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captain chaos
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2012 - 01:49am PT
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Yes Werner, I remember that day... the snow had a purple haze glow- great day, we need to do that again one of these dayzzz...
Hope your well, tu hermano- Craig
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Feb 12, 2012 - 05:19pm PT
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This is a fabulous thread-Thanks to everyone for sharing
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zBrown
Ice climber
Chula Vista, CA
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Feb 12, 2012 - 08:28pm PT
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Kweskin Jug Band may be a bit before your time, but
Jim Kweskin: Are you ready, Ski King? [sic]
Fritz Richmond: Let it happen, cap'n!
You certainly have let it happen, what a great tribute you have created to your best friend.
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 12, 2012 - 08:49pm PT
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And there was Charlie Row who hit 148.2 mph in 97.
Charlie was big time climber here.
FA Zenyatta Mondatta, with Bridwell and Mayfield.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Chula Vista, CA
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Feb 14, 2012 - 12:42am PT
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From what I read, the SS record set in 1997 was 151 mph, so I would say that in addition to being a climber, Charlie was a helluva fast skier. While it doesn't match the increase in speed of climbing the nose over the years, the trail from 106 (1963, Dorworth) to 125 (1982, McKinney) to 151 (1997, Billy) is very impressive.
In 1987 Steve set his last world speed skiing record of 209.790 km/h (130.4 mph), the fastest speed he had ever recorded in competition which was surpassed later that year by Michel Prufer @217.008.
As of April 29, 2005, there were 328 speed skiers who had skied faster than 200 km/h.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Feb 29, 2012 - 02:53pm PT
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Purple microdot in those conditions? yeow! I took that stuff once before I mowed the lawn and I had black snakes coming out of the grass crawling up my legs....talk about some crazy sh*t. I don't think I'd have gotten out of the gondola.
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VikingsLars
Mountain climber
CT
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Aug 21, 2013 - 10:59am PT
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I never met Steve, but I did have an interesting Tahoe experience relating to him back in the winter of 92-93 when I first arrived in Tahoe to be a ski bum. It was around Christmas and I hadn't found a place to live yet, but I had gotten a job at Squaw and was living out of my van in the parking lot at Squaw. We had just had a storm that dumped over 7 feet and the temperatures were plunging to around zero at night, so staying warm was next to impossible and trying to sleep while worried about freezing to death was difficult. After work, I spent as much time as possible at that peanut bar that was mentioned by an earlier poster, mostly to stay warm, but also for the free peanuts (dinner) and the 2 dollar pitchers whenever the blue light turned on. It was really cool how everyone was so friendly and tried to help the newbies as much as possible. One such person was a girl who took pity on my sleeping situation and said I could sleep at her place that night. Her place was a beautiful rustic ski lodge right across the road from the parking lot at Squaw. The first thing I noticed when I entered the living room was a very long old pair of skis leaning against the wall. She told me they were Steve McKinney's and asked me if I knew who he was. I did because I had read an article about him and speed skiing in one of the ski magazines when he broke the 200 kph barrier. That article had made a great impression on me. I think she told me that the skis I was looking at were the ones he used to break that record. I also had heard he had died, but I didn't know how (I assumed it was a ski accident). I asked her if Steve was related to Tamara McKinney. She told me that I was in her house, but she was out of town. For a wide eyed 23 year old from out East, this was pretty wild to take in. How did I get here? It was really cool and really sad about Steve all at the same time, especially when I saw his Squaw season pass from, I believe, 1989 hanging in the bathroom. I will never forget the two years I spent in Tahoe, so wild and free. The reason I looked up this thread was because I'm trying to figure out how to get into speed skiing myself. I've always loved to go fast. The closest I've been able to come to speed skiing is entering an amateur race at Jay Peak in VT where they have a speed gun. The fastest I've gone is 84 mph and it was such a rush (until I crashed). Would love to just point them without worrying about gates. I think I've finally tracked down a way to get a pair of 238's, but if anyone out there can give me some info on how to get into this sport, I would love to know, because it is next to impossible to find out anything about it on the internet. Anyways, I really enjoyed the thread and wished I could have met Steve. He seemed like a really amazing person. I never did meet any famous skiers while I was in Tahoe, except for being introduced to Craig Kelly once in a lift line and playing pool with Kevin Andrews a couple times in the peanut bar (very cool down-to-earth guy without a big attitude). But you could definitely feel the presence of legends like Steve all around you when you were there.
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steve shea
climber
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Aug 21, 2013 - 12:07pm PT
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Yup Steve was the real deal. A quick story. I think this was McKinney not sure but pretty sure.
