# Ever missed years of skiing?



## dlague (Mar 9, 2016)

This questions came to mine from a hijack that started in another thread so I thought why not a new thread!  I copied quotes from the other thread to start the dialog. 



bdfreetuna said:


> I went through a weird phase in life I guess. More concerned about seeing Phish and other jam bands than doing anything athletic at the time. I don't think I ever even researched surrounding areas or even brought my skis out to college.





SkiFanE said:


> . I had one ski trip in 4 years with college buddies - in one guy's 1970s huge boat - all our skis fit crossways in the trunk (back in the 200cm+ days).  His car broke on way so we dealt with that all day and never skied. I did once usually over Xmas break. But at that point in my life skiing was nearly impossible when you slept til 1pm weekends lol. It just wasnt part of the culture of my U. Hlike it is at others (ie UVM). Didn't miss it at all. Then after college I made so little $ I got a second job at liquor store to pay for new equip and ski passes. Turned out my future husband I met at college started skiing before elem school like me - when we finally went together it was like "wow, this is fun" lol.




Well those are a better excuses than mine!  Started skiing around 15 years old - skied a lot up to and including my first year of college (grades showed).  Took a break from college and worked at Jay Peak making snow.  Went into the military and skied a lot in Europe.  Got married to a non skier that I skied a few times with in hopes that she would go with it, however, it did not stick!  Returned to college and I skied a few times without her, with friends instead where she did not like the wildness of the group which lead to me eventually not skiing for about 12 years.  Our son hit three and that was my excuse to start up again (man I had missed it) which worked out perfectly and I never looked back! Then divorce blah blah blah, remarried blah blah blah, taught wife to ski and we have no plans to stop ever again!


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## shwilly (Mar 9, 2016)

Ms. Shwilly and I took a few years mostly off when we had babies. (Not 100% off, but only a handful of days in like 5 seasons.) Now that the kids are bigger, we've gotten them into it. Thankfully, our biggest memory from this year will be skiing so much with the kids, not the poor conditions. 

College would have been time off; I was not super organized in those days. But I lived in the South and had never gone at all at that point.


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## mbedle (Mar 9, 2016)

Skied a lot back in the late 80's and early 90's. Bought a house in 1997 and it all came to a screeching halt. All of the money I earned went into restoring the farmhouse on the property, building a new barn and adding an addition onto the old stone bank barn. Finally reach closure on most of those project 6 years ago. Have spent more time skiing this past 6 years, then back in the day.


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## bdfreetuna (Mar 9, 2016)

Already quoted up there, but started skiing at age 3. Grew up skiing Berkshire East and occasional places in NH/VT. Race team in high school but I liked skiing bumps and woods better (at least it was skiing).

Enter college through about 6 years ago and a series of bad and stupid lifestyle choices and also all-consuming relationships with the wrong ladies who were not skiers and I don't think I skied at all during that time.

That's about a 9 year break and I'm only 33 years old. Thank God once I finally broke off a prior relationship and started to get my house in order one of the first things that occurred to me was to start skiing again. Fortunately it's like riding a bike, I guess, but I do feel like I'm making up for lost time. My bucket list would probably be shorter and I wonder how much better I'd ski if I didn't take off my peak years.

Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm very grateful to have to opportunity to ski with my wife now and some of the places I haven't been to since childhood feel new to me again. Other places I never got a chance to ski until recently, like last year first time at Sugarloaf and Saddleback for example. Hope for a long life and lots more of this.


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## KustyTheKlown (Mar 9, 2016)

I definitely prioritized jambanding for a few years, and went to college in the midatlantic (dc) which is my all time life regret. but I never straight up missed a season. A few years of 5 or less days. I got back into it hardcore on a trip to Jackson my first year of law school -2008- and it's been 25 day seasons ever since.


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## BenedictGomez (Mar 9, 2016)

I missed 4 winters by going to college in the south, probably only skied 5 times total in those 4 years.  The beach was great though, as were girls in bikinis 9 months of the year.

I missed 5 winters by being a slave of a large bank on Wall Street, probably only skied 2 times total in those 5 years.  Realized no matter how much money you make, it's not what makes you happy.


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## gmcunni (Mar 9, 2016)

took off about 6 years after birth of first child.  in that time "new" shaped skis were introduced.


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## mbedle (Mar 9, 2016)

bdfreetuna said:


> Already quoted up there, but started skiing at age 3. Grew up skiing Berkshire East and occasional places in NH/VT. Race team in high school but I liked skiing bumps and woods better (at least it was skiing).
> 
> Enter college through about 6 years ago and a series of bad and stupid lifestyle choices and also all-consuming relationships with the wrong ladies who were not skiers and I don't think I skied at all during that time.
> 
> ...



