One Skiers 54 Years of Slalom Skis

[JonB]

 

In 1968 started skiing on a old wood Northland on the Mississippi River. My buddy had the Northland Shark. We were very cool.

 

In 1970, I saw a picture of some guy named Mike Suyderhoud skiing on a nice looking O'Brien ski. Wrote a note, with a bunch of stupid questions, to the O'Brien company and received a hand written reply from Herb. Bought the wood O'Brien the next day.

 

Around 1973, read an article about ski maker Wally Burr. He said that his employee Pat Connelly would some day make the best fiberglass skis. So I wrote another note, asking stupid questions to the Connelly company, mentioning the article. Received a nice hand written note from Pat Connelly asking if I still had the article. Sent it to him and received a personal thank you reply from Pat. Bought the fiberglass Connelly Super Glass Hook the next day. You couldn't get any cooler than that!

 

In 1974 bought an old wood Century as our ski boat. Wakes were horrible but we didn't care. I loved that Hook. Skied on it for over 30 years and was so comfortable with it. Again, we were the coolest dudes on the Mississippi River.

 

Then somewhere around 2006, some guy named Jamie Beauchesne was making skiing look easy on his Connelly. Didn't send any notes this time but did go out and buy a graphite Connelly FX1. Didn't improve my skiing but that yellow stick was super cool.

 

In 2008 I took the FX1 to Ski Paradise. My first time in a real course. Didn't even know who the guest pro's were, only to find out they were Trent F. and Marcus B. (on his first trip with Jenny L.) You can't get any luckier than that! Trent and Marcus were able to get me thru 5 buoys - 30 mph at 15 off. I was in seventh heaven.

 

In 2010 we were skiing behind a small Boston Whaler. I bought the wider Connelly FX to make it a little easier skiing behind the lower horsepower boat. Took that FX to McCormick's in Seffner, FL. and made all 6 buoys - 30 mph at 15 off. Damn I was cool again.

 

2022, after reading Horton's reviews and comments about the new carbon skis, I pulled the plug and ordered the Connelly Carbon V. Looking forward to trying it out this weekend.

 

It was fun to get all the skis in one room and to think about all the changes in construction, bindings and design. Not to mention the 54 years of skiing memories.

 

 

[Cooper_Trelawney]

My first fiberglass ski was the Connelly Super Glass Hook like in your collection there. If yours has a yellow bottom, they are identical. I just wish I had kept mine. Great collection of skis there!

[BKistler]

Great post. Great memories. I have some upcoming episodes of The River Rat Remembers dealing with the evolution of my skis and one about the late Donnie Blank who skied the hell out of a Northland Shark.

[75Tique]

Another skier's (coincidentally) 54 years of skis, tho I dont have as good a story to go with mine.

 

[ReallyGottaSki]

Thanks for sharing, cool stories!

Incidently i'm skiing on one of Jamie's old sticks, looks to be a 2006

Enjoy your new V!