Over the years I’ve become a casual collector of classic outdoors-themed literature and guidebooks. I enjoy so many things about books like these. From the images that paint a picture of the outdoor life that transpired before modern gear and in many cases before I was born, to the word choice and literary style used to explain technical outdoor skills.

So while I don’t intend to put the books’ teachings to a ton of practical use—even though I’m sure once I dig into them I will learn a few things—I was grateful to have them. There has to be some useful tips in “How to Ski The New French Way,” 80s-era “Ski Maintenance and Repair” by Seth Masia, or “How the Racers Ski.” And there are no doubt plenty of laughs waiting on the pages of “Here Come the Skiers,” a book of ski cartoons by the late Seattle artist Bob Cram. But above all for me, the allure of books like these is the historic glimpse they offer into ski culture from another era.

Rupp learned to ski in junior high at the now defunct North-South Ski Bowl near St. Maries, Idaho. “I pretty much taught myself to ski by watching the college students that taught there and imitating what I saw them doing,” he says. By the late 60s and 70s, Rupp was a ski instructor at Breckinridge, where his mentors included the likes of ski legends Trygve Berge and Stein Erickson. Later Rupp taught at Steamboat and eventually Schweitzer.

The ski books, which he picked up at book stores or ordered through the mail from ski magazines, were primarily a resource of techniques and jargon that he used to hone his teaching skills and check himself to see if what he was doing was what the authors were describing. Back in Rupp’s ski instructor days, people who were serious about skiing either had instruction books or at least read them and were familiar with the contents, he says. “As I recall, the main thing that was happening in skiing at that time is that my earlier gear had required the use of counter rotation in a turn so that the skier was looking downhill toward the inside shoulder, which was pointed at the tip of the skis.”

Rupp bought his first pair of skis for $30 around 1965, a set of laminated wood boards with P-Tex bases and screw on sectional edges. Henke had just started making buckle boots in the 50s, says Rupp, and the era of leather lace boots was on its way out. Books like these, he says, came out to adjust to stiffer boots that allowed for more side-to-side angulation at the hips and a more square posture looking down the hill.

“Ski the New French Way” and “Teach Yourself to Ski” both emphasized “a more square-and-balanced stance on the skis.” Warren Witherell’s book, “How the Racers Ski,” was “useful when I was teaching in that it helped with diagnosing student problems and helping to correct any issues they may have had.”  Ski equipment has continued to evolve in recent decades, making the sport more accessible to anyone who wants to learn. Yet the importance of expert advice and instruction when it comes to learning to ski or improving on one’s skills, whether it’s gleaned from a book, online videos, or an in-person lesson, remains invaluable.

Derrick Knowles is co-publisher and editor-in-chief. He lives in Spokane with his wife (and co-publisher and OTO visual editor), Shallan, and their young son and dog, Fernie. He enjoys backcountry (and in-bounds) alpine skiing, camping, biking, running, backpacking, bikepacking, and pretty much all other outdoor recreation. Follow his adventures on Instagram, @van_derrick_pnw.

[Feature photo: Vintage ski books. // Photo: Shallan Knowles.]

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As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a young father clutching his squirming toddler. Mom slid a few feet down a gentle slope to demonstrate the art of skiing while the child surveyed the situation with a stern and confused look. A hot chocolate was almost certainly in the child’s future. Good thing a kid’s size one only costs $1 at Terri’s Treats, Echo Valley’s lodge and eatery with a roaring fireplace and ski-hill classics like homemade chili smothered with a generous helping of melted cheese.  

As I clicked into my skis, I chatted with another parent who sipped a steaming cup of coffee outside the lodge. From his stance he could see most of the hill and watched one of his elementary-aged kids pizza furiously down the slope. This father and Echo Valley regular says, “It works out good. We stay here in the morning then head to basketball practice later. This is only 10 minutes from the house.” 

