Inspiration for old'er- sters

[Wolfski]

Haven't watched the whole video yet but I'll say this, you are as old as you feel. No one lives forever but what you do with your life through the years makes a big difference on the later years. The genetic pool you're from certainly has a huge effect as well but it's up to each individual to eat well, exercise, get some rest, you know, all the normal healthy text book crap.

Our bodies peak physically way earlier than our brains will admit but that doesn't mean you can't go out and huck some drops, do some tricks, get some air and get a little batting practice when you're older. We're older and should be wiser (in theory) so you need to use that to your advantage.

Better skis and boots nowadays help, but they don't ski by themselves, actually for some of us the skis seem to ski by themselves now but that's a different thread.

 

[Jacques]

My old cam. Not too stable when skiing. Still this touches base about age and skiing. He is still skiing better than ever and I look forward to see him again soon.
I did a bit of an interview with him at 80 on a chair, but that's just a part of another video I can't find among my 1,100+ videos.

 

[Jacques]

Okay at a risk I'll post me at 55. I'm 57 now but pretty much the same.

 

[Pete in Idaho]

There are articles running now that voice concern about the aging ski population and the worry about skiings future when young people are getting scarser. Money is cited as a reason, computer games another etc.. Most of the avid skiers I see at our two local areas are in their 50's plus.
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Although I am 75 skiing still presents a real challenge and thrill to me. It is one sport that you can somewhat ovecome your age with what you have learned through years of lessons, racing and the various terrain and places and times you have skied. Experience does count skiing and if you continue with learning you can and will see your skiing improve and change with the years. Yes, I don't search out the really steep terrain anymore, don't jump off anything, don't ski tough mogul fields as often as before.

BUT, I can zoom a groomer with almost anyone, ski the trees in the powder and hit my stashes on a powder day. Can and still do ski short radius, med. radius and super g turns opn one run and switch baack and forth because it is fun. Maybe most important is I don't fear boarders running into me because they can't catch me.

Above all, I have made and have some really great friends I have met through skiing. I often stop on a run and take in the scenery whether it is the Bitteroots or the Selkirks mountains or just the glisten of snow, snow laden trees or the amazing thrill I have being part of it all.

And yes, being able to share here is also a good vicarious ski experience.

 

[markojp]

I don't teley much these days, and unless I suddenly spend a bunch more time in free heel gear, I'll never be as strong and skilled as I was. It was a blast while it lasted though, and most of my most memorable days on snow have been on teley gear. Alpine wise, dunno. I ski enough days that I can pick and choose when to turn things up and when to dial them back. I'm certainly more conscious of injury than I was in my 30's, that's for sure. You just don't heal as quickly, but in general, I feel a bit like like Mike in the vid but without the 720's and big air as a performance benchmark. Dropping into something is one thing. Hucking for hucking sake, it just isn't me.

This season, my goal is to ski both efficiently and fast, and to do regional DCL tryouts in the spring. Lucky year 7 in PSIA and all... The age thing on the hill though, I guess we're lucky. We seem to have a lot of younger folks and families on the hill. Midweek favors the retired and the homeschooled though. And shop folks. And nurses. And the bit about skiing with friends just feeling lucky to be able to keep going.

 

[Paul Lutes]

.......... the paradoxical effect that aging might be more demoralizing if I had been hot stuff when I was young.

Very important! And the message I came away with from the video. The psychology of starting relatively young, improving to your maximum potential with possible competition, and then see it slowly crumble away can be one of the biggest challenges we face as we approach the golden years. Has been for me, at any rate.

 

[Viking9]

Hey Pete you bring up meeting people and making friends through skiing , that's something I have never found time for , not proud of it , just the way it's been .
Me and the wife are weekend warriors and the slopes are 5 hours away and I have to get up at 3:30 am for a 5 o'clock start for the last 28 years .Anyway I'm always wanting to get started and we seem to be somewhat selfish with our time.
I'm retiring in 3 years and I think that's something that will change with us , having meet ups and the idea of racing now comes into play, not so much the results but the locker room afterwards and the beverage's , it's something that I hope will change with us.

 

[Guy in Shorts]

My neighbor borrowed $1500 back in 1957 to buy two lifetime Killington passes for him and his wife. His skiing life ended 55 seasons later when a snowboarder took him out resulting in a broken hip a few years ago. Miss seeing my hero out on the slopes everyday.

 

[Pete in Idaho]

Hey Pete you bring up meeting people and making friends through skiing , that's something I have never found time for , not proud of it , just the way it's been .
Me and the wife are weekend warriors and the slopes are 5 hours away and I have to get up at 3:30 am for a 5 o'clock start for the last 28 years .Anyway I'm always wanting to get started and we seem to be somewhat selfish with our time.
I'm retiring in 3 years and I think that's something that will change with us , having meet ups and the idea of racing now comes into play, not so much the results but the locker room afterwards and the beverage's , it's something that I hope will change with us.