You make a really good point about places being sort of new to you after being away for so long. I use to spend a lot of time at Killington, Jay, Stowe, Sugarbush and Pico back in the 80's and 90's. When I came back up to Stowe 6 years ago and walked into the Den, I actually recalled being their on Saturday afternoons listening to the band and drinking beer. However, I couldn't remember any of the trails from back then. The same thing at Sugarbush and Jay, didn't remember any of the trails, except at Sugarbush with the casstlerock area and a couple over on Mount Ellan.


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## NYDB (Mar 9, 2016)

I was a 30 day a year boarder through college years (20 years ago, went to school in Troy, NY and had great access and took advantage to Skiing in VT).  After college, did a few 100+ day seasons working for ASC corporate.  After I quit I lost the desire.  Probably burnt out a bit

Probably went 6 years without even thinking about it.  Its crazy looking back at it that I had no, like zero, interest in it.  I was into fitness, Bike riding and TRI's at the time.  training, training, training.

Anyway, met the wife, she liked to go, and got back into it.  I still don't need too many days a year to make me happy.  Now that my oldest is 7 and starting to rip it a bit, I have a whole nother level of interest, which is fun for both of us and great family time.


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## prsboogie (Mar 9, 2016)

I have a similar story to Dave. Learned to ski in High School sophomore year. I was able to ski a lot until two years after HS, not really a college guy at the time. Then the days got fewer until my last trip in 2001. My now wife then gf didnt ski and hated ( well still kinda hates) the cold. I didn't Ski again until 2011 when I did 2 days. 2012 got my kids on skis and have been at it since. After last season the wife decided she was missing out on great times with our kids and has 4 whole days in this season. I am quite proud of her considering she isn't very coordinated and not overly athletic but is trying in earnest.


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## JDMRoma (Mar 9, 2016)

i missed about 20 years, give or take a few ! I skied through most of my childhood and up until i was married !
We did get out a few times a year but not seriously into it One summer I got into water skiing and went crazy....every waking minute of out lives was about waterskiing  ! Started with slalom and  ended  up a Barefooting / trick skier. did that for 15 + years until I herniated a disk in my neck and stopped everything. my daughter got me back into snow skiing when she went into jr high and the rest is history ! 

Boy it comes back to you, after taking the 20 years off it was only a few runs before it all seemed to click again ! and wow shaped skis !!


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## Tin (Mar 9, 2016)

Skied from age 10 to 14 about 8-10 times a year. Chose hockey in high school and college so stopped from age 14 until 23. Started skiing again about four years ago and don't plan on stopping.


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## drjeff (Mar 9, 2016)

As close as I ever have gotten since I started skiing in the '79-'80 ski season was the 2 winters my kids were born - with birthdays of Jan 9th and Dec 29, I was needed around the house plenty those 2 winters and skied 2 days the season my oldest was born and 5 days the year my youngest was born (the fact the Killington's ski school had a combo skiing/daycare program for my oldest who had recently turned 2 the winter my going St was born let me both get a couple of weekends in that  season and start my oldest's skiing career off that winter!)


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## Puck it (Mar 9, 2016)

Twice when I was around 9-13 and playing around 120 hockey games during the winter and then when we had kids in hockey cheerleading.


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## ALLSKIING (Mar 9, 2016)

Moved to Miami for 5 years years in 1990. Only skied once during that time.


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## KustyTheKlown (Mar 9, 2016)

NY DirtBag said:


> I was a 30 day a year boarder through college years (20 years ago, went to school in Troy, NY and had great access and took advantage to Skiing in VT).  After college, did a few 100+ day seasons working for ASC corporate.  After I quit I lost the desire.  Probably burnt out a bit
> 
> Probably went 6 years without even thinking about it.  Its crazy looking back at it that I had no, like zero, interest in it.  I was into fitness, Bike riding and TRI's at the time.  training, training, training.
> 
> Anyway, met the wife, she liked to go, and got back into it.  I still don't need too many days a year to make me happy.  Now that my oldest is 7 and starting to rip it a bit, I have a whole nother level of interest, which is fun for both of us and great family time.



what did you do for ASC? corporate ski job is sort of my dream job. use my professional degree in an industry that means a lot to me. i was considering moving to CO and was looking at vail resorts job page, which had plenty of options that suited my background.


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## Pez (Mar 9, 2016)

I think a common theme here is don't get involved with a woman that doesn't ski.


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## podunk77 (Mar 9, 2016)

JDMRoma said:


> Boy it comes back to you, after taking the 20 years off it was only a few runs before it all seemed to click again ! and wow shaped skis !!