Its motto, “Where Chelan learns to ski,” is modest compared to modern resort marketing standards, and Echo Valley clearly accomplishes its goal. I was surrounded by squeaky little voices chirping, giggling, and occasionally crying after plunging face first into the snow during a failed rope tow dismount.  

One of three rope tows dragged me a few hundred feet upward too. I could have descended here or traversed over to the poma, which ascends to the ski hill’s highpoint. After choosing to traverse and ascend, I watched a group of college-age students cruise down the hill, playfully hooting and hollering like it was a powder day in the North Cascades rather than a slushy day on the modest slopes of Echo. The snowboarder’s parents live in Chelan, and he brought his friends along to escape the West-side rain. They take photos, catch tiny airs, and lounge at the top to gaze over the quiet, snow-capped wilderness.  

Echo Valley feels like one of the best parts of America’s past magically transported into the present, like vintage merry-go-rounds in public parks or restored Wonder Bread ads painted on 19th century brick buildings. It evokes an era when people said hello to strangers as they passed on the sidewalk, and when volunteerism was deeply integrated into civic life. 

Keith Carpenter, a former and long-time ski club president at Echo Valley and a still-active board member would a agree that it’s a special place, but he knows the secret behind the magic: an all-hands-on-deck level of community collaboration and stubborn faith in what’s good for the town. He’s seen dozens of ski hills shut down over the years and was around to make sure Echo Valley wasn’t one of them. 

“A lot of them [community ski hills] were lost to a big insurance run up in the 70s. It came about because of free style or hotdog skiing and people were doing things like inverted aerials, back flips, and those kinds of things. A lot of spinal injuries resulted in really high settlements against insurance companies.” 

Carpenter estimates that half the ski areas in America went under in the 70s and 80s. Today, there’s fewer than 20 ski hills and resorts in the state of Washington.  A glance at a Wiki called “Lost Ski Areas of WASHINGTON” shows that, at one time, there were at least 48. In fact, Echo Valley’s equipment was sourced from other defunct ski hills. The poma came from Squilchuck, which used to operate just down the road from Mission Ridge near Wenatchee.  

The same spirit of volunteerism that gives us Girl Scouts and Rotary Clubs is what launched and helps preserve Echo Valley. The hill was born in the early 1950s when the Peterson family created a rope tow out of their tractor and pulled kids and friends up a hill in their orchard.  

A few years later, the founders migrated to a better hill and formed the Lake Chelan Ski Club in 1955. In 2004 the ski hill became an official Lion’s Club activity, providing access to a deep well of volunteers and an affordable insurance policy. The Lion’s Club also benefited as new community members joined the club out of a desire to be involved in the ski hill. 

I only needed a few runs that morning to get my fix of cold and speed for the day, and I left about the same time dad drove his kids to basketball practice. I dropped elevation and carefully cruised down Cooper Gulch Road toward Manson for Winterfest. The dose of comradery and sunshine put me in the spirit to eat, drink, and be merry.

Learn about “Lost Ski Hills of North Central Idaho.“

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Sometime around 2002 I happened upon a dusty pair of wooden Nordic skis for sale at a thrift store for $5. They looked as though they’d been languishing in a corner of someone’s garage for a few decades. I wasn’t sure what it might entail to make them usable, but they looked cool and were an excellent price. I had modern ski boots that could work with the bindings already mounted on the skis, so I brought them home to make them either part of my ski quiver or else wall décor. At that point it could have gone either way.

They had a serious layer of grime, which I removed with Murphy’s Oil Soap, and I had to do a lot of research into the care of wooden skis. This will come as no surprise to anyone who took up Nordic skiing prior to 1970, but I initially didn’t realize that I would need to acquire liquid pine tar, paint it onto the bottoms of my skis, and then carefully (and briefly) light my wooden skis on fire with a plumber’s torch. It’s a delicate and potentially dangerous process, and I discovered I loved it. While I did add a couple minor scorches to my ski bases, I didn’t light my hair on fire, so I called it a success.