At a press conference in Zermatt, after setting a new record in the Kilometro Lanciato, he was asked this question by a euro reporter. 'To what do you owe your success in speed events?' Steve without hesitating answered 'trout'. The reporter clearly did not understand the reference to the inspiration for Steve's design for his own helmet and leg foils. He went on to explain that he would sit by a creek and watch trout swim upstream. And got a design theory for an aerodynamic helmet from trout heads. Classic Steve as I remember.
Tamara if you are out there, all the best. We had great fun in the Rossignol days. SS
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 21, 2013 - 12:20pm PT
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The fastest I've gone is 84 mph and it was such a rush (until I crashed).
LOL
You're supposed to crash. That's how you learn.
All of us did. Huge colossal egg beaters.
I learned a ton from Steve on subtle foot work and body positions.
You have to ski with these guys and follow them and pick up the subtle things
as those are the most important to riding at high speeds and keeping off the edges which slow you down.
It's a beautiful art.
I remember the peanut bar, hilarious times .....
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Aug 21, 2013 - 12:50pm PT
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if anyone out there can give me some info on how to get into this sport, I would love to know
The single speed skiing event in N America nowadays is the Velocity Challenge, at Sun Peaks, B.C., part of the FIS Speed Ski World Cup.
2014 dates are Wednesday, March 5th to Saturday, March 8th.
You can register and run the course. There's an official "speed" category, for which you need 240's and a current FIS license. More conventional (expert) skiers with 223s and regular downhill race gear can take part in the "downhill" category. Sun Peaks resort fences off and grooms "The Big Headwall". World class speed skiers, the Origone brothers and local Kenny Dale, hit top speeds of 160-170 kph.
Registration at http://velocitychallenge.com and http://speedskiingcanada.com/
edit - this is not a commercial message... I'm an old Tod Mtn/"Sun Peaks" ski bum, who was awed by the feats of Steve McKinney and Tom Simons... breaking 200kph on acid is some ability...
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brodix
climber
Maryland
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About '65
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Some good times closing the river ranch
The piton is still there!
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DiggerOdel
Sport climber
Medfield, Ma
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Sep 13, 2014 - 10:58am PT
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I didn't know him I was an admirer. I skied and hiked my hills to ski. I was young when I saw that Eagle helmet of his. It was so cool looking to a young skier. His speed skiing exploits were like some social phenomenon that was way out there like Frank Zappa or Evil Knievel. It was hard to comprehend going that fast on skis. We would go 70 and think it was a big excitement. He broke ground and was a pioneer. He influenced me to always try to do what your heart desires. I still do as I teach my boys to ski. And I tell them about the exploits of Steve McKinney.
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vôo
climber
Denver, CO
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Oct 22, 2014 - 05:58pm PT
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Craig Calonica posted this to youtube
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Watching the video it is amazing watching how much better Steve flew when he was bolted into a pair of mountaineering skis. I think Steve was at his best when on skis.
Tips up
Remembering Catherine Freer
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Sport climber
moving thru
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Oct 22, 2014 - 06:55pm PT
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Craig, thanks! So awesome how you always remember your Bros. I watched the entire Everest video. Never have seen it before and never knew that about your best friend. Wow! and Wow!
Peace and Joy to you and your life as well as your beautiful wife and daugher. Seth watched it with me and says howdy.
If Seth hadn't had pneumonia I bet you and Seth would have beat Gary and I in the infamous tennis match. Hope life will give us a rematch. Yerian sends hugs and Smiles. We're hoping to invade your hood sooner than later.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
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Oct 22, 2014 - 07:15pm PT
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This so cool and I'm stuck on an iPhone. How chaotic izzat?
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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Oct 23, 2014 - 01:38am PT
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So awesome the achievements of that era,
I just watched the video - the height of broadcast network sports with Curt Gowdy, reminded me of Tom Brokaw's filming in Yosemite, & various Wide World of Sports films.
Is Bob Carter related to Tom Carter?
when I was a kid in New England, my uncle, a ski racer & later coach, was best buds with CB Vaughn. I remember hearing a story about one of their group breaking their back skiing. That & our pedestrian view at the time such as how climbers on Cannon Mtn were absolutely nuts kept me out of these types of challenging sports until many years later, never really imagining how that sort of thing could be done. And McKinney was yet another step beyond.
But what ever happened to the speed course at Donner Summit? - always wanted to try that. I have probably only hit about 60 mph myself. Once had a ski fly off while I was going about 40 on St Anton at Mammoth. Unfortunately the downhill ski. Made it about another 50 yds on the uphill ski before a very grand crash (in hindsight).
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