Ski Naked: Retro Ski Days





Courtesy "The Globe and Mail"

In the Globe and Mail, Iain MacMillan wrote an article about the 11 things we can no longer do on the slopes. This was a funny article because it is so true if you are over the age of 35 - we did do those things back in the day and yes, you can no longer do those things. However, I ski at Calabogie and some people there do get away with some of these things (#1, 3 & 7), but that is why I love that hill. At Calabogie, they also wear hunting gear skiing, construction or ski-doo attire, jeans and ski on their retro skis.

Here are his top eleven:

1. "Ski with a wineskin, in jeans, in rear-entry boots, set on "walk".
2. "Wear a baby on your back."
3. "Ski without a helmet."
4. "Ride a shovel, cafeteria tray or lift-tower pad."
5. "Ride a chair with the "safety" bar up."
6. "Take a turn in the gates."
7. "Smoke in the lift line."
8. "Drive in ski boots."
9. "Sit down the t-bar or Poma track."
10. "Launch your hang glider."
11. "Ski naked."

These are a few I would like to add from my days of skiing:

1. Wear K Ways skiing - when you fell on the hill, you couldn't stop yourself sliding down the hill.
2. Wear a  baseball hat attached by a shoe string and strung around your neck so it won't blow off when you ski down the hill.
3. Wear Vuarnet sunglasses or the sunglasses with leather side shields.
4. Use baby oil or Bain de Soleil (I miss that stuff) for tanning and hang out on top of the hill with a piece of cardboard lined with tinfoil for ultimate sun reflection.
5. Boogie with your boots on. Translation - go to a ski hill dance and dance in your ski boots.
6. Wear a one piece ski suit. My sisters had some beautiful one piece suits  - I need to dig up those suits.
7. Ski on 200's or 210's. The longer the ski, the cooler and faster you were.
8. We would "seal" down the hill. Translation: slide down the hill on your stomach. Wear K-Ways for increased speed.
9. Borrow a shovel from the resort and make a ski jump on the hill.
10. At our high school ski races, instead of wearing a skin suit, we would sometimes wear our long-johns for fun (we would win races wearing that). 
11. Yes, you would not put the bar down on the chairlift, but when the lift would stop half way, and you were 'somewhat' close to the ground -we would just jump off the lift.

What are your most memorable things you did or wear "back in the day" when you were skiing? Let us know by adding a comment!