- Joined
- Sep 11, 2017
- Posts
- 1,311
I thought to put this in the general ski section since the Boot thread section seems to be much more specifically about fittings, latest models, etc. I thought this more of a general skiing topic. But any Mod please move if you feel its not appropriate.
I did search the forums for such a topic but came up with little. A different thread where it was mentioned sparked my curiosity and so here goes.
Anyone old enough remembers rear entry and probably used them while they did own something like 80% of sales for part or most a decade. From any info I collectively gather its demise came from the top racers and professionals most of whom were not a fan. But if not mistaken there were some who did use them from namely Solomon who at the time seemed to get it right. But like golf and or a number of other things the masses want what the pros are using whether or not its necessarily so much better for them or not or necessary . And so the rear entry boot candle burnt bright but fast (relatively speaking).
But just about anywhere you can find any info and opinions you also find so very many wishing they were still around. Imo most the general masses of recreational skiers do not ski anywhere near the level of pro racers. And even those recreational skiers of advanced and/or even expert abilities don't either. But at the time in the 80's when rear entries were the dominant choice, they worked and worked quite well for so many skiers of all abilities.
I understand the critics notion of a bit of a disconnect between foot and ski. But still tons of recreationals used them and tons of really good recreational skiers used them and did so successfully for years. Most (even if many were uneducated) loved the convenience of getting them on and off and also most found them more comfortable over all. And so....right, wrong, or indifferent, they worked , and they worked well for years for many skiers, and they were liked, and now (by very many) are still missed.
I know they worked for me back in my younger days. I charged hard in those boots many times on my old 205cm straights for very many years. In fact Im embarrassed to say just how long I still used them but it wasn't at all long ago.lol
But was it really necessary they stopped them? did egos simply take over? was it almost an injustice that they stopped producing them? manufacturers must have loved producing them when they were the newest hotcakes and right or wrong must have also loved going away from them again in order to then resell everyone out of them and into a new pair of 4buckles.
So very many still miss these boots, didn't really need more than them as they did work very well for a number of years and frankly people loved the comfort and convenience. So would they, could they return? would they sell? or would the pros have to use them in order to be accepted? With todays more modern tech and materials they should work even better than they did back then. And maybe they still would never be what the race pro truly wants but for most recreational players (even higher skilled ones) they would imo still work as good and probably even better than hey did when they worked for so many people back then.
What say you all?
I did search the forums for such a topic but came up with little. A different thread where it was mentioned sparked my curiosity and so here goes.
Anyone old enough remembers rear entry and probably used them while they did own something like 80% of sales for part or most a decade. From any info I collectively gather its demise came from the top racers and professionals most of whom were not a fan. But if not mistaken there were some who did use them from namely Solomon who at the time seemed to get it right. But like golf and or a number of other things the masses want what the pros are using whether or not its necessarily so much better for them or not or necessary . And so the rear entry boot candle burnt bright but fast (relatively speaking).
But just about anywhere you can find any info and opinions you also find so very many wishing they were still around. Imo most the general masses of recreational skiers do not ski anywhere near the level of pro racers. And even those recreational skiers of advanced and/or even expert abilities don't either. But at the time in the 80's when rear entries were the dominant choice, they worked and worked quite well for so many skiers of all abilities.
I understand the critics notion of a bit of a disconnect between foot and ski. But still tons of recreationals used them and tons of really good recreational skiers used them and did so successfully for years. Most (even if many were uneducated) loved the convenience of getting them on and off and also most found them more comfortable over all. And so....right, wrong, or indifferent, they worked , and they worked well for years for many skiers, and they were liked, and now (by very many) are still missed.
I know they worked for me back in my younger days. I charged hard in those boots many times on my old 205cm straights for very many years. In fact Im embarrassed to say just how long I still used them but it wasn't at all long ago.lol
But was it really necessary they stopped them? did egos simply take over? was it almost an injustice that they stopped producing them? manufacturers must have loved producing them when they were the newest hotcakes and right or wrong must have also loved going away from them again in order to then resell everyone out of them and into a new pair of 4buckles.
So very many still miss these boots, didn't really need more than them as they did work very well for a number of years and frankly people loved the comfort and convenience. So would they, could they return? would they sell? or would the pros have to use them in order to be accepted? With todays more modern tech and materials they should work even better than they did back then. And maybe they still would never be what the race pro truly wants but for most recreational players (even higher skilled ones) they would imo still work as good and probably even better than hey did when they worked for so many people back then.
What say you all?