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The Funniest Ski Gear of the 1980s

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 10:12 AM ET

The 1980s may be one of skiing’s most distinct eras.

The decade saw the release of classic films like Hot Dog and The Blizzard of Aahhh’s. The sometimes confusing slopeside fashion choices were inspired, colorful, and over-the-top.

To explore this raucous time in ski history, we dove into POWDER’s archives, cataloguing ten funny bits of 1980s ski equipment and clothing we thought were worth sharing. That includes a mountain-man-themed advertisement for Camel cigarettes. Check it out below.

This piece is part of POWDER's Summer of Ski Nostalgia content series. Stay tuned in daily for more nostalgic articles, and keep an eye out for the upcoming Summer of Ski Nostalgia badge to identify future content.

You can also view all of POWDER's summer nostalgia content here.

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1. The Best Ski Clogs Ever Made?

Look at this pile of gear. Then, look closer. See anything beyond the sweaters and the silly visor? There they are—brightly colored Vibram clogs with ski boot buckles affixed to the side. We have plenty of funny après footwear these days, but these 1980s clogs might take the cake. All I want to know is where I can pick up a pair of these.

2. Portable Ski Graphics

Ski graphics change like the weather. One year, they involve skulls, chainsaws, and horsemen from hell. The next? Minimalism dominates. But with this handy product—the Ski Saver—you didn’t need to buy an entirely new pair of skis to keep up with the latest fashion trends. Instead, you could slap this bad boy on your skis, and you’re good to go. They’ll look brand new.

3. The Fanny Pack Canteen

Between ski pole flasks and pocket beers, skiers have always been crafty when devising methods to bring libations into the mountains. This product, the Rear Gear Ski Tote, proves it. Not only does the fanny pack scream the 1980s, but it also features a built-in canteen with a nozzle, perfect for sucking down your beverage of choice on the chairlift (Booze? No, we’re talking Mountain Dews, baby).

4. Single Plankers Unite

The not-so-humble monoski might be one of the most flamboyant products associated with the 1980s. Sure, there were brightly colored fart bags, but if you really wanted to serve a look in the mountains, you’d do so by riding one of these Skitech Research bad boys.

5. Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

We’ll be honest—cigarettes are obviously different from boots, skis or goggles. They flatline your cardio capacity, making you ski worse, not better. Still, this ad is a testament to a different time, when cigarettes could reasonably appear in the pages of a ski magazine. Now, outdoors people care more about health, and non-alcoholic beers are all the rage. Times have certainly changed.

6. Hold the Toe Pieces, Please

Modern ski technology might seem strange and out-of-this-world, but our decade doesn’t have a monopoly on funky equipment. In a twist that doesn’t completely make sense, this Koflach Syntronic system, advertised in 1982, includes bindings without a standard toe piece—go figure.

7. The Rollerblades That Looked Like Ski Boots

Rollerblading and skiing are a sensible pairing. They’re essentially the same sport, except one involves concrete and the other involves snow. It makes sense, then, that some of Rollerblade’s products, including the Macroblade 608 (what a name, by the way), shared similarities with their snow sports counterparts. These rollerblades, according to the advertisement, offered “a perfect marriage of flexibility and support.” You could say the same about a good pair of ski boots.

8. Merchandising, Merchandising, Merchandising

The '80s, among other things, involved more than one fashion crime. It wasn’t all bad, though. Just look at these fun and handsome POWDER t-shirts. I bet they’d sell like hotcakes today.

9. Glorious Retro Shades

Speaking of big fashion wins, these bright, loud Bollé shades epitomized the '80s at their best. They also have contemporary analogues sold by the likes of Smith and Pit Viper, two brands whose catalogs include big and boisterous sunglasses. Statement eyewear, it seems, will never die as long as skiers have anything to say about it.

10. Glorious Retro Shades, Part Deux

Bollé wasn’t the only brand with a horse in the sunglasses race. Scott’s contributions during the 1980s, the Eclipse and the SportsShield, scream speed. Similar to what Bollé was selling, they also look suspiciously modern.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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