Ski Pack looks like a really good job! Am on board when exporting starts. Charlotte, my coach sourced the stormriders from another pupil and she herself also has a pair. Previously had Kenjas but bought too long and though I really haven't demoed many skis, I felt they were stiff and unwieldy for my abilities. I generally have a reasonable position but sit back when it gets steeper so they took me for a bit of a wild ride. The top sheet of the srs is a little dated with thorny briars all over but I don't care at all. Defo need wheels for airport!
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Tips for advanced skiers over 50 planning to ski until 80+
- Thread starter marzNC
- Start date
marzNC
Angel Diva
I have a double Sportube hardcase that I use most of the time. I rarely fly with two pairs of skis but like having the extra space in the Sportube for bulky items such as snow boots or a small backpack.
Also have a DB SlimJim when I need to travel light. Usually because I'm going to share a car without a rooftop ski box with more than one other person. Looks like the SlimJim has been renamed the Light Snow Roller.
Need to give it some thought. Tube looks excellent but i guess is a bit heavier than the Slimjim. Airlines seem to weigh skis now, I guess in case we stuff all our kit in the ski carry bag and they miss out on fees. Need something tho cos was very unwieldy with a big roller bag and skis over my shoulder. Plus excellent way to decapitate older travellers if I turned around quickly.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Airlines have always required that a ski carrier be under the maximum weight. In the USA, that's 50 lbs. I think it's less for international flights based on what I read on the Aussie ski forum. With two pairs of skis, that makes it difficult to add much else.
For more info about ski bag options, including what can be packed inside without causing an issue, check out these threads. It's not just a topic for folks over 50.
Best travel bags for skis/boots/gear?
First off, apologies if there’s already a thread about this - would appreciate if someone could link it out since I can’t seem to figure out how to effectively use the search tool :crazy: I’m wondering if anyone has any recs for good ski bags and separately, boot or duffel bags that’s standard...
www.theskidiva.com
First time flying with own skis/boots...what do you all use as a boot bag? (Have a hardsided rolling case for skis already to check)
Hi all, We are flying with our own skis/boots for the first time and have a hard sided wheeled case for both our skis but now I am trying to figure out a good bag for my boots/helmet. Is there a way to carry these on to the plane? Good bag for checking them? Would love a backpack style so that...
www.theskidiva.com
Slow Sarah
Angel Diva
Thanks for this thread! I appreciate the posts and some really resonate!
As I have gotten back into skiing (this is my second season after many years away) the things I try to keep in mind and have noticed:
Pace myself for the long term: A short good day is better than a long one that could result in an injury that could keep me off the slopes. It is also nice to be able to walk the next day.
Any day on the snow is a good one!
Take any opportunity to slow down and work on my technique.
Make friends: I plan to take lessons next year both to improve and make friends. This year was interesting because I had both big passes and planned to ski with my daughter but she wasn’t able to go as much as we expected so I did a fair amount of skiing by myself. I am pretty independent and like to explore and find my own rhythm but after a while I have found that I like to have some companionship throughout the day and someone to run through the day’s events with at the end. I always enjoy conversations on the lift. I need to meet more people for carpooling, conversation, tips and camaraderie! Hoping next year the focus on lessons will help on a few levels.
Improved technique pays off in a big way! Small things like bending my knees while leaning into the hill on steeper runs and letting my skis work for me when I am stuck in a fearful situation have saved wear and tear on other body parts that I would otherwise wear down like the outer edges of my feet or my lower back when snowplowing down cat-tracks
Listen to my body: When my legs stop responding right away I know it is time to be more cautious. There have been a couple of times I basically fell over later in the day from exhaustion. Once I ran out of steam mid-run in deep crud: SO not fun! It was funny but also made me consider if that had happened higher up on more challenging terrain. I love, love, love having long happy days but want to focus on staying safe and being able to go farther and improve over the long-term as well.
Patience is a practice!
Exercise at home has helped improve my on-mountain experience, especially work on my core. A few times I wobbled and almost went over and when I straightened I was aware of my torso in a way I had only ever felt when doing side twists.