Viking9, you must be a Mammoth family. Great mt. lots of fun, raced there for 20yrs. When you retire take some time and stop at the top of the tram and take in Half Dome on a clear day, there are some really great sights at Mammoth if you take a little time to let them in. Really appreciate my friendship with; Roberto our long time Chilean ski racing coach, Chris and Jenny Fellows owners of NASTC, my friends in Sydney, Code 3 and Firefighter racers, all my friends in Idaho etc. etc.

Hope you can both enjoy your skiing and those that you will meet. The 5 hour drive from LA to Mammoth is a killeer even though I have nevere done.

 

[Chris Walker]

My face when the inspiration for old people is younger than me.

 

[HDSkiing]

Great video! Everyone has different ways in which they derive motivation whether it’s to ski well into old age or to improve year after year regardless of age.

I’m in my mid 50’s and have skied since I was a child. I certainly skied with more abandon when I was in my teens and twenties but I can honestly say that I Ski now with more precision and just as fast. I’m fortunate in that I get to be on skis 100 days a season, that in itself makes a big difference as the days of winter blur into weeks and after awhile the time I spend on skis eclipses the amount of time I walk or do virtually anything else, in fact I have occasionally taken a three day break and notice that I am stiffer than if I had just skied the day before.

I see a not insignificant number of really strong skiers that are a decade or three older and find great inspiration in watching them ski moguls and other runs like a millennial.

I was particularly interested in the discussion on bone density and longevity having a strong lower body connection and how skiing places increasing pressure on the legs rather than say the jarring nature of long distance running where many times your body weight has to be absorbed in a more rapid and condensed fashion.

In time I think technology will also help, just the advancement in equipment alone has kept people skiing longer. In coming years you will see exo-skeletons that will work in tandem with the legs, not just for skiing but for all sorts of activities or just to help maintain balance, eliminating walkers and canes. Aging presents challenges but between modern medicine and other advances it will be mitigated as it never was in the past.

Besides isn’t 60 the new 35?

 

[Wolfski]

[QUOTE

Besides isn’t 60 the new 35?[/QUOTE]

I certainly hope so, I'm one that's working with the saying "If your 60 and haven't grown up, you don't have to" so, lets play, my kids don't know where I'm at and if they did they can't keep up.

 

[Philpug]

Our top demographics on the site is 45-54 (40%) so it is not surprising that this is hitting the core here. FWIW, 55-64 is 19% so for almost 60% of our readers, this hits them between the eyes. Last year is the first year of my skiing career that I didn't do a helicopter and I will say it does haunt me. If I do two this year...does that allow me to continue the streak?

 

[slowrider]

I haven't skied my age in mph for a couple of years. Am I going to try for 66 mph this year. Probably not. Phil, only if you do a double heli.

 

[Blue Streak]

Love it!
Thanks.

 

[KingGrump]

I haven't skied my age in mph for a couple of years. Am I going to try for 66 mph this year.

Just need to get a faster phone.

 

[Mothertucker]

Our top demographics on the site is 45-54 (40%) so it is not surprising that this is hitting the core here. FWIW, 55-64 is 19% so for almost 60% of our readers, this hits them between the eyes. Last year is the first year of my skiing career that I didn't do a helicopter and I will say it does haunt me. If I do two this year...does that allow me to continue the streak?

I haven't skied my age in mph for a couple of years. Am I going to try for 66 mph this year. Probably not. Phil, only if you do a double heli.

@slowrider is right... it now must be a 720, and we require proof.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

I don't know about the phone but i like that thinking about how to continue a streak. My 1971-2015 streak of ski road trips had come to an end with injury and a really bad snow year - so if I can count that next years early trip in winter 2015-2016, last year, and whats planned for this year I could call it a 50 years streak . Hoping for at least 60 though

 

[Pete in Idaho]

Phil, YES but only if you land them both.Watching

 

[Pete in Idaho]

Knowing there are a few more experienced skiers monitoring this post.

FYI

A favorite road trip of mine includes the Powder Triangle in BC. I usually start in Whitefish Montana, Fernie, Whitewater, Red Mt. It is a good loop going either clockwise or counter directions. I was checking prices etc. a few days ago and found out the following:

Whitefish Montana. 70yrs and over Free Lift Tic
Whitewater, 75yrs free
Red Mt. 75 yrs free.

Makes a trip pretty affordable.Haven't looked up Fernie yet. You can fly into Spokane and start with Red and do the loop. Warning-stay away from Fernie on Saturday it is a zoo. Since I am 75 think I will do it again.

Also there are quite a few Cat operations in the arrea.