Embarrassing First Birkie Photos!

Actually this photo doesn’t embarrass me, but I put that as the title because I figure some people might look at it and be embarrassed for me.  But the way I look at it, all I need is a haircut and a shave and I’m a thin, 18 year old again (oh, and I’d need a new wardrobe too…but at least I’m not in some horrific all purple ski suit).

Yup, my first Birkie was pretty low-tech.  But that’s because I didn’t have an awesome ski shop like CyclovaXC out there to design an awesome ski suit for me and otherwise show me the ropes.

That first Birkie I skied on borrowed skis in borrowed boots.  The poles were mine…I still have those poles actually, they were the ones that required to you loop the straps around your hands in fifty different ways to even approximate proper function.

The black beanie cap was probably a little too much warmth, as was the blue neck warmer thing.  The wool button up shirt was not a bad choice really.  The Khaki pants, on the other hand, not so much (actually those might be dirty blue jeans with oil stains, etc…I don’t remember).

This was back in the days when I used to work the excavator for eight to ten hours, and then grab an hour or so skiing at “OO” on the way home from work.  You can read all about this in “Beyond Birkie Fever” (signed copies available at CyclovaXC).

Yup, that was back in 1994, and I actually moved up from the 8th to the 6th wave that year (6th wave was the year I skied with a Dostoevsky shirt…training and everything, and only ONE person ever commented on it!).

Anyway, I hope this inspires all of you to go and dig that old embarrassing first Birkie photo up out of your archives, scan it, and email it to bj@cyclovaxc.com.  Or, if you prefer, just drop off a copy at CyclovaXC and we’ll scan it for you and write your story.

Please…please…please!!!!  I just love seeing those old 70s and 80s race suits!