From: Robert Fripp

Dear Bob,

Thank you for the review of Toby Amies’ documentary. Which wasn’t much about KC, but it did show that if Music is your aim, it is a life or death undertaking.

Vb, Robert

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Subject: Toby Keith – An American Hero

I thought you may appreciate this:

Toby Keith was an artist I worked with that left such an  impression on me. He did more for our troops than quite possibly any single entertainer or athlete ever. Dozens of shows each year for decades. Constantly on the road entertaining and visiting troops around the world and he told no one. When I suggested to his Mgr. T.K. Kimbrell, that Toby needed to tell the world he said that’s not why Toby does it and that he intentionally told no one.  He did it because he truly cared.

He performed for Bush and Obama. And then he was the only iconic artist with the courage to perform at Trump’s Presidential gala when no one else would and he took a lot of heat for it which perplexed him. His Mgr told me Toby believed he had no right to turn down a request from any standing President. That it was about respect for the office. Toby was a true Patriot who stood by his convictions.

When I pitched Toby to do a Wounded Warrior TV spot he refused to take any money. And when we needed a place to shoot the spot he said, “use my ranch in Oklahoma” and then paid for the entire production team to go to Oklahoma for the shoot. He picked up the tab so it actually cost him $$$s to do the Wounded Warrior partnership.

On the day of the shoot I was tasked w introducing Toby to the wounded vets who would be in the TV spot. As I’m making the intros I realize that one single teardrop was running down the side of his face as he was speaking to the warriors, He had turned his head in a way so no one would see it. But I saw it. That was a powerful moving moment I’ll remember forever. For a guy with such a rough exterior he was a real softy. A modest reluctant hero. Rest in peace Toby!

Bruce J. MacKenzie

JMacK Entertainment

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Subject: Re: More Melanie

I saw Melanie at the Isle of Wight when I had the doors on the bill.  They  played  a subdued set that night (the first show after the infamous Miami trial) right in front of the Who and the Who were just beyond that night.  There were reputedly 300,000 people there and the Who were bringing large pieces of covered equipment on stage all afternoon it seemed. No one knew what it was but when the set got to “I Can See For Miles” about 10 aircraft carrier landing lights made daylight for the whole crowd and they went wild.  Then Melanie came out with her acoustic guitar and I pitied her following that amazing performance…but I was wrong!  She got the audience on her side and had a fantastic show.

I learned a few lessons that night.

Bill Siddons

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Subject: Re: Musicares

I have been fortunate to work with Jason numerous times and all I can say is he’s one of the best out there. I don’t just mean on the guitar. He’s a full student of the greats and like Questlove knows details of modern music history to nerd level. When we produced Mavis Staples star studded 80th birthday events a few years back in NYC, Nashville, and LA on three consecutive Wednesday’s, Isbell was the only one who made it to all three shows, alone, on his own dime to play one lead, on one song. Because, well, Mavis. Go listen/watch Isbell bring up David Crosby at Newport to play “Ohio” or “Masters of War” with Warren Hayes, Lukas Nelson, and Jonathan Wilson. He walks the walk, so it’s no surprise he landed the best song Bon Jovi for the show. 

He’s seen a million faces and he’s rocked them all

-Jay Sweet

Newport Folk

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From: Eric Carmen

Subject: Berlin Finale

Hi Bob, 

Thank you for kind words.

“ Boats” was my most personal work and of all of my albums,  means the most to me. 

Not many people know that I wrote every song in the order I wanted them to appear on the album…the order I wanted them heard ..to tell a story (my story).  However, the record company reversed the order against my will.  Not sure if it will make a difference to you, but if you start with the last track and go in reverse, you will hear that story . 

Happy New Year and all the best to you in 2024. 

Peace,

Eric

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Subject: Re: Final Berlin

Even though I played bass on Eric’s first solo album, I listen to Boats much more often. So rich in imagery and personal emotion.

“Love is all that matters” is my favorite Eric Carmen song. It even made my (pre-planned) Celebration of Life event soundtrack!

