Snowbird’s Pipeline Conquered By Junior Bounous at 80 (Taken March 8, 2014)
Snowbird’s Pipeline (the top to bottom ravine in center of picture) : One of North America’s toughest ski routes, descends from Twin peaks above Snowbird. First skied by Junior Bounous in the early 70s. He skied it again during his 80th year. Junior is an inspiration to senior skiers everywhere.
 
Skiing Super Heroes!!
Why not ski in costume?
Credit: Jon Weisberg
Spidey and Cap’n America, Skiing’s Super Heroes, about to save the day at the top of Snowbird tram. Senior Skiers, do you ski in costume? If you could choose one, what would it be?
Ski Boots for Seniors: The Apex Innovation
Hey there, Senior Skier: Time for a moment of honest reflection. While ski boots have come a long, long way from the old days, comfort-wise, they still suck, right?
But, what if ski boots didn’t hurt after three hours of riding hard pack? What if you could walk around the lodge or to your car in comfort, without the cadence of a hobbled horse? What if you could get the damn things on without wrestling, straining, tugging, and grunting? Well, you can. That’s the whole idea behind the Apex boot which promises comfort and performance without the feeling of having your feet in a clamp.
The Apex takes its inspiration from ski board riders, who can perform all day on the mountain and then dance to the music in their boots in the lodge. Basically, the Apex consists of two elements: a walkable support boot that promises a custom fit, and an external carbon-fiber frame—an exoskeleton, if you will—that can be tuned to different flexes. The boot locks into the frame, and the result, according to Apex, is the Holy Grail of precise edge control and comfort.
We learned of the Apex boot from Senior Skier Billy Kidd, who, at 70, is still very much on the hill. As the 1964 Olympics silver medalist said in an interview with CBS Denver, “At 20 years old, I didn’t care about comfort. I still need to have control, but the top priority for me now is comfort.” Now, we at SeniorsSkiing totally endorse Billy’s urgency for comfort; it’s a core philosophy around here. That’s why the Apex looks so interesting.
The innovative genius behind Apex is none other than Denny Hanson. In 1970, Denny and his brother Chris rocked ski industry traditionalists with what was then the revolutionary Hanson boot, the first rear-entry design that also featured comfort and easy to get into. The Hanson boot caught on with racers and freestylers, and what was once considered radical became accepted.
Here’s Denny showing off the Apex.
Couple of things. Apex boots aren’t cheap. On the other hand, reviewers are really effusive about praising the performance-comfort benefit. Also, dealers are spread out pretty thinly. Check the website for a dealer within a day’s drive. Or a short plane ride. Or head over to Apex Ski Boots.
Comments on Apex boots? Anyone? Anyone?
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