# 34 and feeling to old to ski anymore



## Rob sebenza (Feb 8, 2005)

Does anyone over 34 ski anymore? I go skiing at mountain creek in new jersey and dont see to many over 34 anymore, its mostly kids. Im thinking of hanging it all up. Ive skied for 21 years so far, but being the only elder on the mountain kinda brings me down. Guess ill just gain some weight and buy a harley, and hang with more people my own age  , but please tell me im wrong if you think so, im just having a hard time getting old.


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## ctenidae (Feb 8, 2005)

31, just started back after an 18 year hiatus. I better get more than 3 more years in.
You've just got to get out there, and show those young whippersnappers what's what. Regale them with tales of yore, how you used to have to hike two miles, up hill, both ways, just to get to the rope tow powered by two old mules. Back in the days when we didn't have real skis, we just tied two spatulas to our bare feet, and we liked it, because that's the way it was.


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## ALLSKIING (Feb 8, 2005)

Rob sebenza said:
			
		

> Does anyone over 34 ski anymore? I go skiing at mountain creek in new jersey and dont see to many over 34 anymore, its mostly kids. Im thinking of hanging it all up. Ive skied for 21 years so far, but being the only elder on the mountain kinda brings me down. Guess ill just gain some weight and buy a harley, and hang with more people my own age  , but please tell me im wrong if you think so, im just having a hard time getting old.


I think lots of people are above 34 on this board. I am 35....Try another Mountain.


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## hammer (Feb 8, 2005)

I'm 40, started two years ago, and I hope to continue well past the time that I qualify for the "senior" lift ticket rates.

I also talked with a retired guy at Gunstock just over a month ago that was starting his third season.


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## Greg (Feb 8, 2005)

31 here. This is my 11th season and I've got a ton more to learn. I'm becoming more addicted each time I go out. My father-in-law is 57 and he skis just about anything on-piste but bumps. I expect to be skiing until I physically can't do it anymore. Don't worry about who else is on the mountain; just ski!


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## djspookman (Feb 8, 2005)

my dad's 50, and still kicking my 25 year old butt at skiing.  He always will be too.. until he goes off to the great big powder filled ski resort in the sky.  we're both avid outdoorsman (hiking, biking, camping, skiing...etc..) but he's jsut been at it longer than I.  So don't give up just because there's alot of youngn's around.  go show them up and get some respect!  (hint: go to the gym first though so you don't stress your body too much!)  You can still do anything, but like an older car, it just takes a little more tinkering with your body to do it!


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## BrockVond (Feb 8, 2005)

Rob sebenza said:
			
		

> Does anyone over 34 ski anymore? I go skiing at mountain creek in new jersey and dont see to many over 34 anymore, its mostly kids. Im thinking of hanging it all up..



Mountain Creek is heavily skewed towards riders under 21. I'm 42, snowboarder, and season pass holder at Mountain Creek last season. I'd recommend going to another mountain. You'll notice a huge difference.

I still like MC, especially when I'm able to get out there on a weekday before school lets out. Weekends are way too crowded.


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## stomachdoc (Feb 8, 2005)

Heck, I'm 42 and skiing better than I have in my life.  I'm also skiing with my kids, which is a huge rush!  As one of the previous posters said, you have to watch your body a bit more and hit the gym a bit pre-season, but this is a sport that you should be able to do into your golden years, and it's a great family sport.


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## skidbump (Feb 8, 2005)

46 and mountian bike in off season to


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## Vortex (Feb 8, 2005)

39  and no intention on stopping.  Each year I find way to sneak in a couple more days.  I am also  glad to go with my wife and kids.  I hope I can say that for many years to come.  I ski with a guy at least 20 years older than me and  he  is insane skiier.  :beer:


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## tirolerpeter (Feb 8, 2005)

*"Old Skiers"???*

*Rob sebenza* I assume you asked your question: "Is anybody over 34 skiing anymore?" with tongue in cheek!  I am 58 and will be 59 in three months.  I ski at least two mid-week days every week and would ski more, if I didn't live so damned far from decent mountains.  I regularily ski with my "Ski Buddy" Bobby, who is 34 (In December we did a week at Alta, Snowbird, and Brighton together in over 4' of fresh powder on a 100+" base.), and whenever possible with my sons ages 28, 25, and my daughter 21.  I am never the one who asks if "we are done" for the day.   I ski at a level that is higher then when I was a few years younger because I have committed myself to being truly physically conditioned for skiing.  I do dedicated ski related work-outs a minimum of 4 days per week (or alternate them with 5 - 6 hours on the slopes on every kind of terrain.  Now, before I make too much of this, I INVARIABLY run into and ski with individuals who are as much as 20 years older than I am!  I am not talking about someone puttering around on groomed greens and blues.  I'm talking about chasing these guys (or an occasional woman) down serious single and double blacks, with or without grooming.  If you go to Killington any non-holiday weekday that has decent conditions and weather you will likely find that 50% of the skiers are over 50 or 60.  A couple of weeks ago (at Jiminy) I made a number of runs with a guy who was expressing great satisfaction with his "new knee."  I asked him if he had had ACL surgery?  He said: "Hell no, I had an entire knee replacement for the knee that gave out on me when I hit 75 last year."  He smiled, turned, and blasted off down to the six pack for another run.   A good place to find the "oldies" is over at Bear Mt. Lodge at K.  The parking is convenient, and there is never a crowd during the week.  BTW, last season I joined another guy over 70 on a rather rapid descent down Outer Limits, giant moguls and all.  So, maybe you just don't realize that some of the skiers blowing past you are that old.  Maybe, those of us that keep on skiing just don't look our age!  I know my helmet covers my full head (just the luck of good genes) of grey hair, but there is nothing I can do to hide my white beard.


