All Things Spademan

[Bill Talbot]

All Things Spademan

Spademan Ski Bindings and Ski Boots

Royal and others were discussing Spademan bindings, and I too think they deserve a thread all their own.
First a picture of a few of his offerings. We need Mack here as he is THE Spademan guy!

Then one of Carl Ettlinger's great binding reviews that were one of the big reasons for reading SKIING magazine in the 70's and 80's! This from 1979.

A couple of 'set-up' cards that came with the bindings.

And then the Spademan Story, written by Seth Masia. Meet Richard Spademan, from 1983.

This should do well to get the ball rolling on all things SPADEMAN!

 

[Philpug]

I still want a pair of S9's and Spademan boots.

 

[Bill Talbot]

I still want a pair of S9's and Spademan boots.

Well Phil you need to talk to Mack when you are out that way. He can make your WANT turn into a GOT!

 

[Uncle-A]

Do I remember those, the first two on the left were used in the rental department of the shop I worked. The tag below the first article with the colored threads for weight adjustment was available as a sticker that was stuck on the rentals. One of the tuff things about fitting a rental was when a female customer would rent skis, you would have to ask her how much she weighed. Not always a popular question and some of the looks I was given you would not believe. They did not react the same when buying new equipment I am not sure why.

The plate on the far right was for the people that had cut-out boot sole or did not want to drill holes in a boot. We did not sell many of those and did not use them for rental because they would disappear too easily. I made up a plate for the same use when teaching my girl friend (now my wife) to ski.

 

[Royal]

thanks for such a perfect start to a thread. here is what I just picked up. now I need to find some skis to put them on. I have more than 1 pair of bindings so I'm looking for recommendations on what Era appropriate skis would go well with these bindings. I already know THE SKI and some Hexcell's would be good. MAybe some Rossi SMASH. they do not have to all be freestyle skis. how 'bout it? give me your recommendations / recollections.

Royal

 

[Philpug]

I think every skier over the age of 50 has a Spademan story, just as we all have a VW Beetle story but most of those are NSFW. @Uncle-A, I am sure you remember Camelbacks rental skis all having Spademans. In the 90's we had a friend who had a ski house at Huntah (Thats Hunter Mountain for you not from the mid Atlantic). At this ski house there had to be 50 pair of skis...all mounted up with Spademans so anyone who needed skis could grab any pair. It tured out the patriarc of the house was buddies with Richard Spademan and he gave him cases of bindings.

 

[Uncle-A]

thanks for such a perfect start to a thread. here is what I just picked up. now I need to find some skis to put them on. I have more than 1 pair of bindings so I'm looking for recommendations on what Era appropriate skis would go well with these bindings. I already know THE SKI and some Hexcell's would be good. MAybe some Rossi SMASH. they do not have to all be freestyle skis. how 'bout it? give me your recommendations / recollections.

Royal

View attachment 4027

How about a pair of Olin Mark III they would be about the same time frame.

 

[Bill Talbot]

I love this podium shot, you'll note what skis went with the top step and then first and second loser
From 1977.

 

[Philpug]

Always wanted to know which The Ski that Jack Taylor had in that picture.

 

[Bill Talbot]

Can't go wrong with a pair of K2 Cheeseburger or Cheeseburger Deluxe and Spademans

 

[Philpug]

Some more....

The Ski Puppets

S4's with rental plate.

 

[pais alto]

Spademan trivia: The epic and legendary 1971 first descent of the Grand Teton by Bill Briggs was made on Spademan bindings. I was completely surprised when I saw the skis on display in the Grand Teton National Park headquarters. It's worth stopping by to check out if you're ever in GTNP.

The wildsnow.com site isn't crazy about hotlinking pictures, but if you scroll about 2/3 of the way down on this page you can see a picture of Briggs carrying the skis with Spademan bindings:
https://www.wildsnow.com/13602/bill-briggs-biography-teton-ski/

It's not for this thread, but I have a pretty good story about the iconic picture of Briggs' first tracks on the Grand and Bill Murray.

Edit: here's a linkable pic:

 

[crgildart]

I had S3s on my K2 233 mids back in 10th grade.

 

[x10003q]

I never skied with anybody on Spademans. They were rental bindings for kook freestyle wannabees.

 

[Philpug]

I never skied with anybody on Spademans. They were rental bindings for kook freestyle wannabees.

I know you are jesting here but it is actually the opposite, it was a freestyle binding that worked great as a rental binding. I am sure the numbers were never tracked but I would venture to say that Spademans had more freestyle podiums than any other binding in the day...forgetting the kooks and wannabes.

 

[mdf]

In college I skied on rental Spademan's with leather boots and GLM method skis. The darn things came off every time I fell (which was often).

 

[Uncle-A]

I found this in an old Skiing Trade News.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Vermont Release Calibrator
Spademan Binding
Hexcel Competition

Twist test.

Foward lean test.

I added some silicone to make the bindings more reliable and predictable. I am happy with their release characteristics for twist and forward lean. The problem was the proper setting of the single adjustment made twist where I wanted it, the forward lean released much to early for the corresponding twist setting. Nonetheless I skid them knowing that I could release unexpectedly.

The bindings behaved well and weren't put to the test of a field release. Their simplicity of design is quite remarkable.

 

[Bill Talbot]

Doug, the shape of both the bindings 'arms' and the butterfly was changed a few times over the years to change the ratio of twist to vertical.
For instance when high backed boots kept triggering reward release.
If you look @ the arm shape in the picture above, compare the SRS II with the SRS Super II and you will see what I mean.

 

[Dave Petersen]

SKIING Magazine December 1979