History of the Astraltune

[Philpug]

Here is a great history of the fabeled Astraltune

HOW THE ASTRALTUNE PROGRESSED FROM AN INNOVATIVE IDEA IN THE MIND OF A YOUNG FREESTYLE SKIER TO BECOME THE WORLD’S FIRST PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYER​

The ability to listen to music whenever and wherever you want, at least by 2021 standards, is relatively unremarkable. However, this wasn’t always the case. Before smartphones became home to vast libraries of music, there were mp3 players, some more memorable than others. Microsoft’s Zune. Sandisk’s Sansa. The iPod, of course. Before that, there was the Sony Discman, and before that, the Sony Walkman. But to reach the true genesis of the portable music player, it is important to travel back even further, to the winter of 1973, when the idea of listening to music on the go was just that: an idea floating around inside the head of a college student from Orinda named Andy Bowers.

Full story here...

Grooving on the Go - Tahoe Quarterly

The ability to listen to music whenever and wherever you want, at least by 2021 standards, is relatively unremarkable. However, this wasn’t always the case. Before smartphones became home to vast libraries of music, there were mp3 players, some more memorable than others. Microsoft’s Zune...

tahoequarterly.com

 

[Bill Talbot]

Well personally I would not ski with earbuds or headphones ever. It's distracting and dumbs down your ability to be aware of your surroundings. I think it's unsafe for both the person skiing with it AND those around them.

 

[Philpug]

I remember wanting an Astraltune and not being able to afford it so I took my cassette player and my mother sewed a puch and harnedd so i could wear it on my chest. I soon found the limitations of a Realistic cassette deck in that everytime I hit a mogul the music from cassette wo-obble.

 

[dan ross]

I remember wanting an Astraltune and not being able to afford it so I took my cassette player and my mother sewed a puch and harnedd so i could wear it on my chest. I soon found the limitations of a Realistic cassette deck in that everytime I hit a mogul the music from cassette wo-obble.

Did the same thing. The batteries died in half an hour in the cold as well.

 

[dan ross]

And your buddy Bob ( who did an ad or two for them ) wearing his in 80?

 

[Tricia]

And your buddy Bob ( who did an ad or two for them ) wearing his in 80? View attachment 219723

Wow, that's a blast from the past.

 

[Quazman]

Was skiing Mary Jane in 1980 or 81 and Alstraltunes had a demo day. My buddy and I grabbed our “party tapes” from the car and had an awesome day. As a poor student at CU there was no way I could afford that luxury but that was a memorable day in the bumps at “The Jane”!