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## riverc0il (Feb 8, 2005)

my dad is mid-50s and we just skied together this weekend.  i see lots of people in the 50-70 range skiing at the ski areas i frequent.  actually, i'm 25 and see more retired people skiing than people my age.


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## Buckeye Skier 1330 (Feb 8, 2005)

I'm 45 and can't seem to get enough days on the slopes. Skiing keeps you young, although at the end of a good long day it can make you feel old. :wink:


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## dmc (Feb 8, 2005)

41....    Still hanging in there..   Probably better  shape now then whn I was in my 30's ...

You should try going to a Phish concert sometime - I'm like an elder statesman,,

"So Doug - tell me again what it was like to see the Grateful Dead"


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## teachski (Feb 8, 2005)

Definately older than that(40+), still skiing and still loving it!  You got to go someplace else!  You'll see others your age and older at other areas.  It sounds like just that area.

Hey, Rob sebenza, I've been skiing longer than you have been alive and don't plan to quit anytime soon!


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## gladerider (Feb 8, 2005)

35 here. been skiing for 16. i plan on skiing until i drop dead.

Mt. Creek is for teens. After acquisition, intrawest purposely turned the mountain into a snowboarders heaven by building a respectable pipe. That's the market they are after. 
In fact, I don't go there any more because some teenagers there are so out of control that people like me with little kids are shunning the place. Everytime I go there with my little kids, they get hit by teens wiping people out.
99% of my friends don't go to MC anymore. This is a well known factor in the last few years, which I learned from one of the patrols there.
Nowadays, I go to Hunter a lot. 2.5hours from me and I think it is worth it.

Don't dispair. Find your mountain.
Think snow !!


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## RISkier (Feb 8, 2005)

Utter nonsense.  I'm 51 and this is my third year on skis.  I may suck but I'm lovin' it.  On one of our first ski days we ended up sitting at a table with a couple of older gentlemen.  Started chatting.  One would not tell us how old he was but it was clear he was the elder statesman.  The young guy was 81.  As he was getting up to leave he grabbed his suspenders and said "skiing is such a great aphrodesiac."  My goal now is to ski on my 80th birthday.  I'll grant that at some of the areas most skiers are young.  My wife often comments that she's the oldest woman on the slopes -- and she's been described as my child bride.  But go to places like Stowe and you'll find tons of older skiers, and they'll ski you tail off.  You're way to young to think you're too old!


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## dmc (Feb 8, 2005)

Senior Citizens ski free at many places...  Good thing!!!!
If your skiing at 81  - man - thats a great thing...

I have 50 year old friends competeing in the Bear Mountain Mogul challenge...  They dont do that bad either!


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## subdude (Feb 8, 2005)

41 here , been skiing for 20yr and will never quit. When you live in a colder climate you have to do something in the winter otherwise you would go stir crazy.  I was in the best shape in yrs to start off the season unfortuanely I tweaked my left knee last Mon and haven't skied since. Tomorrow night i'm going to brace up the knee and head out to see how it feels. Either way, I got a trip to Stratton planned on Fri I just have to go now that they're gonna get 6-12" of freshies.


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## Big Game (Feb 8, 2005)

Here's what I say:

Get a snowboard. 

Myself, I skied my arse off in highschool and a few years after. But then during the 90's I got bored. I was wondering what the point of it was. Go fast down a hill? Make some turns? Why ? Spend money? I could do that and be warm. I went maybe two times during the Clinton administration. 

I told this to a buddy of mine. He said that's it. You're going to try snowboarding. So I did in January of '02. My first day was better than my best day on skis. I make the turns on a snowboard because you can feel it, dude.  Everything about the terrain, the sky, the winter, the world, and who you are starts to make sense. And then you care less and less about all of it.. 

I don't give a crap about that park b.s. ("the world is my park" --think I just stole that from dmc) except that it keeps the riff-raff of the slopes. If you ever get the oppourtunity  to link together some carved turns on a snowboard (instead of skidding along), the world will never be the same.  I have more fun carving stupid and deep  turns on a bunny slope than some skier does in fresh powder.  

