 Poster: A snowHead
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Currently skiing on rossignol experience 88s in 178.
Had them this week in Tignes, which was beautiful conditions, but I think I need to scale down a bit. I’m 55 this year, not as fit as I used to be and not going as fast as I used to.
Also found them a touch heavy and twitchy for groomed pistes. Not something I’d really noticed before. They’re perfect for poor conditions but honestly? These days if the conditions aren’t there I’m heading back down!
Technically, I’d categorise myself as a decent ”holiday skier” of 40 years but realistically I’m gently cruising around the groomed pistes rather than thrashing down the hari kari with the grown up children.
I’m thinking of going down to a shorter and lighter piste ski that’s suitable.
It’s difficult to decipher ski adverts as they often reference “progressing intermediates” etc and I’m going the other way!
Any advice would be appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd advise you to stop thinking that 55 is old. Get fit and work on your technique, challenge yourself to improve every year, otherwise, if you've already accepted defeat at that age you'll just not bother getting out of bed in the mornings in a year or three.
Bloody kids.
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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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This. I have recently turned 55.
I am faster and in better shape than before. More daring and better skilled. I know it's a countdown and at some point I will need to slow down and settle for comfy and slow, but I ain't see it it in my close future.
In spite of chronic back pains etc.
Returning to the EOSB once again with my 2 pairs of skis, an all mountain S/Force 80 and a Whitedot Altum 104.
Challenge yourself and rent a better ski that will make you smile and defy the sheer number of 55. Plenty of time to worry when we'll really get old.
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@cringingwhinging, just what @Chaletbeauroc, has said. We are 73 and 78 and just finished our sixth week this season. This last week skiing occasionally with grandchildren. As it happens I asked OH as we are driving today whether he thought we would be skiing again next year. Why ever not he replied.
I couldn’t possibly comment on skis for you, but I know that getting the ones you feel comfortable with is of the essence.
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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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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| I'd advise you to stop thinking that 55 is old. |
Exactly!
I'm 71 and one of the younger ones of those i ski with. Eldest is 85, but he does row and cycle every day.
As Chaletbeauroc advises: getting/staying fit is the key.
My favourite ski remains Dynastar Cham87 178cm. Sadly no longer made. When Covid hit got some Mythics to go skinning. Still pretty good, but also no longer made.
Finding the right ski is a challenge. Find a friendly shop and ask them to let you try a few. You'll know when you find the right one.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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“Not as fit as I used to be”
Does not mean
“Decrepit. About to die of old age”
The rossi ATs are 6/7 years old. I bought them 6/7 years ago when wants and needs were different is all.
Just looking for a light, easy to use/turn piste ski that will serve me the next, say, 6/7 years…
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| cringingwhinging wrote: |
Currently skiing on rossignol experience 88s in 178.
Also found them a touch heavy and twitchy for groomed pistes. Not something I’d really noticed before. They’re perfect for poor conditions but honestly? These days if the conditions aren’t there I’m heading back down! |
I presume they have recently been serviced?
But by all means get something a little narrower at the waist and shorter if you are mainly skiing on piste.
Oh, and to re-iterate, 55 ain't old. I was expecting you to say you were in your late seventies.
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@cringingwhinging, buddy (/patronising) you do come across a bit "off". I'm pushing 57, out of (what would be "open heart surgery" in many hospitals) heart surgery last autumn and an ACL recon last week and there's no frickin' "need to scale down a bit" in my lexicon.
Anyhoo. That aside.
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Also found them a touch heavy and twitchy
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?? Tuning?? Sounds more to me that that might be the issue?
Can you actually get a "lighter" ski? (yeah yeah woteva) - on which, Movement GO 80s? (I think there's an 80?) The GOs are +/- a touring designed ski that seems to end up on the down.
Massively more important, get thee to a gym and get fitter.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Sat 8-04-23 18:53; edited 1 time in total
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
Massively more important, get thee to a gym and get fitter. |
Or get some off-piste skis, hybrid boots, Shift bindings, and skins and get fit on the mountain.
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Get a snowboard
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@cringingwhinging, ffs!
Have a look at my recent Chamonix post. I am 64 and the least fit person I know. MTFU, get fitter and stronger before sarcopenia sucks the life out of you. Wish I was bloody 55.
Just had a glass or two of wine, but you know where I am coming from. You still have scope for huge physical improvement. The skis are peripheral in all this
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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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It's a good thing we can't buy SH voodoo dolls and stick needles into them.
The guy came asking for a technical advice and got the whole life improvement bookshelf from us 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| Quote: |
| ...looking for a light, easy to use/turn piste ski... |
Why do you think you want a light ski? (apart from carrying it to the lfts)
Once you're actually skiing on it the weight will work in your favour skiing on piste ie the heavier it is the more inertia it has : thus the less likely it is to be thrown about on hard packed pistes.