Stephen Knill

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Subject: Re: Emergency Root Canal

Hey Bob-

So sorry to hear about your nightmarish dental issues. Tooth pain totally sucks, and top-notch dental care is expensive. But ask anyone who has lost a bunch of teeth – it’s worth it.

Many times during my teaching and consulting I’ve encountered dental staff members who had trouble justifying the cost of the services they were providing because they felt it was out of their own price range. So I would ask them this:

“Knowing what you know now, would you accept $10,000 for me to numb you up and remove one of your teeth?” No one with any decent level of experience working in a dental practice would ever say yes.

Dr. Richard Madow

Co-Founder, The Madow Center For Dental Practice Success

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From: William Mondi

Subject: Late….but so was Madonna

Bob

I know I’m late on this.  She played 7 dates in Chicago on Her Madame X tour.

Ticket start time was 10:30.  She went on around midnight.

By mid-run, they were papering the house.. which is how I got my free 8th row center seat.

I’m was born in 53 like you.  Her crowd is much more in our ballpark age wise than not.  A third of the audience was gone well before it ended around 2.

I’m also surprised that She didn’t get any flack for dragging Her younger kids on to the stage in the middle of the night.

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From: Michael Hosking

Subject: Re: Re-Madonna Lawsuit

Many years ago I was involved in bring OASIS to Bangkok. The band’s notoriety only eclipsed by the crazy traffic in Bangkok.

At five minutes to show time the sold-out venue was barely half full. The PM buzzed in and asked if the show should be delayed. Liam asked ‘Why?’ I mumbled the usual excuses about traffic, rain, distance to venue and fans coming late because the artist start late. He asked if this was the first time the venue had presented a show, if it’s the only day it rained in Bangkok and if it was the only day traffic was bad. I explained the answer was ‘No’ to all of those questions. He said “We’re Oasis – we play to the fans who have made the effort to be on time!” (expletives excluded) and on he and Noel went. Incredible show. Some fans turned up an hour late just in time for the encore…

My level of respect for the two ‘bad boys’ of Manchester soared sky high!

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From: Thomas Gribbin

Subject: Re: Madonna Lawsuit

Bob,

2 hours late…lawsuit? The last Lauryn Hill concert I promoted she was still in the hotel at that time. After 3 hours I had to make some refunds. But no lawsuit. 

I don’t know why I’m laughing, but my whole team still gets a kick out of it.

Tom

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From: Michael McCarty

Subject: Re: Burton Cummings-This Week’s Podcast

Hi Bob

 

Burton Cummings is one of my heroes who along with his band and producer Jack Richardson, inspired me to realize that as a Canadian I could maybe find a way to be in the music business. 

 

A couple of things to expand on what Burton said:

 

1. To develop the Guess Who, Jack Richardson quit his job as music director at the McCann Erickson ad agency in Toronto,  started Nimbus 9 Productions, and then mortgaged his house to pay for the Wheatfield Soul album.

2. It initially bombed, and to save the project (thus his house & career) he convinced a couple of friends at the agency to invest in Nimbus 9 so he could hire an indie promo person to keep working These Eyes after RCA gave up on it.

3. The indie promo person convinced Rosalie Trombley, MD at CKLW in Windsor to go on the record. Though situated in Canada, CKLW’s real market was Detroit, and Rosalie was one of the most influential MDs in US AM radio. It took off in her market, and the rest is history.

4. In the early ‘80s Burton heard that Jack’s company was in difficulty, tracked him down, and bought the band’s publishing back.

5. As you know, Jack mentored Bob Ezrin and arranged for him to produce Alice Cooper’s breakthrough album  “Love It To Death”. In those days, most producers were staff A&R people at labels, and after Bob’s career took off, for a while arguably the two hottest producers in the world were Jack Richardson and Bob Ezrin @ Nimbus 9.

I believe unshakably that everything good that’s happened with Canadian music in the last four or five decades can be traced back to the Guess Who’s success. They were the Big Bang of Canadian music. 

