16 years of yellow 997 service

[ill-advised strategy]

I got my first pair of yellow 997's when I was a senior in high school in Michigan.

They have been on my favorite pair of skis every season since then.

I have clicked into that same exact pair of bindings at the top of the Michigan State Finals for high school racing and at the top of Mogul comps on my Elan 203 MBX R5's, my first season of Crested Butte on 210 K2 TNC's that I kept skiing even after one of the topsheets was gone and the other tail was screwed together with a 3/8 nut and bolt. My first IFSA event on 206 Atomic Arc RS's, to my first pair of every day short fat skis: 196 Salomon X-mountains in Taos. Then they were old bindings....They went on my lower mileage most special skis for the best days: always on my pow day skis, 200 Hart Outbacks, to 195 AK launchers, to Spatulas....and back on my every day skis for a season: 185 Pocket Rockets. Now that same pair of bindings has been on my Fatypus Alottas for 3 seasons.

The yellow paint is gone from a lot of the metal. The screws are worn down, the AFD's have been replaced. I haven't turned the DIN adjustment from 11 at the toe and 13 at the heel for probably a few hundred days of skiing them.

They let me go a nanosecond before my knee goes every time, and they never spit me out early.

I honestly think I may still be on these for another 16 years.

Anybody else have a piece of gear like this?

[deadwood]

I still get a handful of days a season out of my 210 TNCs I've been riding since my first season in squaw 91/92. I think I want to be buried with those skis.

[InspectorGadget]

The only thing I've had that long and use regularly is Mrs. Gadget.


I have a pair of yellow 997s mounted to some big Salomon race skis if you want a back-up pair. They're listed in Gear Swap.




I'm going to get in trouble for my Mrs. Gadget comment.

[lobstahmeatwad]

I have a pair of rossi poles that are my girlfreinds fathers. He used to work for ski utah back in the day. 'Worldwide powder tester', I think is what his job title was.-bastard
7 seasons strong with myself at the helm and they have been to more countries than I could hope to visit in a lifetime.
They are dead straight and heavy gauge Aluminum.
They are well over 30 years old.

[jfost]

I have a pair of rossi poles that are my girlfreinds fathers. ...

what you think I'm stupid? My dad's not a ski pole... duh.

[gramboh]

I only had the kid version, the 877 in that era, but I've been using metal S900's on my main skis since 1997 so about 12 seasons, still going strong, 90's Salomon metal bindings are awesome.

[montanagirl]

Sounds like they need to attend a longboard day party! Skis with awesome memories are the best and need to be kept forever- for me it is the 204 GSRace. I'm jealous you can still make turns with yours, mine are just memories hanging on the wall now.

[Velillen]

not skis or anything really cool but i've had the same poles for probably close to 10 years now. Got them for like 10-15 bucks...some Rossi poles that were way to big for me as a 12-13 year old but they have survived season after season as my go to poles. Now they see resort skiing mostly as i got some BD fliklock poles for touring. I've just been surprised how much abuse i've given those poles and yet they are still mostly straight and just paint is chipped.

Then again i dont overly abuse my gear like some people do so even my 8 year old solly skis are in pretty good shape

[Snow Dog]

I bought some Volkl Snow Rangers with 997s a couple of years ago for $75. A very good deal and a nice early season setup.

[meatdrink9]

997's are nothing short of amazing. I think I have about 8 pairs stockpiled now. I've broken countless other bindings, but never a 997.

[NSOutWest]

A dirty old pair of Head kid's skis, don't know the model. 147cm long, they stayed under me and taught me how to ski. Near the end, the edges were nearly gone, the bottoms looked like shit and they were nearly dead, but I'll still take em out for a joke once in a while.

[Moss-Back]

When I graduated college in '90, I bought a set of neon-rainbow Look Z Racings.
They replaced 13-yr-old, trusty but deteriorated Look N77's (now mounted on LBD-spec 210cm Elan Comprex S).

Z's served front-line duty until 2005.

They are now mounted on 1st-Gen 190 Exploders, for full retina-scorching DayGlo steeze.

Love those turntables.


.

[FJ62]

I still use the same neon green Scott WC poles that I purchased in high school. I'm 35 now. Paint lost its day glo magic but the poles are just fine.

[Ted Striker]

neon-rainbow Look Z Racings.
They replaced 13-yr-old, trusty but deteriorated Look N77's

Me too. Wish I still had 'em.

[mmmthmtskier]

I still use the same neon green Scott WC poles that I purchased in high school. I'm 35 now. Paint lost its day glo magic but the poles are just fine.

x2, but the old black ones. Had 'em for the past 24 years...

[CaddyDaddy77]

Most prized is a set of late 70's early 80's Scott Grips that have a really wide leather strap that has been emulated but never duplicated again. It has preforated holes throughout and uses a two bucle clasp to lock it in. I think I've had it on three sets of Scott WC poles and my average length is about 5-6 years. I've got them on a set of Scott WC GS poles with big baskets and they are actually a little more favored than some of the low totem skis.

Still got a set of the yellow 917's on a set of 200cm Volkl G-40's, I don't have as an elaborate of a story but I think I've had them for a good 10-12 years now.

Good clamps are good clamps.

[AltaAndy]

Not close to 16 years of service, but I have a sidewinder sv jacket that I have skied in for several hundred days over 8 1/2 seasons. Expensive when I bought it, excellent value looking back on it.

16 years in the same bindings is impressive

[ill-advised strategy]

I honestly think I may still be on these for another 16 years.

Anybody else have a piece of gear like this?

6 years from the start of this thread, still clicked into these for pow days this past year. Still trust them implicitly. It's getting to the point where these Salomons are on a short list of the things I've owned the longest in my whole life. Now that's a good binding.

[Buster Highmen]

I skied Marker rotomats with simplex dl toes from 1969 until well into the 90s. Loved that setup.
I'm still driving the 99 Audi A4 2.8 avant with 199k on it; same car in which I brought my kids home from the hospital.