WildSnow is in the ski business, so we usually have dozens of skis kicking around. Our day-to-day testers and favorites live on a big ski rack in my studio-workshop. They look proud. Our special collector skis were resigned to leaning in a corner. They were sad. So we got Grassracks to send over a beautiful bamboo wall hanger. These are practical; rig it for your daily rides if you like. But in our case the idea is to do some of our special skis proud.
Grassrack installed and filled with ski touring backcountry skis in our living room. From top down: 10th Mountain Division military skis from around 1942, Splitkein logo on tip, stamped with U.S. just ahead of the binding. Duret ski mountaineering plank I was on when I got worked by an avalanche in 1982. We’re not sure it hanging there broken is aesthetic enough for our living space. On the other hand, it’s a good reminder. I used the Dynastar Yeti for quite a few 14er descents in the late 1980s and 1990s. They were a demanding stiff ski, perfect on steep frozen corn but not exactly a powder ski. K2 Wayback I skied on Denali on with my son in 2010, a life-list dream I love being reminded of.
Step One: screw in the mounting bar.
Step Two: hang ski mounts on bar. You’re done! Grassracks get their name because they’re made from bamboo, which is technically a grass but serves as a beautiful wood for everything from floors to furniture. Their products are compatible with a high-end residential finish but work just as well in your storage shed. We might have to mount a few more to hold our backcountry skis.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