In February 2003, I decided to enter the annual Mount Spokane Langlauf 10K Cross Country Ski Race on my wooden skis. I had been a participant in the race for several years using my modern skis and generally placing in my age group. But Langlauf has been in existence since 1979, and it celebrates its early history each year by having a separate category for competitors on wooden skis who dress up in woolen clothing, all of which I thought might be fun to do as a lark, at least once.

That first year, and several subsequent years, I won the women’s wooden ski division. It’s only fair to mention that I was sometimes the only participant in said division, but I also generally continued to place in my age group despite skiing on equipment that was a couple age groups ahead of me. The days of wooden skis making an appearance in international competition are long-gone, but it’s still possible to make these antique skis semi-competitive at the local citizen race level.

Unfortunately, like so many other fun community events, the 2021 Mount Spokane Langlauf race has been cancelled. Event organizers will be marking the course for the month of February, and area Nordic skiers can opt to ski the 10K route on their own and even choose to make a donation to the nonprofit Spokane Nordic Ski Association to help support trail maintenance.

If you have some old wooden skis hanging decoratively on a wall, consider taking them down and lighting them briefly and carefully on fire, before taking them to Mount Spokane for a trail tour this winter.

Holly Weiler, OTO Hike of the Month columnist, can be found skiing the Langlauf course and beyond on a regular basis and plans to take the wooden skis out for several tours this winter.

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Here are some ways to start rounding out your backcountry skills:

• Ski seasonal roads. If you’re new to the sport or don’t have any snow-science education, seek out low-angle slopes away from avalanche danger and side-country options. The Summit Road at Mount Spokane State Park is a good place to start.
• Buy a beacon and practice. Even if you’re not heading into avalanche-prone terrain, it’s a good idea to build good habits.
• Read safety information and watch avy education videos online. The Northwest Avalanche Center has online education modules. The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center also has tutorials on topics like how to read an avalanche forecast.

Find more Out There Venture’ mountain safety stories.

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She has attended fancier clinics with après and yoga, but she loves Rippin’ Chix because of the small group numbers and no frills.  “It draws more people who are serious about skiing. That’s all they are there to do. They’re not there to be wined and dined. They are there to learn to ski better.”

Last year Klein attended with her daughter-in-law, who is an intermediate skier. “She had a great time, and it gave her a lot of confidence.”

And Klein also found what she was looking for: a challenge. “In the group I was in, I was just barely hanging on for my life. All the women in my group were all from Canada, all 50-ish, all really good skiers.”

Kristin Wenzel from Spokane was also up from the U.S. When asked what she wants to learn from the weekend, Wenzel isn’t sure. Like all of us, she wants to get better, and like a lot of us, she isn’t sure precisely what that means. It’s hard to know how you want to improve if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong.

That’s the magical element of these camps. A good instructor can tell you want you’re doing wrong, but a great instructor can suggest incremental changes that allow you to feel what it’s like to do it right. She gives you mantras to remember in a context that will make the small corrections stick.

Wenzel started the day skiing, in her words, like an “action figure.” Her legs were rigid, and she was stiff through the shoulders. As she traveled down the slope, her skis and body pointed to one side of the slope. When she initiated a turn, her head, hips, and shoulders, and skis all pointed to the opposite slope.

At the end of the first day, Wenzel and I debriefed in the sauna at the Adventure Hotel, which was lit up by the world’s smallest disco ball. She was starting to feel looser and found it easier to keep her chest pointed downhill.

“I was impressed,” she says. I liked it a lot. Going into it I was worried about how you could actually get $500 worth of information in 2 days.” But the download of information and opportunity for practice and correction was so helpful that “even if I had to go home right, now I wouldn’t be mad,” she says.

The full endorsement for the camp came after day two. “At the end of the day, even though skiing much harder terrain, I felt equipped to just go with it…Lines that I normally wouldn’t have picked to ski, I was choosing them and feeling good about how they went.”