 

Best,

 

M

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From: Justine Fields

Subject: Re: December

Hey Bob,

I’m 36 and grew up in New York on Long Island. My husband is also 36 and grew up in the UK outside of Oxford. We are both music people. I just played him “Shine” and “December” and asked if he’d ever heard either. His answer to both were decisive “no, I’ve never heard this song.”

We just looked it up and “Shine” only made it to 80 on the UK charts and “December” never charted at all.

This happens more frequently than you’d imagine! A song that I believe everyone in my generation knows every word to will come on the radio or be playing in a CVS and he’s never heard it because it never made it anywhere in the UK. It happened last month with Third Eye Blind’s “How’s it going to be”. Only made it to 51 in the UK charts he didn’t recognize a note. Crazy, huh?

So as ubiquitous as these songs were, and as pervasive as MTV made music, it was still only in the US, and maybe Canada? Just wanted to share how jaw dropping it is every time I find a major hit that was played a zillion times in my life and that my UK-raised husband has never heard. Both of these Collective Soul songs shockingly fall into that category.

Justine

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From: Jay Aymar

Subject: Re: Re-Promotion

Bob,

As a lifelong touring singer songwriter up in Canada who quit when Covid struck, you couldn’t be more RIGHT!

A Gen Xer who built a small career and toured all day every day, I realized in about 2015 I was playing the game entirely wrong. Discouraging live videos at performances; not playing the social media game correctly; releasing full length albums every two years etc…

Oh but I had great reviews from legacy publications…

Yeah that moved the needle.

As Dangerfield once quipped “To give you an idea how well I was doing at the time I quit, I was the only one who knew I quit.”

In other words, from a bonafide hardcore troubadour who spent years in the trenches, let me assure you Peter Gabriel fans out there: The dream is over. What can I say? The dream was over yesterday.

Now, where’s my remote, I have to finish FERRY.

Jay Aymar

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Subject: Re: The Gary Gulman Comedy Special

Gary Gulman is more interested in speaking to a core base receptive to his outlook, as opposed to playing the “How do I get more popular?” game most of today’s comics play. While his contemporaries play arenas, he’s content sticking with a 600-seat PAC and doesn’t push promoters to go big. I know this because I’m promoting two of his shows this month in relatively obscure California venues. He’s already sold out a Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, and will do the same in Santa Barbara at the Lobero Theatre. Every time I pitch to his agent “let’s try this 1200-seater, I think he can fill it,” I’m met with resistance. Which is fine! And somewhat refreshing, truth be told. He’s the real deal and will probably be happily playing PACs to a devoted audience for the rest of his life because of his measured approach.

Brian Martin

San Francisco

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From: Michael Wijnen

Subject: Re: Everything’s Inviolate

Thank you- very well said.

Same thing here in France.

My daughter went to see three different stand-up artists last week, each of them filling up 3500 seaters: I never heard of any of them, even though I read Le Monde every day, follow the news on radio and TV- but not Facebook or Insta…

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From: Rich Levy

Subject: Re: Everything’s Inviolate

Hey bob,

Interesting as always and I very much agree with your points about the dissolution of the mono-culture. I think where people get a little confused is when they see an artist like Taylor having more live demand than artists from an earlier era. The missing context is that in the 1960 the world’s population was 3 billion and the US pop was about 180 million. Today, the world population is over 8 billion and the US over 335 million. So a huge artist may have a niche that by % of population is much smaller than in eras past, but in terms of absolute numbers unadjusted for population growth, may seem bigger than ever.

2 cents. Love the writing.

R

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Subject: RE: Everything’s Inviolate

Hi Bob,

 

Did you see the streaming analysis by Luminate?

They have data on 184 million tracks ( how many has anybody actually heard?).

Of these ~25% were never listened to in 2023! 46million tracks, posted but not listened to!

It gets worse. Nearly 50% of the tracks in their system – 80 million, were listened to 10 times or less.

 

Too much noise, not enough traffic.  If you want to make music in ’24 it needs to be good, and you need an audience.

