This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Sept. 27)
Exercise Is In Our Job Description.
We had just finished another strenuous exercise class at the local Y. Along with 20 or so others, John S. and I had been going to that same instructor’s—her name is Sarah—Monday night 6:30 hour-long routine for four or so years; we called it “Sarah’s House Of Pain.” Squats, light weight thrusts and lifts, stair step-ups, push-ups, bicycles, curls, burpees, and, oh boy, more.
John S. was about my age, early-mid 70s, and he was a regular, not only in Sarah’s class but in kickboxing and yoga classes at the same Y. “Why do you do all this, John?”, I asked as we walked out of the fitness room while the next class of Pilates students poured in.
“It’s our job description. We’re seniors, right? We HAVE to exercise,” he said.
We have to. We have to remain strong, flexible, and robust. Clearly, —and as much research has revealed—that, plus a good diet, are the keys to aging well.
We are pretty confident readers of SeniorsSkiing.com agree with John S. and the research. From our many surveys of our readership, we know that you not only enjoy snow sports, but also many other kinds of activities including “fitness”.
If you are not a regular at the gym, you may want to reflect. We hope you start and develop a routine. That’s the key to success at the gym: routine. Not one routine, but several different ones. You will find you need to focus on building and maintaining muscle strength. You will also need to exercise your heart with cardiac workouts. Often overlooked is the third aspect of conditioning for seniors: flexibility. Regularly practicing Yoga with an instructor who gives clear cues can make an exponential difference in range of motion and muscle suppleness.
Our personal routine involves muscle conditioning classes with trained instructors (“Sarah’s House Of Pain”), individual rotations around the gym with light weights, lifting machines, and cardio steps, treadmills, and ellipticals. We also take yoga classes once a week, sometimes twice. And we try to go at least five days a week, sometimes in the evening, sometimes in the morning. Sometimes, we just go for a walk. Variety.
We know other seniors swim every day, bike, run, climb, hike, walk around the block, and pump iron. Every day. Routine. It’s our job.
Our question to our readers: What’s your routine? Why does it work for you? Please respond in the comments section below. We’d like to learn how you approach your “job”.
In the spirit of pursuing our fitness theme, this week we reprise our Shape Up exercise series with a set of exercises that build intensity. Time to start and get with it.
This Week
In addition to our ongoing Shape Up series, we are introducing two new contributors to SeniorsSkiing.com. Please welcome them to our pages.
Herb Stevens has been known on television as “The Skiing Weatherman”. He’s been reporting on snow and ski conditions in major Eastern markets since the late 80s. He knows his snow. He’ll be providing weekly updates on how the weather is effecting snow sports across the country. This week, he places his bet on this winter’s forecast. Here it is.
Bob True is a UK-based ski coach and instructor. From time to time, he will write about technique specifically focused on seniors. We look forward to seeing his thoughts on confidence and skill-building. His first article is a general view on gaining control. Check it out here.
Once again, thanks so much for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends and remember, there are more of us everyday, and we aren’t going away.
Short Swings!
Arapahoe is running its guns.
Big Sky, Alta, and Lake Tahoe are among the Western ski destinations that have received natural snow. A few areas in the Austrian and Italian Alps are already operating.
It’s all about to happen again.
Farmer’s Almanac predicts a “Polar Coaster” with wildly swinging temps. NOAA is expected to give its prediction sometime in October.
Source: Farmer’s Almanac
Did you see last week’s report that North America’s bird population has declined by 29% over the past 50 years? What about melting glaciers? One Swiss community recently held a formal funeral march for the loss of its Pizol glacier.
The Pizol glacier has lost up to 90% of its volume since 2006.
(Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller)
The UN this week is holding its Global Climate Summit. Last week school kids throughout the US and abroad demonstrated on behalf of the environment.
The ski industry is taking a stand through a variety of climate initiatives, but it’s probably too little and too late.
So what are we older skiers to do? Groan and bemoan or go skiing? The way things are going, it’s not going to last forever. Nor are we. My idea is to do what I can to save what we can for our grandkids. But my BIG IDEA is to stay fit, make sure my ski gear is ready for the fast-approaching season, and GO SKIING. We need to enjoy it while we have it. The future is barreling our way and it may not be kind.
Do Wider Skis Lead to Knee Injury?
John Seifert, PhD, professor of exercise physiology at Montana State University, recently presented research results showing a relationship between use of wide skis and knee injury. Wide skis, he explains, force skiers to use a more upright stance, thus causing knee-supporting muscles to be in a less-than-optimal position to exert force when something called Ground Reaction Force (GRF) is at its peak.
