As Red Bull 1976 brings the disco era back to life on the slopes of Quebec's Mont Tremblant, we've put together a brief history of that unforgettable year...
It’s time to party like it’s 1976!
Okay, maybe that doesn’t sound as catchy as Prince’s (or is that Prince, formerly known as The Artist, formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince?) classic “1999", but many forget that tune may have never happened if he hadn’t recorded a demo tape in, you got it, 1976 that led to his first record deal.
Anyone wanting to do 1976 right would need to find some bell-bottom jeans and platform shoes and maybe even perm their hair before heading to Mont Tremblant this weekend to celebrate Red Bull 1976, a retro, multi-disciplinary ski competition that embraces all the things that evoke cringes from people who lived through the 1970s.
Red Bull 1976 sees teams of four skiers competing in the Snowbladecross and Old School Air, plus having loads of fun playing 1970s disco kings and queens, or if that’s not your thing, maybe rocker dudes and chicks.
And to help those bent on having a retro good time, here’s Red Bull’s guide to 1976 to help put things in perspective...
IN CINEMAS:
Today we have the film. “The Fighter” with Mark Wahlberg starring as a boxer who beats the odds to triumph in the ring and win respect for him and his family. In 1976, Sylvester Stallone played Rocky Balboa, a boxer who beats the odds to triumph in the ring and win respect for him and his family.
FASHION:
In 1976, you were completely square if you didn’t wear bell-bottom jeans, huge gold chains, porn-star moustaches and 50s fashions. Now, slim-cut jeans, bling, porn-star moustaches and 70s fashion are sick.
COMPUTERS:
Back in 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded a company called Apple Computer with a philosophy that centred around the simple idea of “Think Different.” Now, the ubiquity of the company’s iProducts iPrompts most of us to “Move It” and “Shake It” to the tunes on our iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
SPORTS ICONS:
At the 1976 Winter Olympics, America’s sweetheart Dorothy Hamill’s trademark bob hairstyle sparked a beauty salon craze after the pixie-like skater won gold in the women’s singles. Only an Act of God seems able to limit the success of today’s most fashionable female athlete, skier Lindsey Vonn, who saw her chance at a fourth consecutive World Cup evaporate when rain cancelled the final event last month.
MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS:
The hugely talented, multi-instrumental group The Band played its final concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco late in 1976, which was immortalized in the Martin Scorsese film, The Last Waltz. Today, just about anyone can get airplay as long as they have a video camera and a sugary song to sing on YouTube à la Justin Beiber and Rebecca Black, who, it’s rumoured, will be pooling their miniscule talents sometime soon.
INDIE MUSIC:
Early in 2011, London-based band The Vaccines officially established themselves as the hottest Indie act around with a third-place finish in BBC's Sound of 2011 poll. The quartet cites 1970s punk as one of their main influences, which would include punk rock pioneers, the Sex Pistols, who shocked London viewers in 1976 with a barrage of four-letter words during a live broadcast on Thames Television.
TROUBLED CELEBRITIES:
The 1976 poster child for the star gone wrong was The Partridge Family star Danny Bonaduce, who began a drug-induced spiral out of control that ended in homelessness. The obvious candidate for today is actor Charlie Sheen, who is, well, Charlie Sheen. Enough said.
HARD-HITTING SPORT:
A few days into 1976, an exhibition game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Soviet Red Army team saw Ed Van Impe throw a vicious elbow to the head of Russian star Valeri Kharlamov, knocking him unconscious. Today, we have the National Hockey League trying desperately to make headshots go away after the game’s biggest star, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, struggles to return from a concussion after a blindside headshot from Washington’s David Steckel.
FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE:
Ann Rice became an instant phenomenon in 1976 when “Interview With The Vampire” hit the book stands and began a series known as “The Vampire Chronicles, later made into a film. Fast forward four decades and the four-part “Twilight Series” continues the trend, with the cinematic adaptations sending teenage girls into convulsions because the dreamy male stars never pass up an opportunity to go shirtless.
RACING INNOVATION:
Tyrrell chief designer Derek Gardner showed up at the fourth race of the 1976 Formula One season in Spain with his radical six-wheel P34, which quickly wiped the smirks off the faces of its detractors when it posted five podiums in its first nine starts including a win in Sweden. In Australia last month, cars had moveable rear wings to help improve overtaking, Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems that give drivers extra power at the touch of a button, and blown exhaust systems to increase downforce.
Want more?
- Check out the gallery from last year's Red Bull 1976
- Visit Lindsey Vonn's profile page
- Go to RedBull.com's Winter Sports section
Comments
Add a comment