A lighter ski comes into it's own if you're skinning up (for obvious reasons) and isn't an issue off piste.
My fave all round skis on piste are my (heavy) Solly-Sentinels : however my Blizzard Zero-G touring skis are super light, identical in length and profile, but less easily skiable on hard pack
....oh, and to join the ageist group - I'm now 68 & been skiing (alpine; grass  : mono; Telemark; touring) for 46 years
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Poster: A snowHead
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E88s are damn good skis. I got ya by 11 yrs. It is fine to slow down. Just remember that "slower" does not mean "passive". You can do this.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| cringingwhinging wrote: |
Currently skiing on rossignol experience 88s in 178.
Had them this week in Tignes, which was beautiful conditions, but I think I need to scale down a bit. I’m 55 this year, not as fit as I used to be and not going as fast as I used to.
Also found them a touch heavy and twitchy for groomed pistes. Not something I’d really noticed before. They’re perfect for poor conditions but honestly? These days if the conditions aren’t there I’m heading back down!
Technically, I’d categorise myself as a decent ”holiday skier” of 40 years but realistically I’m gently cruising around the groomed pistes rather than thrashing down the hari kari with the grown up children.
I’m thinking of going down to a shorter and lighter piste ski that’s suitable.
It’s difficult to decipher ski adverts as they often reference “progressing intermediates” etc and I’m going the other way!
Any advice would be appreciated! |
wash your mouth out, old unfit , at 55 ! good heavens, I am the same age, wouldn't use ANY of those words, I can't advise you on skis, I have a pair that I love just general all mountain skis, from elan.
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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’m 55 , Heavy and ski on E88’s , I was advised to get 180 length due to weight.
I’m not a fan of off piste but I wanted something that was better on end of day crud , that’s why I went 88.
Got to say mine feel planted, carve well & as for speed, well I’m regularly hitting 80+ KPH , with the occasional 90 when I see an empty piste & no rattle compared to my previous E80’s
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| drporat wrote: |
It's a good thing we can't buy SH voodoo dolls and stick needles into them.
The guy came asking for a technical advice and got the whole life improvement bookshelf from us |
Yes. He came in complaining. He got the answers he needs.
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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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Took my Rossignol ST giant slalom skis this year great on the hard pack and ice..terrible to carry as they way a ton ...but one of the plus' is that I can always find them outside cafes as the are 190s ...i'm 76.... 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@under a new name, you probably know the saying "It is the tone that makes the music".
Some of the answers he got were harsher than what would make one comfortable.
And yes, I also know another saying "Every kick in the butt makes you take another step forward" but that ain't my way of proceeding.
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@drporat, you should swing past the TGR forums. There'd be a bounty on his head by this point 
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Am I the only one enjoying the way this thread has turned into a musky older people ' more core than ye' pissing contest.
It's nice they can get about. 
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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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@Richard_Sideways, no
Was watching two little old ladies hammering the tennis courts yesterday, 82 and 84, they play every day ... splendid
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From my experience, Tennis players tend to go quite leathery from sun exposure and dehydration, so they were probably a spry 30-something.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Richard_Sideways, haha - no, they are a bit of a feature at the club, defo in their 80s!
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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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| drporat wrote: |
This. I have recently turned 55.
I am faster and in better shape than before. More daring and better skilled. I know it's a countdown and at some point I will need to slow down and settle for comfy and slow, but I ain't see it it in my close future.
In spite of chronic back pains etc. . |
Totally this. And I recently(ish) turned 59 plus with lower back and shoulder/neck issues!
My answer? 3 Winters ago, upgraded skis - longer, stiffer, faster. Off-piste, only when it’s pristine and fresh (an easy choice for me ), otherwise it’s groomers all the way! No intention to slow down for awhile….hopefully.
Anyway, this is perhaps all a bit smug!
Getting a bit “ski fitter” may not only help, health wise, but also serve to prolong your enjoyment of being in the mountains in Winter. And, to be fair, not everyone wants to hoon around. Sometimes, just cruising gently along, taking in the scenery and stopping for the odd refreshment is all that is needed to just appreciate the environment.
Sorry! That’s probably still a bit smug!
Heavy and jittery/chattery/twitchy skis? Possibly a tuning thing. Also possibly a reaction to skiing on heavy skis….they’re tiring, which can lead to being a bit upright/weight too far back and consequently not as much control? Hard to say without seeing you ski. I’d probably recommend testing some skis out when you’re next on the slopes. Most (well, many) hire shops are happy to accommodate this, if you’re looking to buy.
Good luck, whichever route you decide upon. 
