Russ Stiffler of Martindale, Texas, was the dominant tricks skier in the 1970s. In 1975, he was the first to break 6,000 points and he set the world record at 6,230 points. He made contributions as an innovator in all aspects of trick skiing. When the rules changed to allow shorter, wider skis, Stiffler made skis and experimented with many configurations. Trick skis today closely resemble the size and shape he considered optimum.