On the calendar right now are Alta, Utah on Feb. 11-12 and March 20-21. The dates for the British Columbia-based camps are Jan. 16-17 at Whitewater, Feb. 8-10 for Backcountry Snowcats, and Feb. 21-23 for a ski touring camp at Journeyman Lodge. It’s hard to say if the border will be open by then, but if it’s not, consider saving for next year’s camp.

Summer Hess plans to attend an avalanche rescue course with the Selkirk Powder Guides this winter.

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Sweet Mid-Week Deals

49 Degrees North is offering two mid-week discount specials this winter. The “Mega Mondays” deal gets you a half-priced lift ticket by visiting a participating McDonald’s location where you’ll need to scan a QR code that allows you to pre-purchase the half-off ticket online.

On Tuesdays, 49 is partnering with iHeart Radio for “Twofer Tuesdays,” which means you can get two lift tickets for the price of one. Details for both of these promotions are available on 49’s new website.

Follow COVID Rules to Keep Resorts Open

While Washington and Idaho have some different COVID-19 related requirements for ski resorts this winter, masking up in lift lines and lodges, social distancing, and hand washing are standard practices that will help keep everyone healthy and the mountains operating. (See: “COVID Safety Tips: 7 P’s for the Ski Mountain.”)

“We all want to be open all season,” says Mt. Spokane’s general manager Jim van Loben Sels, who adds that following the rules will help keep Mt. Spokane and other ski areas from getting shut down early.

“I feel really encouraged so far that we are doing the right thing,” he says, noting that in addition to signs reminding people of the mask policy that Mt. Spokane has added extra staff in the lift lines to remind skiers and snowboarders to mask up.

Emily McDaniel at 49 Degrees North also affirms that most guests have been good about wearing masks and says that the resort has them available for anyone who forgets to bring one to the mountain.

More Ways to Eat & Drink Outside

Mt. Spokane has a pretty cool new outdoor food and beverage spot at Lodge 2 that was built out of a 20-foot shipping container with windows for hungry and thirsty skiers and riders to purchase beer and other drinks and select food items. This new outdoor hangout spot helps limit the need for too many people to enter the lodge.

The mountain has also added a mountain-top watering hole, a yurt at the top of Chair 3. Mountain patrons can grab a bite or beverage outside with mountain views. Outdoor food and beverage service has also been added to the deck at Lodge 1.

Photos: (Left) Mt. Spokane’s concession yurt; (right) shipping container beverage bar. // Photos courtesy Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park.

With the lodge at 49 Degrees North only open for brief 15-minute warm ups as well as food and beverage pickup, the new Yard Sale Grab & Go that offers food and drinks from a pickup window on the deck is a welcome addition. 49 has also added tents and more outdoor seating for guests purchasing provisions from the resort. Like at other resorts, anyone who is brown bagging it is asked to eat in their vehicle.

New 49 Degrees North Website Offers Better Grooming Info

Given this season’s online-only ticket sales and the potential for last minute resort updates and changes, the new 49 Degrees North website is kind of a big deal. Emily McDaniel, Director of Marketing & Communication, says 49 created and implemented a dynamic trail map as part of their Mountain Status/Grooming Report.

The map has a toggle function that provides a visual of all the trails that are open, closed, and groomed, as well as if they are green, blue or black. 49 also added a lot of info to the mountain’s snow reporting page that explains how the mountain’s snow reporting process works. Pretty much any questions someone might have about the mountain that may have warranted a phone call or in-person query in the past is now posted on the new website, says McDaniel.

Lookout Pass Announces 2021 Events

Events like the wife carrying contest and kids snow bowling have earned Lookout a reputation of offering fun, creative, and competitive ways for skiers and snowboarders to celebrate the season together. While events this year will include COVID safety precautions, Lookout Pass is still planning several sure-to-be popular events this season.

Highlights include “Mtn. Brewfest & Kids Bowling” Jan. 31, “Fat Tuesday on a Sunday” with beads, gumbo, barbeque, and drinks on the deck Feb. 21; “St. Patrick’s Day Wear Green & Kids’ Treasure Hunt” on March 17; and the “Cardboard Box Derby” April 11. Find the full event schedule at Skilookout.com/events.