 

Thanks for the newsletters!

 

Kind Regards

 

Crispin Herrod-Taylor

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Subject: powder days

Bob-

Your comments about powder days reminded me of a recent trip to Stevens Pass in Washington.  It was a powder day (or what passes for powder in the Pacific Northwest), and before the lifts opened I was sitting in the lodge looking at a long line of 20-somethings outside in line waiting for the lift to open that would get them to the backside fastest.  Then I looked around inside at the skiers just chilling out and waiting for the lines to abate.  We were all guys about 55 or older.  Been there, done that.  Not really worth the trouble.

Mark Gorman

Seattle

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Subject: Re: Covid

Thanks Bob,hope you get better.You made me test myself with an at home kit.Positive.If not for you…….Stay,or rather get,well,Ted Keane

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Subject: Re: Weekend TV

Hi Bob,

My wife and I have a 20-year-old son who is on the spectrum. He was nonverbal until the age of five, but is currently attending Drexel University in Philadelphia, studying civil engineering.  He is knocking it out of the park with academics. However,  halfway through his sophomore year still has absolutely no friends… It is not for a lack of effort and support. This is by far the hardest part for us as parents.  Add in that we are 1,430 miles away (Find My tells us the exact distance, we can be a bit obsessive checking to see where he is.) living in Austin, Texas and the sense of helplessness for his social life can feel overwhelming.

Don’t get me wrong, my son is an amazing success story. We burst with pride at his journey.  If you had told me when he was nonverbal at 5 that 15 years later he would not only be living independently, but carrying a 3.66 GPA in a challenging major at an elite school… Well, let’s just say I probably wouldn’t have taken that bet.

I am sure that Love on the Spectrum is a heartwarming show for some. However there’s absolutely no way my wife or myself could ever watch it… When you live it every day, there’s no way you can turn on the TV and live it even more.  Plus, they’re gonna show you way more happy endings than exist in real life… You know they’re going to.

We have not given up hope. As parents you embrace the role of Sisyphus.  We are going to keep pushing the rock of social interaction up the hill no matter how many times it rolls back down on top of us.  Unlike the Greek Myth, we believe we’re gonna get the rock to the other side of the mountain one day. It’s one of the many things that keeps us pushing the rock back up the mountain!

By the way, for any other parents out there who have kids on the spectrum heading to University, make sure that your University of choice has robust autism support.  The Drexel CAN (Center for Autism and Neurodiversity) program is phenomenal, And one of the major reasons why we allowed him to attend university so far away from us.   Any parent or caregiver can contact me at and I’d be happy to share any information/experiences about spectrum kiddos heading to college.

Eric Frankhouser

Tour Manager

Wilco/Jeff Tweedy

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From: Mike Lawson

Subject: Re: Weekend TV

 

Autism dad, of 30 year old woman with ASD, her mom fled from us a decade ago, and is not in her life except an annual text or her birthday, or Christmas, maybe. I care for my princess, now with my amazing new wife Shannon. Thank god for Shannon, and my daugher’s full time personal assistant who works in our home 40 hours a week the past five years now, so I can focus on work.

My wife watches the show, I can’t, it hurts, it is too close to home, too big a reminder that my daughter is not on that level, even though she is oh-so verbal, and higher of this spectrum than many others we know, she will never hold a job, drive a car, balance a checkbook. If she has $10 dollars she thinks she can buy ten items.

Over many years I have seen her heartbreaking obessions with imaginary relationships because the part of her that understands really wants that love, but she is living in an arrested development that will never let her have that “normal.” It fucking kills me, Bob. Every. Day. I work hard to be grateful she is as functional as she is in this world, but also recoil at the reality TV creation of entertainment around something so fucking personal, something I have wept over, fight fought her for, and will to my last breath. I learned the alpabet soup of IDEA, ADA, FAPE, went to battle like a warrior against a school system I had to sue when she was in highschool on her behalf (we won, it cost the a lot for make it right, not in our pockets, but legal bills nearly six figures between ours and the school systems).

