How far can I go with my skiing?

[SnowGlider]

I'm wondering how much farther I can reasonably expect to go with my skiing, given my age (54) and that I only learned to ski at age 49. I'd like to set some reasonable goals.

I don't know how ability levels compare in the East and the West. And they vary from one mountain to another. I can confidently call myself an advanced intermediate skier. I can ski some easier black trails here in the East, but not on ice---I HATE ice!---and I don't zip down the blacks.

My goal is to have lots and lots of relaxed fun and to feel confident on anything through single blacks.

I try to ski twice a week, but my chronic bronchitis often throws a monkey wrench in that plan. I also have several lessons every year.

Skis: Head Lightning iM:

https://www.backcountryoutlet.com/o...9&keyword=HEA0018+lightning+im+super+railflex

These skis feel right for my level---they quickly bumped me up a notch in ability.

Will I ever be a confident black diamond skier? Or am I condemned to be a terminal intermediate?

Do you think the key to progress is lessons or miles under the skis?

 

[ski diva]

This is an interesting question, and I hope Liquidfeet joins in. She's a bit older than you; started skiing just 3 or 4 seasons ago, and went right into racing. The result -- just the other week she got a platinum in NASTAR! She puts zero restrictions on herself and even posted recently about wanting to get into the terrain park. You should see her ski! Truly an inspiration to us all.

Given that, it's hard to say how far you can go. I'm 52, and I'm hoping I'll continue to improve, as long as I'm able to make it down the hill. Granted there are some things I don't want to do. Unlike Liquidfeet, I'm not in a hurry to do the half pipe. And I don't care to race, either. But I think improvement comes from a combination of time and lessons. And I think you can take skiing it as far as you want, as long as you don't have anything physical holding you back. It's up to you -- what your goals are and and how much you're willing to devote to them.

 

[volklgirl]

Most of the women I know have the skills to take their skiing far beyond where they are currently comfortable. The biggest thing holding them back is their head (fear). I often hear them say 'I can't', 'I shouldn't', or 'what if....'.

When ever I find myself playing the 'what if' game, I now respond to myself with 'what if I make it???' It helps to put the correct image in my head and gives me the courage to try it. (Oh, and playing music helps to quiet the other voices in my head ).

 

[liquidfeet]

SnowGlider,

Welcome to the best (AND ONLY) forum for women skiers. You are at the right place for getting understanding responses from women like you. I began skiing at 53, and I'm now 56, soon to be 57. When I moved to New England from the flat midwest four Augusts ago, I was determined to become an expert before I got too old to do it. I believe that anybody's ceiling at this age, that level of skiing which we will never surmount, lowers every year. Thus I'm in a hurry to hit it. Is that where you are? Do you want to bump into it in the near future? If so, you can do it.

Last year (skiing two-three days every week), over the summer (reading incessantly about skiing here, at Epic, on Nastar, and in books, and working on endurance and quad strength in the gym, on the road on a bike, and on hikes up mountains), and this year (skiing 3-4 days per week) I have put lots of effort into hitting that ceiling. I don't think I've reached it yet. Once there, I'll probably be sooooo0OOOo tired I'll be happy to just relax and decompress like everyone else my age who has been skiing 20-45 years all along. You don't need to do all this. I know other women who are at age 48-58 taking lessons and working on improving their form, and getting into racing for that same purpose. And, by the way, men too.

It sounds like you are doing the same thing as I am if you are skiing twice a week on Eastern hardpack (what else is there to ski on?)

So here's what I think. Any weekly packaged lessons with the same teacher in a group situation will both bolster your confidence, teach you in the most friendly environment the skills you need, and help you build lifetime friendships among others similarly possessed skiers (well ... this IS New England, and admittedly that's difficult to do at our age). It's not necessary to take a women's class, but if you do it's probably guaranteed user-friendly. It just takes persistence, good consistent lessons, CONSISTENT, i.e. from the same teacher, and hours on the hill.

I entered racing in a beer league (colloquial for citizen races without too much professionalism) because I read in one of my how-to-ski books that racing really teaches you how to ski. That is true. Race turns are not exactly like cruising-on-the-blues turns, but learning to do race turns does help in uncountable ways, because if you goof, it's absolutely crystal clear that you goofed. Your time tells the story, so you get the message loud and clear. Is there a non-competitive race league in your area? Where are you located? You might consider signing up for a night league if you can, take a race class that meets every week for ten weeks. My weekend race class has two men in it who have no intent to ever race; they just want to ski better. Doing either of these will help you advance quickly. Or just take an all-mountain class every weekend for ten weeks. What area are you in? Perhaps someone on this forum can point you in the right direction for good classes.

