Short Swings!
Yes, age does give many of us some advantages. Wisdom is often cited, but, I, for one have made enough errors in judgment to be exempted from checking that box. I’m probably not alone.
Financial well-being is another frequent citation. Fortunately, along with about two-thirds of SeniorsSkiing readers who say they’re financially independent, I’m okay in that category. But I know too many older skiers whose fortunes took them in another direction. Many have adjusted lifestyles so they can continue to pursue their favorite sport.
Outlook and attitude also are advantages for some of us. My old friend, Frank Burgmeier, is 98. A veteran of 65+ bomber flights in WWII, he continues to have a sharp mind and a great attitude. “I’m blessed,” he tells me. That, despite disappointments from some family members. “When I peel all of those things away, I’m happy and at peace.” If I make it to that age, I hope my mind and spirit are as healthy as his.
Jim Cobb is another example. Jim is 89 and the developer and manufacturer of The Bootster, the ski boot shoehorn that advertises on these pages. He skied many years with the National Brotherhood of Skiers before age caused him to retire. When I mention that we just had a 24-hour snowstorm here in Utah, he sighs with resignation and says, “I’m envious that you’ll be skiing. That part of my life is behind me.”
Some are fortunate enough to ski on and on. George Jednikoff continued past 100. At 99, Claus Obermeyer is still going. I know there are others, but I don’t know their names.
Luck also is a big factor. I recall being at a luncheon where the speaker was Mike Singletary, then coach of the San Francisco 49ers. One comment that stuck with me was the 20% luck factor. Being in top physical condition and having outstanding skills were essential for his players’ good results, he said. But luck always plays a role on the field; he thought about 20%.
Luck (good or bad) also is a factor as we age. Like many other senior skiers, I’ve had my fair share of bad luck. Much of it seems to have occurred health-wise in 2021. I’ve been climbing out of that hole for the past six months, and I’m now ready to get back to what I love: skiing. I readily admit that the goal of publishing SeniorsSkiing.com kept me motivated during some dark and difficult times.
Wisdom. Financial well-being. Outlook and attitude. Good luck. They can keep us going as we age. Whether we possess all of them or a few, we should be grateful for what we have, while we have it.
Wishing all readers good health, good skiing, and good times for the Holidays, and beyond.
[[Taking Christmas and New Year’s off. Next issue of SeniorsSkiing.com will be sent January 7. You always have access to all articles by visiting seniorsskiing.com. New articles are posted on the site during the week leading up to each publication date. Please help us grow the seniorsskiing.com audience by sharing seniorsskiing.com with other senior skiers.]]
232 Skiing Santas Raise Charity $$$s
For the past 21 years, Sunday River (ME) has kicked off the Holiday Season with Santa Sunday, a fund-raiser for a local charity. This year, 232 Santa-clad skiers each paid a $20 entry donation, raising more than $5000 for The River Fund, which invests in the education of young people in the region.
Vail Resorts Tops Season Pass Sales
Vail Resorts reported it sold more than 2.1 million season pass products for this season. That’s 700,000 more than last year, a record for the company. Also, for the second year in a row, Newsweek named VR one of America’s Most Responsible Companies.
Jackson Hole Ups Hourly Wage
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is increasing its minimum wage for all non-tipped positions to $18 per hour, up from $15 per hour. The increase is intended to attract new and retain existing employees.
Really Smart Helmet Technology
Source: Twiceme
Twiceme, a Swedish company, has teamed up with Salomon to produce “smart” ski helmets. To be available late 2022, the helmets will utilize twICEme® technology to provide a suite of safety information ranging from personal medical records to finding a lost child. It will be readily accessible to ski patrol and search and rescue.
NE Areas Banning Boot Bags?
SeniorsSkiing subscriber, Torry Hack, writes: “As a grey-haired skier who likes to put on his boots in the lodge vs in his car, I am disappointed to find that many New England areas are still banning bags.”
New England skiers: Please email info@senioirsskiing.com to let us know if your area bans bags in the day lodge, and we’ll publish the list.
Shipping Container Ski Lodge
The Pad Hotel, Silverthorne, CO
The town of Silverthorne, in Summit County, Colorado, is home to The Pad, a hotel constructed from 18 shipping containers. Private rooms are $350. per night; bunk rooms, $50. It’s not far from Copper, Keystone, Breckenridge, and A-Basin.
Surprise Storm
Reader Donna Ohanian in New Hampshire, sent in this photo along with a note stating, “This storm was supposed to be 3-6”. Nope. 30!” Note the LUV-SNO license plate. Thanks, Donna!
Snowball Fights in Art
Detail from a fresco depicting the month of January at Buonconsiglio Castle in Trento, Italy, ca. 1400
Public Domain Review is a British-based organization that issues interesting articles and illustrations outside of copywrite restrictions. Click here to enjoy PDR’s history of snowball fights in art over the centuries and in a variety of cultures. It’s a treat.