Silver Mountain Reminds Guests to Book in Advance

“All chairs are spinning at Silver Mountain Resort, and we’re continuing to stack up fresh snow,” says Silver Mountain’s Siobhan Ebel. However, Ebel reminds guests that “This year, lift tickets, lessons, and rentals must be booked 24 hours in advance on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.” Advanced purchasing can all be done online at Silvermt.com.

“Season passholders will continue to be able to access the mountain without reservations,” adds Ebel. Most other local resorts also require reservations for lift tickets and other guest service and many weekend days and holidays. Big power days any day of the week might also sell out in advance, so plan ahead before driving to your favorite mountain.

Ladies Only Clinics Return to Mt. Spokane

Mt. Spokane is offering three different ladies only clinics again this year: Jan. 8, Feb. 12, and March 12 for women 21 years and older. These popular clinics for skiers and snowboarders run by the mountain’s best women instructors sell out each year. Participants can expect a fun day of skiing and riding and learning new skills in a group of women of similar abilities. Each clinic includes lunch and end-of-the-day door prizes and drinks.

Lookout Delivers Deep Powder & Smooth Groomers

Many Lookout Pass season pass holders keep coming back each year to take advantage of the mountain’s legendary deep snow and epic powder days. Lookout regularly boasts some of the biggest powder dumps in Idaho, and the resort proudly proclaims its status as the #1 powder place with the most snow in the state.

But the inter-state ski area that straddles the Idaho and Montana border has also earned a loyal following for its impeccable grooming, says Lookout’s director of marketing Matt Sawyer. The most affordable ticket and season pass prices in the region are also a draw, he says.

Win Prizes with the Rad Photo Contest

Like taking photos with your pals at your favorite local resort? The “Keep It: Safe. Distanced. Rad Photo Contest,” sponsored by the resort-connected GPS tracking app Snowledge and the Ski the NW Rockies Resorts (Mt. Spokane, 49, Lookout, and Silver) gives you the chance to win prizes from J Skis and Spyder.

The grand prize is a $500 Spyder gift card, plus one $75 Spyder gift card will go to one lucky winner from each of the four resorts. Entering is simple. Download the free Snowledge app, enter the contest from the Explore/Contests link, and post photos of you and your friends on the mountain to earn entries. The contest runs through February.

Silver’s Ski & Stay Deal Is a Steal

Lift tickets are guaranteed when you book your stay with Silver Mountain Lodging, so if you’re planning a ski trip, make it a ski and stay at Silver to make sure lift tickets don’t sell out for your trip dates. When you make a reservation, please note how many lift tickets are needed and front desk agents will have them ready when you arrive.

This is Silver’s best offer of the season for lift tickets, lodging, and waterpark access. Prices start as low as $63 per person per night based on quad occupancy in a deluxe studio. For more information, including by-date booking, visit Silvermt.com/plan-trip/lodging/savebig. 

Ski Under the Stars Even Longer

Night skiing is back at Mt. Spokane, with a new, earlier start time that means you can ski from 3-9 p.m. for only $27. Night skiing is offered most Wednesdays–Saturdays through March 13, but check the operations calendar for updates and be sure to purchase your tickets online in advance.

Lookout’s Free Ski School Starts Jan. 9

Over the past 80 seasons, the Lookout Pass Free Ski School has introduced an estimated 78,000 kids to skiing and snowboarding. Registration for this year’s free kids’ lesson program opens Jan. 9 and runs every Saturday through March 6.

Participants must register within the first three weeks of the program, and lift tickets and equipment are not included, although a lift ticket isn’t required for the lessons. Purchasing one, however, allows kids to keep practicing their new skills all day. Kids ages 6-17 of all ability levels can participate in skiing or snowboarding lessons (snowboarders must be at least age 7).