Are you an analytical thinker? If yes, then read the Nastar forums and the Epic forums. Buy books on how to ski; read them and take notes; then try things on the hill when you are skiing alone. Or, if you are not analytical at all, but instead a holistic learner, then ski with people who are faster and more courageous than you; try to keep up. Follow them, and copy, copy, copy. I've done all of this, and it helps immensely.

This is really important, more important than what type of skis you have. Make sure your boots are tight, get custom footbeds, pay for stance balancing, canting, and so on, and get it done by a GOOD BOOTFITTER. Go back after the first week and tell him/her what hurts, and get it fixed. Go back again the next week, and the next. You have a year of free fixing once you spend all that money. Ask around about who to go to before you do this. It's no good if you get a hack. You need an expert bootfitter. Ask here on this forum, or ask the old boyz/girlz where you ski.

Nourish your confidence. Life is an adventure, but only if you show up. Despite what anyone tells you, it can be done. You can not only conquer your fear of the blacks, but the ice, the double blacks and the bumps. You just need to keep trying.

It sounds like you've got a good start.

 

[ski diva]

Great reponse, LF! A lot of good stuff there.

Another member who got a late start is Lilgeorg. Maybe she'll answer, too?

 

[Lilgeorg]

Well, it took me awhile to see this post since I have been out skiing all day for the past 3 days. I never skied before I was 45 years old.

For years I skied about 15 days a year and all in the East. I reached an intermediate level and thought I was happy. About 6 years ago, I statrted to attend a 3 day ski clinic at Okemo call the Women's Apine Adventure. This clinic raised my confidence level and my skills. They say I am an expert skier now and like many women, I don't give myself all the credit.What I do know is that age 64, I can ski blacks, some bumps, some glades, and fairly fast.

Today I skied with my hubby, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. My goal is to have 4 generations skiing together. Since I expect to ski well into my 80's, I expect to meet this goal.

What I know for sure is that skiing keeps me fit and active with people who are at least 20 years younger. It puts a smile on my face and keeps my spirit young. I don't think about ceilings and what I may or may not be able to do in the future. I just try to push my comfort zone a little wider each year. And I don't beat myself up if my grandson wants to do a bump run and I don't. Skiing should be fun. As long as I am having fun , its a good day.

So yes, take lessons and get good skills. Then ski and sing while you do it. Before you know it, people will be saying, "Wow, she is a great skier." And nobody will care how old you are!!

Lil

 

[dloveski]

I'm also 54 and have many ski goals yet to accomplish. Though I ski all terrain, and I can get down anything, I think I'm too conservative in my skiing, and am working on fixing a lifetime of sloppy habits.

My parents moved me in my senior year of high school from Iowa to Utah; to get me out of my funk, they bought me and my brothers used Sears ski rental equipment (metal skiis and painful boots) and turned us loose at Brighton. They paid for one lesson--but I was hooked. Needless to say, we became mountain rats. While my brothers went on to be expert backcountry telemarkers, I continued my alpine ski ways, not paying attention to technique as I explored all aspects of the mountains and resorts and had a blast. I lived at Alta, Brighton, and Park City -- before the megaresort boom and when skiing was $5.00 a day.

While I did teach my 3 kids to ski, skiing took a backseat to life---career, kids, etc. and my technique just hit a plateau.

I now am making up for lost time. Today, I took a long lunch break and got first tracks into Honeycomb with powder up to my armpits---solo through the trees. Was my form as good as I'd like? No. Did my quads scream? Yes. Was it fun? Absolutely.

I know many expert skiiers in their 50s and 60s and 70s that can ski circles around me and they are my heros and they are proof that skiing is a lifetime sport. Some of them ski after knee replacements, hip replacements, and ski very well. Remember, the equipment we have today is so superior than it was 10 or 20 years ago, making it easier to get on down the hill. So, ski on, and on, and on.

 

[Thatsagirl]

I just love the ladies on this site! Wonderful words of encouragement!

