Three Holiday Gifts Senior Skiers Wish For
When It Comes To Holiday Gifts, Sometimes Our Adult Children Don’t Have A Clue What We Would Like To Have. Here Are Some Hints To Pass Along. Or, Just Send A Link To This Story!
A surprise awaits and it’s not fruitcake. Credit: Harriet Wallis
Idea #1. A private lesson: A gift of confidence and fun.
You know you’d love to have the undivided, one-on-one attention of a skilled instructor to refresh your skills or move the needle a little bit further on your skiing. Ask for a private coaching session.
“Private lessons help build confidence,” said Leslie Blank, snowsports school director at Brighton. “Private lessons will let you move at your own pace. Or, you can get a little out of the comfort zone and try something new.”
Even good skiers get stuck in ruts, said Tim Wolfgram, director of Snowsports Services at Solitude. A private lesson can help you try new movements so you can have more fun.
Idea #2. A professional photo: Ski action or family portrait.
Ask your adult kids to put down their selfie sticks. Instead, ask for a professional photo of you skiing. Or, get the whole clan together for an on-slope family portrait.
Let a pro capture the photo memory.
Credit: Dobber Price, Peak Photo at Alta
Many resorts have on-mountain photographers who will take great photos of you with no fee and no obligation. But it’s a good idea to call ahead and coordinate the location and time with the photographer.
Here’s a tip. “Wear bright colors. It’s better than dark colors,” said Dobber Price, owner of Peak Photo at Alta, which is now in its 28th year of ski photography. And ski action photos, whether on a gentle slope or steep terrain, will capture your inner pro.
Idea #3. Ski tuning: So you can slide and turn more easily.
Ask to have your skis tuned. Many shops will inspect your skis and give a no-cost assessment of what needs to be done. Often, they just need to be waxed. Sometimes, if they haven’t been tuned or waxed for a long time, they might need more work. “It’s all about safety and the quality of turns,” said Brett Pergrossi, rental manager at Snowbird.
Tuned and waxed skis will slide and turn more easily. “You might slide right past your buddies on the flats,” said Brayden Morgan, head of rentals at Alta Ski Shop. “And, you won’t be as tired because you won’t use as much energy,” he said.
Many resorts offer gift certificates. But tell your kids to be sure the certificate can be used for the service they choose for you. They can buy it, wrap it, and give it. The holiday is solved. And you’ll have a treat coming.
P.S. Now aren’t these gifts better than fruitcake?
To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Dec. 1)
Unusual Gift Ideas For Senior SnowsSporters, Becoming An Instructor, Blind Skier Tribute, Walking With Wolves.
Mikela Shiffrin wins the FIS World Cup over Thanksgiving Weekend at Killington. She’s an inspiration and a role model for young skiers everywhere. Credit: FIS
The Women’s FIS World Cup event at Killington over Thanksgiving showed us: 1) There is real skiing in New England going on right now, and, 2) Mikela Shiffrin won the slalom and came in second in the GS in front of 34,000 enthusiastic fans. While it was balmy on Saturday, on Sunday, the weather closed in, and it snowed on the course for most of the day, making for perfect racing conditions. Mikela certainly has captured the imagination of snow sport lovers and has become an inspiration to a legion of young people who view her has a heroic role model. Here’s the whole story from Vermont Public Radio.
While it snows on Thanksgiving in Vermont, we note that there is also heavy snow coming to Hawaii’s volcanic peaks. We don’t associate Hawaii with snow, but Mauna Kea is more than 13,000 ft. Brave skiers and boarders are able to drive up the summit road and get a run in; there are no lifts or facilities. Skiing in Hawaii in November. Hmmm. Is the climate getting rambunctious or what? From the Weather Channel.
The big news this week is that we have published the 2018 Best Skis For Senior Skiers recommendations. We worked with Jackson Hogen of realskiers.com to come with a list of skis for different mountain types and skiing preferences. This is the second year we’ve published this list and it has proven to be quite popular with our readers. Click here to read all about it.
This week we also have more gift ideas for our readers. We have tried and tested heavy duty socks made from “Bison Down” and found them durable and resilient, considering that we wore them for five days in a row. Find out why.
We also highlight the ultra useful DeBooter, a perfect and simple device for helping you remove ski boots. DeBooter is also one of our first and loyal advertisers; SeniorsSkiing.com readers get a discount!
Correspondent Tamsin Venn shows us how to become a ski instructor. Think about it; you have the experience, the skills, the time and interest in spending more time outdoors and mingling with kindred spirits. Why not consider becoming an instructor? Tamsin offers 10 good reasons to just do it.
