Wow...sad news.
I grew up on Herb's skis. My uncle was a trick skier and on the HO team. Years ago I started collecting old waterskis and soon learned of a rare ski that I had to find. Story goes, when Herb O'Brien sold O'Brien Skis and started HO skis his first model was called the Hot One. Herb only made around 100 of these skis, in 2 different lengths(65" and 67"). The HO bindings he was working on, that would revolutionize every binding from then on, weren't quite ready yet so the Hot One's would be fitted with Mastercraft bindings. Me and Kent at Endo's ski shop like to BS about old skis and he'd always told me that the Hot One was the one ski he didn't have that he'd love to find. Kent, being a long time friend of Herb also knew that Herb O'Brien himself didn't even have a Hot One and would love to find it too.
Last year my Hot One treasure hunt came to an end and I found a minty one, in the bag, never used. I brought it into Endos to show Kent and his jaw dropped. He immediately called Herb up and told him what I found. Herb was in disbelief and said if I shipped my ski up north he'd autograph it for me. A few weeks ago, I stroll into Kent's shop and he's got a Hot One just like mine hanging on the wall. He finally found one and we were planning on shipping both of ours up to Herb to have them signed, but I guess we'd both been slacking...
Anyways, Herb was a pioneer and innovator. I still use my old Mach One and use his old bindings on every one of my skis. RIP Herb.
