Dedicated followers of nostalgic skiing fashion

Skiing ain’t what it used to be! In the days of long, unwieldy wooden skis with unforgiving bindings, and leather boots, skiers needed skill to reach the bottom of a slope in one piece. These days, put a bit of weight on one ski and you can perform a graceful curve – and if it goes wrong, click, the binding opens and no harm is done.

When the Nostalgie Skiers get together, with their ancient equipment, it’s not just about getting to the bottom of the slope. It’s a catwalk where the models strut their stuff  – it is important to look the part. For a couple of hours before the racing, the skiers get together, not only to gossip but also to admire each other’s rig.

Goggles are an important accessory for every hat wearer

No glitzy or neon coloured anoraks here: leather and wool, the occasional furs, wood and metal for the bindings – skiing in the old days was a feast of natural materials. Accessories include faded canvas rucksacks, string.shod wood-frame snowshoes, enormous safety pins for attaching woolly mittens, and black-glass goggles, usually worn on the hat.

The only class distinctions seem to be those who ski on wood skis with metal edges to help cut a path round the bends, and those who like take their chances on even older skis with unsullied wooden bases. Then there are those who prefer using a single long wooden pole to help lever themselves round the bends, and those who use the “modern” two-pole technique.

Foot and leg-wear fashions

Among the racers in Embach this year was a small contingent of followers of ski pioneer Mathias Zdarsky who in the 19^th Century developed bindings for steep and slalom runs and is considered to have been the first ski instructor. He even appeared on an Austrian postage stamp. These skiers, from his home town of Traisen, follow his style to the letter – including skiing in white shirt and black tie and using bindings modelled on Zdarsky’s originals.

 

The Zdarsky-style skiers from Traisen

…Oh yes – they did all race down the Embach hill…and survived in one piece despite a couple of tumbles. The women were particularly disadvantaged by the strong winds and presented a stylish view of the past with their long skirts and petticoats billowing.