I'm younger than you, 42, and have been skiing since I was 4, but it was only when I was in my 30s that I started to stretch myself to ski the ungroomed, super steeps, backcountry, etc. Sometimes I wish I'd started doing this kind of skiing when I was younger, but now I have so much to look forward to as I continue to set new goals for myself.

You just need to set new goals. And come here for encouragement whenever you feel frustrated. ;)

It sounds like you are doing the same thing as I am if you are skiing twice a week on Eastern hardpack (what else is there to ski on?)

Ummmm...powder days at Jay Peak come to mind! :D But you will discover that in March, won't you?

Thatsagirl

 

[Jilly]

Well I'll put my 2cents in too. I'll be 50 this summer. Starting skiing when I was 5 on the little hills here in Ontario. Didn't do much till I finish university. Joined a travelling ski club and was talked into becoming an instructor. My goal is next year to get my level 3 - certified international CSIA instructor. I just finished teaching 1 week - President's week- at Tremblant to get my act together. The chance to ski consistently with better skiers has also added to the experience. I don't know anything about the ski your on, but as most of us have said in the past - demo, read the mags and post questions!!

 

[Elangirl]

I guess I will have to add a few things---I skied a few times in my 20's with a college ski club--at Mount Tremblant. Then, I did not ski until I was 47 and met my current husband who loved to ski. After two years of vacationing out west, we moved, first to Wyoming and now to Whitefish, Montana. I moved here in 1995.

I am now 62 and a Level II ski instructor, working on my Level III. I take lessons twice a week with my ski school and also spend a lot of time reading and learning.

Last year I skied 125 days--this year I have skied 70 days already--although don't forget that I work on many of those days.

I think that I would recommend a weekly lesson also. I teach Women't workshops here and a Ladies Day Group---I have taught the Bodacious Beavers for the last two years and they have really improved in that period. They were intermediates when the started and skidding all their turns. Today, after 9 weeks of instruction last year and 6 this year, there is a big change. We have just gotton DUMPED---today alone it snowed almost 10 inches---we have two to three feet of powder everywhere. Tomorrow the Beavers and I will spend an entire day skiing only Black Diamond Powder runs---they are doing great and I think that they encourage one another, have a lot of fun and work really hard. I video them lots of times--both so that I can look at their skiing and make sure I am not missing something---there are 9 of them----and so that they can see where they are.

For myself---I see my skiing improve year after year. The Director of my ski school just commented to me that he is amazed at how much I have improved since last year. I ski straight down the fall line on all runs, yipping and laughing. It is fun and the sky is the limit!! I do wear knee braces and sometimes, I fall asleep an hour after getting home---but it is all worth it.

 

[cyn]

I stopped skiing for over 10 years, and only started again when I married my husband, an avid and very expert skier. I was 45 and an intermediate at best when I went back to the sport, and I remember well those days when he would choose a run that I thought was too steep or scary and just take off, leaving me cursing him at the top. I always made it down, though, and my skiing and my confidence quickly improved to the point where I can do almost any run on the mountain. I'm 53 now, and I find I have to hit the gym 5 days a week to feel comfortable and strong while skiing. The only thing that still throws me is bumps. I have severe arthritis in both knees and learning to ski those is just too painful! I guess that must be where I draw the line on aumenting my skills. I'm afraid that if I wreck my knees, I won't be skiing anything, period. I have taken some lessons, though, and they've been a huge help.

 

[SnowHot]

Okay! I'm ONLY 40, but I've decided to start with a new goal each year to make sure I don't get lazy with my skiing as I age.

This year, I wanted to get better in bumps and do a helicopter.
I'm not so sure I'll get the heli in before the end of the season but the attempts have made me a lot more comfortable with "air time".
The bumps were coming along while at ESA Stowe but I haven't had a good bump field here at home to practice so I'm afraid I'm losing it.

Maybe I should take a bump lesson from Tcarey when I'm at okemo at the end of March.

 

[Thatsagirl]

I'm 53 now, and I find I have to hit the gym 5 days a week to feel comfortable and strong while skiing.

I think this is important enough to highlight. Going to the gym becomes increasingly important as you get older. My husband (48) and I started going to the gym a few years ago because we suddenly realized that we were "getting too old to wing it." Going to the gym makes skiing much easier. We are less exhausted, have less body aches and pains, and generally feel healthier overall. It has also improved our on-snow performance/technique. We have always done outdoor activities all year round (hiking, kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing, etc.) but that just wasn't enough to keep us in shape.

Thatsagirl