Being a roadie and mountain biker, I used to really hate winter. Even when I was skiing back in highschool. Now, everything has changed. I could have blown a wad of cash on a Psych Doc and meds to get me over my SAD (which used to haunt me) and still not be satisfied. But I did the smart thing, I got myself a board --- and learned how to live, really live. 

Or let me take back everything I said....I can't believe all these skiers are insane. The ones I see carving insane turns look like to me that they are having fun.  I bet those folks are also able to  find the soul of the mountain. I'm thinking that maybe your game has been stagnating? Maybe what you need is some advanced lessons and some new gear to get you back out there with a smile. 

Hopefully by now you realize the age thing was really stoopid. I'm 33 and my man who got me into the junk  is 43. And I'm a youngin'.  Hate to be rough on you, but you need a kick in the snowpants you get your mind right.


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## dmc (Feb 8, 2005)

That post brought tears to my eyes...

You get it...


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## subdude (Feb 8, 2005)

Big Game said:
			
		

> Here's what I say:
> 
> Get a snowboard.
> 
> ...



AMEN BROTHER!!


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## Boardguy (Feb 8, 2005)

Change mountains! I skied in high school and college then for a number of reasons only skied 2 days over the next 23 years. In '96 I went on a vacation trip to Sugarloaf and it all started again. The next season I switched to a snowboard and haven't looked back. I will turn 55 in March. I think 34 is a little young to give up anything - Change mountains if the age difference bothers you, kick it up a notch, and most of all have FUN!!


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## Terry (Feb 8, 2005)

*to old to ski*

I am 44 years old and having the time of my life. I ski both days every weekend, and several nights during the week. So far I have 32 days in this year and loving it!!! Don't give it up, try a different mountain!
 :beer:


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## tirolerpeter (Feb 8, 2005)

*Too Old?*

I gues the point has been made.  You are only as old and limited as you allow yourself to be.  Think Snow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1


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## Lostone (Feb 8, 2005)

*Over 34???*

I started skiing at 29.  

Now I'm 54.  I'm hoping to figure this skiing stuff out sooner or later.   :roll: 

This year, I quit my job and my Massachusetts life and moved into my condo at Sugarbush.

I've got 59 days in, so far.     :lol:


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## Vortex (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: Over 34???*



			
				Lostone said:
			
		

> I started skiing at 29.
> 
> Now I'm 54.  I'm hoping to figure this skiing stuff out sooner or later.   :roll:
> 
> ...


Glad to see your life has not got in the way of your skiing. :beer:   Congrats.  59   days awesome.  (edit  i searched it )K2trav had 40 days as of Jan 16  I would think you are in the lead here.


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## awf170 (Feb 8, 2005)

my dad is in in his mid 40's and gets better at skiing every year, i got him to ski glades bumps and all of that crap and he getting good at it.


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## Lostone (Feb 8, 2005)

I lied.    

I just checked.  I'm at 58 days.  I had 41 on 1/17.  (I didn't ski the 16th.)

We may be quite close.

And my life _was_ getting in the way of my skiing...  :blink: 

Which is why that life had to go.   :wink:


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## awf170 (Feb 8, 2005)

So lostone how is sugarbush doing this year anyway, cause i want to go up there this weekend.


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## Darwin (Feb 8, 2005)

Come on man, I am 33 and just got on skis for the first time in about 17 years  and I am loving every minute of it!


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## ski_resort_observer (Feb 8, 2005)

*one more*

I work with a guy at the Bush who is 75, he skis 3 days a week and races every Tuesday with the Ski Bum Race Club. I am mid 50's so I am the youngin at work.


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## bigbog (Feb 9, 2005)

Rob sebenza said:
			
		

> Does anyone over 34 ski anymore? I go skiing at mountain creek in new jersey and dont see to many over 34 anymore, its mostly kids. Im thinking of hanging it all up. Ive skied for 21 years so far, but being the only elder on the mountain kinda brings me down. Guess ill just gain some weight and buy a harley, and hang with more people my own age  , but please tell me im wrong if you think so, im just having a hard time getting old.


 I'm kinda scratching my head wondering, have you done any reading or studying in life...Rob?  Sounds like there isn't anything else in life that's interesting... :roll:   Too bad, cause there are a lot of things in life to study....and learn.


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## andyzee (Feb 9, 2005)

I agree, you're too old to be out there skiing. Hang it up and give us 48 yr olds(today be my bday!)  some more room on the mountains


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## Vortex (Feb 9, 2005)

Happy b-day.   :beer:


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## skidbump (Feb 9, 2005)

yes either suck it up and ski "elbows high to ward off the wackos or crawl up in a ball and go to your happy place..ya snivelin wee wee boy


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## Jay Levitt (Feb 9, 2005)

Christ, I hope not... I turn 34 next month, and I just started skiing this winter.  I'd hate to have to give it up so soon.  I think you're just trying to buy my Elans on the cheap.  Well, it won't work, I tell you!


