Alan Engen was named one of the “Legends of Utah skiing” in 1988. He has also been inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 2004, and the University of Utah Crimson Club Athletes Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2007, Alan was given Utah “Best of State” honors as a professional athlete in sports and recreation and in 2009 he was inducted into the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame. His competitive ski career is extensive at the national and international level. He competed in all skiing disciplines (Alpine and Nordic), winning numerous championships in Junior, Senior, and Masters competition. He was an All-American skier in college for the University of Utah and was a member of the United States CISM Ski Team during the middle 1960s. He was also a six-time winner of the United States Ski Association-Intermountain Masters series title in the 1980s. Alan is a recognized Utah ski historian and the author of the award winning book, For the Love of Skiing – A Visual History (1998) and co-author of the book First Tracks – A Century of Skiing in Utah (2001). He is Chairman Emeritus of the Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation; Chairman of the Alta Historical Society; a former member of the board of directors for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum; and a charter advisory member of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library, Utah Ski Archives. Alan has called Alta his skiing home since 1948 and retired as Alta’s Director of Skiing in 2011. He has been affiliated with the Professional Ski Instructors of America for over 50 years and was Alta’s ski school director during the years 1992 through 1998.

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When I attended the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, I realized I wanted to share my experiences with other women. I’ve been influencing women snow sports enthusiasts ever since. As a resident of Evergreen, Colorado throughout the ‘90s I became very familiar with all the resorts along the I-70 corridor and made a point of skiing and writing about them each season. In 2012 I became Vice President of the White Book of Ski Areas. Among my many duties I created and wrote Women in the Snow, a recurring column covering items and events of interest to women. I’ve covered fashion, competition, celebrities, instruction, purchasing power and more with the focus on women skiers and riders. I joined the North American Snowsports Journalist Association in 2012.

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Tucked year round in the Mad River Valley of Vermont, Cherri describes skiing as the canvas on which her life has been painted. Meeting her husband at Sugarbush in the late 60’s would result in five daughters, six grandchildren, three great son in laws and a life of purpose. A widow, her life is full of friends and family as they find her geographically very desirable! Summers she hikes and kayaks and loves live music and when the snow arrives, she is on the mountains near her home and those she travels to. Beyond anything, she is very grateful.

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Connie recently retired following a long career at Alta. Connie received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Snowsports Association (NASJA). Connie continues to live close to Alta, volunteers for local and regional community groups, and still skis often at Alta.

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Dave Irons has been skiing for 75 or so years, and writing about the sports for close to 50. His background includes 20 years of ski patrolling and his work of more than 1000 articles and columns has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. He was elected to the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2007. He has written books on the history of Sunday River and Shawnee Peak at Pleasant Mt and his third, The History of Mt Abram in his home state of Maine came out right after the first of the year.

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Dr. David Sartwell is an award-winning writer with thousands of articles published in newspapers, magazines and books. Dave's column on the outdoors is published weekly in the North of Boston Newspaper group. His work appears regularly in the Virginia Sportsman, The Florida Sportsman, and many other outdoor-oriented publications. Dave was a college administrator, former bear and bird hunting guide, a licensed captain, avid skier, fly fisherman, skeet shooter, sailboat racer, golfer, poet, and photographer. He loves fly fishing, travel, bridge, good food and wine, and outdoor adventure of any kind.

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David Schissler began skiing at age nine but his career in skiing started in earnest as a Manufacturer Certified Ski Technician for Raichle, Head, Tyrolia, Fisher, Look and others in the late ‘70s. He managed the rental and repair business for ski shops on Main Street in Steamboat Springs, CO and at Crotched Mountain, NH. David was also a member of the Franklin Pierce University Alpine Ski Team where he was a technical specialist, Head Coach of the Franklin Pierce University Alpine Ski Team and a member of the United States Ski Coaches Association. His experiences as a credentialed member of the Eastern Ski Writer’s Association and a Board Member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association for nearly a decade have provided a front row seat to many milestones in skiing. Over the years, David calculates he has skied at over 200 ski areas. “My bucket list includes skiing all of the top 50 Ski Resorts in North America. I have only a handful to go!” David also published The White Book of Ski Areas from March of 2012 to April of 2022.

