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  1. #1
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    Bill Briggs' skis

    Was in the GTNP visitor center in Moose today, had to pay my respect to the climbing corner, and thought some might enjoy seeing even a shitty picture of these boards.





    Sorry about the crappy iPhone pics, i'll try to get the better camera there soon, or if anybody else does before me feel free to add!

    edit: yep, Spademans on the Grand. Didn't their used to be different colors of springs for those, or am i confusing them with another plate binding?
    Also note the 3/8"x5/8" bar stock epoxied onto the topsheets to apparently add stiffness. You takin notes Splat?
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    Last edited by Tye 1on; 04-06-2010 at 04:04 PM.
    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  2. #2
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    I can't even see the "crappy iPhone pics"...

  3. #3
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    ruh roh, back in a sec

    edit: fixed, i hope.
    [fkn jong ]
    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  4. #4
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    Sweet! Thanks.
    Last edited by Tunco; 04-06-2010 at 03:58 PM.

  5. #5
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    My dad had/has the same poles.

  6. #6
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    Did he ski the Grand on those? Spademan binders holy shit, no toepiece just an AFD. Wow.

  7. #7
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    cool skis, that picture of the tracks he left on the Grand Teton is badass


  8. #8
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    congrats on being the oldest person on the TGR forums

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schnappi View Post
    My dad had/has the same poles.
    I had them, too. (Probably weren't too many choices, then!)

    Just noticed the Spademan's too. Never used them, but we used to mount them. A real pain in the ass, because you had to bondo the cutout in the boot sole, so the plate would sit square. Seemed like a good idea though, but we always thought they were ghey.... not anymore.

    Thx for posting Tye.
    Last edited by BigDaddy; 04-06-2010 at 04:00 PM.
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddy View Post
    I had them, too. (Probably weren't too many choices, then!)

    Just noticed the Spademan's too. Never used them, but we used to mount them. A real pain in the ass, because you had to bondo the cutout in the boot sole, so the plate would sit square. Seemed like a good idea though, but we always thought they were ghey.... not anymore.
    He also had/has Spademans.

  11. #11
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    are those a&t poles? i scored a pair of those in titanium. they have the same red white blue stickers on them

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schnappi View Post
    He also had/has Spademans.
    I guess they worked.

    Quote Originally Posted by smuggs View Post
    are those a&t poles? i scored a pair of those in titanium. they have the same red white blue stickers on them
    Pretty sure they're Scott poles.

    What are the skis, though? They look like Yamaha or Hart, perhaps?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tye 1on View Post
    Didn't their used to be different colors of springs for those, or am i confusing them with another plate binding?
    I think they had a silver and a gold. There were a couple other plate binders... Besser and Cubco. Both of those had toe pieces.
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  13. #13
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    Isn't that a Scott logo on those poles?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddy View Post
    I guess they worked.



    Pretty sure they're Scott poles.

    What are the skis, though? They look like Yamaha or Hart, perhaps?



    I think they had a silver and a gold. There were a couple other plate binders... Besser and Cubco. Both of those had toe pieces.
    Thinking Hart. Great wildsnow bio here. I'll check next time i'm over there.

    Silver and gold rings a bell, and those look silver?
    [i had some americana's, the crappy plate binding as opposed to those good ones you mention...;, and they had a toe piece that the plate fit in to also)]
    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  15. #15
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    Americana's... I remember them. I think I put those on my mother's skis.

    Just found this pic of Briggs hiking with his skis. Those must be 220 cm's!!!:

    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  16. #16
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    His segment in Steep is awesome. Such a mellow dude, so humble.

  17. #17
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    When I saw those skis in the visitors center I said to myself, "I would even ski down 'Homerun' at Loveland on them." You can't help but feel humbled to see what Brigger skied the Grand on...
    "True love is much easier to find with a helicopter"

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddy View Post
    I had them, too. (Probably weren't too many choices, then!)

    Just noticed the Spademan's too. Never used them, but we used to mount them. A real pain in the ass, because you had to bondo the cutout in the boot sole, so the plate would sit square. Seemed like a good idea though, but we always thought they were ghey.... not anymore.

    Thx for posting Tye.
    Wow ..Big Daddy...you are old like me!!! I remember Bondo on the boots too...good times. I'll bet you remember cutting notches in boots for the Marker Simplex toe piece too!!

    Skiing in the Spademan is one thing, but getting into them on top of the Grand is another!!

    If the plate on the boot had good purchase, they actually held pretty good, and they also allowed for ski flex since there was no toe. It was the rental binding of choice for a number of ski areas in the 70's, since all boots would fit all skis.