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## KingM (Feb 9, 2005)

I'm thirty-three and just started skiing last year, although I'm catching up quickly. I was just telling my wife the other day that I don't feel any older than I did fifteen years ago.

The talk of the old guys on skis reminds of a time when a guy came into the office to check into the inn, and he looked about 60. He said he'd been coming to Sugarbush for about thirty years already. There was a kid in the office at the time, picking up a trail map who said that it was great that this older guy was still skiing. "That's nothing," the other guy said. "Wait until you see my dad." Just then the door opens and this really old dude comes walking in who must be about 85.  But geez, he was tall and strong and with just a little bit of shaking to his hands.

The kid told me the next morning at breakfast he saw the old guy and his son coming down Organgrinder, which is a black diamond and he looked pretty damn good. The only thing that betrayed his age was a bit of stiffness in his posture.

If you want to get old, hang up the skis. As for me, I'm hoping to be conquering blacks when I'm 85.


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## hammer (Feb 9, 2005)

KingM said:
			
		

> If you want to get old, hang up the skis. As for me, I'm hoping to be conquering blacks when I'm 85.


 :beer:


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## RossiSkier (Feb 9, 2005)

I'm 42 and I am going to ski till I die, and quite possible in the after-life.  I have a dozen or so friends that ski who are roughly the same age.  It may seem that we are much younger as we fly past the 20 somethings. 

__________________________________________
Chicken Skis ROck


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## madman (Feb 9, 2005)

IM 45 been skiing since i can remember. Of course the 70s may have something to do with that.! Just try to stay fit and keep turning


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## tekweezle (Feb 9, 2005)

if you;;ve lost your passion for skiing, I suggest you ski  somewhere better than Mountain Creek.  Not  to bash MC but it;s more of a newbie hill for 1st timers and the less committed city dwellers.  it's literally 10 minutes to get up, 2 minutes to go down.

Go out west for a week.  just the convenience of being able to ski how long you want to and when to get the mountain is worth it and not deal with the hassle of say driving to a ski area in the early mornings.  you get to do more quality skiing rather than quantity skiing.  if you got no one to ski with, join a club.

if you;ve plateaued in ability, go take some lessons or hire a guide.   if you are on old equipment, go demo some new shorter skis.  

i was a decent self taught skier a few years ago who stayed on only on blue and green trails and avoided black trails.  even on thoseblue and green trails, i wasn;t skiing effeciently. and I am not sure I was exactly enjoying myself  as much as it being a workout..  i took some lessons at sugarloaf for a week and it changed everything for me.  i found out that there is so much to learn about skiing as there are lots of different techniques for different conditions.  

goodluck!


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## rotorite86 (Feb 10, 2005)

Man do I feel young. I've been skiing as long as some of you (18 years) and I am only 22. I do not however, intend on quitting skiing until I literally can't walk.


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## JimG. (Feb 10, 2005)

rotorite86 said:
			
		

> Man do I feel young. I've been skiing as long as some of you (18 years) and I am only 22. I do not however, intend on quitting skiing until I literally can't walk.



Started at age 4; that was 42 years ago.
It's interesting that the older folks here sound like the young ones should.
Go for it rotorite...after I can't walk anymore, I'll be the OLD guy screaming down the hill in the adaptive ski gear!


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## tekweezle (Feb 10, 2005)

Take lessons on an uncrowded weekday.   it can do wonders.

i can;t  even describe the feeling  of enlightenment I had as I got away from slip sliding,  heel skidding and forcefully shifting skis to make turns.  I used to spend all my energy trying to slow down.   not a problem when I was an athletic 20 something.  but definitely not the best  use of energy.

I turn now with just a subtle weight shift and with my new skis, it is effortless to carve on edge.   now I usually ski past 4:00 and catch the last chair where as in the past, I used to quit early all the time.


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## tirolerpeter (Feb 10, 2005)

*"Oldies on Skiis"*

*Tekweezle* got it nailed.  Learn to use the shape ski technologie properly and you will be amazed at how well and how long you can ski on a given day.  About a half hour after I hit the slopes at K last week I met a guy riding up a lift  who was a terrific skier that I was hard pressed to stay with on a couple of runs.  We hooked up and made a couple of runs together when I asked him how long he had been skiing his "X-Screams"?   It turns out he had just gotten them.  I then asked if they were his first  shaped skiis?  Yes, was his answer.  Then I took a chance.  I suggested that he was using (an obviously very successful style for him) a technique that was great for straight skiis, but did not take advantage of his new boards.  Without taking offense, he asked what I meant ?  I then showed him how to use a wider stance with his legs a bit bent to pressure his boots, keep more centered and/or forward, tuck in his downhill knee behind his other knee (angulation) in order to grab more edge bite, and generally, to just roll over to initiate his turn.  In about ten minutes he was amazed at the incredible turning force he found he could generate.  In fact, he soon realized that he could now get both his skiis involved in turning with virtually no upper body rotation.  He of course, "reverted" at times when things got a little squirrily, but that is normal for someone working to modify an ingrained style.  By the end of the day we had done some incredible vertical and he invited me to stay at his ski house since I had not arranged a place for that night.  The next day we did it all over again, and I had made a new friend!  BTW, he also indicated that his "quads" had never felt so little fatigue since he was now not driving from the "back seat."