I too took about 20 years off, roughly from ages 22 to 42.  No good reason for it, just more focused on establishing myself professionally.  Got back into skiing 7 or 8 years ago and it was like riding a bicycle; legs definitely have "muscle memory" and within a few runs I was back to my old intermediate-level ski proficiency.  Took me a little longer (but not much) to understand the physics behind shaped skis.


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## tumbler (Mar 9, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> what did you do for ASC? corporate ski job is sort of my dream job. use my professional degree in an industry that means a lot to me. i was considering moving to CO and was looking at vail resorts job page, which had plenty of options that suited my background.



Don't do it!  Working in the business sucks even on the corporate side. You'll spend more time looking at the hill than being on it even as a lawyer. It will make you loathe skiing, it happened to me too.


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## ironhippy (Mar 9, 2016)

I learned to ski at 3 years old, our family had passes from 3 - 10 years old.
At 10 my parents told my brother and myself "you have to choose, we can't be at the rink and the ski hill at the same time on the weekends"
We both chose hockey.

I skied maybe a dozen times between the age of 10 - 32. 

I was big into hiking, biking and snowshoeing in 2009, and I started thinking seriously about getting into back country skiing because it seemed like the natural thing to do after you've hiked up a mountain in the winter time, however I hurt my leg that fall and put all my athletic plans on hold.

I tried skiing again in 2012 near the end of the season and to my surprise, it was the perfect amount of stress for my leg.

I bought a pass the next season and didn't look back.

My skiing got stronger and so did my leg and after last season my leg was strong enough that I could start hiking and biking seriously again. I've since moved onto lifting weights and rowing and most of the stuff I used to, just not at the same capacity.

This season I was actually back country skiing when the snow was good, so I've come full circle. I'm bored and annoyed at the lift now.


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## Not Sure (Mar 9, 2016)

06-07 ,Once in 41 yrs. Was in the hospital 7 times that winter till my Awesome Doctor, David Fisher at Dana Farber figured out what my illness was . Ironically came home after a big snow, neighbor had to bring me home with chains on his 4x4. Was painful to look out the window.


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## mriceyman (Mar 9, 2016)

Yep this is the first year i wont get out since i started 14 years ago. If it was a better winter i wouldve gotten out earlier in the season but once new years came and i had a 2nd kid it just wasnt in the cards. Before kids i managed 20 days a year.. Since kids its about 5 until this year. Next year 1st kid will be 3 so hopefully get him stArted. 


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## bigkhan (Mar 9, 2016)

Started skiing in high school and continued for the next 6 years going 30+ days a year. The next 10 years I only skied maybe 5 times total due to work schedule at first, then having My daughter. My daughter wanted to learn how to ski so in the past 2 years I've made it out about 40 times. So glad she's enjoying it.


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## cdskier (Mar 9, 2016)

Pez said:


> I think a common theme here is don't get involved with a woman that doesn't ski.



Hah...a woman that skis is my #1 criteria! Of course that seems to really be limiting my options so far (at least living in NJ)...


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## Harvey (Mar 9, 2016)

I missed from age zero to age 40.


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## gmcunni (Mar 9, 2016)

Harvey said:


> I missed from age zero to age 40.



what made you start at that point?


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## Harvey (Mar 9, 2016)

A beautiful girl convinced me to start cross country skiing.  I didn't want to go but she was very convincing.  Then I realized instead of dreading winter I looked forward to it. I got very hooked. I started riding lifts when I realized that natural snow was often lacking. My first time at Gore I was in leather boots and 210s.


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## snoseek (Mar 9, 2016)

US navy took me away from skiing for a couple years although a full year i cant recall. We did some time at massanutten one year. 

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## fcksummer (Mar 9, 2016)

Started skiing at about 3 years old. Was in ski clubs through elementary school and went pretty often. Got into basketball pretty heavily in middle school and only went once or twice a year after that. I was probably 20 the last time I put on skis. Started snowboarding at 27.


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## witch hobble (Mar 9, 2016)

I'm lucky to say that I've never missed a season in my life.  I was shot out of the womb and onto Outer Limits.

It has never occurred to me to take a season off.  Didn't even realize it was an option


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## SkiFanE (Mar 9, 2016)

From 1970 to 1994 I went every winter.  Maybe twice/year during college winter breaks. Epic winter of 95/96 I had a March baby, first year off. 1-2 times first couple years after. Then baby due summer of 2000, so none that winter. Baby  due  sept 1  2005 allowed me to ski til April then back by next thanksgiving - best time to have a baby and not miss a season.