To ensure rental equipment is available, pre-order from Lookout’s rental shop. More info at Skilookout.com/famous-free-ski-school.

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New rules at Mt. Spokane this season, in addition to the existing rules for uphill skiing, include:

1. From Lodge 1 at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, uphill travel can begin at 7:15 a.m. and continue throughout the day. Skiers must switch to downhill skiing at 9:00 a.m., when chairlifts begin running, and be off the mountain by the close of the business day. (On non-operating days, skiers must be done skiing by 4pm/dusk to allow for grooming operations to begin.)
2. The resort’s shift to a 7-days-a-week schedule eliminated two popular days of uphill skiing when the ski area has traditionally been closed.
3. The requirement to purchase a $50 annual Uphill Skier Winter Season Pass that must be carried with you (not required if you’re a downhill season pass holder or you purchase a lift ticket for the day you intend to ski uphill).
4. And the need to procure a free Early Hours Parking Permit if you plan to park at Lodge 1 to ski the only designated uphill route in the ski area (to be displayed in your vehicle’s dash)

While the requirement for getting your hands on a free early morning parking permit from the resort up to a week in advance may seem like a particularly galling hassle, the one-week in advance requirement listed on Mt. Spokane’s uphill policy page is only necessary if you want your parking pass mailed to you.

As I confirmed in a call to Mt. Spokane, you can call to order your parking pass and stop by the Snow Sports office on the mountain in person during operational hours (after 8 a.m.) to pick it up as early as the following day. And, on the bright side, if you’re parking in the concession area at Lodge 1 to ski up the B29 route, the new free parking permit means you will no longer need to purchase a SnoPark pass (although one is still required to park elsewhere in the state park outside the concession area).

These changes come during a year when the ongoing pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in user visits to Mount Spokane State Park and Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park that have led officials to begin closing the park outside the ski area to visitors once parking lots fill up (news story with more details).

While some uphill skiers and other park users might think they smell a rat, looking at more populated parts of the country provides a guide to where we might be headed here in the Inland Northwest in the coming years: More users vying for access to our trails, parks, and other natural resources predictably leads to more restrictions, hoops to jump through, fees, permits, and access limitations. All of which become necessary to protect the resources, pay for increased management costs, and limit user conflict as the number of users grows.

Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park’s general manager Jim van Loben Sels says the uphill policy changes this year are a temporary attempt to get a handle on the increase in winter users across the concession area, including knowing how many users are out there. The changes, he adds, are also intended to ensure that everyone is paying their share of the parking, grooming, and facility services the resort provides.

“Our team at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park is dedicated to supporting this growing population of outdoor enthusiasts and look forward to providing more access, services, and programming to uphill skiers in the future,” says van Loben Sels.

Find more info and Mt. Spokane’s complete uphill policy and purchase an uphill skier season pass at Mtspokane.com/uphill-travel-policy.

Originally published as “Navigating the Uphill” in the January-February 2021 issue. Online version revised to include the most current information, which was announced after that issue was printed.

Derrick Knowles is co-publisher and editor-in-chief and loves backcountry skiing.

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I know, I probably need a hobby to occupy myself in these weird times. One member of my household learned to play the piano (which sounds amazing), and a friend of mine makes hatchets (cool, but kinda creepy). Good for them, I say. I’m not crafty, nor do I have an ear for music, so creating something or learning to play an instrument are out.

Guess I’ll just wax skis and burn stuff. In any event, there sure looks to be a ski season, and I really don’t care what it looks like so long as there is snow on the ground and the chairs are spinning. Heck, I think there might even be some advantages to a socially-distanced ski season. 

First off, I’m sure we will be encouraged to ride the lift with whoever we rode up to the hill with, or wear a mask if pairing up with another single. This will force me to spend more quality time with my better half discussing the finer points of hardwood floors and other domestic treats, so everyone’s a winner. That, and I don’t like to wear a face covering when I ski, so methinks I will be riding single if skiing alone. Oh, and I detest idle chitchat with strangers, so again, everyone wins here.