I get why people want to watch, and all autistics are different, but for me it has been 27 years of mourning that she will never have that life, obsessive concern, love and care, and always worrying about her never being hurt when I’m gone some day. I’m sure you understand. I just can’t. It hurts. Watch it, enjoy it, no judgment. I can’t. I just can’t. I will never be over this. I will worry until my dying breath about my princess Kelly.

Mike Lawson

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From: Andrew Oldham

Subject: Re: Kanye/Osbourne/Summer

One of ozzy’s early jobs was making meat kosher….

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From: Tom Overby

Subject: Re: Kanye/Osbourne/Summer

Bob – To paraphrase Neil Young, “even Ozzy Osbourne has got soul”

What kind of crazy f*cked up world do we live in where Ozzy Osbourne has no problem standing up against antisemitism and most musicians stay silent, for fear of alienating a potential fan, like a Congressman flipping from rationality to line up behind Donald Trump no matter how insane his statements might be.

That was quite a headline yesterday, Trump telling NATO members to pony up or he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want.

Don’t take it at face value. That’s not what it’s all about. It’s part of the Trump brand, saying the unsayable, the unpardonable, with impunity. And so far it’s been working for him. Whether or not this guy belongs in jail…so far we don’t know, because in order for that to happen there has to be a trial, and Trump and his minions keep forestalling one, fanning the flames of the love of his acolytes all the while.

This is where we are today, after the conformity of the millennials. Our heroes are like the rock stars of yore, the rules don’t apply to them, and those sick of the rules, working brain dead jobs for not enough money, or those who are sick of giving their money to the government, believing that they too are above the law, cheer them on.

And the boomers just can’t understand it. The same boomers who studied hard in school to get a good job and are now resented as the elite. Everything has flipped and the boomers are flummoxed. They’re supposed to be in control, right?

Wrong.

The boomers won’t pass the torch and the world has gone on react. Keep fighting TikTok…talk about alienating a younger generation. The boomers believe that the law can stifle bad behavior, not acknowledging that ever since Napster it’s been obvious that legislation is no match for the marching progress of technology and society.

In the eighties and nineties they sampled your music without asking. That’s why we have the beats-based music of today, too many rappers were caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and had to pay the sources. But Kanye asked permission, was denied, and did it anyway. This is not the rock star behavior of the sixties, wherein it was about social norms, this is raw legal issues. Kinda like Elon Musk, who doesn’t like what the Delaware court had to say and is moving the HQ of Tesla elsewhere. I could delineate all the ways in which Musk believes and acts like he’s above the law but I’ll just point to how it’s working for him, if you’re actually still on the cesspool known as X, it’s dominated by Musk’s fanboys, as energized as the Swifties, purveying heinous takes and hating on anyone who doesn’t agree with them.

But Ozzy Osbourne comes from the old school. When being a rock star meant controverting social mores. Questioning that which was established thinking which had never been questioned before. That was actually the mantra, “Question Authority.” You’d see it on buttons. But the millennials were afraid of being excised from the group, they were the opposite of their boomer parents, they didn’t want to stand out, they stayed silent and somnambulant.

And then rappers shot others with impunity. At first they evaded imprisonment, then they went to jail and it further enhanced their reputations. And what did the boomers say? Nothing! They said it’s black people killing black people and we don’t care. And therefore this lawless behavior became the norm, the rappers became heroes to their children, confounding the parents further.

And everybody believed that there would be no day of reckoning. Kind of like income inequality. How long can you keep the underclass down, even the middle class? And what do the rich say? That they earned the money, forgetting it was the rank and file that paid their businesses so they could make that money to begin with.

And if you were rich your opinion was valued higher than if you weren’t. And when you realized this, you started to use your power to change society to your liking. Whether it be Musk, Ackman, Gates, Thiel…they operate in their own universe.

So Ozzy learned about antisemitism from his take no prisoners Jewish wife Sharon. You don’t cross Sharon, ever. But they are boomers, once again, it’s not the children of boomers standing up for what’s right and wrong, they don’t want to be excoriated.