Pat McCloskey pays tribute to Fast Freddie Siget, a skier who continued to enjoy life and skiing despite the devastating injury that blinded him. There’s a lesson to be learned from Fast Freddie. Thanks for sharing it with us, Pat.
Finally, we hear from Yvette Cardozo, our correspondent in the Northwest who finds that walking in the woods with wolves isn’t as bad as Little Red Riding Hood makes it out to be.
Next week, more gifts ideas, news about Ski Recommendations for Seniors and perhaps some fun with retro ski clothes.
OUR LIST OF 115 RESORTS WHERE SENIORS CAN SKI FOR FREE (OR ALMOST FREE) CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE COMMUNITY MENU PICK IN THE BLUE MENU AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. LOOK UNDER SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT.
If you want an excellent and free bunch of stickers from SeniorsSkiing.com, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936 and we’ll send some.
Remember, dear readers, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.
Short Swings!
We’re still transitioning into the Information Age and, like a well-skied trail, the bumps are plentiful.
Personal data is compromised. Weird account charges are difficult to get removed. Criminals and other rogue players are changing how we would normally communicate with each other. But there are some bright spots. Older skiers are pleased with purchasing lift tickets online. In fact, 93% of SeniorsSkiing.com survey respondents indicate they are somewhat or highly satisfied with buying tickets online. More than 50% of you purchased them directly from the resort; 10% from Liftopia and other online aggregators. Sites like Liftopia are worth visiting before going to a specific area’s site because they may be offering special deals. Please click through to Liftopia from the ad you see in the right column. And for many of us, there may be no charge at all. The list of 115 US Resorts Where Seniors Ski Free has grown to include 115 areas. Be sure to check out the most updated version in the SUBSCRIBER ONLY button under the COMMUNITY tab.
Colorado
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs will celebrate its Centennial year in 2018. The resort hotel has played a major role in figure skating. On Saturday, January 20, a gala at the resort will salute Peggy Fleming Jenkins and the 50th anniversary of her Olympic Gold Medal in Grenoble. Click here for details and tickets.
It appears the new KSL Holdings/Aspen resort coalition will be announcing its new name and 2018-19 pass details later this season.
Aspen Mountain is open top-to-bottom. The Silver Queen Gondola, Ajax Express, and Bell Mountain Chair are open. Snowmass has limited skiing. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are scheduled to open December 9.
Montana
Big Sky Resort opened the Lone Peak Tram in the area’s first week of operation. Lone Peak (11,166′) has a 49″ base. More snow expected this weekend.
Utah
Deer Valley Resort will open for the 2017-2018 ski season on Saturday, December 2, 2017, with eight chairs and nine runs.
The Utah Olympic Oval will host the 2017 ISU Long Track Speed Skating World Cup beginning Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10. Skaters will be racing in the following distances: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m and Team Pursuit. General admission: $7. More info: UtahOlympicLegacy.org
Good news: The International Biathlon Union (IBU) selected Soldier Hollow Nordic Center as the host venue for the eighth stop on the 2018/2019 World Cup season tour. It will be the first major international biathlon competition to be held at Soldier Hollow since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Less Good News: It will be held in February, 2019. Biathlon combines cross-country skiing with shooting. Competitors ski through a cross-country trail system whose total distance is divided into either two or four shooting rounds, half in prone position, the other half standing. With a total cumulative TV viewership approaching one billion, biathlon is the most popular winter sport in Europe.
Vermont
Like all of us, Vermont is praying for more snow. In the meanwhile, resorts there have come up with a variety of non-ski entertainments.
- Trapp Family Lodge at Stowe has a series of wine tastings scheduled for the first half of December.
- This Sunday Okemo is giving a $39 lift ticket in exchange for donations of five food items
- On December 8, Stratton will host an alternative rock festival.
- December 9
- Jay Peak to hold its season pass holder annual party
- Killington has a $25,000 purse rail skiing event
- Smuggler’s Notch hosts its annual BrewFest. $20 ticket buys 8 samples and other goodies
- December 12 is Founder’s Day at Mount Snow. Lift tickets will be $12
- December 16, is Spirits of the Season at Stratton.10 tasting-ticket pack is available for $25 in advance; $30 at the door
Visit individual resorts sites for more details on these and other events.
Other
Watched “War For The Planet of The Apes” on a flight a few days ago. One scene takes place at an abandoned ski area. The culminating scene is in another mountain location and involves a massive avalanche. I still think the first in the franchise is the best.
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