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Dr. Jerry Hsieh, D.C., is the founder and clinic director of Intero Chiropractic with five clinic locations in California. A specialist in the Gonstead method and an avid skier, he focuses on a root-cause, holistic approach to musculoskeletal health, helping patients of all ages stay active and pain-free. Website: https://www.interochiropractic.com

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Evelyn Kanter is a NYC-based travel and environmental writer and a senior skier who would rather ride a chairlift, river raft or zipline than the subway, and has done so in the more than 100 countries she’s visited, skiing in many of them. In what she calls a “previous life”, she was a TV and radio news reporter for ABC News and CBS News, now a regular contributor to major publications, including airline inflights and AAA magazines, and has written or contributed to more than a dozen travel guidebooks. Her latest are “100 Things to Do in NYC Before You Die”, Fodor’s Essential Germany and Fodor’s New York City. Evelyn's website is www.ecoxplorer.com

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With permission, we share articles from our friends, colleagues, and readers.

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Harriet Wallis has been a ski writer, editor and photographer forever. She learned to ski on a dare when she was in her mid 30s and has been blabbing about it ever since. Her work appears in regional and national print and online publications. Ski Utah named her Journalist of the Year. You can see more of her articles here: https://www.alta.com/stories/102-year-old-powderhound. She's a senior-age skier based in Salt Lake City and she enjoys nearly a gazillion ski days each winter. She also enjoys two stainless steel knees. Harriet loves to be outdoors, so during other seasons she swims, bicycles and kayaks. She also single handedly rips up her yard, converting it to an arid and low water landscape with indigenous plants that she propagates. Skiing is a lot easier!

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Herb Stevens has been skiing for a very long time, since he could barely walk. One of the original on-camera meteorologists at The Weather Channel, Herb is known as The Skiing Weatherman, having hosted a syndicated television snow report in 30+ markets from the late ‘80’s until just a few years ago. He has skied at more than 400 resorts and looks forward to adding many more to that list as he approaches his seventh decade sliding down hills.

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Jackson, aka Pontiff of Powder, has played more roles in the ski trade than Eskimos have words for snow. They include ski designer, binding and boot product manager, freestyle competitor, boot-fitter, ski instructor, marketing director, writer, and ski and boot tester. He contributes to a variety of ski magazines, including SeniorsSkiing.com.

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Jan Brunvand, born in 1933, was taught to ski by his Norwegian parents in Michigan. As an undergraduate at Michigan State University he skied Aspen and A-basin during spring breaks. After earning a PhD in Folklore at Indiana University he taught at the University of Idaho four years, skiing in local areas. After a skiless year at Southern Illinois University, he moved his family to Salt Lake City, teaching at the University of Utah for thirty years during which he published a textbook in American Folklore and a series of books about urban legends. He and his wife Judy have skied most of the resorts in Colorado and others in Idaho, Wyoming, California, and even Vermont. They have also skied in Norway, Chamonix, Zermatt, and for one memorable week in Portillo, Chile. In retirement, they ski mostly Alta, but also all the other fine resorts of Utah. They are active members of the International Skiing History Association.

