An exciting photo of Jean-Claude Killy making a recovery during a race back in the sixties is sometimes credited with launching a technical dead-end. Sitting way back on the edge of disaster soon became a legitimized technique. Toepieces and ligaments were torn out in wholesale lots before “Jet Turns” were finally phased out. New high-back ski boots eventually appeared in shops to make this all possible, but a clever accessory was also invented to modify lower boots. You weren’t cool without a pair of Jet Stix buckled on to provide the now necessary rear support. Jet Stix didn’t last long on the slopes before being added to the ski industry’s fat “What were we thinking!?” file, though it seemed like a good idea at the time. Curiously, they could be found for years afterwards, worn backwards as road hockey protection.