And how does Kanye move forward after self-immolating? By making news. Kanye knows more about society than Congresspeople. Trump knows even more. Trump knows that to win he needs to be in the news every damn day, being the topic of conversation constantly. Biden and the Democrats? They don’t even understand the construct. They talk about a return to normalcy, and we haven’t had that spirit here since…

This is the new normal. Where it’s nearly impossible to gain anybody’s attention and therefore if you’re not making news each and every day, you’re falling behind. Old school musicians may complain, but social media, feeding your fans, who are salivating for information, enabling them to spread the word, is how you maintain a career today.

Trump does this and the youngsters understand. And Trump knows that legends like Ozzy biting off the head of a dove stick with the public, so he keeps saying outrageous things so you’ll remember them too. Trump’s NATO comments yesterday are inane on the surface. A threat, playing to his base, who believes the rest of the world is not paying their fair share for defense, that the U.S. is carrying the weight and shouldn’t. Of course the devil is in the details, but the shock value of the statement is its prime effect.

And this statement evidences power, that Trump may not ever even have. But if you’re a fan, you love him for it. Trump realized that all of life is now showbiz, and those brought up in a different era hate this. Your value should be determined by your degrees, by your philanthropy… Hell, Trump pledges money and then doesn’t even deliver it. Believing that no one will be paying attention. The government can’t whac all the moles. So you sit at home decrying his behavior but it keeps on working for him.

We’re all responsible. The boomers who said nothing when the jobs were shipped overseas. The Americans who like cheap foreign products. The hedge funders who refuse to pay taxes at a regular income rate. Everybody is looking for an edge, looking to underfund the authorities, the institutions that would keep them in check. The bureaucracy is the “Deep State.” The system is being systematically dismantled and all those on the left can do is cry like babies, and that does not work in an aggressive culture.

Yes, you decide what you want, you won’t take no for an answer, and you employ a scorched-earth policy, your fans go wild on anybody with a contrary opinion. Say something negative about Taylor Swift at your peril. And she’s not the only one. Internet hate is rampant. And the only way you could eliminate it is to shut down the pipes completely.

There is no return to normal. There could be a great leap forward to create a new normal, but on one side they want to go back to the fifties when things weren’t so good to begin with and on the other they ask us to put our faith in an octogenarian who doesn’t even understand everything I’ve just written. No wonder the youth are disillusioned, they’ve been disenfranchised. And African-Americans are sick of supporting a Democratic party that continues not to deliver for them. And Latinx people are drifting away from the Democrats because of the border.

How come everything has changed, yet in government it’s business as usual, if anything happens at all? Impeach people, it’s all theatre, nothing happens anyway, your team won’t allow it, or you’re outnumbered to begin with.

Do you think the public isn’t aware of this?

So we’re left with Ozzy Osbourne and the Sudanos to stand up for what’s right and wrong, they’re doing what the government will not.

But the average citizen? They’re looking for an edge, they’re trying to beat the system too, because if the rich and famous are…

And you’ve got to give the younger generation credit. The boomers laugh at the social media influencers, but these unknown to many know the game, they post each and every day, they’re a slave to their career. They’re doing a job that didn’t even exist in the last century. And everybody can be a porn star on OnlyFans.

Yes, everybody has the tools, a computer, a smartphone and an internet connection. It’s what you do with them that counts.

And you’re nothing without notice. And unlike in the old days, you can release a great record and it gets no traction, it can’t surface because there’s too much in the pipeline.

And Universal wants to make sure the small independent players don’t get paid. Yes, if you’ve got under a thousand streams, you’re SOL. And of course a thousand streams doesn’t pay much, but in the aggregate… But Lucian Grainge says the big artists (read billionaires, at least in concept) draw in the customers and they deserve more than their share. It’s all about leverage. And speaking of leverage, the streaming platforms can’t say no, because they need the licenses.

Right and wrong? Morality? Out the window!

And you’re outraged by Kanye and Trump’s behavior?

