Snow Business: A Reminder of Olin's All-Mountain Influence

VERNON, CT — A surprise visit by a customer to New England Ski & Scuba in Vernon about three weeks ago turned into a reminder of how influential a Connecticut company was in the evolution of the all-mountain ski.

The customer came in with a set of Olin Mark IIIs, which were made by Middletown-based Olin Ski Co. The customer wanted to sell them or have them set up with bindings, but because of how narrow they are, a modern system would simply not fit and vintage bindings would be a no-no to mount because of their age.

The startling thing, though, was their condition, since it's now three decades since the skis were all the rage. They were still in the manufacturer's wrapping and the distinct blue color was as bright as it was in the 1980s. Since the skis were useful only as a collector's item, the customer gave them to the shop.

They are now on display above the ski inventory at the shop on Route 83. They look like toothpicks near the present-day cruisers, but they were revolutionary with their "soft-flex" technology, the precursor of what is now known as rocker technology and the all-mountain ski.

The Mark III was designed for the advanced-intermediate skiers moving up in skill level. It was hailed in a brochure as, "easy turning and exceptionally predictable in any snow or terrain condition."

The bigger sister, the Mark III S, was billed this way:

"This versatile, soft-flex ski offers advanced through top expert skiers unmatched performance at moderate to high speeds in a broad range of conditions ... Its balanced flex pattern and high modulus core construction provide a degree of responsiveness that is unique ..."

Olin was bought out in the late '80s by K2, so its influence can still be felt.

Seeing the Mark IIIs, though, show just how innovative the company was.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

Chris Dehnel is a Patch Editor who has been writing about skiing and snowboarding since 1989. He is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association.