The Skiing Weatherman-December 16, 2021
Colder, snowy pattern evolving coast to coast…
As we hit the holiday season, the weather pattern is changing to one that will soon be dominated by colder than normal air. Cold air has been in relatively short supply for a couple of weeks now, but in the past week, a series of troughs have descended into the West, leading to several sizable snow events that have given the season a badly needed jump-start in the coastal ranges with lighter but helpful snow further inland. Elsewhere, snowmakers have had to pick their spots for cranking out crystals, and trail counts have been creeping upward in the Midwest, Northeast, and central and southern Appalachians. What is needed is a jet stream pattern change that taps more cold air from Canada and thankfully, here it comes.
Here’s the current state of the jet stream…
There are several features of note on this map, which is valid on Friday the 17th. First, there is the broad ridge over the eastern U.S., with the center of the feature the closed circle that you see north of the Bahamas. This ridge is a common feature in a La Nina winter…when it is strong, as is the case now, mild air spreads north. When it is suppressed, cold air penetrates further south from Canada. There are two troughs over the western half of the country…one over the Dakotas and the other over Baja California. Both were responsible for snow earlier this week. The northern feature will help to break down the ridge and produce a light to moderate snowfall over the interior Northeast this weekend. The last item is the ridge over Greenland and the trough south of it, over the waters of the Atlantic. This couplet forms a classic “Negative NAO”, or North Atlantic Oscillation. When the NAO goes negative, it blocks the progression of jet stream features over much of North America. Typically, a negative NAO leads to a persistent trough over the eastern half of the U.S. and that is where we are headed.
Here is a forecast for the jet stream on Christmas Eve, which I generally agree with…
You can see the negative NAO ridge/trough couplet top right. The troughs over the east coast AND west coast hold the promise of colder weather and natural snow in both regions. The ridge over Alaska, with its clockwise circulation, will tap into the very cold air stored over the northwestern part of the continent and send it further south. As the holiday week progresses, the Yukon connection will bring about a trend toward colder temperatures from the upper Midwest into the East, all the way down into the mountains of North Carolina. The jet stream setup that you see on this map is just about perfect for benefitting resorts coast to coast…those trail and lift numbers should be on rise from this weekend right through the holiday week. Here’s a look at snowfall predicted through Christmas Day…
During the holiday week I expect the snowfall numbers to increase in the East and spread down the Appalachians, in anticipation of the presence of the trough that will enhance snowfall opportunities.
Here are regional highlights…
Northwest U.S./Western Canada: Pattern favors a trough offshore for a while…leads to frequent episodes of moderate/heavy snow.
Sierra: Quiet weekend but significant snow returns Tuesday-Thursday next week. Another storm around Christmas Day
Rockies: Northern resorts in a good position for snows in the next week…south of I-70 best chance will come late next week
Midwest: Upper trough, Clippers, lake effect, and snowmaking keep trail counts growing through the holiday period
Mid Atlantic/Southeast: Productive snowmaking next week…natural snow a good bet Christmas Week.
Northeast/QB: Moderate snow this weekend north of I-90 in NY/NE. Snowmaking and natural snow push trail counts up going forward through the holiday
The Fear Monkey in Our Heads
When was the last time this happened to you on the mountain: you’re skiing down one of your regular trails, having fun, where you know every turn by heart, and then, as you approach a trail sign for a more difficult run than you’re used to, you think maybe it’s a good time to try it…but then you keep on skiing down the regular old way.
So what happened? It happens to me also: a tiny little wave of discomfort/anxiety/fear creeps into my head (I call it the “fear monkey”) and causes me to ski the easier way, meanwhile telling myself, “I’ll do this one tomorrow.” And just like that… fear becomes the boss of me! I hate that, but it happens. How can we change our patterns, so we take the turn down the more challenging terrain?
Don’t let the fear monkey get in your way.
I’ve noticed this for years in my own skiing, although I’ve gotten better at deciding when I’m going to “go for it” and challenge myself more than usual. The key for me in making positive changes, and skiing more challenging terrain on a regular basis, started when I began ski instructing twelve years ago! Huh? Let me explain…
I’d take a group of skiers, usually 3-6 people, ranging in ages from 18-50. While the group was being organized, I’d always introduce myself to each skier, and ask each person a few questions about why they were taking a lesson, what types of sports and activities they enjoyed, what they hoped to get out of the lesson; stuff like that. I’d also ask, ”What are you worried about?”
I’d hear a lot of things that would help me figure out what each person’s “takeaways” were for their lesson. It was almost like each person would give me the magic key for solving their “personal skiing puzzle.” Everyone’s got one, hidden away, just waiting to be revealed, including me: “afraid of going too fast,” “getting my skis more parallel in the turn,” “keeping my speed under control to lower my fear,” ”not be so afraid,” “looking as good skiing the tough stuff as the easier stuff!” What’s yours?
For skiers, the degree of FEAR in their heads is the ultimate limiter on both performance and improvement. Of course, we need fear to warn us away from true danger, but fear is greedy, and likes to hang around unless we send it away.
The good news is that you can send fear to the back of your mind. It’s simple. Just figure out your own magic key to your own skiing puzzle. What do YOU need to do on a tougher run to stay confident? For me it was this: take the more difficult trail, but plan to ski it in a very measured way, slower than the other runs, pausing to pick each line, just one turn at a time, and stay smooth. Once I started thinking differently about skiing the tougher stuff, it became much easier to choose those double blacks, and it felt good at the end of each day to have skied them.
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