Knickers and Other Fun

I recently caught up with a former teammate from my high school ski team and during our conversation we began to wax poetic about many of our experiences out on the tracks and trails.

Before long we began talking about the equipment of the day, and even about the equipment that we remembered from our youth. The stories became much grander than the reality ever was, but that was ok. But it got me thinking about the evolution in Nordic ski gear that I’ve seen in my several decades of trying to glide across the snow.

As what often happens, I began to think back lovingly on much of the gear that I’ve used over the years. It’s like I was remembering them in Norman Rockwell type paintings, very upbeat, quasi romantic, and not really remembering how awful some of that gear was. I then tried to think if I’d want to use that gear again, the answer- NO!

Starting with my boots. I had some boots that looked awesome. They looked like a really cool pair of soccer cleats. The reason they looked that way was that they were a pair of hand-me down soccer cleats that had had the soles ripped off and replaced with a three-pin sole. The sole didn’t really line up quite right so my left heal didn’t aline properly on the ski- but that was fine, they looked cool. Then there were the laces. Flat, white laces made of cotton, the snow would ball up and the laces would freeze. Meaning you’d better tighten them right when you headed out because they couldn’t be untied until you came inside and sat by the fire for some time. Oh, and in case you were wondering- converted soccer cleats were not very warm, nor water resistant.

The next piece of gear that I saw as my mind basked in a golden light, a pair of wooden cross country skis that I had when I was about 10 years old. They certainly were beautiful, although I’m not sure I felt that way at that age. Being wood, they needed to be pine tarred each season. Now I know I’ve written about the romance of applying pine tar to skis, but it really isn’t that much fun. It smells funny and is messy, and you’re skis are never really fast. Back to the skis, the camber was awful and not evenly matched, so you got great kick on one ski- but terrible glide, and the other glided great but I never could get any kick. I think they were straight cut, so they didn’t exactly turn real well. They really were terrible skis.

I’ll never forget a pair of gorgeous bamboo poles that I got when I was about 12. They had the big round baskets with the leather spokes reaching out to the large steel ring. The poles weighed about as much as a pair of today’s back country skis. We didn’t think about things like “swing weight”. The round baskets loved to get stuck under the crust when we’d be out skiing in the woods (this was long before I started skiing anyplace that was groomed). These poles couldn’t be broken, in fact I believe they are still down in my parents basement, likely being used to hold up the house. Great poles- but certainly nothing I feel a need to bring back into my quiver.

Next up- knickers. Ahhhh, knickers, the most useless ski clothing I’ve ever owned. Now I feel bad as maybe it was just the knickers I had weren’t very good. I know this will come back to haunt me, but my Mom made my knickers and the performance material of choice- corduroy. Now while they looked pretty cool, the offered zero warmth and even less water resistance. Keep in mind I was around 8 or so, meaning I spent a lot of time IN the snow, not just on the snow. I also don’t think my Mom built them to handle the abuse I put them through, as she often had to re-sew blown out seams. Add to that socks that never stayed up and a cranky 8 year old I was. I did like the look, but wouldn’t go back to the lack of performance!

I write this not only to give me a moment to smile back on my youth, but also to remind some of us that maybe it’s time to upgrade our gear. Some of the things I mentioned above are still seen out on the trails on a regular basis, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s also a lot right with the current gear out there today. Ski shops are in the mood to sell there gear at steep discounts right now, and this might be your chance to upgrade you equipment and clothing. Now I’m going to go and search for a pair of large knickers.