My best friend Annie came up to visit for the weekend and she brought along her "Cosmic Christie" skis (as she calls them). This pair of Peltonen Cosmos was my very first pair of skate skis. In fact, it was my very first pair of Nordic skis. When I was done with them, I passed them along to Annie, because there's no better way to spread the joy than to pass your first skis to another Nordic virgin.
When Annie pulled the Cosmics out of the car, I took one look at the bases and informed her that there was no way in hell I was letting her ski on them. The bases were completely mangled, totally white from going many years without wax AND they were starting to de-laminate.
I made Annie swap skis with me and that gave me a chance to ski on the old Cosmos. Blast from the past! They were clunky, slow and as flexy as buttered noodles, but I loved every minute on them. Call me nostalgic, but the skis that made me fall I in love with skiing will always hold a special place in my heart.
Granted, I'm not itching to race on them (skiing them was like weight lifting--all muscle), but they brought back some good memories. Skiing the old Cosmos on a sunny day with my BFF and my hubby? Life doesn't get any better than this!
These were the thoughts on my mind when, back at the trailhead, Annie, Dave and I ran into Nancy Harris and her husband John. Nancy had enjoyed a marvelous ski on the most beautiful skis I'd seen on the Grand Mesa all day.
Nancy's wooden Head skis were made in Norway and purchased in Gunnison, Co in 1973 for $50, new. Instead of wax, she buffs them with graphite.
Do you have a favorite pair of old-school skis? Do you still have a soft spot for your first pair of Nordic boards? Tell me about them. Post your comment below, or email your story and photos to me at: grandmesanordic@gmail.com. I'll post all stories and photos here.
--Christie
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