All Things Jet Stix

[Dave Petersen]

All Things Jet Stix

High-Back Boot Accessory

From my collection (gift from @TimD59)

 

[pchewn]

1971 (or so) – The WORST ski equipment ever invented was thrust on the market and we bought into it. The “Jet Stix” was a plastic rear support that attached to your boots and allowed you to do the “Jet Turn” – just like Jean Claude Killy! Unfortunately the ski magazines and manufacturers did not seem to tell us that the “jet turn” was a very subtle release of energy from the rear of the ski to accelerate out of a turn. It is supposed to be a very minor and short-lived rear flex. But all of the photos and cool pictures in the magazines showed people sitting back on their skis, tips flying in the air and “jetting” down the mountain! In reality, this set skiing back about 5 years and ruined many knees as skiers would “Jet Turn”, fall backwards twisting, and tear knee ligaments. Yes, I bought some Jet Stix. No, I never skied like Jean Claude Killy and I never had a date with any of the Lange Girls either. Pull your eyes away from her open ski suit and just look at that AWFUL ski technique – sitting way back and one arm completely behind her. The next photo in the series is sure to be one of her laying in a ski patrol toboggan with her left knee ligaments torn to shreds.

 

[Posaune]

1971 (or so) – just look at that AWFUL ski technique – sitting way back and one arm completely behind her.

View attachment 53508

She has arms?

 

[Big J]

She has arms?

Phil, I did not notice that she had arms either.

 

[Big J]

1971 (or so) – The WORST ski equipment ever invented was thrust on the market and we bought into it. The “Jet Stix” was a plastic rear support that attached to your boots and allowed you to do the “Jet Turn” – just like Jean Claude Killy! Unfortunately the ski magazines and manufacturers did not seem to tell us that the “jet turn” was a very subtle release of energy from the rear of the ski to accelerate out of a turn. It is supposed to be a very minor and short-lived rear flex. But all of the photos and cool pictures in the magazines showed people sitting back on their skis, tips flying in the air and “jetting” down the mountain! In reality, this set skiing back about 5 years and ruined many knees as skiers would “Jet Turn”, fall backwards twisting, and tear knee ligaments. Yes, I bought some Jet Stix. No, I never skied like Jean Claude Killy and I never had a date with any of the Lange Girls either. Pull your eyes away from her open ski suit and just look at that AWFUL ski technique – sitting way back and one arm completely behind her. The next photo in the series is sure to be one of her laying in a ski patrol toboggan with her left knee ligaments torn to shreds.


View attachment 53508

I actually had these and did ski them and liked them. I agree with you. What a way to totally ruin good technique.

 

[Bill Talbot]

For me, what I remember most about skiing them was that you had leverage to recover from certain types of falls that would be impossible with the low boots of the day. Especially in the bumps. So that was a big plus in my book. Yes the sit-back thing was mostly useless but it could be fun from time to time. I know some of the skis from that era also had rear biased waists and did respond to some heel weighting.

 

[Bad Bob]

She has arms?

Now now, she is just using "anticipation". That was a very good thing, even Jobert advocated it in his wrote about it.

 

[Sethmasia]

It was a transitional product, marketed for just one year by Jack Nagel, former US Ski Team racer, shop owner at Crystal Mountain (WA) and father of the spectacular Nagel sisters. Jetstix inspired Lange to create a similar product that could be bolted to the back of the original Lange Comp, and Rosemount had something similar. The real solution was to build up both the back and the front of the boot (hugely increasing leverage in loading the shovel), which was how the Nordica Sapporo (and then the Astral Slalom) came to be in 1972-73. By 1971 it was obvious to me that a spoiler in back was only half the solution, and I created this for my own use -- as you can see the built-up Rosemount is about the same height as the Lange I use today.

 

[cantunamunch]

@Sethmasia do you remember a similar product marketed for leather and leather/plastic hybrid telemark boots quite a bit later? Mine were sort of an army green.

 

[Bill Talbot]

Seth,
The Rieker Sapporo was right in the game too in 1972.

 

[Joal]

New and improved Jet Stix. Lever ratchet, height adjustment and forward lean.

 

[Roundturns]

Had a pair of Jetsticks worn with Raichle Redhots . Anyway on the other forum years back a guy was looking for a pair to be used with his Rosemounts. I mailed him mine for nothing and said just send me a pic.
Of course he never did!.