Outrage is so twentieth century. If you want to change the world, if you want to make a difference, you’ve got to be doing it 24/7. And you’ve got to pay a lot of taxes. And you have to be worried about your brother. And how many people are there like that?

Hardly any. There are no role models doing it right.

So don’t be surprised when your children follow the bad actors. Because the bad actors are winning and those who follow the rules are seen as suckers.

If you want to change the world, don’t look to the past. Bring out a clean sheet of paper. Change occurs at a glacial pace. But when you’re asleep, rust is not. And then you wake up one day and you don’t recognize society, never mind your country.

Welcome to the United States of America.

Peak® 98

These are my kind of skis, lively and playful.

The ski business has done a complete one-eighty. In the last century it was dominated by Rossignol, known for its lively skis. Yes, that was the French ethos, as opposed to the Austrian and German ethos, which specifies heavier, stiffer skis. You were either in one camp or the other, and then…

The shaped ski revolution came along and Rossignol was caught flat-footed. Salomon, an upstart French brand, became the new king with its X-Scream. And had a good run until…

Tecnica bought Blizzard, invested a ton of money in a new factory, hyped its “FlipCore” and ultimately became the new titan. From nowhere, to everywhere. At first it was the Bonafide, the initial iteration of which I found to be a plank. It would plow through anything, but when it came to turning… The ski was heavy, stiff and dead. The Bonafide has improved over the years, and the women’s Black Pearl became the best-selling ski in the world. And Blizzard kept innovating. Creating unique wooden cores for each ski length. And now they’re breaking up the top titanal sheet into three pieces. Yes, if you want innovation, if you want what everybody else has, you want Blizzard.

But not me.

I’m a French guy. I’ve owned untold numbers of Rossis, but then Rossis became more damp and I switched to the sister brand Dynastar, from Chamonix. And I’ve had so many pairs of Dynastars, I loved them, until… They decided to remove the metal (the aforementioned titanal, which is not titanium) and make the ski stiffer and it skied okay, but it didn’t hold on the hard snow.

That’s when I decided to pay retail, demo everything, and pay through the nose for what I wanted.

And surprisingly ended up with K2s, a brand I hadn’t skied on in over half a century.

I tried the Stockli Stormrider. As Dirk in the shop says, it’s silky, the smoothest ski available (and priced to match). I would have laid down the bucks, but I like a faster turn, and in the bumps… They were just too stiff.

I tried the Bonafide, which was greatly improved, you could even kinda ski it in the bumps. But I thought to myself, can I really buy an Austrian ski?

Then I tried the K2 Mindbender 99, the newly improved version, and when I hit Pepi’s Face, the steepest, iciest slope at Vail, however short, the Mindbenders held no problem. And I bought them.

Well, before I laid down my cash I had to try the latest Dynastars, the M-Pro 99. And as per usual, the Dynastars turned better than everything else. But they didn’t hold like the K2s. So I passed.

Now I also bought a pair of Mindbender 108s. Utterly astounding, they turn even better than the Mindbender 99s. But that dancing on snow… The 99s could not deliver that, even though the wider 108s could, which makes no sense, but that’s the truth.

Just in case you’re flummoxed, 99 represents 99 millimeters, that’s the waist width, and that’s the standard Vail ski.

But it’s not the everyday east coast ski. You want something narrower in the east. Vail is wide open, you want a wider board. But having said that, you really need a quiver, a bunch of skis of different widths for different conditions. The right tool makes all the difference.

So today I skied on the Peak 98s.

Let me be clear, I got these for free. Although I did have to spend $75 to get them mounted.

And I was riding up the lift looking down at them and they seemed pretty straight, would they ski like planks, unable to turn?

Oh, now we’re into sidecut. The bigger the hourglass, the sharper the turn. And when I got off the lift, I rode them straight, all the way from Chair 3 to Chair 2, to Lodgepole, a blue run. And then I built up a head of steam and planted my pole and turned…AND I WAS SHOCKED! These Peak skis turned faster than anything else in my quiver, even my 72s. Furthermore, they held on the hard snow.

