Volume 33 Number 2 March-April 2021

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.

The Winter Army, Les Peuples du Ski, Marcel Hirscher

Ullr Award: The Winter Army, by Maurice Isserman

Backcountry boon: Bolton Valley skiers head off-piste during the pandemic

Capitalizing on its backcountry roots from the 1920s, Bolton Valley, Vermont, is enjoying a business bump during the pandemic, as skiers are looking to continue to ski, just with more personal space.

Photo above: John Jay at Camp Hale

1958 What a Life!
In the ski film business, the work sometimes resembles an iceberg—seven-eighths of it lies hidden and never appears to the gay crowds who come so see the shows. They see a two-hour finished product, enjoy the laughs and the excitement, and go home chattering, “What a life! Why don’t we get into it?” Why not indeed. —John Jay, “The Glamorous Life” (SKI Magazine, October 1958)