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## ChileMass (Feb 10, 2005)

I'm 45 and been skiing since I was 8 and my wife is 40 and has been skiing just as long.  Her Dad is almost 75 and skis free with a bunch of 70+ guys every Wed at Stratton, and a lot of weekends other places.  One of the cool things about skiing is that there are so many hills to try, so much terrain to try, so many types of equipment, and so many different conditions in which to do it.  What you need is a blue-sky day at a hill that is having a demo day so you can try lots of new equipment for free and get out in the sunshine while you're doing it.  Nothing like it.  I'll be skiing until they put me in the ground.....


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## wormly81 (Feb 11, 2005)

*The old folks!*

Hey,

Im starting to get a little pissed off by all you old guys who are getting in all this "midweek" skiing.  NOT FAIR!  I skied my first midweek day all year yesterday [in NE] and it was absolutely incredible not having 30 million people to ski around.  Maybe one of you fogeys    can go to class and take some notes for me so that we can even out this whole midweek skiing  business?

Ill be checking my PM's!

Jeff


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## tekweezle (Feb 11, 2005)

you guys in college can get a college season pass for cheap!  i wish i could do that!

oh well, it took me all this while to be financial able to AFFORD skiing/

yeah, midweek skiing is the best.


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## Vortex (Feb 11, 2005)

I take maybe 10 vacation days a year mid week to ski, I always ask the peson on the lift how do you get the time to do this midweek.  I always get the same answers.   I own my own business... and they all have twice as many days in as me.  I guess I need to become independently wealthy.  :idea:     I skied 5 days a week in college had classes Tues and Thur and a few  monday night classes. I went more days then than know. :beer:


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## frozencorn (Feb 11, 2005)

31, getting better and better.


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## Tin Woodsman (Feb 11, 2005)

I'll be 34 in April.  Been skiing for 30 years.  It got stale in the late 80's and early 90's as the attiude towards risk and freeskiing was decidedly unfriendly in those days.  Endless high speed cruisers or bumps just didn't do it for me anymore.  About 7-8 years ago, I began to discover the world beyond the trails and it brought my game to a whole new level.  Every run is now something new.  I train in the fall and winter to enable my body to deliver on the ideas my brain is sending it.

Get out there and challenge yourself!!  Push yourself to the edge of, and just beyond, your personal comfort level.  Leave Mountain Creek behind and explore new terrain and challenges elsewhere.  Set a goal.  Don't take the easy road - it's never rewarding.


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## tekweezle (Feb 11, 2005)

no doubt, one trip to an area with a back bowl or a glacier is an eye opener.  jsut got back from whistler and had 3 lousy rain filled days more than made up for with 3 clear days at the very top of the mountains with new snow and everything.

you can never get tired of creating your own line as opposed to sking on a set trail that looks oddly enough like many others out there you may have already skied.


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## bigbog (Feb 14, 2005)

Out of the many corny, and just horrible lines (and background music) from the many Warren Miller videos, one of the truly great lines was..."_Aging is mandatory, Growing old is Optional_".  8)


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## Lostone (Feb 14, 2005)

[Hijack]  





> So lostone how is sugarbush doing this year anyway, cause i want to go up there this weekend.



I hope you did get up here...   Everyone else did!   :roll: 

Saturday was very crowded. (  _Someone must have told everyone that we got snow.   ( I think it might have been the marketing dept.) _)  

Sunday we had boot high fluff and less people.  If you missed it...  you missed it!   :wink:

Sorry I didn't answer this sooner, but I didn't see it.  [/Hijack]


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## Bumpsis (Feb 14, 2005)

Rob sebenza said:
			
		

> Does anyone over 34 ski anymore? I go skiing at mountain creek in new jersey and dont see to many over 34 anymore, its mostly kids. Im thinking of hanging it all up. Ive skied for 21 years so far, but being the only elder on the mountain kinda brings me down. Guess ill just gain some weight and buy a harley, and hang with more people my own age  , but please tell me im wrong if you think so, im just having a hard time getting old.



Well Rob, plenty of good advice here. Use it!! 
The one I liked the best is "go out west". It will challange you. Get on something steep and get scared. That works for me at least.

If none of that stuff works for you, I'd look into getting some serious meds.
I don't mean to be flippant. You may be depressed and not even know it.
How's your sex life?