All 3 of my kids are great skiers and it's become a big part of their lives. I'm glad we stuck with the sport. My 30s were lean ski years for me - but also think that helped spare my knees - because at my age I can bump day after day and won't even feel my knees til end of day - I've been fortunate to never had a ski injury (except for bruises - thin cover on stump Sunday made for hard landing on thigh - nasty lol).  

I dread the day I can no longer ski. Why I probably ski my ass off now


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## deadheadskier (Mar 9, 2016)

Missed only one season. The year after I graduated college I got recruited by a respected hotel company in Ohio. I took the gig for ROI on my hospitality degree. Quit after a year and took a job at Snowshoe in WV the following year.  Made a promise to myself I'd never miss a ski season again as long as I am physically capable of skiing.


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## bdfreetuna (Mar 9, 2016)

SkiFanE said:


> Baby  due  sept 1  2005 allowed me to ski til April then back by next thanksgiving - best time to have a baby and not miss a season.



This seems like something my wife needs to know :lol:


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## BenedictGomez (Mar 9, 2016)

cdskier said:


> Hah...a woman that skis is my #1 criteria! Of course that seems to really be limiting my options so far (at least living in NJ)...



Do what I did, steal one from Vermont. 

 Even better part is, free n.VT lodging for life.


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## cdskier (Mar 9, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> Do what I did, steal one from Vermont.
> 
> Even better part is, free n.VT lodging for life.



Well played!


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## mikec142 (Mar 9, 2016)

Skied a decent amount as a kid all the way through high school.  Kept it up in college too.  Post college did Mount Snow ski shares with friends and the girlfriend (now wife) for about five years.  Then, marriage and kids and took about 5 years off (occasional day or two during this time).  Now the kids are into it and we've been pretty active skiers as a family for the past 7-8 years.


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## bigbog (Mar 9, 2016)

The first 28yrs...  Forever wish my uncle would've kidnapped me, he skied the ADKs a LOT and out West AMAP.  Wachusett's $8 night sessions truly saved my life....


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## 4aprice (Mar 10, 2016)

Pez said:


> I think a common theme here is don't get involved with a woman that doesn't ski.



Quote of the Thread.  Tell my son this all the time.  He won't survive (or at least any relationship he's in won't survive) without one.  I know some young ladies using the same criteria as well.  Don't ski, off the list.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## deadheadskier (Mar 10, 2016)

My wife doesn't ski.  My long time college girlfriend did, but was pretty terrible and lacked the desire to advance beyond low intermediate terrain.

It's better being involved with a non skier than one at a vastly different ability level.  

I rather enjoy that my wife doesn't ski. Gives me "me" time to go hang with the guys.


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## NYDB (Mar 10, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> what did you do for ASC? corporate ski job is sort of my dream job. use my professional degree in an industry that means a lot to me. i was considering moving to CO and was looking at vail resorts job page, which had plenty of options that suited my background.



I worked finance, budgets, worked with mountain controllers, hotel operators, etc. implementing accounting systems,.  I am much happier being self employed now, and having nothing to do with the 'hospitality' industry.


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## frapcap (Mar 10, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> It's better being involved with a non skier than one at a vastly different ability level.
> 
> I rather enjoy that my wife doesn't ski. Gives me "me" time to go hang with the guys.



This. I like that its my time to do my own thing. Plus, she like to play video games in my absence and sitting still that long just isn't in the cards for my brain. 


As for missing a season- you guys are lucky, I didn't even _see_ snow until age 22. I didn't ski the first year I lived in New England, but haven't missed a season for 7-8 years now! Without skiing, I'd probably end up depressed every winter.


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## cdskier (Mar 10, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> It's better being involved with a non skier than one at a vastly different ability level.



I really don't see how I could make it work with either a non-skier or one at a vastly different ability level (unless they had a serious interest in advancing). I don't think a non-skiing gf would understand me wanting to drive 5 hours to VT most weekends in the winter...


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## rocks860 (Mar 10, 2016)

Didn't ski much when I went to college in PA (skied camelback once but it didn't feel worth it). May have not skied at all a couple years during college.


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## rocks860 (Mar 10, 2016)

cdskier said:


> I really don't see how I could make it work with either a non-skier or one at a vastly different ability level (unless they had a serious interest in advancing). I don't think a non-skiing gf would understand me wanting to drive 5 hours to VT most weekends in the winter...



My gf just started snowboarding a couple years ago after we started dating. She's gotten a lot better but it's still tough sticking with her, especially when conditions are great. She gets it though and let's me do my own thing or go some days without her


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## drjeff (Mar 10, 2016)

cdskier said:


> I really don't see how I could make it work with either a non-skier or one at a vastly different ability level (unless they had a serious interest in advancing). I don't think a non-skiing gf would understand me wanting to drive 5 hours to VT most weekends in the winter...



