Vermont Resort's Vintage Commercial Is The Ultimate Time Capsule For Skiing Of Yesteryear

Downhill skiing's renaissance took place in the mid-to-late 20th century as American's bank accounts grew and the allure of ski vacations was popularized in movies and television. A lot has changed since then, notably the price of equipment and lift tickets.

Check out this vintage commercial from Smugglers' Notch, VT in which they're touting a ski, binding, and boot package for just $149.99:

Less than $150 for a full ski package sounds like the deal of a lifetime considering the cost of gear these days, but Smugglers' Notch mentions in the caption that this commercial is over 40 years old. Let's figure out just how sweet the deal actually was.

Considering Smuggs' comment about the video being over 40 years old, we can assume that it was most likely filmed in the late 70s or early 80s. Let's pick the year 1980 as a safe bet.

Using the U.S. Inflation Calculator, Smuggs' $149.99 ski package in circa 1980 is equivalent to about $554.64 today, a 269.8% cumulative rate of inflation. A skier would be hard-pressed to spend less than $600 today for a full set-up of new gear, but the deal itself wasn't as ridiculous as it seems on paper.

Regardless of how good the deal actually was, the commercial serves as a perfect glimpse into what the ski industry was like during the late 70s/early 80s.

These were the days of less-than technical clothing, flashy colors, straight-edged skis, long hair, big mustaches, and plenty of Screamin' Seamens and Spread Eagles to go around.

Watching such videos leads me to daydream about what skiing used to be.

If only I had a functional time machine laying around. I would instantly travel to the slopes of Aspen, Steamboat, Killington, or Mammoth in the late 70s to experience what the early days of skiing were like.

You know, the time the grumpy guy in the lift line refers to as the "the good ol' days of skiing", whatever that means.

Until that's possible, you'll find me spending my spare time watching vintage skiing edits, commercials, news reels, or whatever other forms of media still exist from that time.

For those of you that lived through it- what do you remember about the skiing experience of yesteryear? Do you remember it fondly? Let me know.

Smugglers' Notch Stats/Info:

Vertical: 2,610 ft.

Skiable Terrain: 1,000+ ac.

Average Snowfall: "Nearly 280 inches"

Lifts: 8

Trails: 78

Snowmaking: YES

Night Skiing: NO

Mega-Pass: NO

Related: Secret Gondola Plan Exposed To Connect Smugglers' Notch With Stowe, VT

Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.

We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.