Category Columns

It was his laugh that I remember best. It was loud, raucous, raw, and unique. Whether in a busy bar or a crowded room, when you heard that laugh you knew Ken Strong was there. Ken passed away on April… Continue Reading →

I’m back for another season of skiing memories and nostalgia. When I left off last season I had shared the hope that this season might offer a closer return to “normal”. However it’s shaping up to be anything but normal… Continue Reading →

As we face a second ski season dealing with COVID-19, it’s a good time to reflect back on past seasons. Enjoy the nostalgia and memories of the way skiing was. For newcomers you’re invited to take the Retro-Skier Test! Weekly… Continue Reading →

Lots of action on last week’s trivia question! The warming hut near the top of Big Spruce was called the Lookout. Bill “Shakey” Hays was one of the first to answer. “It was variously known as “The Outlook” and “The… Continue Reading →

Last week’s trivia question asked who invented the first step-in ski binding. There are two primary contenders, Mitch Cubberley and Earl Miller. I’ve written about Cubberley and his Cubco binding in the past so this week’s column is about Earl… Continue Reading →

With all this at-home time I’ve been watching more movies, both old and new. One of those was “Downhill Racer” which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. It actually came out in late 1969, but most of us didn’t… Continue Reading →

So who invented the first release ski binding? A Norwegian immigrant living in Oregon, Hjalmar Hvam, was recovering from a broken leg as the result of a skiing accident. It wasn’t his first! Frustrated, he decided to design a binding… Continue Reading →

If we compare the skiing experience from the RetroSki days to today, one of the big differences is the amount of technology we see on the slopes. Tickets are scanned, runs are tracked, and then there are the ubiquitous cell… Continue Reading →

What are you doing this Saint Patrick’s Day? For 45 years here in Stowe the answer to that question usually was “we’re going to McCarthy’s!” This will be the first Saint Patrick’s Day since McCarthy’s closed last fall so this… Continue Reading →

Stu Campbell was born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. We’ll still claim Stu as a Vermonter since the family moved to Bennington when Stu was three years old. He learned to ski at nearby areas such as Bromley, Snow… Continue Reading →