How I learned to enjoy the ability difference between my skill set and my wife's skill set, is that after a while it has morphed into the situation for me where it's way more about enjoying being on the hill and spending some time with her enjoying a sport that we both love to do, and far less about "I just skied this crazy line through the trees" type of mentality.

Do I take off for a few runs when the opportunity exists that she has no real desire to ski whatsoever? Yup, I sure do when I get the urge and the conditions permit.  However, I often find that being able to enjoy the experience with someone who is also enjoying the experience is becoming more more satisfying than trying to push my own limits all the time I'm on the hill


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## cdskier (Mar 10, 2016)

drjeff said:


> How I learned to enjoy the ability difference between my skill set and my wife's skill set, is that after a while it has morphed into the situation for me where it's way more about enjoying being on the hill and spending some time with her enjoying a sport that we both love to do, and far less about "I just skied this crazy line through the trees" type of mentality.
> 
> Do I take off for a few runs when the opportunity exists that she has no real desire to ski whatsoever? Yup, I sure do when I get the urge and the conditions permit.  However, I often find that being able to enjoy the experience with someone who is also enjoying the experience is becoming more more satisfying than trying to push my own limits all the time I'm on the hill



I get how skiing with someone else that enjoys it even at a different skill level can certainly be fun. There's just a point where the difference is too big though. Case in point, I was talking with one lady maybe a year or so ago that said she liked to ski. She considered herself "not great, but can hold my own". A bit later she goes on to say "yea, I really like skiing the greens but the blues usually intimidate me". When I first heard "can hold my own" I was thinking she was a intermediate blue skier that would once in a while ski a groomed diamond under the right conditions. Clearly we had way different definitions of "can hold my own". :smile:


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## deadheadskier (Mar 10, 2016)

cdskier said:


> I really don't see how I could make it work with either a non-skier or one at a vastly different ability level (unless they had a serious interest in advancing). I don't think a non-skiing gf would understand me wanting to drive 5 hours to VT most weekends in the winter...



Depends on their interests.  As long as they don't mind the car ride.  They may enjoy going to VT for other activities.  Hang out by the fire and read, go for a snowshoe, hit up a brewery or two.   

If we had a ski house (and someday I hope to), my wife would have no problem driving up to the mountains on the weekends.  She can do everything up there that she normally would do at our main home.   She'd see a lot more of me too!!  Heck, she could meet me in the lodge for lunch or apres ski.  

Every girl I've ever dated I've made it abundantly clear that I'm not someone who likes to lounge around the house no matter what the season, but especially ski season.  Plenty of things I'm flexible on, but not skiing at least 20 days a winter isn't one of them.   My wife jokingly refers to herself as the ski widow during the winter months.


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## Smellytele (Mar 10, 2016)

Never really missed a year but my first 7 years of skiing (14-20) I only skied a handful of times a year. At 21 I started skiing 20 or more times a year. Even years when our kids were born I would ski around 20 times. When my wife was pregnant with our first we went skiing in Chamonix when she was 3 months pregnant. She is now more of a fair weather skier. Well maybe not fair weather but she doesn't ski before thanksgiving and has usually had enough by the beginning to the middle of March (last year made it to the end of March). Hates spring skiing.


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## Pez (Mar 10, 2016)

Relationships are a trade off in most everything.  

Anyway to get back on topic. My most recent layoff of skis was between 2006-2010. Tore my ACL out in UT had surgery back in MA but never fully rehabbed the knee and leg do to a number of reasons. Finally got back on the surfboard in 2009 and late in the 2010 season got back on skis. Been going full bore ever since. 

There have been times in my life where I haven't skied much, maybe 4 times a season. In college no one I hung around with was a skier so I spent time seeing bands and doing other music related stuff. Also there was a girl on the picture who hated skiing. Haha

Now, time on the mountain is a priority. An obsession really. 


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## cdskier (Mar 10, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> Every girl I've ever dated I've made it abundantly clear that I'm not someone who likes to lounge around the house no matter what the season, but especially ski season.  Plenty of things I'm flexible on, but not skiing at least 20 days a winter isn't one of them.



My brother's fiance doesn't understand this concept. She's repeatedly told me I need to be more flexible (meanwhile she is one of the least willing to compromise people I've ever met...but that's another story). She'll say things like "what if she wants to do other things together on the weekends in the winter with you?" My response is always "then she's not the right girl for me". I can compromise in many areas, but if I have to ski substantially less, then it simply will not work.

Back on topic...my answer to this question would be that I missed all the years prior to learning to ski in HS. Once I started skiing, I never looked back.


