 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Tom_Ski, nice! I was heartened to see the reference to skiing only on clear days, having recently made that decision myself - maybe a bit pathetic, as I'm 'only' 77.
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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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| Quote: |
maybe a bit pathetic
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Not at all. The secret to growing old wisely is knowing the difference between pretending it isn't happening, on the one hand, and giving up too easily on the other!
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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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Skiing is increasingly a sport for old people.
With accelerating medical, transplant, fitness, and cyborg advancements, it's very likely that someone under 40yo reading this today will be skiing or boarding (on snow or grass) well into their 100s.
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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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I made it an ambition some years ago to still be improving when I'm 80. At 63 now I'm still on that path, despite injuries and general decrepitude (which hopefully will be addressed soonest).
For how long improved technique will overcome declining strength I don't know, so am very much aware that once I get this knee sorted out my exercise regime really needs to be worked on. Well, started, if I'm honest 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm 78 now, been skiing for 60 years. Some members of a group I was skiing with a few years back were somewhat surprised that I had booked a lesson for that afternoon. They did not seem to appreciate the benefits of having a refresher course.
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@deerman,  I take lessons too (but started skiing later than you).
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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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@DrLawn,
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of course our most recent surgery.
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We're skiing with my in-laws this Easter. He's 82, and she is 77. We will be on piste with my 5 and 3 year old girls: grandparents and grandchildren for the first time.
This is going to be a seriously significant day. I can't wait.
My FIL and I, before I had kids and stopped going (small children + jet lag = no fun), used to ski a day together, just us, on their annual family trip in Utah. It was a day I used to absolutely love.
They are an inspiration to me; and I hope when I am their age, I am still strapping planks to my feet with my wife and ambling round the mountain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm off to Tignes next week to ski with three teenage grandchildren and their snowboarder father. Problem is they think they don't need professional instruction and the children just follow my tracks. I find piste skiing much more dangerous than off-piste. When someone knocked me over last year on a crowded blue run my son shouted at the culprit "he's 78, you should be more careful". I told my son my age was irrelevant.
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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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@Jehu, You'll have to get your instuctor ticket then ?
But thinking about it, that won't work.
People usualy don't take any notice of free tuition.
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My Dad (RIP) skied religiously until he was 79; then broke his hip on an innocuous mogul on day 1 of that years trip and sadly never skied again . . .shame as I thought the new titanium one would inspire him but he cashed his chips after skiing all over the world from the 1950's . . .hope my own knees will hold out as long!
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You know it makes sense.
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Clear days or not, I don't think it made any difference to my Dad (77) in Jan, his cateracts were so bad! He (and I) was thinking it would be his final ski after he had his ankle fused but he got on really well.
He is off o have his second eye done tomorrow so maybe he will be keen to keep going, I hope so.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DaveD, which was one of my dads main reasons for skiing this year. He wanted to finally get a free pass.. Tight bug!
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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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@DaveD, @Thick As, unfortunately, in some places where they were free, they no longer are eg Three Valleys. Cheap, though.
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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'm just back from a trip with 6 others aged 76 - 79!
Booked again for next year when we'll have an 80 year old in the ranks!
I'm the youngster at 51 - two of the above are my parents
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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 are in Ste Foy this week, 74, 78 and two 79 year olds. We skied together back in January for a week and overlapping in that time were our daughter, SIL and two grand daughters.
We imagine that we will be skiing again next year. I am still just skiing at a reduced rate here, the others are free I think, but they weren’t back in January.
The sun shone today and it was pretty perfect.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My grandfather took up skiing around age 70 and skied into his 80s. Seemed to love it.
When I was skiing in Andorra in 2012, a working instructor for the ski school there was pointed out to me, he was around 92 or 93 if I remember correctly.
I hope I'm still skiing when I reach my old age!
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There are categories at the annual ESF Challenge des Moniteurs races for older instructors, the oldest competitors last year were 83 - Male and 79 - Female.
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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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I’m a long way from 80. If I were to ski into my 80’s, I would have to be injury free between now and then. I’m not entirely in control of that. (For no one ever plan to have injuries)
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I don't see why injuries, as such, need be a huge issue, whatever your age. It all depends on the injury. When I broke my pelvis, in my late 60s, it was as good as new in less than two months. A complex fracture, or a soft tissue injury, could be a very different kettle of fish.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have had 11 injuries to knees and arm of which 8 were ski related. Several were other people skiing into me. I am 75 and about to ski in 3V for 3 weeks having already done 6 weeks this season. Wear a brace on each knee but still skiing. Do all the rehab after injuries, stay active and you can keep skiing.
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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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I really noticed my dad’s eyesight in January (76 then, 77 now).
Bluebird days he was absolutely ripping it. Anything slightly flat light and he struggled to the point he had to wear my goggles (I wore his and they were fine but the contrast was slightly better in mine).
I'd always assumed it'd be his joints that would give up first but I'm not sure he'll fancy next year now (and he stubbornly won't accept my goggles as a regular thing or new ones).
Hopefully he gets his head round it and accepts there might be some days when he doesn't do much if the weather isn't great.
Quick question for anyone who's had this, is the light generally better if we went in March Vs January? There's normally a cheap week between half terms and Easter so thinking that might give him more options. I don't care so long as there's snow and I'm not in work.
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I have just "given up" skiing anyway (I'm 77) but poor vis, or poor conditions generally, were definitely becoming more of a problem for me.I've just had cataract operations on both my eyes. It's improved things a lot for night driving and I suspect it would for skiing, too.
If you Dad has cataracts, @paulhinch, you might tactfully suggest he investigates having them dealt with! But also, I think it's a natural progression for someone older, with all the problems that will inevitably bring, to grow out of the compulsion to be out on the slopes from first lift to last! I am still sailing, but I no longer have any urge to fight the elements....
