 Poster: A snowHead
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| easiski (split fromSeason claims one of its last victims thread) wrote: |
| Today I met a 75 year old man who is training slalom all week with one of our local race trainers. He skis really well - mega impressive |
easiski, Might have met him! Not that guy who trains in the summer on the glacier with Pierre Alain?? Remarkable bloke, if that's the one. Pretty fast too!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This is very encouaging. I've got decades of skiing still to go if I can emulate.
The Ski Club now won't let you go on ordinary holidays (or lead) if you are 60 or over. That's still a few years off yet for me, but near enough to feel personal. It strikes me this shouldn't be an inflexible rule, which it is now (but younger punters might not agree...)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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We met a chap in Val Thorens who said he stayed there 4 months of the year and did 3-4 hours ski-ing a day - he was 80!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
The Ski Club now won't let you go on ordinary holidays (or lead) if you are 60 or over.
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That's terribly discriminating, who makes rules like that? I am 72 and often ski with a group of men and ladies, all over 70, because we ski free in most areas and we usually ski the pants off the younger crowd. 
....Ott
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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easiski, Definitely the same guy then, he used to run marathons but found his joints were suffering as the years went by, so took up skiing instead!!
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I thought the hut in the car park was the Guides office.
As for over 60s, I gather the over 50s holidays have always been, in effect, over 60s, since nobody wants to go on them till they have to. They used to make exceptions if you were obviously up to it, but someone on the council told they have now clamped down and make no exceptions, even for their best reps (party guides)..
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you blokes ever cross the pond to New England, there is an instructor at Sugarloaf, the Loaf, as we yanks call it, that is about 77 yeaars old. The young dudes freak out when she zooms right past them! 
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Unfortunately the club-that-must-not-be-named seems obsessed with ageist doctrines. Seems they believe old people are a disincentive to not old members.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ageism is definitely a British disease The French are not nearly so discriminatory People (and most skiers appear to be people) should be judged on their ability and not their calendar age.
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I wholly agree, yet ski equipment manufacturers do not, and instruct binding technicians to apply lower DIN settings because one passes from 49 years 364 days to 50 years of age.
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| easiski wrote: |
| Ageism is definitely a British disease :( The French are not nearly so discriminatory. |
Try to apply for a job in France if you are 35 years or over. The civil service has only just repealed maximum age restrictions here for jobs (between 30 to 40 depending on the position) and if you look through the papers you will see many adverts specify an age restriction and frequently specify the sex of the applicant.
Still Dr Douste-Blazy, the health minister, has promised not to let old folk die abandonned on trolleys in hospital corridors if there is another heatwave this August. So I guess that is something.
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You know it makes sense.
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Saw quite a few 'mature@ ESF instructors in Serre Che this Easter.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Helen Beaumont, I know a super guy here (who only works 2 weeks a year) who's about 80 now. He did the Vallee Blanche this year with the rest of the school. He's great with ladies of a "certain age", takes them to lunch, chats them up and a good time is had by all. His name's Alain Rannou and he was one of the first instructors here in about 1951 I think; he taught himself to speak English by reading the New York Herald Tribune with a dictionary. Amazing bloke. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mr HH has a mate who only gave up skiing at 83...and only then because his wife decided she'd had enough. They've taken up windsurfing as a gentler alternative!!!
We've got all their old how to ski books from the year dot....very interesting to see how it used to be done!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Helen Beaumont, there are quite a few out there. I don't suppose you've seen the elderly lady ESF instructor. From behind, she gets all the admiring glances from the men, and envious ones from the women. A great figure, emphasised by a figure hugging ski suit, and long blonde hair. The front's pretty good, until you look into her face and realise she's got to be at least 65+, and the "hair" is almost certainly a wig. Boy can she ski, though.
Or there's "DooDoo" - another aged instructor with a booze red complexion. He also does the parapenting! Not with me strapped under him I'll tell you - I've seen him drinking 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I went on my first 'over 50s' Ski Club holiday in March, mainly because I wanted to go to Obergurgl, where I had never previously skiied. I was one of the few in the group who had to pay full whack for my lift pass.
I was pleased, the skiing may have been a bit more laid back than normal, but it was just as adventurous and energetic as on other holidays. The biggest difference was on the social side. I spent no more than 2 minutes in my room all week, apart from when sleeping or getting changed, on occassion not going to bed until 2am, and generally having one of the best ski holidays ever.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think skiing is the only time i really mix with people of all ages (other than family get togethers!). Usually there's a mix of ages in chalets - and this may just be anecdotal - but the 'older' skiing fraternity are certainly well up for late night drinking and getting up early for the lifts next day! More so than some of my own age group (20's)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We've had more practice mm.... 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's not strictly true about the SCGB restricting the over-60's on their normal holidays. I skied with a 64 and 68 year old on one of the off-piste holidays last year. I'll have to stick up for them, they were freakishly fit for their ages, appeared to be both gold standard, and I am not ashamed to admit that I was out-skied by them both! And isn't Martin Epp, one of the SCGB guides, at least 85?
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This strict application of the over 60 rule is new, Kit. Up till now the Ski Club has used their discretion and asked party leaders if they were happy to lead an "over age" person who had recently been classed as fit and skilled enough for the holiday. It applies to punters and Ski Club reps and leaders, but perhaps not Mountain Guides employed ad hoc (we'll have to see if Martin is on the list next year).
Steveb, I'm encouraged that you say the holiday was as adventurous and energetic as other holidays but its not what I've heard from other people. (The social life bit is what I heard!)
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| snowball wrote: |
| This strict application of the over 60 rule is new |
Out of interest, just how long has this been going on?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
who had recently been classed as fit and skilled enough for the holiday
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Do you have to have a medical?
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No. If you ski with a rep or a party leader even for a day they report their grading of your skiing to the Ski Club.
They also accept self-grading for holidays but at your own risk. If you aren't good enough for the group they can tell you to go and ski with the ski school.
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FAQ
so she complained and was allowed to ski with the over 50's group which was much more to her liking! 
People (and most skiers appear to be people) should be judged on their ability and not their calendar age. 