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## Pez (Mar 10, 2016)

oh 2 more times due to injury:

87/88 - due to a broken hip
02/03 - Right shoulder / rotator cuff repair.


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## KustyTheKlown (Mar 10, 2016)

My girlfriend has been a hell of a sport about it. Before we were together she went skiing once for a week during college. Last year she skied 10 days, this year 6 (will get her 8) and only because of the poor conditions. She knows I will go out west 2-3x a year and to New England every weekend thanksgiving to Easter. She's happy to come with 4-5 weekends. She knows that she's only getting me to ski with her from 9-1030 and from 230-4, and that the morning hour and a half disappears on a powder day. She's mostly happy to ski at her own pace, or take a lesson and make friends with other rising intermediates. From a basically never skied to a solid blue groomer skier in 2 seasons is pretty great. She knows that this is what makes me happy and is where I find my peace, and she hasn't fucked with it


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## steamboat1 (Mar 10, 2016)

I never entirely missed a season but had a few with limited days. 1980 only skied 5 days with 2 of them after I tore my rotatorcuff. Had a 5 day pass & was damned if I was going to waste the days. Only skied 3 days in 1989, the year my daughter was born. Not so bad but 2013 only had 14 days before I broke my ankle & tore my ACL.


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## bdfreetuna (Mar 10, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> It's better being involved with a non skier than one at a vastly different ability level.
> 
> I rather enjoy that my wife doesn't ski. Gives me "me" time to go hang with the guys.



Maybe so, maybe not. As some know I spent the last couple years teaching my girlfriend, now wife to ski. Obviously it's an investment and you have to sacrifice skiing all woods and steep trails in the beginning.

Interestingly though, she's not only learned quickly, but she's learning to ski *like me*. So, she could parallel turn and carve better, we'll get there. But for the last year she's been happy skiing stuff like Goat Woods, Everglade, Devil's Playground. She likes bump runs better than steep groomers (same here). Narrow little rabbit holes in the woods she cruises right along in even if she still uses the snowplow to slow down.

As for guys, it's like breaking balls to get any of my friends to ski or ride with me as everyone's got a different work schedule and none of them are as motivated as myself. Stuff I like to ski it's almost better to be a solo explorer anyway. I like to decide exactly what run we're taking and determine the course of a day of skiing.

My wife considers me an excellent guide for woods and slackcountry, so it works out really nice. Occasionally she'll veto a trail but 9 times out of 10 it's because it looks legitimately sketchy and I have to agree.

Going to get her some lessons to improve the parallel turns and carving next season. I think in another year or two she'll be able to keep pace with me just about all the time unless I'm trying to set a TunaSpeed record.


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## bdfreetuna (Mar 10, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> whatever Kusty said



You and me got too much in common. Regret our prior bickering. You're all good in my book.


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## deadheadskier (Mar 10, 2016)

bdfreetuna said:


> Maybe so, maybe not. As some know I spent the last couple years teaching my girlfriend, now wife to ski. Obviously it's an investment and you have to sacrifice skiing all woods and steep trails in the beginning.
> 
> Interestingly though, she's not only learned quickly, but she's learning to ski *like me*. So, she could parallel turn and carve better, we'll get there. But for the last year she's been happy skiing stuff like Goat Woods, Everglade, Devil's Playground. She likes bump runs better than steep groomers (same here). Narrow little rabbit holes in the woods she cruises right along in even if she still uses the snowplow to slow down.
> .



That's one thing.  

But, not all girls are like that.  (or guys for that matter).  Some will only ever want to ski on sunny, warmer winter days and stick to low angle blues with frequent stops for hot chocolate after already arriving to the mountain very late in the morning.  

That was my college girlfriend.  After 8 years of dating on and off, we finally broke up for the final time on a powder day at Vail.  I literally said, "It's puking snow, I'm not sitting in the lodge with you any longer."  "If you leave me here, we're through."  Off I skied into the White Room.....

Our difference in skiing ability wasn't the primary reason for our break up.  I'm just illustrating that I much prefer my current situation with my non-skiing wife, than my former situation.


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## bdfreetuna (Mar 10, 2016)

Sounds like a timely ultimatum.

One of my ex's I tried to take skiing one time. She ended up getting a sled ride down a green circle. Never wanted to take her out again after that.