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You know it makes sense.
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We’re both 70 and over the last 4-5 years have increasingly switched to snowshoeing unless the skiing conditions are ideal. We took it up after noticing how many older locals were doing it. We don’t regard it as a second best to skiing: it’s much more consistent exercise and great on days of poor visibility, busy pistes (Saturdays especially), or heavy snow etc. We realised how often we used to go out on rubbish days for skiing, just because we’d bought a week’s pass.
The challenge for older types like us is in recovery from an accident, or handling unexpected challenging conditions. When younger, I’ve been mown down two times just standing at the edge of a fairly quiet piste. I’m not sure I’d be as quick to get up if the same happened now. And last December, a lift broke down and we had to ski a long, ungroomed piste back down to the station, which was very hard work on the wrong type of ski for the conditions.
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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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| Origen wrote: |
I have just "given up" skiing anyway (I'm 77) but poor vis, or poor conditions generally, were definitely becoming more of a problem for me.I've just had cataract operations on both my eyes. It's improved things a lot for night driving and I suspect it would for skiing, too.
If you Dad has cataracts, @paulhinch, you might tactfully suggest he investigates having them dealt with! But also, I think it's a natural progression for someone older, with all the problems that will inevitably bring, to grow out of the compulsion to be out on the slopes from first lift to last! I am still sailing, but I no longer have any urge to fight the elements.... |
Yeah - no cataracts luckily. His eyesight normally is better than mine for stuff like distance etc.
He's had all his eyes checked since we went and there's nothing in there to worry about. It's almost like his brain power for processing the images wasn't working with the poor light. I think it's just aging but it's the first year it's done it and it really shook him. Previously he'd be off down the slopes waiting for me (he skis, I board, he's quicker whenever he gives it the beans). This time, when the light wasn't great, he felt like he was having to feel his way down with his feet rather than using his eyes (as if it was a full on white out when it was actually just pretty flat light).
I think it's just an adjustment so hopefully he gets his head around it and accepts he might have some days where he goes for a swim or something instead.
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Poster: A snowHead
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might have some days where he goes for a swim
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or just sits with his feet up looking at the mountains and pretending to read a book?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Absolutely.....although getting him to slow down that much might be interesting (before this year, he'd be there looking at SkiTracks working out what his top speed was every day....usually double mine).
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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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before this year, he'd be there looking at SkiTracks working out what his top speed was every day....usually double mine
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Oh dear. This is what our sons used to call the "Old Wolf" syndrome. My husband used to be quite a reasonable cross-country runner. When the oldest lad was about 14 and pleased with a run he'd done at school, his father was a bit disparaging and opined that he could still do better. A challenge ensued which the old wolf lost in no uncertain style and graciously conceded that he had been quite wrong about how the average 14 year old could perform, compared to somebody who might once have been no end of a chap but hadn't so much as run for a bus for a while.
It's very sad if old people feel the need to compete with their kids. I'm glad to say I conceded defeat years ago! Your dad is clearly struggling with ageing. I've given in moderately gracefully.
It's fine to want to carry on doing things because you enjoy them. But trying to do them because you want to "prove something" is a slippery slope to misery. And a slippery slope with poor vis, too.
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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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| Origen wrote: |
I don't see why injuries, as such, need be a huge issue, whatever your age.
…
A complex fracture, or a soft tissue injury, could be a very different kettle of fish. |
Can you plan an injury to be NOT of the kind that stops your skiing?
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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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Well no, of course not, but you said that your continuing to ski depended on having NO injuries, which struck me as unrealistic. People of all ages are vulnerable to injury but they don't have to be terminal to skiing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Origen wrote: |
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before this year, he'd be there looking at SkiTracks working out what his top speed was every day....usually double mine
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It's very sad if old people feel the need to compete with their kids. I'm glad to say I conceded defeat years ago! Your dad is clearly struggling with ageing. I've given in moderately gracefully.
It's fine to want to carry on doing things because you enjoy them. But trying to do them because you want to "prove something" is a slippery slope to misery. And a slippery slope with poor vis, too. |
Yeah - I don't think he's competing with me (he's on skis, I'm on a board.....he'll always be quicker - he's also been skiing 30 years vs me boarding 5 or 6).
He's just always been a bit of a speed freak. When I first went with him, he did >50mph on one run. I was adamant he'd got his phone setup wrong and it was km/h but I was wrong (he'd have been maybe 72, 73 at that point). I think he's struggling with the realisation that that won't be possible much longer and he needs to transition to just enjoying himself rather than chasing a high. I'm already like that in my 40s (much rather cruise a blue than pick my way down a black) so it's never been competition with me. It's with himself and the ageing process.
I think this year has actually been a bit of a wakeup call that he needs to accept his age and enjoy the days for what they are.
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I think this year has actually been a bit of a wakeup call that he needs to accept his age and enjoy the days for what they are
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I just finished day 10 of a 14 day trip. My 77-year-old buddy with Parkinson’s disease skied nine of them. We have four more days and he just bought a four-day ticket. His fortitude is unbelievable. It isn’t all about attitude, but plenty of it is.
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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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We were skiing the same route as a group of 4 people once, we kept each others pace the whole way (not racing each other just we happened to be the same pace). When they stopped to enjoy the view, we stopped on the opposite side of the piste to talk about where we were going. One of the other group took their helmet and goggles off. My OH slid over to them to chat, turns out she was 84 and he was 87! Both were really good skiers and although were a bit defensive when asked their ages they were extremely happy when we both complimented how good they were and that we both hope to ski as well as they do when their ages. Amazing.
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@Extremophile, I do love stories like that!
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FAQ
and you skied with style.
