My Oldest Piece of Gear is...

I'm the kind of guy who makes do with he has. I don't like spending money on anything other than beer and lift tickets.

My ski's are a few years old, my jacket the same. My goggles are in a state of decay, the foam just barely adhering. The boots and pants are about the same vintage, early 90's.

But, the oldest piece of gear I own is my hat. I've been skiing with the same hat since about 1987. As the years pass I have considered the new options available. Each season I pull on the same hat. This little beauty is a genuine "Turtle Fur." Tightly knit wool yarn bolstered by a fleece liner which has kept my ears warm for years.

My buddy Doug bought me this hat years ago, twas a Christmas present. Each time I pull on my hat I feel slight memories of days gone past. This hat has been to many places, if yarn could talk it would spin better tales than I.

I like my old battered things, they seem to hold up better than the newfangled stuff.

Any of you have gear you just can't get rid of?

BobMc

Unfortunately I have broken all my skis except my K2 Enemies. I have no finesse.

Wish I had some old rock skis though.

I still hold on to my old K2 downhills and I have pair of Atomic HV3/SL's that I got in about 1986. I haven'tskied those ones in along time, butthey were a great racing ski. Very uick from edge to edge, nice stiff tail and a side cut that was ahead of its time. REALLY narrow in the waist though.

bob - you need a helmet. :D

i still use the early 90's scott world cup racer poles with those damn flourescent baskets. everytime i'm on the mtn. i see someone else swinging the same poles. long live the scott racers!

My oldest gear that I actually use is also my toque. I had it custom knit in 1986 when I was a liftee at Red Mountain. It three tone gray/bluegray, not really a thing of beauty but It is more comfy than any others I have tried in the last few years. My poles are pretty old too, I have only had them for about a month but they are about 20 years old. Until 2 years ago I was skiing on 1986 emerys, 1986 skins, 1990 touring boots, 1984 volkl rentiger 'r's, and an old gortex jacket. In the last 3 years I have slowly rebuilt my touring gear (my only gear) so now I feel all shiney and new.

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Originally posted by XBoatBum:
<STRONG>i still use the early 90's scott world cup racer poles with those damn flourescent baskets. everytime i'm on the mtn. i see someone else swinging the same poles. long live the scott racers!</STRONG>

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i see those daily too. i've got a pair of fischer (pre-cap) rcs classic skis that refuse to die. i've had them for about 6-7 years and they've long since become rock skis, yet they've outlasted xc skis i've bought since then. about three years ago i dedicated a season to trying to break these through use and various abuse, but they refused to die. i now use them strictly as street skis and they're still together-camber's shot, but who cares. i've had the same great swix hat for about 10 years, the tassels got chewed off by my dog but it's by far the coolest and most comfortable hat ever. it's wool and fleece lined and has even resisted my friends' attempts at stealing it. not really gear, but over christmas i got a chance to raid my dad's collection of 80's sweaters (he was callously throwing them out). needless to say, there were some choice finds that have since become a part of my everyday wear :D

i was using a pair of poles that probably date back to the early 80s until the basket decided to part ways. they were unbendable. my new poles need to be rebent back into shape at the end of every day.

besides that, everything i'm workin' doesn't go back before '97.

bob looks like he's still skiing back east.

as luck would have it I have cheap shit gloves that never go away. my wife just called me to tell me that she can't find the new gloves i just bought, the ones that cost 100.00 bucks. I'll bet they fell out of the bag on the damn bus we took to pathetic stratton mountain. now it really is the worst trip I have ever taken. :mad:

Look Binders from 1992 on my Mo'Ships!

Can I just say that I LOVE people who still ski w/ the old neon Scott poles??? Very classy in my opinion. My poles date to the 80's, but my oldest equipment is my helmet that I've had since I was 12- an old Boeri. The thing is covered in stickers, and is probably more of a hazard to me than it's protecting me. Good friend of mine finally convinced me to get a new one for next season. I guess it's time, but I'm gonna miss it. Good times hitting my head in that thing. ;)

just got back from sierra summit near fresno. full on time warp. people looked at my pocket rockets like they were from another planet. i could leave them anywhere and not worry about getting 'em boosted. however, if you leave some 210 atomics sitting around...