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## KustyTheKlown (Mar 10, 2016)

bdfreetuna said:


> You and me got too much in common. Regret our prior bickering. You're all good in my book.



cheers


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## Madroch (Mar 10, 2016)

Avid skier from age 4 to around 21- after college stopped completely until about age 38- took my two kids skiing once and was instantly re-hooked---so like 17 years off... No idea why other than got distracted by life-


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## steamboat1 (Mar 10, 2016)

My wife never skied before we met. She skied with me for over 30 years. I have a lot of interesting stories that happened during that time especially when she was first learning. Don't want to get into them here. She became a pretty good skier but was always overly cautious. We had a lot of great ski days together both in the east & out west. She gave up skiing about 6 years ago now. I often miss skiing with her & I'm extremely jealous when I see another couple who ski well skiing together. I am happy that I get to ski with my daughter on occasion who has become an even better skier than I ever was. One good thing about having an ex-skier wife is that she completely understands my passion for the sport & lets me go as often as I like.


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## steamboat1 (Mar 10, 2016)

bdfreetuna said:


> One of my ex's I tried to take skiing one time. She ended up getting a sled ride down a green circle. Never wanted to take her out again after that.



My wife one time fell off the poma at Middlebury & she claimed she was hurt. Patrol took her down in a sled & looked after her in the patrol shack. They carried her to my car & laid her down across the back seat. They had called the hospital in Middlebury where they were waiting for us with a wheel chair to bring her inside. After x-rays they said nothing was broken & she hobbled back to the car & we went back to the lodge. Mind you my skiing day was shot. That night she asked me if I wanted to go out dancing. I was like WTF.


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## billski (Mar 10, 2016)

tumbler said:


> Don't do it!  Working in the business sucks even on the corporate side. You'll spend more time looking at the hill than being on it even as a lawyer. It will make you loathe skiing, it happened to me too.


  That's always been my philosophy, I don't want skiing to become a job.  The best ski days of the year are spent inside working or stationary outside.  Lucky to get an hour in here and there.


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## billski (Mar 10, 2016)

steamboat1 said:


> That night she asked me if I wanted to go out dancing. I was like WTF.


  Dancing 1, Skiing 0


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## prsboogie (Mar 10, 2016)

billski said:


> Dancing 1, Skiing 0



Hi Bill, I tried to PM you but it's not going through. Is it OK to call you, I still have your number from a previous PM


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## bdfreetuna (Mar 10, 2016)

billski said:


> That's always been my philosophy, I don't want skiing to become a job.



Yup. That's why I turn down all the sponsorship and extreme ski film offers...


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## Dickc (Mar 10, 2016)

I started skiing at 4 years old.  At the age of 22, I started having big time back issues that turned into surgery in 1979 at the age of 23.  Back then, the general word in the medical world was not to do anything that would  potentially damage the repairs.  In 1987 that philosophy had changed to try what you want and if it does not hurt its OK.  Kids started to inquire about skiing in 1994, and I got back on them then.  noted that much had changed!  Skis were actually shaped!


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## skiNEwhere (Mar 12, 2016)

Stood on skis at 2, started at 4 and skied every year after. Didn't ski at all between 2003 and 2006 due to reasons I've mentioned on here before. Maybe 20 days total between 2007 and 2011. Been trying to be a part time ski bum since then, getting at least 50 days a year


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## ERJ-145CA (Mar 12, 2016)

I had 19 years off from skiing.  Skied from 8 - 16 then started again at 35.  Now I'm 46 and still going though not as much as I did before I broke my leg skiing in 2013.  Before the accident I was going about 35 days a season, now around 20.


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## bigbog (Mar 12, 2016)

steamboat1 said:


> my wife one time fell off the poma at middlebury & she claimed she was hurt. Patrol took her down in a sled & looked after her in the patrol shack. They carried her to my car & laid her down across the back seat. They had called the hospital in middlebury where they were waiting for us with a wheel chair to bring her inside. After x-rays they said nothing was broken & she hobbled back to the car & we went back to the lodge. Mind you my skiing day was shot. That night she asked me if i wanted to go out dancing. I was like wtf.



_rotfl_...


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## SkiFanE (Mar 13, 2016)

A couple weekends ago I told my husband I need to be better appreciated   I can ski 100% of the mountain, am quite good. Better than that lol. But I wouldn't go off-piste with him - mostly bc I knew the woods would suck and I was happy with the bumps I found and didn't want to waste precious ski time. He was kinda pissy about it. So I told him how freaking lucky his was. Lmao. I am probably the tougher of us - he'll take a day off after a hard long day if he's feeling achy. No way I would - so those days I'll ski solo. This winter my stamina has beat him up. I get probably 10 more days/ur in. 

Cant imagine a flant-lander spouse. I guess I'm spoiled. Skiing is a huge part of our relationship and now kids lives.  We work hard and anyone with 3 kids know how hard it is to keep the marriage going under family obligations - but getting on the slopes together is such a big part of "us". Two bell to bell ski days last weekend with no kids to worry about (thank goodness for ski shuttle lol) was awesome.  i know lots of couples like us - it's a wonderful thing.


