Senior Skiing

[Tricia]

There are two skiing programs that continue to grow at mountains where I've worked the past couple years. Women's programs, and Senior programs.
We are seeing a growth in the skier who is maintaining ownership of his/her skiing experience and the years move on.


This is extremely encouraging for me.

Is 60 the new 50? Heck, is 70 the new 50?

You don't stop skiing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop skiing.

 

[Bill Talbot]

How about 90 is the new 70!

Dad is 92, still sliding on snow a few mornings a season.

 

[Tricia]

When I met @Lil Georg she was in her early 60's and said that she would be skiing the same #days/season as her age. To the best of my knowledge, she still does.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Hell yeah !! Didnt even take this up seriously till i was 50 !! Attiude is everything .Age is only a number , get busy having a life and dont spend one minute worrying about age . Get fit , Get active , Get positive , Get involved and forget all the bs that aging limits you .

You limit yourself by negative thinking ....Rage on , Burn out , do not rust out !!

 

[KingGrump]

60 is the new 30.
At least that's what I like to think.
I am skiing better now than when I ever did in my 30's. But then I really suck back then. Just suck a bit less now.

 

[SkiNurse]

I ran into (figuratively speaking) the Copper Over the Hill Gang at the Storm King lift waaaaay back when I was turning 40.The guide of that group informed me that I could join the OTHG when I turned 45!!! What? My goal is to ski for as long as my body will let me and NEVER feel old enough to join OTHG!

 

[Gerry Rhoades]

I'm 71, work out with a personal trainer at least one day a week, go to the gym a few other days as well. My trainer is a snowboarder, has competed in the Ironman World Championships a couple times and last season, after a good dump, he called and said he was meeting some friends at RLM and invited me to join them. I met up with them at the Cole Creek lift and we rode up and I offered to show them one of my secret places in the trees. Before we started into the trees, he said, "Not too fast, it's hard for me to get going on this board." My response was "I'll think about it." Then I took off into the trees. They finally caught up when I got to the lift. He still tells people about how the 70 year old guy smoked him and his friends. This year he says he's going to make me hike the ridge at Bridger Bowl. "Bring it on."

 

[Tominator]

I'll be 67 at the end of December. After 55 years of doing it, I still greatly enjoy skiing and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Sadly, however, I have many contemporaries who used to be avid skiers, but 'gave it up' a few years ago. Strangely enough, the reason they often give is not perceived physical limitations but rather that going skiing is too much of a hassle. I hope fun never becomes too much of a hassle for me!

 

[Bobalooski]

If this post is for seniors like me, you're going to have to SPEAK UP! o_O

 

[Jed Peters]

I'm blessed (as are my kids) to have 2 grandparents and a step grandparent still active and skiing in their late 60's to early 70s. They are all really proficient skiers.

One of all of our "mutual friends" is 73 years old, skis 5-6 days a week, and absolutely RIPS. I think the most important thing for those of advanced age (I'm even seeing it in my late 30s) is to stay active, stretch, and work mobility and body weight exercises. I can't think of a better exercise for those that are older than full depth squats, and mobility/posterior chain stretching.

Who says you can't still tear it up in your later years? Pop, chime in...I know you're lurking!

 

[Lady_Salina]

So many people kept telling me when I was 40 i better go get my level 3 cause I was going to get too old. I think a lot of people were shocked when I went and got it at 50. There is people who think I can still go get my level 4. Maybe if i was interested. But I know a lot of women are looking forward to skiing with me this year as they now are saying wow, you can get it at our age and female. I have taught people to ski at 50 (when I was a youngin of 30 or so) who then went crazy loving it and became instructors. To think one can't get better through working on technique and conditioning seems crazy to me, but I do believe natural ability certainly helps you reach the highest level of instruction as it helps any athlete, but I think anyone, any age can certainly reach a level 2 certification through effort and fitness level. I also think a level 2 instructor can ski anywhere in the world and an slope... though they may want to do it with caution and not always look as stylish as a level 3 or 4 (in Canada)

 

[Jed Peters]

There are two skiing programs that continue to grow at mountains where I've worked the past couple years. Women's programs, and Senior programs.
We are seeing a growth in the skier who is maintaining ownership of his/her skiing experience and the years move on.

This is extremely encouraging for me.

Is 60 the new 50? Heck, is 70 the new 50?

You don't stop skiing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop skiing.

Wait, are you just saying this because now your husband is beginning to get senior discounts?

 

[Don in Morrison]

I learned to ski from a guy who was 70 at the time. I'm now 64 and I still manage to get in a couple of ballet runs each ski day. I'm typically the only person on the hill using twin tips for the purpose for which they were originally invented. One day I did some spins in close proximity to a ski school group who were stopped while the instructor was talking to them. I overheard one of the kids say, "Wow, that was weird". There are some things I'm not flexible enough to do any more (or maybe I'm just too fat) and I don't push myself as much as I did back when, but skiing gives me motivation to not be a vegetable during the off season. I've gotten more exercise in the past 10 years than the previous 20.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

I thought when I turned 50 that my body was beginning to fail me and I was all through getting better. Some 26 years later, I've found my skiing becomes better and better every season.

 

[Philpug]

Does this even need a caption? @Ron @GregMerz

 

[Ron]

OMG, that picture has to be about 7-8 years old! Yes, I'm 51 and havin' fun dammit. Skiing better even with the wear and tear (emphasis on tear)

 

[Johnny V.]

I'll be 64 in February, but I'm a late bloomer. I started skiing at 30, started ski racing at 50 and mountain biking at 56. I'm probably skiing better now than I did at 50 (although most of that is lots more slope time). Big difference from earlier years is that I try to spend at least an hour a day working out or doing physical things (yesterday spent about 3 hours blowing leaves and chainsawing downed stuff on our mountain bike trails). Last year I kept up the workouts during the season and I noticed the difference in my racing.

 

[Jim McDonald]

Turned 68 in October and unfortunately will miss (most of) this season because of a stupid pet trick 10 days ago, but I damn sure intend to be out in the powder again next season at 69, and for as many more seasons as possible.
Ala Warp Daddy, I intend to burn out not rust out.

 

[John Webb]

My dad didn't ski but he and an office mate retired the same day The officemate, about 60, moved near Massanutten VA,
and became a certified ski instructor there. Kids & some woman liked his lessons but they called him Grandpa !

 

[David Chaus]

At 53, I definitely notice little aches and pains more than I did in the past. Then there's the constant reminder of wearing an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor. I've been a type 1 diabetic for 42 years; that will remind one of one's age. Oh yeah, then there's the little detail of having cataract surgery in the middle of the ski season last year, not to mention issues with diabetic retinopathy that's been plaguing me since the last year, including a flare up at the start of Gathering in Jackson.

OK, whining over. My eyes can see, best vision of my life. I'm actually in pretty good shape. I ski more than I did as a young man, and I'm a much more efficient and proficient skier than I was then. Maybe a little less reckless.

I'm starting to plan my retirement around skiing, because I don't intend to retire from skiing.

I have a pulse, so I'll be skiing.