Do harder runs first thing so I have the energy to CHARGE. Later in the day I still want to go but forget I still have to make it down the mountain!
Go easy on the caffeine and Advil during the day. This goes along with listening to my body. Anything that makes it easier to ignore its signals is important to moderate.
I watch people older than myself on the mountain and remind myself that the future looks bright indeed.
Enjoy the view! I spent a few hours this week waiting on someone who was struggling. I kept reminding myself that it was a privilidge just to be where I was: mid-mountain-Whistler-bluebird-mountains-forever!
As I have gotten back into skiing (this is my second season after many years away) the things I try to keep in mind and have noticed:
Pace myself for the long term: A short good day is better than a long one that could result in an injury that could keep me off the slopes. It is also nice to be able to walk the next day.
Any day on the snow is a good one!
Take any opportunity to slow down and work on my technique.
Make friends: I plan to take lessons next year both to improve and make friends. This year was interesting because I had both big passes and planned to ski with my daughter but she wasn’t able to go as much as we expected so I did a fair amount of skiing by myself. I am pretty independent and like to explore and find my own rhythm but after a while I have found that I like to have some companionship throughout the day and someone to run through the day’s events with at the end. I always enjoy conversations on the lift. I need to meet more people for carpooling, conversation, tips and camaraderie! Hoping next year the focus on lessons will help on a few levels.
Improved technique pays off in a big way! Small things like bending my knees while leaning into the hill on steeper runs and letting my skis work for me when I am stuck in a fearful situation have saved wear and tear on other body parts that I would otherwise wear down like the outer edges of my feet or my lower back when snowplowing down cat-tracks
Listen to my body: When my legs stop responding right away I know it is time to be more cautious. There have been a couple of times I basically fell over later in the day from exhaustion. Once I ran out of steam mid-run in deep crud: SO not fun! It was funny but also made me consider if that had happened higher up on more challenging terrain. I love, love, love having long happy days but want to focus on staying safe and being able to go farther and improve over the long-term as well.
Patience is a practice!
Exercise at home has helped improve my on-mountain experience, especially work on my core. A few times I wobbled and almost went over and when I straightened I was aware of my torso in a way I had only ever felt when doing side twists.
Do harder runs first thing so I have the energy to CHARGE. Later in the day I still want to go but forget I still have to make it down the mountain!
Go easy on the caffeine and Advil during the day. This goes along with listening to my body. Anything that makes it easier to ignore its signals is important to moderate.
I watch people older than myself on the mountain and remind myself that the future looks bright indeed.
Enjoy the view! I spent a few hours this week waiting on someone who was struggling. I kept reminding myself that it was a privilidge just to be where I was: mid-mountain-Whistler-bluebird-mountains-forever!
Brilliant, thanks! MAirlines have always required that a ski carrier be under the maximum weight. In the USA, that's 50 lbs. I think it's less for international flights based on what I read on the Aussie ski forum. With two pairs of skis, that makes it difficult to add much else.
For more info about ski bag options, including what can be packed inside without causing an issue, check out these threads. It's not just a topic for folks over 50.
Best travel bags for skis/boots/gear?
First off, apologies if there’s already a thread about this - would appreciate if someone could link it out since I can’t seem to figure out how to effectively use the search tool :crazy: I’m wondering if anyone has any recs for good ski bags and separately, boot or duffel bags that’s standard...
First time flying with own skis/boots...what do you all use as a boot bag? (Have a hardsided rolling case for skis already to check)
Hi all, We are flying with our own skis/boots for the first time and have a hard sided wheeled case for both our skis but now I am trying to figure out a good bag for my boots/helmet. Is there a way to carry these on to the plane? Good bag for checking them? Would love a backpack style so that...
VickiK
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Good news for the question: "Can you stay strong as you age?"
Can you stay strong as you age? - elsbethvaino.com
strength training can add muscle as you age
elsbethvaino.com
AJM
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm definitely stronger now than I was pre accident
and I have to say I like the feeling !! I just hope I've got the discipline to continue. I'm almost 60 and have a natural level of fitness that I've relied on my whole life (esp in my upper body due to years of visual merchandising and hauling armfuls of clothes and store fixtures around) but now that I have muscles and strength esp in my legs I'm on top of the world 
marzNC
Angel Diva
Fair to say another tip that keeps advanced skiers on the slopes well past age 70 or 75 or 80 is that they don't mind starting to ski groomers more than off-piste. The Wild One Bunch at Alta are perfectly happy spending the day skiing off the Sunnyside lift on the green and blue groomers. Although when snow conditions are powder mid-season, they will take a few runs off the groomed surface. Even if it's just on the edge. The average age of Wild Old Bunch regulars is probably about 75.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Glad you are having a good time back on snow!I'm definitely stronger now than I was pre accident
Noticed you skied with your 80+ friend recently. She sounds like quite a lady.
The tide has turned
Finally we got some snow !! Not great snow but some and the whole mountain is open so yay :yahoo: In typical NZ fashion it was what we fondly call variable ie nice powder then ice then a crust then back to ice and so on and so on ..... character building :laughter: Anyhow they finally got the...
www.theskidiva.com
AJM
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
She sure is !!! xx
marzNC
Angel Diva
For older advanced skiers, the drill discussed in another thread is a very good one to know and practice. Starts with Post #52 by @AJM but keep reading at least until Post #68. Note that @liquidfeet and @snoWYmonkey are instructors. Link below goes to Post #52.
www.theskidiva.com
Your "Aha!" moment
@Matro. I hope some others with better explanatory skills chime in on dorsiflexion. As I think of it, dorsiflexion is an active movement of the foot. If I was hanging with feet and skis suspended in the air this would bring my ski tips up. I prefer to think of the goal as moving my hips, belky...
www.theskidiva.com
So impressed you're starting to ski at 64. You go girl!!!
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm skiing at 73.
BlizzardBabe
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My mom finally gave up skiing at 90 b/c she didn't want to get injured and wreck her golf game.
I live in Sun Valley and half the skiers seem to be over 75. I know many who ski into their 90's. Many of them ski a couple runs every morning; some skip the days with low visibility. Take care of your eyes, because that's the number one issue I see older skiers have; they can't ski in flat light.
BlizzardBabe
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@CindiSue, let me first express my extreme bottle green envy that you live in SV and I don't. That's done. Thank you. As to other things, yes -- as my mom aged it became harder and harder for her to see and ski in flat light. She also has macular degeneration in both eyes that thankfully is controlled with medication, but that might have contributed to it. She's given up her nighttime bowling league b/c she doesn't like driving home in the dark. Now, at 93, she's joined the "senior" league which bowls in the afternoons.
I echo your sentiment to "take care of your eyes."
I echo your sentiment to "take care of your eyes."
If it makes you feel any better, there is no utopia. SV/Ketchum is beautiful, lots of outdoor activities (skiing right downtown), intellectual activities, and plenty of great, generous people. But it's also not easy living in a place with a large amount of uber-rich people. I just moved to a more normal neighborhood in hopes of escaping some of that, but the area is struggling to work through income equality issues. Just one example is trying to build a normal home when there are so many $20m+ homes being built that tie up all the workers (who can't afford to live anywhere nearby, so there aren't enough, and the majority are unskilled.)
Progress on lower income housing has been slow too, lots of NIMBY, despite the fact that teachers and firefighters can't afford to live here, let alone retail employees. (Believe it or not, "lower income housing" here is close to $1m.) I hope we figure out a way through it, so it remains a real town with real people. But I know that so many of the people who do live here can only afford it because they moved here decades ago.
This was all happening on a smaller scale but accelerated about 10 years when so many of the ultra-rich moved here as a pandemic escape. And the feeling is that many of them brought a not-so-kind attitude that was here before. So we'll see how it plays out. I think the town is awesome for tourists, and hope they just remember to be kind to the workers.
SueBobTexas
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes! Let’s continue to ski for fun and exercise. I am in the best shape I have ever been at age 68. Have two trips planned to Steamboat, one to Mammoth and one to Paradise (Squaw Valley). Just saw there is a Diva week in Steamboat. Hope to add it in.
