Article Date:
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
By Seth Masia
In the early ’80s, skiers finally learned to stay dry and warm.
Photo above: In the 1980s, Patagonia's fleece top helped launch the technical skiwear category.
Those of us who began skiing before 1980 remember bundling up in layers of nylon, wool and down. In dry weather we were warm. In wet weather we shivered and headed for the lodge, then waited overnight for the soggy insulation to dry out. Around 1970 a lot of ski parkas were made with synthetic fiberfills, which dried more quickly—but they still soaked up cold rain and wet snow, driving us indoors...