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John is a ski instructor at Stratton Mountain in Vermont and Ski Butternut in Massachusetts.  He’s been skiing for over 50 years, and this will be his twelfth season as an instructor.   John teaches kids, ages 6 to 13, plus women and men of all ability levels –  “never-evers” to experts, and skiers 4-82 yrs old.  He knows a lot about "fear" in skiing, having had more than his share during his learn-to-ski years, and loves helping his guests manage their fears on snow.  His first lift was a rope tow at North Creek, the old name for what's now Gore Mtn. NY.  He spent his "learn to ski" years skiing at Stratton and Stowe, caught the racing bug at 13, and raced through high school.  He discovered the beauty, challenge and powder of Utah in his 20's and has returned there to ski every year since 1981. When his two sons grew up and moved west, John began working part-time as a ski instructor. When he's not running his music business, you can find him at Stratton or Butternut. March is always Utah month. He'll always reply to your questions! jtgelb54@gmail.com

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Jonathan began life alpine skiing but fell totally in love with cross-country, after a downhill accident in Austria where he lost his ski suit. (It’s a long story, best related over several hot, highly alcoholic drinks.) Since then he’s been in the Nordic business as an instructor, international trips planner and guide, trails planner/designer (www.nordicgroupinternational.com), author, writer, and resort owner (Royal Gorge near Lake Tahoe). He’s found that cross-country is fun, social, romantic, grand exercise, takes place in gorgeous surroundings, justifies seconds on desserts, and helps arthritic knees. He’s been known to race, but only on assignment. He’s also come to enjoy modern snowshoes, since mice don’t snack on the rawhide in the off-season.

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After several decades working in North Conway, N.H., and Boston, Mass., in a variety of jobs, which included newspaper writer, event publicist, communications specialist, and marketing director, Karen Cummings is now “retired” and living close to her family in Maine. She learned to ski at age 25 at Cranmore and still enjoys both downhill and cross-country skiing and writing about it here and there as well as traveling as often as she can with family and friends.

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Karen Lorentz 'earned her turns' when she learned to herringbone on a Connecticut golf course using her father’s 1930s hickory boards (1958). She progressed to skis with edges and areas with lifts, taught high school English (NJ) and advised the ski club, taking teenagers to Europe and Colorado before moving to a Vermont mountaintop (1978). She’s written 5000 articles, 8 books, including histories of Killington and Okemo, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for ski writing, and is still trying to master “the carve."

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Letters to the Editor: Seniorsskiing.com welcomes letters to the editor of 300 words or less. The letters may be edited for clarity, legal ramifications, length or general taste at the editor’s discretion. We also reserve the right to refuse to publish submitted letters for the same reasons. All letters must be signed. Letters published do not necessarily reflect the views of SeniorsSkiing.com, its Publisher, its staff or its advertisers.

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Marc is a former Associate Editor of SKI Magazine and certified ski instructor. Today he is an award-winning novelist with 19 books in print, six of which are Amazon #1 Best Sellers.

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Mary Jo Tarallo is an award-winning public relations/communications specialist who has more than 40 years working in the snow sports industry. She currently is the creator and editor for Sun and Snow Adventures, a web site/blog that covers health, fitness and lifestyle topics. She also is a freelancer and contributing editor for The Snow Industry Letter. She previously served as the Ski Editor for the Baltimore Sun. Mary Jo spent almost 19 years with SnowSports Industries America and ten years as executive director of the industry's Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative.

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Mike Roth is a ski journalist who writes a regular ski blog for the Albany Time Union. He is also a talented cartoonist and and architect.

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Sandman (72) started skiing at Mt Ruapehu N.Z. in 1952. His journey includes ski racing in New Zealand, Australia and Europe in the late 60's-70's, global ski travels in the 80's, and professional teaching and year-round coaching in the 90's & 00’s. Now he skis for fun and writes about his travels, skiing, and unusual sleep-overs. In the Northern Hemisphere, he has enjoyed most U.S. and Japanese resorts. He now concentrates on Europe's steep and deep. Down Under, he skis Australia and New Zealand. When not playing in the snow, Murray enjoys living in Queensland's warm Whitsunday Islands with sand between his toes.

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Pat McCloskey is a Level III PSIA Full Certified Ski Instructor. He has skied in 110 different areas around the world and has worked with blind skiers for over 34 years. He is an avid mountain biker, trail runner and road cyclist. His blog chroniclesofmccloskey covers all his outdoor adventures.