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## MichaelJ (Feb 15, 2005)

I'm 35 and started alpine skiing last year (xc the year before that, and all my hiking started at age 30). I've got a pass to Wachusett and try to go out at least once a week after work. I just spent the past weekend at Sunday River and skied my first blue.

Getting old? I'm just getting started!


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## skican (Feb 15, 2005)

C'mon, I am a 43 year old  woman (44 next month) and I rip it up 2 times a week at the best mountain in the east. You are only as old as you allow yourself to be. 

Greatful Dead was great. Phish shows even better. Pick up some of the video CD's of their shows. Unreal! I am so happy I let my husband ram them down my throat. Hooked line and sinker!


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## Brettski (Feb 15, 2005)

I live about 40 minutes from Mountain Creek, and I've been working hard on getting the kids going...after 3 years of ski camp at Smuggler's, they're a jamming bunch.

I will *never* bring my kids to Mountain Creek...And maybe only Hunter midweek...

It's like skiing on the Jersey turnpike...Now I learned there...(when it was Vernon Valley/ Great Gorge) which makes for a very alert skiier...

Try Blue Mountain in the Poconos...it's about 1 1/2 hours..better yet, got to Bellayre in the catskills...that's 2 1/2...but no Hunter or Windham?

Hunter is younger...not as young as the creek, and Windham's mostly families..

Killington is gonna be younger...but pretty diverse...

I'd say Sugarbush is the place for you....

And dude, I skied with a mountain guide up at whistler through a bump run and got my a$$ kicked...she was only 72


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## jimme (Feb 15, 2005)

"born again" skier at 42, now 47. (had a 22yr break- long story)

Learning to ski bumps despite "bumps are for young atheletes" mindset of "older" skiers.

Skiing makes my sore joints and tired muscles feel better. 

After 27 years off the slopes, my 46 year old friend is taking it up again.

I feel about 15 when I ski. Good for the soul.

Ski alone. Focus and block out all that distracts.

Try a different mountain is good advice. How about different days and times? Midweek just about anywhere should be good.

I'll bet you didn't expect a response like this thread has grown to!

Ski safe,

jimme


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## loafer89 (Feb 15, 2005)

I am 33 years old and I just skied 10 consecutive days for I think the first time since I started skiing in 1982. I have to admit that I feel quite sore from the skiing, but I can hardly wait to get out on snow again. Many years ago I skied with an instructor at Vail who was 77 YEARS OLD, and he was an excellent skier, so I have along way to go before I am to old to ski.


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## dmc (Feb 16, 2005)

http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-10160337.apds.m0406.bc-ct-fea--feb10,0,5604783.story


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## RossiSkier (Feb 16, 2005)

dmc said:
			
		

> http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-10160337.apds.m0406.bc-ct-fea--feb10,0,5604783.story



*Harold Humphey rocks.  Long live Harold Humphrey!*


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## bvibert (Feb 16, 2005)

dmc said:
			
		

> http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-10160337.apds.m0406.bc-ct-fea--feb10,0,5604783.story



Cool!  Thats my local hill, where I work part time


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## smootharc (Feb 17, 2005)

*I'll never forget one day at Alta, about 1988....*

....it wasn't going so well.  My head was screwed on backwards, my attitude stunk, and I was doing a great job of moaning to myself about this, that, the other thing.  I know, I know....I fully deserved to be slapped back to reality, told to take a deep breath, and look out at the distant hills....

....and then it happened....

.....I saw this funny looking guy get off the Germania Lift. He made a few funny looking turns, and ended up stopping nearby.  He was old....really old...and he had a huge smile on his face.  It was the smile of a 5 year old....one heck of a happy camper.  I looked at his legs, and he has some kind of contraption on them - sort of a knee-brace/exoskeleton/ankle cuff thing with surgical rubber tubing and pulleys.  To my quizzical look he bounced up and down a few times, and said he was an engineer and a diehard lifelong skiier and that when he had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) a decade or so earlier, and told he couldn't ski again, he went into his basement.....and, well, you get the picture....gravity pulled down, and this thing bounced him back up.  I could see his legs were atrophied, and I think he had some strapping to keep his thighs together.  Ingenious....and indicative of someone who wasn't afraid to take life's lumps and still go for it.   Shame on me....

With that he said "Have a great day" and bounced off down the hill, a smile on his face as he went....

Needless to say, after sheepishly wiping the attitude off my sorry face, I did just what he said.  And any time I'm thinking about "should I ski", or if my attitude is off track, or, whatever negative thing I can momentarily conjure up in my own little head, well,.....my little gray, bouncing, smiling old man pops into my mind's eye, and I look to the distant ridges, and ask myself what excuse could I possibly have NOT to ski.....

Skiers ski, at whatever level, and whatever age. There's noone keeping score.  It's more than edges and snow. It's the community of skiing - the people, the places, and the natural world which is fast disappearing.  Skiing puts us right in the middle of all of that.  What could possibly be a better thing to do ?  

