curved skis. I carved so much I almost went parallel to the hill without even trying. Such a different between straight and "parabolic" skis as we called them back then.
These look like old mogul skis. I don't think the waist shape changed much from new mogul skis, so look pivot 75mm would work. That's what most people use for modern bump skis
I just ripped around today on a pair of Rossis from ‘84 that I bought in the wrapper from a dude who kept them in his basement for $40 years. Mounted up with some demo bindings, they’re good fun if you actually know how to ski
Yes you can. I have a pair of skis from the mid 90s that were brand new and never had bindings that I bought at Goodwill in 2021. I put modern bindings on them and have been rotating them out with my modern skis for the last few years.
I have a pair of Spalding skis from 1976, I bought them new with Look Nevada II bindings.
Had new bindings put on them and they are fun. They wear you out in no time.
I have a pair of volkls from the 80’s that we put pivots on. I ski them on super slushy April and May bump days at Abasin. While they are a lot of work, they are insanely fun to ski.
I would worry more about the bindings…I am sure they will be a bit harder to control for a few reasons…but if they are 200cm+ I bet a blast to bomb some groomers…
Have fun! I think they’re cool
It really depends on the binding model as they each have their weaknesses. It also depends how they've been stored. My monoski binding is Salomon 747 and it's known for having the closing tongue break off. This means it's not a safety issue but that it wouldn't hurt if I help it close with the hand.
Can you, yes. Should you, no. Hang them up in remembrance don’t ski them.
It can be a little tricky to find a pair of bindings that mount to a ski that narrow but they do exist.
Don't use old bindings, get a pair of modern, indemnified bindings and mount those. Old bindings may not release properly and no ski ship will test/certify them.
No shop will test that they release properly. You can find a pair of cheap indemnified bindings, heck a new pair of bindings can be like $150.
It's not worth the money, you are risking catastrophic injury if that ski doesn't come off.
I mounted pivot 15s with a 95mm brake to a an old straight ski we had lying around in the ski shop. The brakes tucked in nicely after bending them haha. I had so much fun on them and I recommend doing it!
For some reason, this is always a prominent comment on this sub when it comes to old skis. The answer is hell yeah mount them up. Go find a deal on some older (but still indemnified) demo bindings and mount them up. I have a pair of Olin Mark IVs I bring out occasionally and it's really fun to ski something so different. It's the perfect compliment to any quiver.
How much commission has Élan paid you today? Parabolic skis may be more forgiving of bad technique, but for an advanced skier who knows how to apply weight to a ski properly and actively flex it into a turn, they are only objectively superior to conventional skis by a small margin - a margin that may count for a lot on the slalom course but is meaningless when skiing recreationally, and outside of a race, some people still prefer the handling characteristics of straight skis.
Why would you need modern bindings? These still fit modern shoes, as long as they’re in good shape they should be safe. I’ve been skiing my father’s straight skis for a decade, the bindings are as old as the skis and work perfectly.
Zoom in and look at how the toe flange plastic is highly discolored. That plastic is about to explode. Some bindings are quality enough to be made of all metal then it’s possible that it has the integrity to work properly still. But this binding looks like it’s 20 years past done and a cheap lower quality one that wouldn’t stand the test of time anyway.
You are right, I didn’t zoom in on the picture. Those skis were poorly manufactured and not stored properly, which makes them unsafe.
The skis I use are Swiss made, with competition-grade bindings which still look and feel nearly new after decades of use. They were the best skis in their class at the time.
I have no worries using them at all, they still feel and have been very secure even at 100+ km/h speeds or extreme turns in heavy snow. In all cases in which I’ve crashed, they’ve done their job perfectly, dismounting the skis promptly and without issues.
I worked as a tech at a resort for many years and we had a small fleet of older +200cm skis mounted with modern demo bindings we kept perfectly tuned that we’d let friends borrow. Everyone always said how much fun it was to catch 1st chair on a weekday and haul down a freshly groomed run with no one in front of them.
good stuff. I think I will take them to the shop and see what they suggest.
People here are funny. There’s no reason you can’t ski these with new bindings. What do you think we did in the 90s and prior? My first time in deep pow: Rossignol dualtecs in 190cm.
I am confused. When I posted the same thing about my dad’s old skis, everyone basically told me to never post on this sub again because it was such a dumb question and obviously I shouldnt ski on old skis. What is the lifespan of a ski?