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Pat Moore has been a TV weatherman, gymnast, springboard diver, ski racer, snowboard racer, college instructor, USAF airborne weather observer, computer geek, insurance salesman, small business owner, law student, rock climber, golfer, recruiter, web designer, photographer, videographer, artist, flyboarder, bungee jumper, unicyclist, barefoot waterskier, parachute rigger, pilot, skydiver and author. In 2008 he was the first person to win age group National Championships in both ski racing and snowboard racing. Now retired and living in Vermont, he's still not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. His motto: “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room”. Author "Bad Decisions Make Great Stories" available on Amazon.com

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Phil Johnson began his career as a sports writer for the Leominster (Ma) Enterprise then the Rochester (NY) Times Union. He wrote his first ski column in 1972. Leading up to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, he wrote regularly for UPI and Adirondack Life magazine. As a freelance writer in the 1980’s, his articles appeared in Sports Illustrated, Travel & Leisure, Skiing, Snow Country, Women’s Sports, The Conservationist and Field & Stream. Since 1994, he has written a weekly ski and winter sports column, first for the Amsterdam (NY) Recorder then, from 2011 through 2023 for the Daily (Schenectady NY) Gazette.

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Randy Johnson is author of Southern Snow, the New Guide to Winter Sports from Maryland to the Southern Appalachians. In the 2024 Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Competition, he won Silver in the "travel book" category for Grandfather Mountain: The History and Guide to an Appalachian Icon and Honorable Mention in "travel guidebook" for Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

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Rich Silver was the ‘Slopeside’ editor for Weston Magazine Group’s 16 lifestyle magazines for over 20 years. He tries to ski at least 100 days a season.

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A retired newspaperman, Rick Karlin was most recently the acting business editor for the Albany, NY, Times Union. He has also covered state government, the environment and energy development as well as the ski industry. He previously worked in Maine and in Vail and Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where he covered the tourism and mining industries among other topics. In addition to freelance writing, he is a certified ski instructor at the Windham Mountain Club in the Catskills and earlier in his life worked as an instructor at Keystone, Colorado. He has also served as a volunteer with the Vail Mountain Rescue Group.

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Risa learned to ski at Hunter Mountain, New York and has expanded her lift ticket collection worldwide, including resorts throughout the Rockies and Alps as well as China, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Kazakhstan.

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Roger Lohr, founder and editor of XCSkiResorts.com is a writer and marketer, who lives in Lebanon, NH. He’s also been published as a Nordic skiing and snowshoeing expert on SnoCountry.com, MSNBC.com, SnowshoeMag.com, WhitebookSki.com, NSAA Journal, CCSAA Nordic Network, Cross Country Skier, SkiTrax, Ski Area Management, NASJA, Green Energy Times, and others. Lohr also wrote the Board Report snowboard column in SnowEast Magazine. He conducted the CCSAA Skier Visit Study and created the Best XC Ski Area Poll and worked for industry trade organization SIA. He loves skiing on xc ski trails, telemarking in the backcountry, and snowboarding in powder.

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Ron Rosen has been skiing for more than six decades, including as a loyal member of the 70+ Ski Club for the last decade. In addition to participating in several trips with the group each season, he organizes regular luncheons in the NYC metro area to connect local members off the mountain. His articles focus on practical tips for fellow senior skiers.

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Stanley Rubenstein learned to ski on a slope at the city golf course on Staten Island in New York City. He was a founding member of the ski club at Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y. After immigrating to Israel in 1971, he worked as a ski instructor on Mt. Hermon for more than ten years. As chairman of the Israeli Ski Federation for 20 years, he took Israeli athletes to the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, and was with the first Israeli ski racer to participate in the Winter Olympic Games in Torino in 2006 and Whistler Mt. in 2010. He lives with his partner in Caesarea, Israel.

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Tamsin Venn is a freelance ski writer based in Ipswich, Mass. In the off-season, she trades in slopes for waves and publishes Atlantic Coastal Kayaker Magazine.

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