I'm in my early 40's, and I'm hard pressed to really know if I feel any different than when I was 28, other than slower recovery from injury.  So I ski....mostly with a smile on my face....


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## Statyk (Feb 18, 2005)

my mom is 48 and she skis a lot still

maybe it's an interest issue


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## skintowin (Feb 20, 2005)

Are you INSANE?

I ski, in large part, because it makes me feel like I'm ten years old again. This is your fountain of youth, man!  

Skiing is a life sport  - something that can keep you fit and happy for as long as your knees can stand it. Try to imagine what might happen to your body (and mind) if you quit. You are now at that age where you can't get away with a four month hiatus of sloth. Your hairline may be a lost cause by now, but you still have the power to fend off that beer gut through the winter. And if you're doing it right, you should be having a great time in the process.

That brings me to another point : There is just too much fun to be had within the skiing community to just turn your back.  Most of my best friends are skiers. A day on the hill with your buddies, or even better, with your family, builds the bonds that make life worth getting out of bed for. Where else are you going to find that kind of fulfillment? From your job?

You are a skier. You are a member of a sacred fraternity of misfits who will always have one up on the straight edge majority.  So forget about your birthday; age is just a state of mind.  I could go on like this for hours, but I'll cut it off here. 

Don't give up! You've got a lot of great years of skiing ahead of you yet!


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## bosrocker51 (Feb 7, 2010)

suck it up, punk. I'm 58 and I just got back from Squaw Valley & Kirkwood. I skied The Wall at Kirk and Headwall at Squaw - both expert slopes. 

If you are measuring your worth based on some teenagers you need to re-think your world. If you love skiing do it - for as well and as long as you can.


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## Warp Daddy (Feb 7, 2010)

quit at  34 -----------RU effin kidding me ??? -- hell man i'm 66  soon 67 ski like a bat outta hell for 5 hrs a day . Get off yer az and live life !!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ERJ-145CA (Feb 7, 2010)

I started skiing again after a 19 year hiatus at the age of 35, I'll be 40 in March and am really happy I got hooked on skiing again.  It helps me feel younger and keeps me active.  

You might want to try Hidden Valley, it's 5 minutes down the road from Mountain Creek but there are not nearly as many teens.  It's a much smaller than MC but it's still a fun place to ski and it's rarely crowded and a lot cheaper.  Or got to the Catskills or Poconos.

There's no reason to stop if you have fun.  How old you feel is mostly an attitude.  I see many people a lot older than me on the slopes every day.  Also I never work out and am not in great shape (except my legs) but I ski much better than I skied when I was a kid.


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## ERJ-145CA (Feb 7, 2010)

Bob R said:


> I take maybe 10 vacation days a year mid week to ski, I always ask the peson on the lift how do you get the time to do this midweek.  I always get the same answers.   I own my own business... and they all have twice as many days in as me.  I guess I need to become independently wealthy.  :idea:     I skied 5 days a week in college had classes Tues and Thur and a few  monday night classes. I went more days then than know. :beer:



I'm always running into other airline pilots when I'm skiing mid week,  It's one of the few jobs where you can get a lot of weekdays off and make a decent living (though it doesn't pay nearly as well as it used to).

Hey, I didn't realize how old this thread was, it's from before my time on this forum.


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## Edd (Feb 7, 2010)

Anyone notice this thread is 5 years old?  Poor OP.


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## billski (Feb 7, 2010)

bigbog said:


> Out of the many corny, and just horrible lines (and background music) from the many Warren Miller videos, one of the truly great lines was..."_Aging is mandatory, Growing old is Optional_".  8)



I thought it was "growing up is optional"
Either way, the thought is spot-on.
:-D


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## millerm277 (Feb 7, 2010)

ERJ-145CA said:


> I started skiing again after a 19 year hiatus at the age of 35, I'll be 40 in March and am really happy I got hooked on skiing again.  It helps me feel younger and keeps me active.



Speaking of a 19 year hiatus, I don't think the person who posted this is going to be reading it. This thread is *5* years old. :smash:


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## billski (Feb 8, 2010)

millerm277 said:


> Speaking of a 19 year hiatus, I don't think the person who posted this is going to be reading it. This thread is *5* years old. :smash:


 
That's OK.  We're having fun entertaining ourselves, consoling each other and denying mortality.  Besides any talk about skiing and boarding is good talk!


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## marcski (Feb 8, 2010)

I'm 42...in better shape at 40 than I was at 30.  I live to ski.  The last few years and the next couple are all about getting my daughters to love skiing as much as I do.  So far, my 7 y.o. loves...LOVES it..she studies trail maps like I used to when I was her age.  My 3.5 y.o. had her 3rd or 4th day on the hill yesterday. She loves it too.  Still working on speed control and edging...but I had her out on the magic carpet a few runs and then picked her right up and brought her upto to the top and took like 5-6 runs with her on a leash.  She's already itching for her next day. 