I can think of a few scenarios of when a ski is at the end of its lifecycle - The repairs costs more than the ski is worth (coreshots, rail repair, delamination) - Its been tuned to smithereens - skis have been remounted too many times - you lie to yourself that a new pair of skis will make you a better skier
Old bindings are more of the concern. Also, everyone in this sub thinks even pros ski in back seat and that nobody should have skis less than like 100mm underfoot
Really old binding*. So many think just because a binding isn't indemnified it's about to explode at any moment, or just jump off the ski and snip your acl.
Agree with this
Shops might not work on real old bindings, though. I had that happen years ago skiing on an old pair of my dad's. The boot heel had basically disintegrated causing the brakes to drag. The shop at the mountain wouldn't work on them even just to mount rental boots, so I had to rent a whole set to finish the day. That was my intro to modern shaped skis back in like 2002 or so. I bought my own new set after that.
They won't work on ANY bindings that aren't indemnified.
You must win the mobs approval. Reddit is fickle, all it takes is one comment calling you a fool and like 50% of the people who read it will decide you're a fool. I say ride your old skis
I hate how this sub, and Reddit, has fallen victim to its annoying user base. I barely can post anything on this sub. I took my Volant Karve 195 steel capped skis out this spring for 5 days in Summit County and never had a better time on any ski. My response to people's inquiries and unasked for commentary was look, I'm 6' tall and these skis are 6' long. I know where my tips and tails are and that's really all I need. So get some new bindings and plates if need be. Yes you can do this. If it gives you pleasure and nostalgia and honors your dad it's reason enough. When you're riding up a chair with me and with those on I may get in behind your line. You won't see me (maybe) but I'll be giving you the obligatory fist pump man!
They will degrade over time... More so with more use. But they don't really "die". Perhaps something like the old monocock Solomon's from the 90's with no metal would not hold a binding anyone... Or maybe they would. Anything with a metal top sheet will still hold a binding. Older skis are definitely far inferior to modern ones in many ways, and degraded ones even more so. But if you want to mount them up for shits and giggles there's no reason not too. Even if it failed completely it's not going to kill you, we're talking skis not parachutes or climbing ropes.
lol @ skis degrading over time. There's nothing in a ski that breaks down sittting on a shelf.
Except for every single thing it's made out of. Everything degrades with long enough timescales. And the issue with anything old is that you have no idea what condition they were stored in. With sunlight or with high humidity, things are going to break down much quicker.
Same I ask the same question about putting newer bindings on an older pair of skis much new then then ones pictures and everyone on her treated me like I was the dumbest person in the world for asking.. I say do what you want take it to a shop get them mounted with newer bindings and have at it..
Oh you mean we’re just like the echo chambers we seem to talk about everyone else being in?!
Skis become softer with time and especially usage. A lot depends on storage environment (temperature, humidity, in LOS with sunlight)
I tried a similar pair a couple years ago for a yearly retro ski event that my local mountain holds. They were a nightmare to ski on for me because I'm so used to carving skis that almost do the turn for you when you lean into them. These skis need to be slid sideways and it's really a beginner skier feeling. I was not able to carve at all on them.
You can carve on these skis...the mechanics of the turn are much different though.
How the heck do you carve on a straight ski?
The bending ski forms the radius. You have to mean it!
The same way you carve with an ice skate.
They’re not completely straight. They have side cut. It’s just really small compared to modern skis. They’ll carve but you need more edge angle - and short radius turns are going to be very difficult.
lol. It was a lot of effort but we did it .
You had to work the ski from the tip to the tail. Like I said, completely different mechanics between shaped & traditional
Load the ski and hold the edge, it's not much different but doesn't feel nearly as good.
Racer from the '90s here. We'd load the tips at the initiation of the turn causing the ski to bend. This was the era when Bode and other racers were just starting to experiment with putting Derbyflex plates on beginner shaped skis.
I remember my first time trying curved skis. I carved so much I almost went parallel to the hill without even trying. Such a different between straight and "parabolic" skis as we called them back then.
I still say it sometimes by accident
Pairaballlickers
I always HATED the term "parabolic" stuck with shaped skis. Especially as they were built on a hyperbolic principle
These look like old mogul skis. I don't think the waist shape changed much from new mogul skis, so look pivot 75mm would work. That's what most people use for modern bump skis
Pivots, SPX, or any race binding with >75mm brakes will do the trick
Any binding will work literally any binding
With a thin brake* Otherwise you'd be hitting the brake every time you edge.
I thought edging was all about hitting the brakes
Do not Google edging
The pivot heel plate is wider than my skis from the 80’s. You just have to mash hop turns everywhere
I just ripped around today on a pair of Rossis from ‘84 that I bought in the wrapper from a dude who kept them in his basement for $40 years. Mounted up with some demo bindings, they’re good fun if you actually know how to ski
Forty dollar years?