Chances are good we will be required to wear a mask when entering the lodge to use the facilities or warm up, and I am totally down with that. As noted above, I don’t like to cover my face while skiing, and prefer to feel and smell the fresh mountain air. This usually results in massive icicles forming on my oft-hated mountain man facial hair, which then drip down my face the second I enter the lodge.

Now I can just hide the mess behind a mask and wring it out. It should also cover up my breath on those days when I forget to brush my teeth prior to heading to the mountain, which happens more often than you’d think.

If the mountain operators can keep folks spaced out in the lift line as well, man will I be happy as a pig in excrement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like people. It’s that I don’t like people crowding me in line when I’m just trying to enjoy the day. I mean, come on bro, do you think trampling on my top sheets is really gonna get you to the summit faster? In case you’re wondering, the answer is no.

My favorite is hearing someone say, “Hurry up”, and then scoot themselves closer to my backside like that will somehow speed the chair up. They usually back off after catching a whiff of the biscuits and gravy I had for breakfast, if you know what I mean. Keeping everyone spaced out in the lift line will definitely help keep the peace this year. If it doesn’t, I guess I will have to double down on the biscuits and gravy.

Originally published as “The Upside of Socially-Distanced Skiing” in the On the Mountain section of the November-December 2020 issue.

Brad Northrup is a former ski racer, coach, and ski industry professional. We are all hoping we are distanced as far as possible from him this season.

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I was destined for the Gresvig Jets. They were the sort of skis that us experienced skiers remember fondly, at least when our memory is dulled by nostalgia or creeping senility. I would never want to ski on them again, except to show the “kids these days,” kids like my son who didn’t have the fortune to share our trail blazing experiences, just how tough we were.

Manufactured in Yugoslavia, the tops were black with gold lettering, not quite so reminiscent of their Norwegian heritage as are the accompanying pictures. Absent the red and white trim and badging, there was just the brand and model name, Gresvig Jet, plus scratches and splintering gouges along the upper edges. Each tip and tail had a steel end piece to prevent delamination.

Back then, longer skis were better skis, even when they weren’t. During my elementary years I was always the second tallest in class, which destined me for the longest pair, the Gresvigs. My cousin held them on end as I reached my wrist to the tip, confirming my destiny. I likely came up short, but like almost everything, it was expected I would grow into them. They measured 185 centimeters, one centimeter longer than the boards I ski on today.

The spring-loaded cable bindings worked something like a ski boot buckle. The cable, once set, pushed the boot into a toe piece designed to release as a so-called “safety binding.” They were anything but. I don’t know if DIN standards for bindings existed then. If they did, when it came to body parts, lower legs in particular, it likely stood for Destroy It Now. Rather than brakes, a leather strap wrapped around each cable and ankle.

Along with painted-on bases, the edges were thin strips of steel screwed into the base, often rusty after a day on the slopes. They provided something of an edging capability. Not that I, not being Stein Ericson, could carve a turn with such a ski. I was happy enough to skid a stem christie. (For younger readers, the “stem christie” is what you learned as going from pizza slice to French fry.)

I’d thought of these skis over the years and then, while rummaging through a consignment shop in Sandpoint, I came across a pair. Finding them rekindled a nostalgic sense of my childhood skiing. I remembered not so much the rope tow flinging me earthward as I tried to get a grip, but instead, a perfect turn I made, euphorically sweeping both tails downhill together toward my aunt Dorothy, a perfect parallel christie, coming to a snow spraying stop just feet from her. I knew that’s how skiing was supposed to be and feel, and while those skis were so often a struggle, that one turn on those Jets hooked me for life.

Originally published as “Those Were the Days” in the On the Mountain section of the November-December 2020 issue.

Bradley Bleck shared his memories of Priest Lake for the July/August Out There. When not teaching English classes at Spokane Falls, he’s enjoying life in Spokane with his family, riding his bike indoors and out, and hoping to be ski fit by the time the snow flies.

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