Object Record
Images
Metadata
Accession number |
2023.3 |
Catalog date |
2023-07-06 |
Collection |
Colorado Snowsports Museum |
Date |
circa 1990s |
Description |
S Ski Aspen, Performer S-87 skis (designed in Aspen - made in Austria), Black with gold and pink details, Salomon 997 Carbon bindings mounted on each ski |
Dimensions |
L-72 inches |
Inventoried date |
2023-07-25 |
Catalog Number |
2023.3.1a,b |
Provenance |
These skis were gifted to the Museum by Liane and Robert Clasen in 2022 and accessioned in 2023. In the 1990s, Liane and her husband were early investors in the first parabolic ski. It was designed by a Bulgarian ski instructor from Aspen (he had been an engineer before coming to the U.S. and becoming a ski instructor). As he told the story, he would teach the same people, often from Florida or Texas, year after year, for their one week ski trip and every year he would go back to the same things with them. Apparently he had an ‘aha’ moment when he realized that if he could design a parabolic ski, it would make it much easier to turn and his students could make real progress in their skiing skills. So, that’s how it came to be. Of course, soon all the other ski manufacturing companies caught on and began making their own parabolic skis. It was impossible to patent the S Ski in a way that would protect it from copycats, because the shape only had to be adjusted by fractions of an inch to protect other manufacturers from patent infringement. Liane also explained that only 500 of these skis were made in the 1990s and that they didn't sell well in Vail - as the word "Aspen" is prominently on the skis. |
Year Range from |
1990 |
Year Range to |
1999 |
Object Name |
Ski, Snow |