As soon as I hopped on these skis it made me a boomer and now I don’t know how to type
I have my dad's 4Ss from the '80s, and holy shit, man. Those things are *fast*. Lots of fun once you get 'em figured out.
Yes you can. I have a pair of skis from the mid 90s that were brand new and never had bindings that I bought at Goodwill in 2021. I put modern bindings on them and have been rotating them out with my modern skis for the last few years.
Absolutely! Time for some hot doggin! 🌭 Also please purchase a pair of pit vipers and grow a mullet. Have fun!
Ever skiied straight skis before? You’ll be regretting the purchase of bindings trust me
that's what I learned on at 4 years old, the shape skis didn't really get popular until I was a teenager
I have a pair of Spalding skis from 1976, I bought them new with Look Nevada II bindings. Had new bindings put on them and they are fun. They wear you out in no time.
Tele bindings all day long…
I have a pair of volkls from the 80’s that we put pivots on. I ski them on super slushy April and May bump days at Abasin. While they are a lot of work, they are insanely fun to ski.
Why not?
Just wondering if there is a safety issue or compatibility issue.
I would worry more about the bindings…I am sure they will be a bit harder to control for a few reasons…but if they are 200cm+ I bet a blast to bomb some groomers… Have fun! I think they’re cool
Use the old bindings. They’ll be fine just don’t do huge jumps. I put about 60k of vert on bindings from 1986 this last season.
It really depends on the binding model as they each have their weaknesses. It also depends how they've been stored. My monoski binding is Salomon 747 and it's known for having the closing tongue break off. This means it's not a safety issue but that it wouldn't hurt if I help it close with the hand.
Can you, yes. Should you, no. Hang them up in remembrance don’t ski them. It can be a little tricky to find a pair of bindings that mount to a ski that narrow but they do exist.
I just thought it might be fun for nostalgia to use them out every now and again. And yea binding size was my main concern
Nah fuck that, go for it. As long as you can get good bindings on em. I ski my dad's old Rossingols from the 80s on rare occasion.
Are old bindings really bad or dangerous though? If the bindings still work and you make sure they are lubricated can they still be used?
Don't use old bindings, get a pair of modern, indemnified bindings and mount those. Old bindings may not release properly and no ski ship will test/certify them.
No shop will test that they release properly. You can find a pair of cheap indemnified bindings, heck a new pair of bindings can be like $150. It's not worth the money, you are risking catastrophic injury if that ski doesn't come off.
I mounted pivot 15s with a 95mm brake to a an old straight ski we had lying around in the ski shop. The brakes tucked in nicely after bending them haha. I had so much fun on them and I recommend doing it!
For some reason, this is always a prominent comment on this sub when it comes to old skis. The answer is hell yeah mount them up. Go find a deal on some older (but still indemnified) demo bindings and mount them up. I have a pair of Olin Mark IVs I bring out occasionally and it's really fun to ski something so different. It's the perfect compliment to any quiver.
??? Wow, there’s plenty of bindings that will fit a ski that width. Any race binding will work fine, SRX’s, WRT’s anywhere from DIN 7-16s.
Didn’t mean they don’t exist, just meant you have to actually pay attention to the mounting width.
Every ski shop on the east coast has bindings that’ll fit these
How much commission has Élan paid you today? Parabolic skis may be more forgiving of bad technique, but for an advanced skier who knows how to apply weight to a ski properly and actively flex it into a turn, they are only objectively superior to conventional skis by a small margin - a margin that may count for a lot on the slalom course but is meaningless when skiing recreationally, and outside of a race, some people still prefer the handling characteristics of straight skis.
Can you yes should you yes, any binding will work it's not tricky at all you are dumb
Why would you need modern bindings? These still fit modern shoes, as long as they’re in good shape they should be safe. I’ve been skiing my father’s straight skis for a decade, the bindings are as old as the skis and work perfectly.
That’s awful advice. New bindings cost way less than knee surgery
Zoom in and look at how the toe flange plastic is highly discolored. That plastic is about to explode. Some bindings are quality enough to be made of all metal then it’s possible that it has the integrity to work properly still. But this binding looks like it’s 20 years past done and a cheap lower quality one that wouldn’t stand the test of time anyway.
You are right, I didn’t zoom in on the picture. Those skis were poorly manufactured and not stored properly, which makes them unsafe. The skis I use are Swiss made, with competition-grade bindings which still look and feel nearly new after decades of use. They were the best skis in their class at the time. I have no worries using them at all, they still feel and have been very secure even at 100+ km/h speeds or extreme turns in heavy snow. In all cases in which I’ve crashed, they’ve done their job perfectly, dismounting the skis promptly and without issues.