Surprisingly, technical editor Martin Olson, who writes half of this Buyer’s Guide issue and most of the instructional stories every season, is as good with his hands in the summer as he is on his feet all winter. With a bit of prodding, he e-mailed me this photo, above, showing the recent fruits of his labour, something no household should be without, a hunting bow made from his wife’s cross-country skis.

“I thought it would snap before I could finish my first quiver,” said the Golden, B.C., tinkerer, and added without a trace of derision, “but I’ve been bringing home supper all summer with my new Atomic Bow Flex 2000.” Martin is currently perfecting an aerodynamically better arrow from ski poles scavenged from the Kicking Horse Lost & Found bin.

While not every old ski gear creation born on a workbench like Martin’s is lethal enough to be featured in Hook & Bullet magazine, there certainly are some creative uses of old equipment around chalets and cabins, base lodges and bars that are worthy of a spread in Canadian House & Home.

I’ve sat on some sunny decks in March in very comfortable Muskoka chairs made from used (or unsold anyway) skis. I’ve hung my coat and tuque on wall racks and standing racks made of conversationstarting old boards like Hexel honeycombs, K2 Cheeseburgers and Rossi Strato 102s. Skis make good fence slats, whether you’re keeping in livestock, urchins or the more seriously incarcerated. Another friend has an impressive piece of contemporary artwork made from old skis adorning his barn. I’ve left tips for the bartender in an old ski boot in Silver Star. One of my mum’s 1940s leatherand- laces model sits on our family’s chalet mantel holding dried fl owers. (The fl owers are me she’s currently trying to secure a worldwide patent of an electric spankin’ machine made with old ski tips from various exboyfriends. Hmm….

Despite our always fresh editorial content policy, we at Ski Canada believe in that distracting reuse and recycle mantra. And what better way to get everyone onto the garbage bandwagon than having a good oldfashioned contest? Announcing the First Ever Win a Date with Scott the Editorial Intern Sweepstakes.

Send us your photos (prints, slides or high-res digital) of what you think the best use of old ski gear is and you could win a date with Scott or whatever’s in the box he’s holding here. You could also win a Porsche 911 Carrera S, somewhere, probably, but not in this contest—we don’t have the budget. (The Porsche was just a prop to make you read this far. Also, Scott only has his learner’s permit. And for that matter, the tux is a borrowed prop, too.)

All old-ski-gear-turned-into-somethingelse photos will appear in our annual Best of Canadian Skiing issue, Winter 2006, and for winners who choose option two, whatever’s in the box, I’ll try to make sure you receive something that’s never been used. ❄

This column appeared in the Fall 2005 issue.