I am looking forward to the many many years to come skiing with both of them...and god willing hopefully with their own kids (yes my grandkids!) too!  If I'm still breathing...and able to walk...I see myself skiing until I'm dead!


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## Warp Daddy (Feb 8, 2010)

millerm277 said:


> Speaking of a 19 year hiatus, I don't think the person who posted this is going to be reading it. This thread is *5* years old. :smash:



of course i noticed it   who cares when it was submitted -- the point is to always RE_AFFIRM that  positive attitude and committment  is everything..

While  one  will age  , attitude , conditioning and l healthy lifestyle committment trumps biological time  -- Rage on -- never friggin settle for the damn rocking chair and canasta and shuffleboard -- LIVE LIFE -- don't be a damn spectator . Life isn't a dress rehersal


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## Glenn (Feb 8, 2010)

This thread is so old...the guy who started it is now almost 40.


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## billski (Feb 8, 2010)

Glenn said:


> This thread is so old...the guy who started it is now almost 40.


Probably moved to an assisted living apartment too.  :lol:


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## gmcunni (Feb 8, 2010)

Glenn said:


> This thread is so old...the guy who started it is now almost 40.



40 is the new 30 so he'll be back in a couple of years to ask the question again :-D


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## Glenn (Feb 8, 2010)

I just went back and read the first post. LOL! I'm 33 and I played in the terrain park this weekend. There are 10 year olds who are better than me. But screw it...I'm out having fun and I'm not too sore the next day or week.


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## mikestaple (Feb 8, 2010)

LOL!  I'm 42 and just started a few years ago.

Now, I'm looking for the bumps, in the best shape of my life, run with kids in the glades and then, gladly, dump them in the terrain park.

Have some kids - they'll get you back out there regardless of your age.  It's a great family activity where you can actually participate with them and see them grow in skill and ability immediately.  (As opposed to going to Build A Bear and wanting to slice your wrists.)

Sure - you're no longer hitting the Jaegermister Ice Luge at the bar (cus, you know, the kids legs don't reach the accelerator) but it is the best way to get out and enjoy winter.


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## billski (Feb 8, 2010)

mikestaple said:


> (As opposed to going to Build A Bear and wanting to slice your wrists.)



As a parent, I always found Chuck E Cheese to be another great place to waste away your life!  :lol:
Kind of a little kid's version of a boardwalk....


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## ZYDECORICH (Feb 8, 2010)

funny... i read most of these until i saw the original post date. doesn't matter. i hope that guy got smart and skiied the Creek during the week. there are alot more of us older types and its way less crowed.. little or no lines... i did empathize with his tale of all the youngsters, it is i think unskiable during the day on weekends.. just to many people .. dangerous... i ski there after 5 on weekends when the crowds thin out yet i did have an instance about a week ago when i went with the kids.. we were waiting for the quad at south when this punk... i mean the kid couldn't have been 11, lights up a butt in front of me and the smoke blows back into our faces... i looked up took my pole and smacked him in the head...i said are you kidding me how old are you 3??? put that out your already to small you need to grow! he was dumbfounded and looked at me like i was crazy... maybe i am but i wasn't going to put up with that!! i threaten to call his mom and he put it out. little prick.


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## Skimaine (Feb 8, 2010)

Get out of the rack and get on the hill early.  The youngsters trend to sleep in.


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## Harvey (Feb 8, 2010)

51. Definitely still getting better each year. Please shoot me when I can't ski anymore.

Retirement communities are starting to spring up in ski country because the age of "ski retirement" is rising. In part due to the gear.  

But there is more to it than that. We expect more out of "old age" now.

I am amazed by the old farts skiing the trees at Gore.


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## Skier75 (Feb 8, 2010)

I'll be 54 this year and still skiing. I won't give it up, if I don't have to. I'll never grow up, I'll never grow old, just my body will.....


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## Euler (Feb 8, 2010)

41 and lovin' skiing with my kids!  I ski more and better now than ever before in my life.


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## Beast_Ed (Feb 8, 2010)

Dood - I am an ancient 38 and have 'quit' skiing 3 times before already.  I've even gone a few seasons where I didn't ski once.

What keeps bringing me back ? 

1) Friends
2) Better equipment
3) I can still do it, for the most part
4) Not much else to do in the winter

I would say ... keep skiing and just work-out more, get really dedicated about it.  And consider this too, go for quality and NOT quantity.  As you age, you need more Vail and Winter Park days and less day trips to the local hill.  Just my opinion but the local hills are more for conditioning/training than anything else.  (ok good for beers too)

And last but not least, once you hit 34 you have got to attend the best ski trip event of a lifetime - Bumpapalooza ! 

http://www.maryjanemogultour.com

See you there - it is not too late!

B-Stead


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