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| drporat wrote: |
| The guy came asking for a technical advice and got the whole life improvement bookshelf from us |
TBF as a technical question it was impossible to answer. It was immediately clear that if his existing skis, with which he'd previously been quite happy, were no longer performing well for him, the problem did not lie with the skis. And that going for softer shorter lighter whateverer skis would almost certainly not help anyway.
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You know it makes sense.
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I’m 53 and I snowboard. Therefore I am cooler than all of the other old farts posting on this thread.
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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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| NoMapNoCompass wrote: |
| cringingwhinging wrote: |
Currently skiing on rossignol experience 88s in 178.
Also found them a touch heavy and twitchy for groomed pistes. Not something I’d really noticed before. They’re perfect for poor conditions but honestly? These days if the conditions aren’t there I’m heading back down! |
I presume they have recently been serviced?
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Once a year.
| Quote: |
But by all means get something a little narrower at the waist and shorter if you are mainly skiing on piste.
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Any recommendations though?
I only buy skis once every 7/10 years usually. Had these rossis for 6/7 years.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| hang11 wrote: |
| I’m 53 and I snowboard. Therefore I am cooler than all of the other old farts posting on this thread. |
Is that because you spend so long sitting on your arse in the snow, just over the brow of a hill?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Cacciatore wrote: |
| drporat wrote: |
This. I have recently turned 55.
I am faster and in better shape than before. More daring and better skilled. I know it's a countdown and at some point I will need to slow down and settle for comfy and slow, but I ain't see it it in my close future.
In spite of chronic back pains etc. . |
Totally this. And I recently(ish) turned 59 plus with lower back and shoulder/neck issues!
My answer? 3 Winters ago, upgraded skis - longer, stiffer, faster. Off-piste, only when it’s pristine and fresh (an easy choice for me ), otherwise it’s groomers all the way! No intention to slow down for awhile….hopefully.
Anyway, this is perhaps all a bit smug!
Getting a bit “ski fitter” may not only help, health wise, but also serve to prolong your enjoyment of being in the mountains in Winter. And, to be fair, not everyone wants to hoon around. Sometimes, just cruising gently along, taking in the scenery and stopping for the odd refreshment is all that is needed to just appreciate the environment.
Sorry! That’s probably still a bit smug!
Heavy and jittery/chattery/twitchy skis? Possibly a tuning thing. Also possibly a reaction to skiing on heavy skis….they’re tiring, which can lead to being a bit upright/weight too far back and consequently not as much control? Hard to say without seeing you ski. I’d probably recommend testing some skis out when you’re next on the slopes. Most (well, many) hire shops are happy to accommodate this, if you’re looking to buy.
Good luck, whichever route you decide upon. |
Thank you for the answer
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@cringingwhinging, About you:
- What weight are you?
- What level are you?
- Do you spend much time away from the Piste?
The Rossi E88 are very decent, versatile skis. They are on the heavy side, but shouldn't be twitchy....so this is almost certainly (as said above), down to the tune. Nb. Good Piste skis are inclined to be heavy.
I'm 63, with back surgery - and what I have found helpful is:
1. Sensible, ski-specific fitness ie. Aerobic/Leg work/Light weights/Balance work/Stretching and Roller work
2. Improving technique
3. Being on the correct skis for weight, terrain and ability
4. A good tune on the skis - Any pair of skis can be hard to ski with a poor tune
5. Properly fitted boots
6. Easing into the week on more gentle terrain and build confidence through the week
Of that above list - Technique is probably the most important, closely followed by fitness.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 9-04-23 11:01; edited 1 time in total
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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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@cringingwhinging,
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touch heavy and twitchy
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I'm going back to suggesting something's gone wrong in the tuning.
Also, how do you know if skis are "heavy" - they should be turning because of control inputs not brute force and if they're on the snow, you aren't lifting them. I think you are alluding to them feeling a bit "damp" which again, feels as though the last service wasn't so great.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Isn’t SH great. Someone comes on and asks an innocent question and most of the responses answer a completely different one. I’m frankly surprised that the OP hasn’t been told that all his problems would be over if he would only fit winter tyres; wear a helmet; ski in Les Saises or anywhere in Austria.
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I was also thinking my skis were too heavy when lugging them up the stairs to the first lift. May I suggest finding ski out/ski in accommodation. Or find someone younger to carry them for you. Sadly none of those options were open to me so on I plodded for another 20m 
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@Ski lots, You forgot to mention carry a rucksack with spare gloves, goggles, water, snacks and jumper in it.
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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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| Cacciatore wrote: |
| hang11 wrote: |
| I’m 53 and I snowboard. Therefore I am cooler than all of the other old farts posting on this thread. |
Is that because you spend so long sitting on your arse in the snow, just over the brow of a hill? |
Never sit down. Too hard to get back up again 
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FAQ
