Binding Mishap Thwarts Crazy Canuck

In 1980, Ken Read was heavily favoured to win the men’s downhill at the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. He’d come off a stellar season, and appeared to be peaking at just the right time. The day was overcast and the snow was swirling when Ken blasted out of the starting gate. He wasn’t on the course for more than fifteen seconds when he suddenly lost a ski. Inexplicably, one of his then state-of-the-art, Salomon 555 Équipe latch-in ski bindings had released. Prematurely. 

Ken skied to stop. His dream of winning Olympic gold forever dashed by the sleek, gold ski bindings that, for whatever reason, failed him miserably that historic day.