I like the way the topic on the index page reads "My Oldest Piece of Gear is... Bob Mc" :D

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Originally posted by bad_roo:
<STRONG>I like the way the topic on the index page reads "My Oldest Piece of Gear is... Bob Mc" :D</STRONG>

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That's strange, because "my" oldest piece of gear is Bob Mc

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Originally posted by SheRa:
<STRONG>edit:

Wish I had some old rock skis though.</STRONG>

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Wouldn't those be kind of heavy? What kind of rock did they use?

I am an old gear afficienado. My boots are from 1992, my coat from 1991. My "new" gear is now 3 seasons old, and my poles, 1984 baby.

I wouldn't know how to ski without those poles. They have been with me since the bunny hill.

My oldest piece of gear would have to be my one-hitter.

I just retired a set of rental poles that I got for 1.00 in 1983. They had several seasons on them when I got them. They were really well beyond reasonable use. One had half a basket, the other 1/4, the straps were ripping out, they were as bent as a dead head and they weighed about 3 lbs. each.

I have a pair of 50 y/o solid birch nordic skis I break out once in a blue moon for kicks. Got them at Bishop's Attic secondhand in Anchorage in 1984, also for 1.00.

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Originally posted by Keoni:
<STRONG> Wouldn't those be kind of heavy? What kind of rock did they use?</STRONG>

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I'm thinking Led Zeppelin. Or maybe Hendrix.

Maybe some of that stuff from the dark side of the moon.

[ April 15, 2003: Message edited by: SheRa ]

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Originally posted by SheRa:
<STRONG>

I'm thinking Led Zeppelin. Or maybe Hendrix.

Maybe some of that stuff from the dark side of the moon.

[ April 15, 2003: Message edited by: SheRa ]</STRONG>

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You were supposed to say..."IGNEOUS"

:D

edit: But I do like your choice in music.
:cool:

[ April 15, 2003: Message edited by: Keoni ]

my oldest piece of gear is probably my car.

'86 Subaru, 165K miles

...although I also have some old K2 GS Electras that are still skiable... ;)

My oldest piece of gear are my Allsop shock absorbing poles, straight out of the 70's. Had to get bigger baskets for them, but they seem indestructable. No breaks, and no bends, after 20 years of torture from me and my dad. Cool.

Bump, heh.

BobMc

Heh, I got snaked.
That's what the JONG from the other board gets for not being here way back when (or only being here when the other place broke, anyway).

Funny about the Scott Racers...I still use mine...for duck hunting. A couple years ago, while stuck in coastal hell and no foreseeable chance of ever using the neon sticks for a higher purpose, I stripped the baskets and painted them camo to hold up some camo netting. They work mint for driving into the tidal mud and not wavering even with a 5 foot incoming tide. Maybe I'll break them out again, put baskets on and give them life.

My old 4x4 Outlands they've been my rock skis for several years. They hold up pretty well but they are noodly pieces of shit.

My legs.

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Originally posted by Lumpy
They work mint...

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WICKED mint?

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Originally posted by iceman
WICKED mint?

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'Cause if they did, that would be pissah.

Nothing new to sport over here.

Sticks 2 years old and 4 years old.

Boots are 4 years and beat to hell.

Poles are 3 and beat to hell but have plenty of life left in them.


I like making do with what ya have makes you a better skier in the end.

My Norwegian Telemark sweater that was a present from my host family when I was an excange studentin Norway for Christmas 1993. Warm as hell and will last me at least another decade.

I have all new gear,but my 1977 Garmount boots are wicked stiff.

Icelandic wool sweater from 1969 ala my dad. The ladies love it.

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Originally posted by iceman
WICKED mint?

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Double mint, as in twins.

And to regionalize it, being that coastal Washington is basically Appalacia West,
"Them thar sticks dun werked slikker than runny shit on a hot, greased hogs ass in July."

My oldest piece of gear is still my touque.

I really can't think of what is my oldest gear, I've got relics, like a full set of bear traps on wooden skis, complete with bamboo poles, and a pair of Hart Downhills that are 220's and have a raised emblem in chrome, like a Caddillac, never mounted.

As for what I use, probably Scott poles, I love em'!!
I think I have four pairs, a few mismatched, round here, there all everyone of our crew uses, older the better, the coveted ones are the red and black ones.

I do have an old Rossi hat that's late 70's grey with a big ol' Rossi emblem on it, but it's all wool and a bit itchy so I don't sport it too often.

I have a set of ski poles I use occasionally that are from the late 80's and a colombia parka that I will wear on a warm spring day that is from around the same time. Everytime I wear it I thank God I had my mom take back the bright green and yellow ski coat she originallly bought.