Professional Skier Tries Out 75-Year-Old Skis

Ian Greenwood
·2 min read

Ski gear has come a long, long way over the past 30 years. We got shaped skis. We got rocker. We got widths above 90 centimeters, and, perhaps most importantly, we stopped putting skiers of all skill levels on 200+ cm skis.

This evolution in skis has facilitated a rapid modernization of the sport we all love. Gone are the days of trying porpoise skis that feel like two-by-fours on a storm day.

Still, there's something (maybe?) to be learned about getting in touch with the past. Enter pro skier Tao Kreibich, who, in a September 10th Instagram upload, documented a ski day spent on skis that are 75 (!!) years old.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tao Kreibich (@tao_kreibich)

Y'know, I can't say that I envy Tao here. Sure, it looks hilarious watching someone try to throw a 360 on edgeless 210-centimeter skis, but actually doing it yourself? My knees are aching just thinking about it.

The last time I used a pair of skis that were too long didn't end well for me.

Back in college, I was on a pair of 188-centimeter Blizzard Bodacious (great ski, by the way, but way too big for me), hopelessly lost in the "You should be on the longest and stiffest skis possible" comp jock freeride zeitgeist.

Keep in mind I am not a large man. Far from it -- I clock in at about 145 pounds, soaking wet.

Anyways, one day, those Blizzard's took me for a ride through a mogul field. While I emerged unscathed, I took a long, hard look at myself afterward and concluded that no matter how good I got at skiing, I probably wasn't going to get along with a pair of 188-centimeter skis that were stiffer than a board.

Sometimes, the truth hurts. But rag-dolling through a mogul field while your enormous skis refuse to release from your boots -- my din was probably several points higher than the shop could legally crank it to -- hurts more.

Needless to say, I'll leave the 210-centimeter skis to Tao.

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