    Back to Bill.....pretty fkn awesome accomplishment...I'm pissed that I missed his induction ceremony into The National Ski Hall Of Fame. Only 15 miles from me, but I was out of town.
    The coefficent of desireability is inversly proportionate to the degree of availability.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1wsguy View Post
    Wow ..Big Daddy...you are old like me!!! I remember Bondo on the boots too...good times. I'll bet you remember cutting notches in boots for the Marker Simplex toe piece too!!
    Yes, I remember the Marker Simplex toes... fun stuff. I think the Tyrolia's also had to have a notch, but you're right, I'm old and that was a long time ago! The old Marker Rotomats were the rage, but what a pain when you blew out of the heels! Funny thing is, in that era, I think the hot setup was Spademans on Hexcels with Hanson boots... and if you were really cool, jetstix!
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  20. #20
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    ^^ I was thinking Hexcel split tails with the blue and orange Scott boots.

  21. #21
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    Vernon Valley in NJ had a whole rental fleet of Spademan's. I think I was on cubcos at the time. That or my first solly 444's and hanson avantis.
    While we're getting all retro, remember these knee tweekers?
    Quote Originally Posted by ilovetoskiatalta View Post
    Dude its losers like you that give ski bums a bad rap.

  22. #22
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    Holy shit, Knee Boots. What were they thinking?

  23. #23
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    I've seen those. Besides the bindings the thing that blew my mind were the strips of metal glued down the middle of the tops.

    Quote Originally Posted by meatspicy View Post
    congrats on being the oldest person on the TGR forums
    Not even close.

  24. #24
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    Was in the Coach tonight having a couple of beers and Bill started carrying in his mic stands and PA's for his 2500++'th gig on Sundays, and got off my ass to help him load in the gear. Half hour later he was taking a break and i got to say hi and chat, about his skis.

    He glued aluminum bar stock, around 3/8" square, with what was considered a high-tech glue to the top sheet of the K2 skis. Tonight he described it as a 'viscous adhesive'. That he had skied with and taught an engineer from 3M who was coincidentally working with an adhesive for skyscraper construction, which would moderate the lateral forces when skyscrapers sway. Bill thought that using it to glue the rails down dampened the skis, like stiffening them , but while keeping them able to turn well. He said they were his go to skis.

    Bill said this was the plate and viscous adhesive concept that turned in to the Rossi VAS system, and others. He wasn't interested in claiming any 'credit', just pointing out design similarities.

    I asked him about the Spademan bindings, whether he had bought the stronger springs, gold vs silver if i remember correctly. He said he hadn't bought the stronger springs, just 'turned the adjustment knob to it's strongest setting'. And that he fixed a bungee cord/strap over each spring. To hold it down from moving up and releasing the binding.

    So, I had to ask...you basically had them set to not release at all....even in a big fall? No, he said, even in a big fall I don't want to lose my tools...my skis.
    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schnappi View Post
    My dad had/has the same poles.
    I do to, but I'm not your dad ;-)

    Such a humble fellow ...
    Quote Originally Posted by Tye 1on View Post
    Was in the Coach tonight having a couple of beers and Bill started carrying in his mic stands and PA's for his 2500++'th gig on Sundays, and got off my ass to help him load in the gear. Half hour later he was taking a break and i got to say hi and chat, about his skis.

    He glued aluminum bar stock, around 3/8" square, with what was considered a high-tech glue to the top sheet of the K2 skis. Tonight he described it as a 'viscous adhesive'. That he had skied with and taught an engineer from 3M who was coincidentally working with an adhesive for skyscraper construction, which would moderate the lateral forces when skyscrapers sway. Bill thought that using it to glue the rails down dampened the skis, like stiffening them , but while keeping them able to turn well. He said they were his go to skis.

    Bill said this was the plate and viscous adhesive concept that turned in to the Rossi VAS system, and others. He wasn't interested in claiming any 'credit', just pointing out design similarities.

    I asked him about the Spademan bindings, whether he had bought the stronger springs, gold vs silver if i remember correctly. He said he hadn't bought the stronger springs, just 'turned the adjustment knob to it's strongest setting'. And that he fixed a bungee cord/strap over each spring. To hold it down from moving up and releasing the binding.

    So, I had to ask...you basically had them set to not release at all....even in a big fall? No, he said, even in a big fall I don't want to lose my tools...my skis.
    ... Thom
    Galibier Design
    crafting technology in service of music

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