He defines GRF as “…the force exerted by the snow in contact with it. GRF is always present, even in deep snow, as it’s part of what makes a ski turn. GRF is influenced by skiing velocity and turn radius. On hard snow with wide skis, this is why drifting is so common or the turn radius is lengthened in order to minimize forces.”
The negative effects of GRF are minimized in deeper snow. But using a wider ski on hardpack increases risk of knee injury.
The research is interesting and complicated. Jackson Hogen at Realskiers.com wrote a good summary of Dr. Seifert’s presentation at PSIA’s 2019 National Academy. It is titled “Why Wide Skis Aren’t Good For Your Knees” and can be accessed by clicking here.
Scarpa Boot Recall
SCARPA recalled all Fall 2017 Maestrale and Maestrale RS ski boots purchased in North America. Under certain conditions, the boot shell may crack. Click here for more guidance on identifying the boots in question. Scarpa will repair recalled boots.
Solitude Introduces Paid Parking
In an effort to reduce traffic congestion in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Solitude will charge for parking this winter. Single drivers will be hit with $20, carpoolers will pay as little as $5.
Park City’s Sunrise Rotary Club Aims For Ski Shot Record
Ski Shot Competitors on Park City’s Main Street
My friends at Park City’s Sunrise Rotary Club are shooting for the longest Shot Ski world record on October 12. They hope to break Breckenridge’s record set in January. Sunrise Rotary expects to attract 1,310 people, who will gulp a shot of High West booze from shot glasses set in old skis. Entry fees go toward the club’s grant’s program. Last year Sunrise Rotary Club granted $23,000 to community organizations.
If You’re Planning a Park City Trip This Season…
…a fascinating outdoor exhibit on the area’s early geologic history is a must see. Located in nearby Silver Creek, the idea for the exhibit came when an excavator uncovered a petrified tree trunk estimated to weight 5 to 10 tons! The Park City Sunrise Rotary Regional Geologic Park was sponsored by Rotary and several other local and regional organizations.
Aspen Swingers
Someone in Aspen has been installing old-fashioned handmade swings on hiking trails, looking out on local beauty spots. If this gives you an idea for your community, go for it.
R.I.P. Pepi Gramshammer
Pepi during his racing youth. Source: Denver Post
Austrian national ski team racer, Pepi Gramshammer, died August 17. He was 87 and had recently suffered a series of strokes. A Vail resident since 1962, he used race and sponsorship funds to start Hotel-Gasthof Gramshammer two years later. The hotel, in Downtown Vail Village, is one of the resort’s most venerable hostelries.
R.I.P Davo Karnicar
Davo Karnicar Source: Teller Report
Slovenian adventurer Davo Karnicar was the first to ski from the summit of Mount Everest to its base camp. He and his team spent a month climbing the south face of Everest. Following a few hours’s rest he began his descent. He skied from over 29,000 feet to base camp, escaping collapsing ice walls, strong winds and crevasses. He died September 16 in a tree-cutting accident on his property in Slovenia. He was 56. Click here or his obituary in The New York Times.
What a Toy!!!!
This short video shows a skier toy from the 1970s. Anyone out there have one?
2018-19 Trail Masters Now Online
A total of 195 readers qualified as Trail Masters, reporting that the number of days they skied, boarded or snow shoed last season equaled or surpassed their number of years.
Their ages average 67.6, and their number of days skied average 89.9. One-hundred-fifty-five respondents provided their names and contact details. Of those, 37 are women. Six are octagenarians.
At the end of each season, SeniorsSkiing.com asks readers if their number of skiing days equals or surpasses their number of years. Respondents fitting that requirement are named Trail Masters and receive an embroidered patch.
The oldest Trail Master for the 2018-19 season is Fredi Jakob, 85. He lives in Carmichael, California and skied 87 days. Gerald Rehkugler, 84, Cortland, NY, skied 90 days. Gary Clarkson, 81, Pittsfield, Massachusetts skied 100 days. Bill Belk, 81, Driggs, Idaho skied 130 days. Roger Bourke, 80, Alta, Utah, skied 91 days. Michael Sharkey, 80, Waitsfield, Vermont, skied 84 days.
Sixty skiers in their 70s were named Trail Masters, as were 118 in their 60s, and 21 in their 50s.
Reflecting SeniorsSkiing.com’s reader demographics, the majority of respondents are from the US, followed by Canada, Australia, and several European countries.
While SeniorsSkiing.com is oriented to the 50+ skier, boarder and snow shoer, the average reader age is 67.
All Trail Masters since 2015-16 can be found by clicking “Features” on the menu bar.
Trail Master patches are expected to be mailed in October.
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