Lange Soft Inside

Remember the first sexy Lange Girl poster from 1970, called Soft Inside?  It was at the beginning of a long series of memorable Lange Girl posters, which came out every season.

What baby boomer skier doesn’t remember the Soft Inside poster hanging in the local ski shop?  That was before they had to be taken down, due to the threats of sexual harassment law suits, according to info from a ski shop insurance agent, Jake Hoeschler.  Fortunately, Skiing Magazine, and other ski related magazines, sold this poster to skiers for $1 in the early 70′s.  These of course got hung in dorm rooms, garages, and basements.

Now let’s be honest -Soft Inside?  The Lange ski boots were anything but Soft Inside!  They hurt like hell!  It’s no wonder the marketing team pared a bold face lie with a gorgeous model!

Poster of Soft Inside Lange Boots

Because these new plastic ski boots were so cool and high tech, everyone put up with the pain. Including saps like me!

Remember the famous “Lange Bang“?  Everyone who wore these can remember bruising or ‘banging’ their shins with the hard Lange liners.  ‘After ski boots’ were never so popular!  Personally I wonder why Bob Lange wasn’t sued for false advertising.  Maybe it’s because all of us were so seduced by the Lange Girls, plus we hoped to be the ‘coolest’ skiers on the slopes with our new shinny plastic boots.

Click to View/Purchase our Lange Boots

Additionally I must admit that they really helped the skier have a whole new advantage in ‘edge control’.  Therefore, they were used by the famous skiers like Jean Claude Killy.  So all of us as young skiers just acknowledged that it was worth it to suck up the pain, because we skied way better than our peers who were still in the leather boots.

I think the painfully hard Lange boots were that the reason for the creation of the thick padded socks, with inch of foam around the shin area and top of the boots.  I was too cool to wear those socks, but my mom had them and they are still in my collection.

I had the Lange Comp with the yellow liner, which I thought was the coolest color, especially since I had my black Head skis with the yellow bottoms.  What color were your liners?  And I’d love to hear anything you have to say about these boots and posters.

Pray for snow!

Free Sticker For Your Ski Story!

Let’s Pray for Snow to Ullr!
Ullr is called the ‘Patron Saint of Skiers‘. Ullr is the mythical Norse God of Winter who enjoyed the cold weather and loved traveling throughout the land, gliding along on his skis or snowshoes. He was, in fact, unbeatable on skis, never losing a race. Some believe the Aurora Borealis is the snow flying off the tail of his skis. In Germanic mythology Ullr is the main ski god of the 19th and 20th century. His character helped to establish a feeling of common identity among skiing pioneers in Norway and Central Europe, who prayed to him to ensure the earth would be covered with snow, protecting it from winter’s harm. In the United States, ski towns throw parties and parades in his honor.

Tell us your favorite ‘ski story’ and and we will send you a free Ullr Sticker for your skis, helmet or car. Please call or email us with your address so we can send you your Free Sticker or purchase our Ullr Magnet. Let it snow!

Happy New Year from Vintage Ski World

Snow Covered Mount Sopris, located right outside of Carbondale CO.

May all have a wonderful Happy New Year! This photo is what we see outside of our office window! Plus we are lucky enough to see many more beautiful mountains, including Mount Daily, Capitol Peak and the tops of the Maroon Bells!
Here’s to an awesome 2012 and a spectacular Ski Season!

Happy Holiday’s From Vintage Ski World!

We (Richard Allen and Mary Roland) at Vintage Ski World, wish you a Happy Holiday Season and a Merry Christmas.  Thank You for all of your support this year in visiting our site and shopping our web-store.

May you get a chance this ski season, to get out to the slopes and enjoy yourself!

This is our first Blog.  We are excited about the possibilities of how we can communicate with you.  Let us know ways that we can serve you better.  Please share your Holiday ski stories from the past and present, especially the stories that have enlivened your passion for skiing or snowboarding.

We also welcome your questions or comments about the history of skiing.