Saquib Ramday
Hampshire, UK
Model 997 GTS
Year 2011
Acquired 2023
Gloves pulled up, straps fastened tight. Helmet on and buckled, goggles pulled down. I’m conscious it’s a cold morning, minus 7 degrees Celsius at nearly 2,800 metres above sea-level, the sun barely breaking through small gaps in the clouds. Light easterly winds.
Pushing down on the balls of my feet, first one, then the other, I hear the familiar metallic click of boots locking into the binding. Poles in hand, I push away, starting to slide down the hill. I can feel the ridges of the freshly groomed snow through the soles of my boots, sharp ski edges gripping the ice as I make short, swinging turns down a narrow track.
In my younger days, I would immediately start attacking the slopes. Today, I’m more careful to allow time for fluids to circulate and the engine to warm up gently. Keeping the revs between 3,000 and 3,500rpm, largely in second and third gear, by the time I approach the chair lift I can see the engine oil temperature dial starting to move, which means we’re pushing past 60 degrees Celsius. Heading back up, I’m enjoying a moment of solitude, soaking in the view of snow-capped peaks, thinking about the clattering sound of my skis as they ride over a hard-packed piste.
A passionate skier, I’ve only missed one season (due to Covid-19) since I started learning to ski as a three-yearold. I bought my first pair of skis in Val d’isère when I was 21, flying in from the US to visit a friend who was doing a ski season. In recent years, the logistics of young children has meant it’s easier to rent, offering an opportunity to change skis, try different models, and use a ski ideally suited for the conditions and routes planned that day. In my experience, the ideal garage would house three or four different pairs of skis, and a similar number of 911s, to cover the spectrum of experiences I enjoy most when skiing or driving.
Given the lack of recent fresh powder preceding this trip, I opted to rent a newly updated ‘all-mountain’ ski produced by Stöckli, the Stormrider 88. Rather like the adjustability of throttle, suspension, exhaust and steering parameters in the 992, technology is making the all-mountain ski a truly versatile tool for venturing off-piste, carving groomed slopes and navigating steep mogul fields. I felt an immediate connection with this particular ski and found myself researching it over lunch. “You’ll find a lighter core in the SR88, letting it feel more lively and agile, without losing the premium damping and suspension we love so much.” Weight, agility, feedback, damping… all familiar words used to describe purchase motivations for my own 997 GTS.
I was so impressed with the SR88 that I decided to purchase a pair, justifying it with some man-maths around future ski trips I’ve not yet booked. In the dizzy haze of a new relationship I overlooked the practicalities of loading a set of skis into my 997, which I left parked at Heathrow Terminal 5 Long Stay. If only Ferry Porsche had set a requirement to be able to fit a pair of skis as well as golf clubs in a 911.
As I was driving down the M3 heading home, suitcase in the frunk, 166cm skis comfortably wedged diagonally across the rear seats with a ski boot bag, I was reflecting on the ability of these cars to be by our side across the huge latitude of experiences they’re exposed to. Among the many new fast Audi estates and Range Rovers in the Alps, the Seal grey 996 C4S I saw parked on the high street in Val d’isère, covered in salt and snow, is a reminder to cherish through use, counting memories not miles.