This blew my mind, this is not what I expected. I expected a slow-turning plank. And oftentimes, lively skis don’t hold on hard snow, so this was a revelation.

But they are light. Not ultra-light, but nowhere near as heavy as the Blizzards and German-made Volkls. What would happen if I really ripped?

Well, I did. Blitzkrieging Riva Ridge from the top. Let’s be clear, they were not as steady as my K2s, but they held just as well on the hard snow and…my frame of reference was off, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on skis like this.

And, as good as the initiation of the turn was, was the finish equally good? As good as the Dynastar?

Now I took the Peak 98s into the back, Ricky’s Tube, where I could barely see, but I didn’t ski them in any crud, any loose snow. So I don’t know how they’d be in that.

But one thing is for sure, I had FUN on the Peak 98s. It’s an elusive concept, you know it when you feel it. I’m skiing thinking about how a heavier ski might handle, but that liveliness, that playfulness in the Peak was exhilarating. And when I was coming down at the end of the day I realized, I was dancing on snow, the ultimate experience.

So, are the Peaks for you?

Well, unlike the heavy Austrian and German skis, French skis have a reputation for losing their grip as they age. A pro could notice between days fifteen and twenty. And by time you were at day fifty, never mind sixty, you really needed a new pair of skis.

And most people have not skied a lively ski like this in their lives, because they’re out of fashion.

So if you ski on stiff Blizzards and even stiffer Volkls, you might be shocked. (As for the vaunted Nordica Enforcer…true insiders think its blah, kind of dead.)

But those Blizzards and Volkls are good on the groomers, in the crud. In the bumps? A lot of work.

I once bought a pair of Volkls. Essentially unskiable in the bumps, but very smooth elsewhere.

So there are trade-offs, and preferences.

Which is why you should demo before you buy. You can tell the difference between skis in one run. Unfortunately, you’ve got to buy the Peaks to demo them, but they’ve got a no questions asked return policy.

Yes, the Peaks are internet only, direct to consumer. And therefore retail shops are down on them. Once again, don’t listen to anybody tell you what to buy. Especially your friends. They paid for their skis, they love them. As for the experts… They’ve got preferences. Which may or may not align with your needs.

Now this was only one day on the Peak 98s. But I pushed them hard, very hard. Going down Blue Ox nonstop… I’ll be honest, I did not feel as steady as I did on my K2s. But they held just like the K2s. And they turned faster, much faster.

It’s a different experience, One I thought was lost to the sands of time.

And I can’t wait to get out on them again tomorrow, primarily because unlike almost all the big brands, once again, the Peak 98s are FUN!

But having said this, let me remind you that skis are secondary to boots. And when it comes to boots…

Here’s where I differ with many. I like old school heavy boots. I owned a pair of light and stiff Salomons and got rid of them after one season, I just could not get forward in them. Now I’m in the Lange RS 130, a legendary boot, maybe the most legendary extant. The progressive flex is astounding, revelatory.

Now if you’re not looking for the ultimate, Lange has a new boot the Shadow, which everyone is raving about. I could explain how it works, but that’s a whole ‘nother e-mail.

And next year they’re updating the RS 130 for the first time in eons.

But if you’re an avid skier, buy your boots. You can always rent your skis. And if you don’t ski much, that’s what I advise, renting the skis. You’ll always be on new equipment (but don’t cheap out, you’ve got to pay for the “performance” package).

As for those who’ve gotten this far but still have no idea what I’m really talking about, earlier today I saw this video on Instagram Reels:

https://shorturl.at/bxN05

Click and watch the clip, it’s brief.

But if you’re time or technology challenged, here’s what it says:

“Honestly, skiing fixes everything.

It’s like the best therapy money can buy.

Had a bad day?

Go skiing.

Had a bad week?

Go skiing.

Got dumped or played?

Go skiing!

The amount of good memories you get from skiing is phenomenal…

Almost like a dream come true.”

Ain’t that the truth.

Tune in Saturday February 10th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz