Tamsin Venn

Tread Of Pioneers: A Blast From the Past

/2 Comments/in /by

Quaint Museum Reveals Steamboat Spring’s Rich History.

Ski Joring was the way to get around the valley when the snows came.
Credit TOP Museum

In 1947 an AP dispatch to 1,000 daily papers dubbed Steamboat Springs, Colo., “Ski Town, USA” with the declaration that of its 1,700 residents, 1,685 were skiers.

The others were children under the age of one.

Enthusiasm for skiing run deeps in this town. And you can learn all about it at The Tread of Pioneers Museum in downtown Steamboat. Native Utes, trappers, Yampa Valley settlers, ranchers, miners, farmers, cowboys, skiers, ski jumpers, snowboarders, outlaws, and lawmen, they all shared a part in the creation of this friendly town, sitting just below one of Colorado’s best loved ski resorts.

Famed Norwegian ski-jumper and circus star Carl Howelson arrived in 1913 and taught early residents of Steamboat Springs how to ski and ski jump. Suddenly, the valley’s ranchers were exploring the surrounding mountains on homemade wooden skis, school kids filled recess with downhill races, and locals became expert jumpers.

Billy Kidd, first American to medal in Alpine skiing, has lived in SBS since 1970. Here he is at 20.
Credit: TOP Museum

Favorite fact: Three Wire Winter is agricultural lingo used in the Yampa Valley to indicate that snow has reached the third strand of barbed wire on a four-strand fence, roughly 30 inches. A three-wire winter is just about right, with enough snowpack for spring run-off; more makes it difficult for feeding cattle in winter as well as damage to the barb-wire fences, according to Bill Fletcher, an Elk River Rancher.

The museum has an extensive historic photography collection, a few of which are included here. Go to the museum website to view and purchase online.

The museum is located downtown at 800 Oak Street. New exhibits this year include Staking Their Claim: Pioneer Settlement in the Yampa Valley highlighting early Yampa Valley settlers; Pioneer Kids Bedroom: Hands-on Discovery, letting kids dress up in historic clothes and play with antique toys; and A Legacy of Learning: Celebrating 50 Years of Colorado Mountain College and the Bud Werner Memorial Library exhibit, highlighting these two key local institutions; and the works of portrait and Native American photographer Edward S. Curtis.

The Museum Gift Shop has locally made jewelry, postcards, and photographs. Hours & Admission: Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $6 for adults, $5 seniors over 62, $2 children ages 6-12, under 6 free.

The Harbor Hotel sleigh picked up skiers from the train depot and delivered them to the popular hotel at 7th and Lincoln, circa 1957.
Credit: TOP Museum

mikemaginn

Skiing In Literature: Knees

/3 Comments/in /by

A Street Poet In Denver Writes An Impromptu Poem For SeniorsSkiing.com.

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com’s publishers visited the Outdoor Retailers/Snowsports Industries America Show in Denver last week.  Walking down 14th Street, we noticed a small hut lit by a lantern. Inside was a young man—D. M. Kingsford— sitting with a typewriter and a sign that said, “Pick A Topic, Get A Poem”. Our topic was “Senior Skiers”. Here’s the poem he tapped out in about two minutes:]

Poet D.Michael Kingsford receiving the muse.

Knees

By D.Michael Kingsford

Velocity doesn’t think in

Years, doesn’t

Edge towards stopping because

Decades have been stacked,

And snow

Is blind to

The candles perched solemn as a new

Bride the second time

Around:

 

 

 

You might ski

Thinking about wear and tear,

You might slope, but the

Mountain won’t mind:

 

You’re old enough to remember

Torn ACL’s and

Broken bones, but speed

And gravity

Have no memory for such things.

 

Breathe, and forget your age

Breathe

And count your age

In trees, whizzing by, instead of years.

 

warren miller
seniorsskiing

A Tribute To Warren Miller (1924-2018)

/9 Comments/in /by

At Sometime In The Past, You Watched A Warren Miller Film That Made A Difference In Your Life.

Remembering Warren Miller: In His Own Words

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 26)

/0 Comments/in /by

Off To The OR/SIA Show, Mystery Tennis Player, Questions To Find The Right Instructor, Pat’s Peak For Hobbits, A Very Successful Senior Ski Club.

SeniorsSkiing.com co-publishers are heading out from various starting points to the great, big Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show in Denver’s gigantic Colorado Convention Center. We will be there to look for stories, product ideas for our readers, and to meet and schmooze with some industry friends. Our objective is to embed the message that the senior snow sports demographic is an unpolished jewel and to promote our growing online magazine.

This trade show combines the OR Show with Ski Industries America (SIA), and it looks like a mammoth undertaking. The list of exhibitors goes from Adventure Travel to Yoga/Pilates with just about every other outdoor activity to can think of in between. This promises to be a learning experience for us with demos, educational seminars, fashion shows, and special exhibits all revolving around active life style products and services.  It’s a chance for vendors to show off their new products to buyers from retail organizations of all kinds and sizes.

We are extremely impressed with the level of planning and tools provided to exhibitors, buyers and media. There are tools to help filter exhibitors whose products/services you want to see, maps which plot those interest points, direct email channels to vendors and lots and lots of public relations communications from the thousands of vendors and show promoters.

The whole industry has come a long way from the crowded hotel corridors we remember from the venerable Doc Desroches SIA shows of yore. In fact, we remember meeting the great mountain climber Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Mount Everest, at the SIA Show in Chicago in 1970. Yes, it was a narrow, crowded corridor, so narrow in fact that Jim decided to proceed down the passageway with his hands on one wall and his feet on the other. True story.  We also shook hands with a very sun tanned Stein Erickson at the Chicago show.  SIA was the ski industry trade show that rotated through New York, Chicago and LA shows for many years.

So, we are ready, we’ve planned who we want to see and what we’re looking for.  So wish us luck, and we’ll report on progress next week.

Ski The World: Audi Hires Candide Thovex To Ski On Anything

Here’s a commercial from Audi  Quattro that will get your attention.  The “Flying Frenchman” Candide Thovex, extreme athlete, stuntman, adventurer, completely rips it up on grass, sand, rock, you name it.  This is for those of you who are still awaiting a decent base out there. It’s worth the five minutes.

This Week

A new Mystery Glimpse appears with a challenging photo of a ski racing notable from yesteryear. Can you guess who she is? Thanks to the United States Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame for contributing this week’s picture.

Only a few readers rose to last week’s stuffed animal challenge. See what significant event the rabbit, bear, and coyote represented.

Marc Liebman continues his advice on taking a ski lesson.  This week, he gives us five questions to ask an instructor before you sign up.  You may not be surprised to learn there is no universal, system-wide, standardized PSIA curriculum for teaching seniors. We know there are people who are very much interested in creating and promoting this idea. Seems like a long time coming.  If there was a senior-focused curriculum, we bet there would be more lapsed senior skiers coming back to snowsports of all kinds, not just Alpine skiing.

Sk clubs are a mecca for senior skiers.  In fact, you can find a ski club to join just by clicking through to the National Ski Council Federation.  Just click Find Ski Buddies Near You on the top menu box.  Correspondent John Farley brings us a report of a mountain-based ski club that sounds like it has a hardy mix of skiing and socializing.  They call themselves the Gray Wolves Ski Club, and they are based at Wolf Creek Ski Area in Colorado.  If you are looking for a model ski club to emulate, there are some ideas here for you.

Finally, correspondent Tamsin Venn shows us a really fine family-oriented ski area in New Hampshire that is the archetype senior-friendly area. Moderate-sized and modest facilities, Pat’s Peak has been a landmark since the early 60s.  And check out the retro-style base lodge.  What more do you really need, anyway?

That’s it.  We’re off to Denver. In fact, we’ll be there when you read this!  Thank you for reading SeniorsSkiing.com, and you know there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

apres cocktails
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/2 Comments/in /by

What are Your Favorite Apres Ski Cocktails?

“It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues,” Abraham Lincoln

In case you’ve been in Siberia or solitary, you may have noticed the return of the cocktail. Search “Skier’s Cocktails,” and you’ll find a variety of hot toddies, Irish Coffees and Mulled Wines. Some spike hot chocolate with whiskey, brandy, or peppermint schnapps. There’s even a fancy Crème Brulee Martini (Vanilla vodka mixed with Frangelico and Cointreau, shaken and served in a chilled cocktail glass with a crushed-graham-cracker rim.)

Before bed, following a day in the cold, I enjoy a combination of bourbon, honey, and chamomile tea. After a day of spring skiing, I favor pilsner and lemonade on the rocks.

Do you have a favorite mixed après ski drink? If so, send the recipe and its name. We’ll give each a try and, assuming the taster(s) recover, make it part of a SeniorsSkiing.com après ski drink guide. When submitting, let us know if you want your name included with your drink. We’ll do our best to provide proper credit.

While on the subject, the call for ski jokes is still open. We received a handful, but need more to publish a collection.

Send jokes and cocktail recipes to jon@seniorsskiing.com.

In closing, here’s W C. Fields on one of his favorite subjects: “If I had my life to live over, I’d live over a saloon.” 

R.I.P. Warren Miller

Warren Miller died Wednesday at his home on Orcas Island. He produced 500+ adventure sports films in his lifetime, narrating many in person on annual tours. As a kid in Troy, N.Y. I looked forward to his visit to the R.P.I. Field House, which filled to capacity with skiers whose laughing, hooting, and hollering added to the joyous presentations.  He was 93.

California

Mammoth Mountain is targeting entrepreneurial gig workers by providing work space and lift privileges at four resorts for $99 a month. The workspace is called The Fort, a satellite of the same type facility on L.A.

Colorado

The big SnowShow ski trade exposition in Denver is underway. It is the first time Snowsports Industries Association (SIA) and Outdoor Retailers (OR) have joined forces.

Crested Butte and other Western resorts are experiencing lower bookings, the direct result of poor snow conditions.

Japan

Twelve people, including eight soldiers, skiing on the slopes of a volcano near a hot spring resort in central Japan were injured earlier in the week by flying rocks from a sudden eruption. One soldier died.

Utah

Snow (finally) arrived. Alta got 24″, Brian Head, 21″, Snowbird, 21″ All other areas got from 15″ to 8″.

Vermont

Killington, Pico, and Tesla have joined forces to provide charging 45 electric vehicle charging stations.

seniorsskiing

Mystery Glimpse: Tennis, Anyone?

/5 Comments/in /by

She Also Skis Pretty Well.  Any Guesses?

This should be a challenge. No hints this time. Please write your response in COMMENTS below. Wild guesses welcome on this one.

Many thanks to the United States Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, Ishpeming, MI for providing this picture.

Credit: US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame

Last Week

Some funny responses to this one from last week.

These three stuffed creatures are the official mascots of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Powder (rabbit), Coal (bear), and Copper (coyote) represent three resources which are abundant in Utah. They also symbolize the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger.”

Not sure why a “Higher” is symbolized by a bear, or “Stronger” by a coyote.  We get the “Faster” for the rabbit.  Anyway…

Thanks again to the Alf Engen Ski Museum, Park City, UT. for the contribution.

Marc Liebman

Five Questions To Ask Before Taking A Lesson

/3 Comments/in /by

If You Haven’t Taken A Lesson In A While, These Questions Can Reassure You Are Getting What You Need.

Last week, we listed five scenarios when you should consider taking a lesson. The next logical question is how do I figure out whether or not the ski school and/or the instructor can help me? The bad news is that there is not really a good answer. However, any senior skier considering taking a lesson should try to find the answers to the following five questions that are listed in no particular order. And, the great thing about being a senior skier is that we have the experience to evaluate the answers and separate the truth from the B.S.

  1. Are you certified? Right answer: Yes, I’m level 2 or Level 3.
  2. Have you taken a clinic on teaching senior skiers? Right answer: Yes. Here’s the caveat. The Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA) and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) has not come out with a standard nationwide framework for teaching. Some of the PSIA/AASI regions have their own certification programs but most don’t. Among those that do, the content and rigor varies a lot.
  3. Does your ski school offer special instruction for senior skiers? Right answer: Yes. The problem is that there are precious few ski areas which do. There is a greater likelihood that you’ll find instructors who are senior skiers who have experience teaching their peers than ski areas who have specialized programs for seniors.
  4. How old are you (the instructor)? Right answer: I’m 50+. You want someone who can relate to you and who may share the same physical limitations and challenges facing all senior skiers. There are many instructors who have retired from the business world and work as ski instructors to stay active in the sport. Find them!
  5. How often do you teach senior skiers? Right answer: The best possible answer is, “I teach seniors all the time” or “I only teach seniors.” This is where your instinct comes in. If you get a BS answer, then you have a decision to make.

So those are the questions I suggest you ask. What else you can do in the way of due diligence and how you evaluate your answers is up to you.

 

 

seniorsskiing

This Club Oriented to Senior Skiers is Thriving

/0 Comments/in /by

Seniors Want To Get In Touch With Other Senior Skiers. A Club Is The Answer. Here’s One That Skis And Socializes.

[Editor Note: This article was written by John Farley, a Gray Wolf Ski Club member.  If you have any news about your ski club or advice to others about how to make ski clubs successful, please let us know.]

Red Solo Cup Day at the Gray Wolf Ski Club. Why not wear one or two on your helmut?
Credit: Gray Wolf SC.Some clubs catering to senior skiers are growing mightily. One great example of that is Colorado’s Gray Wolf Ski Club, whose membership has been steadily rising for a number of years and is now nearing 900 strong.

The Gray Wolf Ski Club is centered around the Wolf Creek Ski Area in the San Juans. Although the majority of the club’s members live in the Pagosa Springs, CO area, there are also quite a few members from communities such as South Fork on the opposite side of Wolf Creek Pass, and also a fair number of members from all over the country who vacation or have second homes near Wolf Creek.

The club’s mission is simple—to ski and socialize. And the club does a lot of both. Over the course of the ski season, members enjoy several club luncheons at Wolf Creek, each with a distinctive theme that members dress up for, like Red Solo Cup Day. Silly and fun.

To become a Gray Wolf, you must be 50 years old or better. Some are a lot “better” than 50, including Colorado Ski Hall of Fame member Charles Elliott who celebrated his 100th birthday by skiing.

Charlie Elliott celebrating his 100th birthday by skiing down an honor guard of club members.
Credit: John Farley  

Here’s Charles skiing, while Gray Wolves line both sides of the run: An interesting club tradition is that, once a year, members who turned 80 that year, and anyone else who wants to go along hike to the top of Alberta Peak (hike-to terrain within the Wolf Creek Ski Area) and ski down.

Members enjoy discounts on season passes at Wolf Creek Ski Area, and also at various businesses in the Pagosa Springs and South Forks areas. They also gather each Tuesday for a happy hour, which is particularly well-attended during the ski season but runs all year. That is but one of the many kinds of social events the club sponsors through the year, including an annual holiday dinner and dance and a pig roast during the summer. .

For more information about the Gray Wolf Ski Club click here.

SeniorsSkiing.com has partnered with the National Ski Council Federation to provide access to ski clubs across the US. To find ski clubs near you, click here.

Tamsin Venn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Pat’s Peak With Little Hobbits

/3 Comments/in , /by

And Grandparent Hobbitts, Too.

Hobbitts can be found at Pat’s Peak, New Hampshire
Credit: Tamsin Venn

Skiing with grandchildren is one of grandparents’ great joys and comes with perks: easier slopes, hot chocolate breaks, and slower (maybe) pace. Some ski areas are more finely tuned to multi-generational skiing than others, based not just on the amenities but the spirit of the area.

Pat’s Peak in Henniker, southern N.H., is one such place. The old-time vibe of this popular area is the first clue things are going to be fun. Tyrolean-style architecture harkens back to the days when Austria set the scene with boiled wool jackets and “bending the knees”. Greeters stand by with signs that say, “May I Help You?” which avoids the usual stumbling search for the lunch area and ticket booth. Free or low-cost tickets take the bite out of days shortened by tired or cold grandkids.

Three beginner areas sit apart from the main slopes so no one crashes into the grandchildren under your watch. One is located in a hobbit-like stand of trees with a carpet lift free to everyone. Another beginners’ slope has a handle tow, and the third features the Bluster Carpet, the longest magic carpet in New Hampshire. Older grandchildren will enjoy catching air in the three terrain parks. Grandparents, if you’re brave, try a Snowbike lesson/rental. You get to sit down while you’re skiing.

The base lodge harkens back to the early 60s, nostalgia for many seniors.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

A spirit of sustainability has guided Pat’s Peak development since the four Patenaude brothers, seeking an area closer to home, built the base lodge out of local timber and opened the area in 1963. That spirit continued this year when Pat’s Peak replaced the old Peak Double Chair with a triple bought from Vermont’s Ascutney Mountain and refurbished, doubling lift capacity from 800 to 1,600 people an hour.

Two interconnected lodges spread the crowds. Signs encourage you to share the long tables and benches. A blazing stone fireplace warms the toes. Food is homemade daily, and the grandkids like the M&M cookies the size of small Frisbees.

Sometimes it just comes down to the vibe of the place. Pat’s Peak feels like an area where you can let the kids loose to ski on their own while you attack the serious expert terrain.

More Perks:

Ski New Hampshire’s 4th and 5th Grade Passport: Children from any state in these grades ski for a day at 34 Alpine and XC ski areas across N.H.

January’s Learn to Ski and Snowboard month: $39 beginner special, including group lesson, rentals, lift ticket.

Pat’s Peak

Henniker, N.H.

Vertical: 770 feet

Skiable acres: 103

Runs: 28. Novice 50 %, Intermediate 21 %, Advanced 12 %, Expert 17 %

4 triple chairs, 2 double chairs, 1 J-bar, 1 beginner handle tow, 1 park handle tow, 2 carpet lifts

100 percent snowmaking

Children five and under ski free with a ticketed adult. Day tickets are discounted for ages 6-17 and over 65, only $49 on weekdays. The beginner lift is $26 a day. Saturday night POP (Pay One Price) of $49 includes skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, rentals, lesson tips, and entertainment.

Click here for Pat’s Peak Trail Map

www.patspeak.com

Pat’s Peak Update Video

 

mikemaginn

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 19)

/0 Comments/in /by

Book Review, Why Take A Lesson, Mystery Glimpse, 12 Tips and Tricks.

First, let’s look at what’s going on in Zermatt.

Zermatt has beaucoup de neige.

Yessir, folks.  If you want to find snow so far this winter, we suggest you head to 1) The Alps, 2) New England, 3) Canadian Rockies. Perhaps a handful of other places.  We know that Vail and Aspen are producing disappointing financial results, and Utah is depending on the snowmaking arts to add to the stingiest base in 30 years.  However, it is still early days and white winter can roll in any time, despite the odd profile of weather’s happenings, like snow in Florida. We will be watching.

Reminder: 2017-18 Ski and Boots For Seniors, 115 Ski Resorts Where Seniors Ski Free*

If you are a subscriber, you can access our ski and boot recommendations for seniors.  Just look under the Subscriber-Only Content box in the top menu OR under COMMUNITY in the blue menu.  Both resources are free to subscribers.  You’ll also find our book of Historic Ski Posters to download, including 115 ski resorts where seniors can ski for free (or almost free). Some resorts give such big discounts on senior tickets, (i.e., $15 for mid-week), they might as well be free. You can also sign up for a free subscription to SKI Magazine and a free online subscription to Ski History. 

Coming Soon: We Are Re-Releasing Ray Conrad’s Collection Of Ski Songs.

It has taken a while, but we are in the final stages of preparing to re-release Ray Conrad’s amusing and clever “The Cotton-Pickin’ Lift Tower And Other Ski Songs.”  Originally released in the 60s in LP form and again the 90s as a CD, these songs are hard to find these days.  They will be available for download purchase very soon.  Details to follow.

Why Do I Have To Re-enter My Name And Email?

Every so often, we get complaints from readers who have to re-enter their names and emails when they visit SeniorsSkiing.com.  The reason is often that the reader has disabled cookies on their browser.  Think of a cookie is a little automatic log on tool; it stores your log on information for specific sites.  If you disable it, no log on information.  Hence, you get the pop-up. Solution: Enable cookies on your browser.

You also might be trying to access SeniorsSkiing.com on a device that is different from the one you used to originally sign on with.  Again, that different device might not have the cookie that the log on is looking for.  Just sign on again and, if the browser is enabled for cookies, you are good to go.

This Week.

We have two articles that refer to technique and ski lessons.  Jan Brunvand offers a book review of Soft Skiing, by Lito Tejada-Flores, which explains the ski turn in simplest terms. As a senior skier, it is encouraging and clarifying to read his description of what the skis do to make a turn and how to initiate it. If you haven’t skied in a while or are much delayed in this particularly odd snow season, it might be a very refreshing view to take on board before you head out.

Meanwhile, correspondent Marc Liebman has been busy gathering the answer to the question posed to seniors: Why take a lesson?  We know that almost 30 percent of our readers do take a lesson during the season. Marc was curious as to why.  Here are the five big reasons he uncovered in his research.

Turns out our new Mystery Glimpse feature is quite popular.  Lots of readers took a shot at identifying the hot dog skier who was noodling on the slopes.  It shows how knowledgeable and experienced our readers are.  Even the wrong guesses were kind of interesting.  Check out this week’s MG.  Be advised: We think it’s not that easy.

Finally, correspondent Don Burch offers some life hack tips and tricks for skiing. Here’s one: Wipe silicone on your tips and boots to keep the snow off. We are sure our readers also have a collection of clever ideas for making the experience easier, safer, more fun.  Let us know.

OR SIA Show In Denver.

The publishers of SeniorsSkiing.com are heading to Denver next week to attend the combined Outdoor Recreation and Snowsports Industries America show.  We’ve been planning to visit specific vendors who have products our readers might find valuable.  If you have any recommendations about who to look up, please let us know.  It seems the entire outdoor activities world will be there.  The only thing missing is a company selling 40 foot sailboats.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  We really are growing every day and we are not going away.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/0 Comments/in /by

I hope you’ve been following the new weekly Mystery Glimpse feature.

It’s our way of drawing attention to ski museums. The idea is to ask readers to identify old photos or pictures of objects from museum collections. Mike writes copy explaining where the item comes from and links it to the institution’s website. We figure the more you know about the place the more likely you are to visit and support it. The first Mystery Glimpse images came from The Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City. Soon they’ll be coming from the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe and the Ski Museum of Maine in Kingsfield.

If you’re a friend of a ski museum that might want to participate, please let them know what we’re up to.

It’s not a museum, per se, but the International Skiing History Association does an outstanding job preserving and communicating about the history of skiing. Their bi-monthly magazine, Skiing History is one of those very special and superbly executed small magazines. The diversity of articles and always interesting graphics make it one of my favorites.

If you enjoy skiing’s past and haven’t already taken advantage of the free digital Skiing History subscription available to SeniorSkiing.com subscribers, I urge you to do so. You can find the link under Community/Subscriber-Only Content on the menu bar.

Mike and I are preparing for the SIA/Outdoor Retailer trade show next week in Denver. We’ll do our best to deliver a full issue.

Apex Ski Boot System

In one of last year’s reader surveys, we learned that 25% of you planned to purchase new boots. Your reasons had to do primarily with comfort, warmth, and fit. All of which contribute to performance.

If you’re thinking about new boots, I seriously recommend exploring the options in the Apex Ski Boot System. Apex is an alternative to conventional ski boots.

Apex combines a boarder-type boot with a detachable outer shell. An easy to use cable system allows for convenient adjustments. They are a staple in ski shops around the country. Domestic and international outlets are listed at the Apex Ski Boot System site. Also on the site are locations of demo centers in Colorado, California, Vermont and New York.

I skied them a few years with great satisfaction and look forward to trying them again. Excellent performance with improved comfort, warmth, and fit: If you’re among the 25% planning to purchase new boots, look at Apex.

The Better Mountain Cam

Resorts around the US are improving their Mountain Cam technology with Prism cameras. I don’t quite understand how it works, but Prism is a big improvement over the more conventional cameras currently in use. Following links are to Prism cameras (not too pretty in the fog and snow): Sun Valley, Tamarack, Deer Valley, Park City, and Mount Snow.

Colorado

Several Colorado Ski Country USA resorts offer an array of women’s programs. Most feature instruction. Some include meals, networking opportunities, yoga and other wellness activities, etc. They’re listed below. Visit websites for more information.

  • A-Basin: Legendary Ladies Clinic meets Wednesday mornings.
  • Aspen Snowmass: Women’s Edge Program four day clinic has been running for 30+ years.
  • Copper Mountain: Women’s Wednesdays.
  • Crested Butte: Women’s Tips on Tuesdays is a weekly half-day class.
  • Eldora: Women’s Days Program
  • Loveland: midweek Women’s Only Clinics.
  • Monarch: Women’s Wednesdays.
  • Powderhorn: Ski Like a Girl.
  • Silverton: All-women heli-skiing weekend Feb 10-12 in the San Juan Mountains; April 6-8, Annual Silverton Sisters’ Meeting weekend for experts-only.
  • Steamboat: three-day Women’s Ski Camp clinics.
  • Telluride: 36th anniversary of Telluride Women’s Ski and Wellness Week. Resort also offers its SheRide Women’s Snowboard Camp for every level boarder.
  • Winter Park: Women’s Ski Camps
  • Wolf Creek: Ladies’ Ski and Snowboard Clinics on specific Sundays

Europe

The Alps are getting good snow. I recently learned about Alpskitour Snow Adventures, a group of European ski professionals that organizes five day resort-to-resort guided alpine ski tours. Accommodations are lovely. Whether or not you plan to go, the website is fun to visit.

Parisian auction house Drouot will auction the official 10th Winter Olympic Games’ (Grenoble) torch, Wednesday 24 January at Drouot Auctioneers, Paris. Estimate: €40,000 / 50,000.

Utah

The public is invited to meet the U.S. Olympic Moguls and Aerials Team 2-3PM, Tuesday, January 23 at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge Plaza. The team will compete at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The Essence

This short video from Black Diamond gets to the essence of the ski experience. Not all of us will spend our time skiing backcountry, but the message in BD’s video should resonate with every older skier.

Finally

 

 

I hope you’re getting in more skiing than I am, here on the Colorado Plateau. On a hike a few weeks ago, I came across this track in the sand. Aren’t bears supposed to be checked in to Holiday Inn this time of year?

seniorsskiing

Mystery Glimpse: Stuffed Animals Are…What?

/5 Comments/in /by

Okay, Here’s A Tougher One.

Clearly there are some knowledgable snow sports enthusiasts out there.  Based on your responses from the last few Mystery Glimpse photos, you not only knew the right answers, you added details about the people and the pictures. So this week, we’re posing a little more difficult puzzle.

Who are these stuffed creatures and what do they represent? If you know, respond in COMMENTS below the picture.

Credit: Alf Engen Ski Museum, Park City, UT

Last Week

This is the infamous Jet Turn or Avalement which made a brief flash in the early 70s. We learned it is also called the Slow Dog Noodle by at least a few responders.

Former SKI Magazine editor, founder of Snow Country and creator of NASTAR John Fry commented on this maneuver:

“Avalement is not a turn, and Killy despised it. It was a technique term invented by Georges Joubert, derived from the French ‘avaler’ to swallow. The skier swallows bumps and irregularities in the terrain by collapsing and extending legs. At one point in the process, the skier looks like he or she is sitting back. It was more suited to hotdogging than to effective technique in slalom or gs.

For more on Joubert and Killy, read my book, The Story of Modern Skiing.”

We believe the skier is Tom Leroy, a forerunner of freestyle and the first person to do a double forward somersault back in the 6os.

 

 

 

Marc Liebman

When Should A Senior Skier Take A Lesson?

/7 Comments/in /by

Five Good Reasons To Join A Class.

A ski class practicing kick turns at Peckett’s-on-Sugar Hill, 1930s, where, for the first time, Americans could take lessons with skilled Austrian.
Credit: Concord Monitor

[Editor Note: In a SeniorsSkiing.com Survey, 30 percent of respondents revealed they took a lesson sometime during the season. Why? Correspondent Marc Liebman  found out five core reasons lessons might be a good idea.]

Back in the days when I was on the staff of Ski Magazine responsible for all its ski equipment and instruction articles, the most frequently asked question from readers was “When do I need to take a lesson?”

The question is a good , and the good consulting answer is “It depends….” After talking to several ski instructors and racking my brain as a former certified instructor, here’s a short list of conditions assuming you are not new to the sport and walking onto the slopes for the first time.

Keep in mind, Mother Nature didn’t have skiing 30,000 vertical feet a day down through waist high moguls when she created the aging process. As we age, despite our best efforts, we lose flexibility, muscle, and bone strength. In short, we’re more susceptible to injury. When we are hurt, it is usually more serious, and, even worse, it takes longer to heal.

So, you need to take a lesson…

  1. After you have a serious illness or a major injury or a joint replacement or it hurts when you ski. Why? You don’t know how what happened will affect your ability to turn, your balance or stamina. The lesson, assuming it is taught by a trained instructor, will help you figure this out.
  2. If you haven’t skied in awhile. Why? Two reasons. One, ski equipment has changed. The new short skis are easier to turn, generate less torque on your legs and more stable than the longer skis of yesterday. To ski them well, you have to adjust your technique. Two, while some may think skiing is like riding a bike, it is not. If you haven’t skied for awhile and your name is not Billy Kidd or Jean-Claude Killy, take a lesson!
  3. If you just bought new equipment. Why? Unless you were the first person to use a pair of demo skis, your new ones even though they are the same make and model, may ski differently than you remember for reasons beyond the scope of this article. So, to get the most out of your new skis, take a lesson!
  4. If you are planning to ski conditions with which you are not familiar. Why? If you have never skied waist deep powder, take lessons to learn how. Or, if you skied only in Utah or Colorado and suddenly find yourself living and skiing in Vermont, you need a lesson!
  5. To polish your skills. Why? Unless you are an expert and can ski any condition with aplomb and in perfect control, you need a lesson. The majority of skiers are “intermediates/advanced intermediates” so take a lesson. Even instructors go to clinics to polish their skiing (and teaching) skills.

So that’s the consensus five. I’m sure there are others. Net net, if you cannot ski any condition or trail on the mountain like an expert and without hesitation, then you need a lesson!

Ski School, Austria, circa, 1930s.

Don Burch

12 Tips And Tricks For Skiing And SnowSports

/3 Comments/in /by

Clever Hacks For A Better Winter Experience.

Nevertheless, she’s having fun by using Don Burch’s tips and tricks.

  1. When skiing wet and slushy snow, spray the top of your skis and even your ski boots with silicone (wipe it off after spraying). The faster heavy snow slides off skis, the easier it’ll be to make turns.
  2. Toe warmers work better in gloves than hand warmers. Use the sticky back on toe warmers and attach them to the backhand side of your gloves. If you’ve used hand warmers, you know they have a tendency to fall out when you take your gloves off.
  3. When skiing groomers, especially hardpack, wider skis put more stress on knees because they require more angulation to get them on edge.
  4. Skis with softer tips puts less stress on skiers’ knees.
  5. When purchasing used skis, make sure the bindings aren’t so old that ski shops won’t service them. A Google search with the words “Binding Indemnification List” will provide you with an up-to-date list of acceptable bindings. Better yet, ask your local ski shop if they’ll service them.
  6. Don’t use lens wipes on the inside of your goggles. Most goggles have anti-fog on the inside and wiping it may cause damage.
  7. On crowded days, the single line will almost always be faster even when skiing in groups. Lifts that don’t start at the main lodge are also good bets on crowded days.
  8. Always stop on the side of trails where you can be seen by uphill skiers. Look up hill before starting. Wear a helmet and make sure it is strapped.
  9. Thoroughly dry your boots each day after skiing especially if skiing back-to-back days. If your boots are the least bit damp, your feet will be cold. I use a dedicated boot dryer.
  10. If you want to demo skis, do it at a mountain where you can try several during the day. On less crowded days, you’ll get a much better selection and won’t have to wait for the model or size you want to try. Select a day that will have varied conditions on the mountain; this way you can try the skis on both hard pack and softer snow. Within a specified time period, many shops will apply the cost of the demo to a pair of new skis; ask about their policy.
  11. If you plan on sharing skis, consider getting demo bindings. These bindings can be adjusted to fit about any size ski boot without needing to remount the binding.
  12. In a pinch, you can use a plastic card from your wallet to clear sleet from goggles.

If you have any tips that work for you please share them with other readers in the comments section.

 

 

Jan Brunvand

Soft Skiing for Seniors

/6 Comments/in /by

When I heard of the book Soft Skiing I had to check it out.

At age 84, that’s how I ski— with minimal effort, smoothly, cruisin’ the blues. The subtitle of this small paperback was encouraging: “The Secrets of Effortless Low-impact Skiing for Older Skiers.”

The author, Lito Tejada-Flores, was “born at 13,000 feet in the Bolivian Andes,” and he was age “68 and counting” when he wrote it in 2010. I hoped I could learn from this youngster who promised “ . . . if you can walk you can ski. Gracefully, efficiently, elegantly.” It’s a concept he promoted during years of instructing at major Western resorts.

Lito begins with two reasons why effortless skiing is possible. First, gravity “the motor” that pulls the skier down the hill. Second, the phenomenal improvement of skis, so that “great turns are somehow built into our modern gear.” The secret is to let gravity and shaped skis do most of the work.

After a brief admonition to stand “tall and loose,” centered over one’s skis, with hands spread and reaching forward for balance, Lito reminds us of why skis turn. The sidecut of our skis creates a smooth turning arc when one ski (the “outside” or “downhill” ski) is simply weighted.

All skis to some degree are shaped and, thus, they naturally want to turn when curved by a skier’s foot pressure. Today’s shorter more radically shaped skis carve better than ever if we just let them do their thing.

How do we initiate these soft carved turns? Simple, says Lito. Just “walk in slow motion” onto, say, your right ski, stay balanced there for a second or two. Voila!! A carved left turn happens on its own. Walk again in slow motion onto your left ski and your skis carve to the right.

What about the inside ski? It merely rides along, possibly rolling slightly toward the inside of the turn, a move Lito calls “phantom edging,” that actually causes a stronger edge angle on the weighted outside ski, creating a “shorter, snappier” carved turn.

Lito admits that this last move is “difficult to demonstrate without lifting the light inside ski off the snow.” Sure enough, the cover photo clearly shows that his inside ski is lifted.

There’s more detail to all this, of course, including subtle pole action and “anticipation,” but the essentials are as I summarize. His DVDs “Breakthrough on Skis 1, Expert Skiing Simplified” and “Breakthrough on Skis 3, The New Skis” beautifully demonstrate his method. The lifted inside ski is very obvious in these excellent instructional video, and he includes videos of useful practice exercises.

FYI, Lito’s #2 DVD covers bumps and powder, but I have not viewed it. I’ve learned to handle powder pretty well after living in Utah for fifty years, and I no longer ski bumps. (My wife says, “You never did.”)

I found Lito’s concise description of his approach plus the illustrative videos convincing, partly because they duplicate methods that I’ve worked out myself. While he imagines soft skiing as walking in slow motion down the hill while carrying a tray before you, I’ve thought of it instead as biking slowly down the hill—depressing one pedal after another—while “steering” with wide old-fashioned bike handlebars.

Order Lito’s books and DVDs from his website www.BreakthroughOnSkis.com. Also offered there is This is Skiing, a large-format book of stunning ski photographs accompanied by some of Lito’s writings on the joys of skiing. A free PDF file of the book may be downloaded, while the hardcover edition costs $45. As Lito points out, That’s cheaper than a day of skiing.

That’s also soft sell if I ever heard it.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 12)

/1 Comment/in /by

Snow In Odd Places, SKI AREA MANAGEMENT Article,  Next Mystery, Survival Kit Advice, Wheaties And The Olympics, Snow Poetry, 60s Ski Songs, Stupid Questions.

Okay, this is shaping up to be a strange season. There’s this in the Alps:

Rescuers digging through 7 m of snow to reach stranded Zermatt guests.
Credit: Alain Duclos

Avalanches, isolated villages, impossible skiing conditions are causing havoc. The snow is frankly unbelievable. Here’s the story.

Meanwhile, in the Sahara Desert, we have snow.  That’s snow in the desert. Here’s more from Snowbrains.com. 

On January 7, snow fell on one of the hottest deserts on earth, the Sahara Desert.
Credit: Karim Brouchetata/ Geoff Robinson

And Utah and Colorado are still waiting for some significant snowfall which is reportedly coming this weekend.

Why mention this? The atmosphere is changing, and the snowsports businesses and enthusiasts should notice. Perhaps we should all be taking notice.

SeniorsSkiing.com Correspondent Publishes In SKI AREA MANAGEMENT

We congratulate correspondent Marc Liebman for publishing “A Wise Target Market”, a comprehensive article on the senior skier market in Ski Area Management, an industry trade magazine read by resort operators and marketing people.  His premise is that instead of treating the senior demographic as an after thought, the industry should embrace this segment.  That’s been the SeniorsSkiing.com mantra since we started this online magazine four and a half years ago.  Bravo Zulu, Marc.  Here’s a link to the story.

 

This Week

This week, we reveal the name of the grouchy ski racer from our Mystery Glimpse and offer another puzzle to solve. This time it’s naming the name of a long-ago ski turn.

Correspondent Marc Liebman also offers some important advice on what to put in a survival kit for those long winter drives through the back country.

We also hear a fascinating story from Harriet Wallis about what kept Alf Engen, the world’s most successful ski jumper, from the 1936 Olympics. It has to do with breakfast cereal.

We offer a snow poem by Wallace Stevens for those who appreciate occasional touches of literature in our pages.  Let us know what you think about The Snow Man; we’re always looking for more Snow In Literature references.

COMING SOON! Ski Songs From Ray Conrad.

And SeniorsSkiing.com is also proud to announce that we are getting very close to offering an album of skiing songs from the 60s by Ray Conrad.

Stay tuned; you’ll soon learn how you can order and download 16 songs from his famous album, The Cotton-Pickin’ Lift Tower and Other Songs.

Ray has agreed to make this CD available to readers of SeniorsSkiing.com. He is thrilled that so many subscribers reacted positively to some earlier articles on ski songs of the 60s and that the music lives on.

Finally, Harriet Wallis offers her insights into the four most stupid questions a skier can ask.  Have you asked one of them? Find out.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Please send comments, story ideas, pictures, videos. And please tell your friends about us.  There are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

 

Alfs Crew
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/6 Comments/in /by

Wednesday, I skied Alta. It was my second day out. Snow was blowing. Light was flat. I felt the chill.

After a few runs, it was time for something warm. I headed for Alf’s and looked around for a familiar face. No one even remotely familiar.

Tje crew at Alf’s makes terrific soups and other goodies.

So I took my bowl of mushroom bisque (consistently good at Alf’s), walked up to a table where another older skier was seated and asked if he wanted company. He did. I sat down, and we had a pleasant conversation. Turns out he’s a Vermont ski industry veteran and, to my pleasant surprise, a SeniorsSkiing.com subscriber. We talked shop for a while and skied together the rest of the afternoon.

We know from reader surveys that most older skiers prefer to ski with others. In the past I was happy to ski alone, but with age, I enjoy teaming up. I don’t have many friends who ski so I pick up ski companions on lift or in the lodge.

If you find yourself in a similar circumstance — on vacation, not knowing other skiers, simply wanting company — don’t be reluctant to approach an age-appropriate (or younger) stranger and start to chat. If he or she seems compatible, suggest taking a run together. The camaraderie is enjoyable. There’s the opportunity to learn more about the mountain. And, if either of you run into trouble, there’s someone there to help.

ALTERRA MOUNTAN COMPANY: New Name for Recently Formed Ski Area Coalition

Announced last year, the group comprises Big Bear, June Mountain, Mammoth and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows in California; Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado, Blue Mountain in Ontario, Mont Tremblant in Quebec; Deer Valley in Utah; Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia, and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia. It will be interesting to see how Alterra’s to-be-announced season pass will compete with Vail’s Epic Pass.

CALIFORNIA

Achieve Tahoe provides winter and summer adaptive sports instruction for adults and children with disabilities. January 16-19 in North Lake Tahoe, it will host its annual “Ability Celebration & Winter Ski Festival.” The program is sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, and Warfighter Sports. Thirty-four injured veterans will receive complimentary ski and board lessons (including individualized adaptive instruction and adaptive sports equipment), accommodations in the Village at Squaw Valley, meals, and transportation.

MASSACHUSETTS

Expect to see more about Massachusetts ski resorts on the Internet. The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and the Massachusetts Ski Areas Association are advertising on TripAdvisor. The campaign runs through March. The state’s 12 alpine areas produce 1.5 million skier visits each year. 

PENNSYLVANIA

The state has a great program for grandkids who ski or board there. It offers free lift tickets to all 4th and 5th graders, regardless of whether or not they’re state residents. As part of the program, first timers receive a complimentary beginner lift pass, lesson and equipment rentals. First time adults with them receive a 50% discount. Visit http://www.skipa.com for details.

QUEBEC

February 2-4 is the 4th edition of the Festival Rando Alpine Tremblant presented by Smartwool. Activities include alpine touring, trail fatbiking, dinner, and a nighttime climb on skis to Mont Tremblant‘s summit.

VERMONT

Ski Vermont continues its series of humorous videos with the hopes of educating people about skiing safety. Their release is timed to coincide with National Safety Awareness Month (January). Individual areas throughout the state will be hosting their own safety education initiatives.

Bromley will host its 15th consecutive Mom’s Day Out fundraiser, Saturday, January 20. Mothers receive a day pass in exchange for a $25 donation to the Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center (SVRCC) based in Bennington. To qualify, mothers need to show a picture of their offspring at the ticket window. Last season, 400 mothers participated.

seniorsskiing

Mystery Glimpse: Name That Turn

/25 Comments/in /by

Not Easy, Nor Healthy, This Was The Turn Of The Early 70s.

Thank goodness, this fad turn didn’t last long.  This week’s Mystery Glimpse: What was it called? If you think you know, note in the COMMENTS below.

Last Week’s Glimpse

Okay, okay, it was Jean-Claude Killy, the famous French celebrity ski racer of the 60s and 70s.  Many of you got it. We remember meeting JCK at the offices of SKIING Magazine on Park Avenue around 1971 or so. He was a compact, wiry, with angular, athletic features with a firm handshake.

Jean-Claude was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there. He also won the first two World Cup titles, in 1967 and 1968. Later in the 70s, he became a race car driver, and a notable spokesperson for a sporty brand of Chevrolet. (“Camaro, eet iz my kind of car.”

Here’s the rest of his story on Wikipedia.  Check it out to see who his very famous head of state friend is.

 

 

 

Marc Liebman

The Box In The Back

/4 Comments/in /by

When You Need “The Box” For Survival, You Really Need It.

This can happen. If it does, you’ll be glad you have the “Box.”

Most people think driving to a ski area is a routine trip. Before they leave, they check and recheck what they think are the most important items—ski equipment. That’s not the only “equipment” you should bring.

Back in the good old days when the back seats of our all wheel drive van or SUV had two kids, ski gear and luggage went in first. Followed by what my daughter dubbed at age eight—“The Box.”

Mandated clothing for everyone was jeans, boots, long sleeve shirt or turtleneck, and, if they wanted, a sweater. In our ski jackets that were always an easy reach in case we had to leave the car in a hurry, we stuffed our gloves in one sleeve and a ski hat in the other. The boots stayed on at all times.

Why? “Because”… It’s a good parental answer because in this case, just “because” is true.

Anytime you head off to the mountains, you need to think about survival. Black ice, mechanical failure, an accident up ahead that halts traffic for hours, or worse, you get into an accident can turn a pleasure trip into a nightmare. BS, you think, I’m one of those who think the glass is always half empt

Au contraire. Enter “The Box” in the back. Actually, it wasn’t a box. It was and still is a medium size tool box. It contains a hatchet, survival knife, a multi-tool,  small bricks of fire starter, matches in a sturdy waterproof container, six thermal blankets,  a hundred feet of rope, a first aid kit complete with ace bandages to make a splint, tweezers, a scalpel with the blades still in the sterile packages,  hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol in sturdy plastic bottles. And, when they became available, eight MREs (Meals Ready To Eat).  Lashed to “The Box” by four bungee cords were two lightweight shelter halves. Also in the back were two gallons of water either in twenty ounce bottles or large jugs. All this is wedged in the back so if we got into an accident, it wouldn’t fly around. Under the luggage, I carried a snow shovel!

You’re thinking, this guy is nuts! Well, have you ever driven the road between Mojave and Lone Pine, CA? If you haven’t, you’re on the western edge of the Mojave Desert and not much of anything else. I-40 between Amarillo to Albuquerque is arid, and there isn’t a soul for miles. I-91 through Vermont or I-93 through New Hampshire can get really lonely at 11 at night with a broken car in the middle of a snowstorm. On any one of these roads (and many others), you can slide off into the gullies and not be seen from the road.

It can get lonely out there, worse if you’re not prepared.

Don’t think your car will be your lifeboat. If you’re in an accident, the engine may not run or worse. Sitting in an idling car puts you at risk of dying from carbon monoxide. The car is designed to dissipate heat, not retain it!

If you are stuck a long way from the nearest gas station, and do not know how long you are going to be stuck, stay with the car.  Don’t use it for a source of heat unless it is well vented. Heat rises so it goes out the windows very quickly.  If you are on a road, get something or someone on the road to stop whatever traffic comes by. Don’t set off for help unless the weather is clear, and then take your survival stuff with you.  In today’s world, a working fulling charged mobile phone is your best friend.  Small, solar-powered rechargers might be wise to carry in your glove box.

My point in all this is every year, people get stuck alongside the road and the news stories all involve hunger, exposure, frostbite, hospitalization, etc. Don’t be one. Create and carry your own box and be prepared. It’s insurance and you never know when you’ll need it. Not having it could ruin your day.

Harriet Wallis

How Wheaties Affected The 1936 Olympics

/1 Comment/in /by

The Breakfast of Champions Kept Champion Ski Jumper Alf Engen From Competing.

Wheaties Ad 1936, Courtesy of Alan Engen

Legendary extreme athlete Alf Engen, known as the greatest all-around skier ever, was a champion soccer player, skier and ski jumper. During the 1930s, he set ski jumping world records. He helped design and establish more than 30 ski areas in the western United States. And he’s fondly remembered for pioneering deep powder skiing techniques and for his ski school at Alta.

But world champion Alf Engen was banned from competing in the 1936 Olympics because of a Wheaties breakfast cereal box.

It was just the fourth time that countries faced off against each other in wintertime Olympics. Competition included just four sports: bobsleigh, ice hockey, skating, and skiing. Twenty eight countries sent their best athletes to the IV Olympic Winter Games.

As background, Engen came from Norway to the United States in the 1920s, and he played professional soccer. By the 1930s, he was acclaimed for his ski jumping feats, he joined a ski jumping team, and he soon won 16 national ski jumping titles. And his jumps set world records. He also won national titles in all four ski disciplines: ski jumping, cross country, downhill, and slalom skiing.

Alf circa 1933, Courtesy of Alan Engen

Also in the 1930s, radio was the mass media communication method of the era. There was no television. People used their imaginations to create pictures from the words they heard.

But another form of mass media was taking hold: cereal boxes. Until then, breakfast cereal had to be cooked, but when food manufacturers invented cereal that could be eaten right from the box, they faced a marketing dilemma. How could they convince families to switch from cooked cereal to this newfangled ready-to-eat cereal? A cereal box sitting on the breakfast table with pictures of all-star athletes would be the marketing device. And unlike radio, the images were right there on the box.

Four athletes appeared on the Wheaties box—Bob Kessler, basketball star; Mike Karakas, champion hockey player with the Chicago Blackhawks; women’s speed skating champion Kit Klein; and famed skier Alf Engen.

Meanwhile, Engen became an American citizen. In 1935, at the U. S. Olympic Ski Jumping Finals held at classic Ecker Hill, he out-jumped everyone. He was immediately named as a member of the U.S. Winter Olympic Ski Jumping Team which would compete in the 1936 Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

But just before he was scheduled to leave, Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee and a zealous supporter of amateurism, ousted Engen from the team because his picture had appeared on the Wheaties box. He declared that Engen’s image on the cereal box made him a professional, not an amateur athlete.

“Engen said he didn’t remember getting any money from the cereal company, ‘Just a lot of Wheaties. I think I gave everyone in Salt Lake City free Wheaties.'”

Alf with trophies, courtesy of Alan Engen

Ironically, shortly after the Olympics, Engen jumped against—and he beat—both the gold and silver medalists from the Olympic Games, Norwegian gold medalist Birger Ruud and Swedish silver medalist Sven Eriksson.

The remarkable skiing Engen family is the only family to have four family member in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame: Alf, his two brothers Sverre and Corey, and his son Alan.

Alan lives on in his father’s tradition. He’s a champion skier and athlete as well as an accomplished scholar, author, and historian. He carries on the Engen tradition of serving the skiing community.

Alan dreamed of displaying hundreds of Alf’s ski trophies and memorabilia for the public. The dream grew into the $10.5 million Alf Engen Ski Museum at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. Visitors can also learn about avalanches, sit in a real bobsled, try their knack at interactive ski jumping, and more. The museum was funded entirely by private donations, including donations from Utah’s famed and philanthropic Quinney and Eccles families. Visit and enjoy the museum when you’re in Utah.

To read more from Harriet, click here for her stories on SkiUtah.

Alf in flight, circa 1936, courtesy Alan Engen

 

 

seniorsskiing

Skiing In Literature: The Snow Man

/4 Comments/in /by

The Snow Man By Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted in snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ices,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and nothing that is.
Ray Conrad Cover
seniorsskiing

Coming Soon: Ski Songs From The 60s

/3 Comments/in /by

Stay Tuned.

We’re close to announcing a fantastic opportunity to download Ray Conrad’s classic ski songs.  You asked for them; we got them.

COMING SOON! Ski Songs From Ray Conrad.

 

Harriet Wallis

Four Stupid Things You’ll Hear Skiers Say

/4 Comments/in /by

Make A New Year’s Resolution To Avoid Saying These Things. Here Are Tips To Help.

Don’t be a scare crow skier.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

The Scare Crow Skier. I know a skier who is so stiff he looks like a scarecrow with a pole up his back. Nothing moves. Nothing flexes. His ski poles hang down and drag behind.

“I’m practicing,” he says. “I’ll take a lesson when I get good enough.”

Vince Lombardi had it right: “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”

Even good skiers get stuck in a rut, says Tim Wolfgram, director of Snowsports Services at Solitude Snowsports Academy. Take a lesson, brush up skills, and you’ll have more fun.

The Vintage Equipment Skier. “My skis are 20 years old,” says another skier. “I’d try new equipment if I enjoyed skiing more.”

Technology marches on. Current skis have so much nifty technology built into them that updated skis make skiing much easier.

Many resorts have demo days throughout the season, and you can try skis right there at no cost. All you have to do is show some identification. It’s a great way to try what’s new. You might find skis you really like. Check on when demo days are scheduled at your favorite resort.

The Willy-Nilly Skier. This man grew up in a European village where skiing was a way of life. Then gave it up for many years. Recently, he got back into the sport, and he bought skis willy-nilly off a used equipment rack.

Now he whines: “These skis are terrible. I wasted my money. They won’t go straight.”

His expert, old school technique is incompatible with the ultra-shaped, learner-type skis he grabbed and bought.

There’s nothing wrong with buying used equipment. Most reputable ski shops will give honest advice about what skis you might like—whether new or used—even if you don’t buy there.

The Tuneless Skier. “Don’t wax my skis. I don’t want to go fast,” say many skiers, especially women. But it’s a misconception that taking care of your skis will turn you into an Olympic racer.

“Tuned and waxed skis slide and turn more easily. And you won’t get as tired because they won’t use as much energy,” said Brayden Morgan, head of rentals at Alta Ski Shop.

Many shops will inspect skis and give a no-cost assessment of what needs to be done. Often, skis just need to be waxed. Or, if they haven’t been tuned or waxed for a long time, they might need more work, said Brett Pergrossi, rental manager at Snowbird. “It’s all about safety and the quality of turns.”

To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 5)

/0 Comments/in /by

Undergoing Bombogenesis, Next Mystery Glimpse, Cold Wx Tips, X-C Apparel, Jon’s Midget Memory.

We write this in haste, lest the power snap off before we can file before SeniorsSkiing.com’s deadline.

New England and most of the East Coast, are in the midst of a monster “Cyclone Bomb”, as the meteorologists are calling it, or “Bombogenesis”, an even scarier name. Fast-moving, majorly deep atmospheric pressure, big winds and snow.  You might say, well, that’s great for snow sports.  True, but the minus-zero degree cold and wind chill that has been stalling outdoor activity of all sorts in the region for the past week will go on at least for another week.

That dramatic cold has actually kept skiers off the slopes in many eastern resorts, despite excellent conditions. Looking ahead, there is more extreme cold in the forecast.  The good news is it cold, not marginal or even mild temps being experienced in other snow country places.  We hear that some California resorts are doing well, others still waiting.  The Rockies has had winds, fluctuating temps. Utah would like more snow. On the other hand, the Northwest has snow, thanks to some monster storms before New Years. By the way, this pattern is what was predicted by forecasters as a result of the La Nina, seasoned with an awesome dip in the jet stream.

This Week

This week, we have our next Mystery Glimpse.  See if you can recognize the frowning fellow in the picture, and offer your guess in the COMMENTS below.  We’ll tell you who it is next week.  By the way, last week’s Mystery was Picabo Street, the gold medalist at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Correspondent Tamsin Venn ventured very bravely up to Stowe Mountain Resort over the holidays. She returned with some advice for seniors in dealing with very cold conditions. Recommended reading.

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg offers a personal anecdote about what happened to him when his MG Midget was disabled, and he had to get a ride from two pretty girls. That wasn’t yesterday, by the way.  It was way back when.

Finally, Roger Lohr, who publishes XCSkiResorts.com, gives some advice on choosing Nordic ski apparel, based on his personal preferences.

Coming Soon: Ski Songs From Ray Conrad

In the past, we’ve published a couple of articles about ski songs of the 70s and from Ray Conrad in particular. Click here and here to check them out.  He wrote an album’s worth of satirical, funny, witty, and remarkably observant songs about what the ski culture was like back in the early-mid-60s.

Over the past few months, we’ve worked with Ray to offer his music through SeniorsSkiing.com.  Pretty soon, you will be able to download Ray’s entire album,  The Cotton Pickin’ Lift Tower and Other Skiing Songs. It includes favorites like A Skier’s Daydream, The Ski Instructor, Two Cubes and a Slug of VO, and more.

We’ll let you know when the download will be ready. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year and remember folks, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away!

COMING SOON! Ski Songs From Ray Conrad.

Ski Mojo
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/10 Comments/in /by

The Excuse I Hear Most Often From Seniors Who Stopped Skiing Is That Their Knees Are Bad.

I can emphasize. At 74, I feel the occasional twinge forecasting a time when something medical is in my future. I know I’m not alone.

Which brings me to the Ski-mojo ad on the SeniorsSkiing.com homepage. It’s a British product for skiers with weak or bad knees. It also works for skiers without knee problems (I’ve been told there are some), by giving a power boost that helps them ski stronger and longer.

Full disclosure: I have not tried Ski-mojo, but I have spoken with skiers who have. They rave about it. Last year, I watched a skier get fitted for the device. It’s light and slim, and it fits easily underneath ski pants. Once on, the skier flicks a switch to activate or deactivate the springs.

In the US, Ski-mojo is endorsed by PSIA. In the UK it’s endorsed by BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors). The product can be ordered at www.skimojo.com and shipped virtually anywhere.

I prefer to be proactive about being able to continue to participate in the sport I love. If the twinge in my knees worsens, I’ll be ordering Ski-mojo. I want to stay in the game as long as I can.

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

Almost 70 U.S. areas are offering great deals on beginner packages for new skiers and boarders. Packages typically include lesson, lift ticket and rental gear. Depending on location, deals range from a single lesson to up to four. To learn about offerings in your area visit the Ski and Snowboard Month website.

California

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is now an Official Training Site of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. Other sites are Mammoth Mountain, Deer Valley, Copper Mountain, and Timberline Lodge. Official Training Sites host U.S. team athletes for elite training sessions.

Quebec

Stoneham Mountain Resort dedicated its new Éclipse quad on December 23. The fixed grip quad replaces a double chair and T-Bar. Skiers use a conveyor belt to load the new lift. It has a capacity of 1900 skiers per hour and takes 8 1/2 minutes to reach the top.

Utah

Deer Valley hosts the world’s best aerial and mogul skiers during the 2018 Visa Freestyle International FIS World Cup, Wednesday, January 10 through Friday, January 12. DV has played host to international and world competitions for 20 consecutive years, including the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, two World Championships and 16 World Cups. If you’re in the vicinity, this is one exciting event to behold!

Powder Mountain Resort opened for the season on December 24. The resort has 8,464 acres. Powder now limits day pass sales to 1500.

Snowbasin opened its new Wildcat Express high-speed six-pack. It replaces a triple. The name “Wildcat” has been used for Snowbasin lifts serving the same part of the mountain since 1946, when it started as a single chair.

Soldier Hollow has Biathlon training for groups. Professional staff does the training and participants engage in a mini competition at the 2002 Olympic Range. Reservations required.

Solitude BrewSki Mountain Lager is a new German-style Pilsner created for Solitude Mountain Resort by Utah-based Bohemian Brewery.

Vermont

Vermont has 20 alpine resorts and 30 cross country centers. Ski Vermont is promoting an End-to-End Tour this season. Participants who visit different resorts each week and submit photos will be eligible to win tickets and prizes.

Molly Mahar is the new President of non-profit Vermont Ski Areas Association. She joins from Loon Mountain Resort where she was VP Marketing/Sales. Previously she held similar positions at Sugarbush and Bolton Valley.

Other

Black Diamond has a new short promotional video about backcountry skiing. Even if you stay in or around the resort, it’s well worth watching.

Liftopia announced its 2017-18 Best in Snow Awards. The results will surprise some. For all winners and how they were selected visit https://bestinsnow.liftopia.com/ – /

The Mountain Collective pass is back on sale for $519. With it you get 32 days at 16 iconic resorts. For more visit https://mountaincollective.com