Four Stupid Things You’ll Hear Skiers Say
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.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 5)
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.
Short Swings!
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
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