Monthly Archives: January 2010

Still more from Ira (Ira Riklis is on LinkedIn): So, when Mike was still a ski instructor, and was being paid to ski with me, he wore, as did all members of the Vail Ski School, a medium blue uniform … Continue reading →

As I wrote earlier, Mike and I met because he was assigned to me for a private lesson when Mike was an instructor with the Vail Ski School. This turned out to be a marvelous stroke of good luck as … Continue reading →

Ira Riklis continues about Vail: So we did return that winter to Vail and have returned every winter since. I have skied exclusively in Vail for over 30 years now. The town is charming. The slopes are maintained superbly. The … Continue reading →

Perhaps one more then innovative product is worth mentioning. I had a pair of Burt Bindings on my skis. These were thick plates with retractable metal cables that attached to anchors on the skis. The theory was that, if properly … Continue reading →

How Ira Riklis got back into skiing: The sons of Alden Hanson, the Dow Chemical scientist that invented the fan powered snow making machine and the “flow” material that would make ski boots SO much more comfortable, Chris and Denny … Continue reading →

Now deciding to go skiing in the winter of 1975-1976 was no small deal. In 1970 I had suffered a severe leg break of both the Tibia and Fibula, directly at the top of the ski boot. The leg did … Continue reading →

Ira Riklis on his first trip to Vail: We were on our way back to Philadelphia having traveled south along the California coast, then east to Las Vegas, and northeast to Aspen. We spent a few days in Aspen enjoying … Continue reading →

How did I come to Vail? In the Summer of 1975, Diana and I decided to do a road trip around the United States. While Diana had traveled extensively in Europe with her parents, she had never seen much of … Continue reading →

He continues: Our operating problem is that we lose money during the summer season. Obviously, in a resort known for the skiing, BIBs are more precious in the summer and we have less to sell them. This is really a … Continue reading →