Dear Salomon 1080,
Back in the late 1990’s park skiing was still a burgeoning scene; many mountains were just beginning to open terrain parks and trick progression had not reached the level we know today. If you were throwing Backflip Mute grabs in 1999 there was only a couple of skis suitable for the job.
Introduced in the 1997-1998 season the Salomon 1080 was the ski that pushed the sport further and every serious pro was riding it. Twin tip skis were not the industry standard they have become now and free skiers at the time were happy to have a ski that landed and rode switch better than antiquated directional skis. The signature color scheme of those first generation Salomon’s was a prevalent sight in ski movies even years after they had made their debut. Arguably the Salomon 1080 coming into the ski world created the million-dollar free skiing industry we see today.
Salomon continued to make the 1080 model through 2007, as others copied their success and even freestyle specific brands started to sprout up as the market grew. Now 20 years after the debut of the 1080’s, twin-tip skis line the walls of ski shops worldwide. When ski technology had reached a stagnant point in the mid 90’s, the Salomon 1080’s reignited a spark for pushing boundaries and elevating the level of the sport. Now we see skis that are weirdly shaped in every way conceivable but it took a major brand like Salomon pushing a twin tip on the market for the design to be taken seriously.
So if you see Jerry sporting a pair of OG Salomon 1080’s in the lift line don’t snicker, be jealous he still has a pair. The Salomon 1080 was the ski that made me and so many others fall in love with this sport I am forever grateful.
Also Read: What Your Skis Say About You As A Person