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## dlague (Mar 13, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> My wife doesn't ski.  My long time college girlfriend did, but was pretty terrible and lacked the desire to advance beyond low intermediate terrain.
> 
> It's better being involved with a non skier than one at a vastly different ability level.
> 
> I rather enjoy that my wife doesn't ski. Gives me "me" time to go hang with the guys.



I am quite happy skiing with my wife!  Hard to hit 50 days otherwise.  She can ski most everything I do and she is fun to hang with.  When she does not like a trail then she takes an alternative.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## Not Sure (Mar 13, 2016)

SkiFanE said:


> A couple weekends ago I told my husband I need to be better appreciated   I can ski 100% of the mountain, am quite good. Better than that lol. But I wouldn't go off-piste with him - mostly bc I knew the woods would suck and I was happy with the bumps I found and didn't want to waste precious ski time. He was kinda pissy about it. So I told him how freaking lucky his was. Lmao. I am probably the tougher of us - he'll take a day off after a hard long day if he's feeling achy. No way I would - so those days I'll ski solo. This winter my stamina has beat him up. I get probably 10 more days/ur in.
> 
> Cant imagine a flant-lander spouse. I guess I'm spoiled. Skiing is a huge part of our relationship and now kids lives.  We work hard and anyone with 3 kids know how hard it is to keep the marriage going under family obligations - but getting on the slopes together is such a big part of "us". Two bell to bell ski days last weekend with no kids to worry about (thank goodness for ski shuttle lol) was awesome.  i know lots of couples like us - it's a wonderful thing.



Your Husband is a lucky man!  Only wish my wife would ski let alone I have to keep up. 
Tough women rock !


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## SkiFanE (Mar 14, 2016)

dlague said:


> I am quite happy skiing with my wife!  Hard to hit 50 days otherwise.  She can ski most everything I do and she is fun to hang with.  When she does not like a trail then she takes an alternative.



Exactly. It's not as much fun skiing without him. Although - I give him lots of credit for my skills - I was a happy advanced skier that looked good and was happy carving perfect turns on groomers. He pushed me...off the groomers and to keep up and challenge myself. I don't think I'd be anywhere as good as I am now if he didn't nudge me.


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## dlague (Mar 15, 2016)

SkiFanE said:


> Exactly. It's not as much fun skiing without him. Although - I give him lots of credit for my skills - I was a happy advanced skier that looked good and was happy carving perfect turns on groomers. He pushed me...off the groomers and to keep up and challenge myself. I don't think I'd be anywhere as good as I am now if he didn't nudge me.



That is what I do push her!  She hangs tough.  When she is not feeling it she kindly lets me know.  I have been taking her down bump runs for the past couple years and she continues to improve.  Hell, she was on board with, and the main drive for, the move to Colorado to ski bigger.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## jimk (Mar 15, 2016)

This is a great thread.  I started at age 14 in 1967.  God willing, next year will be my 50th consecutive season skiing.  Great skiing parents/siblings and a supportive wife had a lot to do with it.  I'm proud that I kept the spark alive living in Virginia the whole time, not the most inspiring ski region, although our resorts bust their chops in the effort to provide a decent product.
With my big brothers at Camelback about 1968 or 69:


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## loafer89 (Mar 17, 2016)

I did not ski at all from April 2011 to November 2013. Our home was in foreclosure limbo and I was unemployed.


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## ALLSKIING (Oct 14, 2017)

Bump

Sent from my SM-N950U using AlpineZone mobile app


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## jimk (Oct 14, 2017)

jimk said:


> This is a great thread.  I started at age 14 in 1967.  God willing, next year will be my 50th consecutive season skiing.  Great skiing parents/siblings and a supportive wife had a lot to do with it.  I'm proud that I kept the spark alive living in Virginia the whole time, not the most inspiring ski region, although our resorts bust their chops in the effort to provide a decent product.
> With my big brothers at Camelback Christmas 1968:







Reposted to get a fixed link to old photo and confirm date of Christmas time 1968.  Bro in center had just returned from a one year (13 mos) tour in Vietnam, USMC Infantry.  He was freezing cold the whole vacation, but DANG glad to be back.  Bro on left sportin' a new set of Head Standards.  All of us are in leather boots.

Here's another oldie, me on right, buddy on left, about 1970 or 71.  The goggles look like something from an old science fiction movie.  Clothing had a lot of nylon in it.  OK for cold and wind, but not water resistant.  Might be same outfit as first photo. Any rain would usually drive everyone inside for a while.


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