From the skin, the ski business can generally appear a bit cutthroat, with huge cash making selections that have an effect on all of us: mega-resort companies ruling ticket gross sales, huge tech cash getting concerned on a whim, and elitist, exclusionary insurance policies and pricing defining the truth of many mountain cities. That is perhaps true in lots of instances, however in different corners of the business, the expertise nonetheless seems like being a part of an enormous household. In spite of everything, most of us are in it for a similar purpose: having fun with the one-of-a-kind feeling of sliding round on snow.Wanting again by way of the POWDER archives, a number of extremely-long-lasting relationships caught our eye, that’s, the manufacturers which have been concerned with and supported POWDER for many years. Whether or not it was shopping for advert house to point out off their newest wares, sponsoring athletes which have lengthy graced the covers and inside pages of the journal, or supporting the Skier’s Journal in myriad different methods, these manufacturers have been part of our actuality for so long as we are able to keep in mind. Cheers to that!
This piece is a part of POWDER’s Summer season of Ski Nostalgia content material collection. Keep tuned in day by day for extra nostalgic articles.You can too view all of POWDER’s summer season nostalgia content material right here.Need to sustain with the perfect tales and photographs in snowboarding? Subscribe to the brand new Powder To The Folks publication for weekly updates.
POWDER Journal Vol&interval; 1, Challenge 1 (1972)&interval;
Olympia Beer
Wanting into the pages of the inaugural concern of POWDER, 1972’s Vol. 1/Iss. 1, there was a single third-party commercial printed, and it was an absolute doozy. The Olympia Brewing Firm supplied a number of the most interesting advert artistic I’ve ever seen for a ski journal, and I can solely think about saved the thirsts of the unique POWDER Journal employees satiated. Olympia continued to help POWDER for years to observe, earlier than finally being purchased out by one other beverage model completely iconic to snowboarding: the Pabst Brewing Firm.
POWDER Journal Vol&interval; 28, Challenge 4 (1999)
The Skier’s Edge
Maybe one of many sillier-looking devices to return by way of the pages of the journal, The Skier’s Edge has been round for many years, and the model has lengthy been a supporter. What’s it, you might ask? Within the 90s and early aughts, The Skier’s Edge was a well-liked ski coaching and conditioning gadget that mimicked the lateral motion present in snowboarding. In 1999, we even included it in our Vacation Present Information with fairly the outline: the gadget would make learners intermediates, turns intermediates to consultants, and produce consultants to ecstasy!
POWDER Journal Vol&interval; 12, Challenge 4 (1983)
Smith Optics
Eyewear is as a lot part of snowboarding as are the boots and skis on our ft. Maybe greater than every other piece of substances, goggles and glasses are the last word style image, and quintessential American optics model Smith has been on the forefront the sport since Day 1. Showing within the pages of POWDER way back to the early ’80s, a few of Smith’s ads performed proper to the core of our tradition: Absurdly deep powder, excessive traces, and LOUD seems. Not a lot has modified to today.
POWDER Journal Vol&interval; 15, Challenge 1 (1986)
Atomic Skis
Maybe one of the crucial recognizable manufacturers in snowboarding, Atomic first confirmed up in POWDER someday within the mid ’80s, showcasing what they have been most recognized for again then: ski racing. It is humorous to suppose that the manufacturers advertising and marketing technique again then was to point out off maybe the least accessible skis they make, extraordinarily stiff and lengthy World Cup-caliber racing skis. Hey, that ARC moniker continues to be round right this moment, so possibly it did repay. Seems they rapidly modified to promoting a lot cooler merchandise, like the unique fats ski: the POWDER Magic.
POWDER Journal Vol&interval; 12, Challenge 1 (1983)
Hanson Industries
I’ve by no means skied on Hanson boots, and sure by no means will, however loads of early POWDER readers actually did, due to their prolific presence within the pages of the journal. Among the many first makers of plastic ski boots, Hanson was maybe finest often known as the inventor of the rear-entry ski boot, dominating the market till a number of enterprise errors led to the corporate shutting down in 1984. Founder Denny Hanson finally went on to create a brand new ski boot model: Apex Ski Boots.
POWDER Journal Vol&interval; 5, Challenge 1 (1976)
Dynafit
Here is one other blast from the previous: Dynafit Boots was an early advertiser in POWDER, lengthy earlier than they cemented themselves because the ski touring model. Again within the day, Dynafit principally made alpine racing boots, showcasing a number of the highest-performing plastic boots of the late ’70s on the ft of Austrian downhill legend Franz Klammer. The model has gone by way of numerous lives, together with it is shift to backcountry snowboarding after the introduction of Fritz Barthel’s Low Tech binding within the 90s, and a full re-launch in 2005, ushering within the period of contemporary ski touring.
