Tag Archive for: Breckenridge

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Based on the overwhelming number of reader responses about on slope hits and near misses, it’s probably safe to say that skiing has become a contact sport.  Body armor products aren’t far behind.

Most of us got our first taste of protective gear when we donned helmets. I resisted a few years. Then word of head injuries started circulating, and I decided to give helmets a try. They’re comfortable, warm, and handy when skiing the trees. I never went back.

Europeans and ski racers have been using protective gear for years. Punch covers, forearm guards, and shin guards protect racers negotiating gates. The All Sport

Back protector by POC

Protection website lists a variety of protective products for skier bodies, including entire suits of armor, not dissimialr to those used by motorcyclists. The site is oriented to big air youngsters who subject themselves to big falls.

European skiers are well accustomed to using spine protectors. These padded devices are said to reduce spinal impact during hard falls. My understanding is that kids racing in the EU are required to use them.

Coming Soon to Your Back?

Based on the content of promotional emails and my participation on a ski product panel, it appears that spine protectors (aka back protectors) are the next big thing in safety gear for the North American ski market.

Slowing Down

I gave up speed a long time ago and for the past few decades have preferred to ski slowly and gracefully, regardless of terrain. 

Because that may make me more of a target for unwitting, unskilled, and irresponsible boarders and skiers, I practice defensive skiing. Busy days, I ski, literally, on the edge of slopes and trails, figuring that I’m minimizing exposure to others. And, I’m always glancing uphill to see what might be barreling my way.  

Importantly, if some jerk gets dangerously close, I do my best to catch up and explain that what he/she/they did is unacceptable.

As for patrol, I respect them for everything they do to protect us from avalanche and obstacles and for helping the injured get the help they need. But I rarely see patrol stop a reckless rider.

As we older skiers enter a new season, on-snow safety is a big concern. We can put on the body armor. We can voice our concerns to area and patrol management . Or, we can ski defensively; glancing around us as we work our way down the hill and avoiding overly crowded terrain.

If you have your own techniques for avoiding skiing injuries, we’d be happy to share them with other readers.

New Take on Cable Delivery?

Credit: AP

A pilot in Italy tangled his plane in the chairlift cables of Prato Valentino last Sunday in the Italian Alps. The pilot was thrown to the ground and taken to the local hospital. His passenger, trapped inside, was rescued, unharmed, by emergency workers.

Scottish Cancer Survivor Skis 120 Consecutive Months

Credit: CTVNews

Helen Rennie, 65, an Inverness school teacher, has been skiing monthly in the Scottish Highlands since 2009. She started in 2006 but was stopped several months later when diagnosed with esophogeal cancer. There are times when she hikes miles to reach a patch of snow where she takes a few turns. Talk out grit and determination!

New Documentary on First US Amputee Skier

Paul Leimkuehler lost his leg during the Battle of the Bulge. He returned home and designed the first ski outriggers in the US. His innovation launched the adoptive skiing movement which liberated many from their wheelchairs, allowing them to expeience the freedom and joy and skiing.  Now his granddaughter, Katie Leimkuehler, has produced a fascinating documentary on her grandfather’s life and accomplishments. It’s called Fresh Tracks and premiers December 12 in Breckenridge at the Hartford Ski Spectacular sponsored by Disabled Sports USA. More info on future showings will appear as they become known. Watch a short based on the film here.

Versatile and Super-Bright Compact Flashlight

Just started using the Fenix LD 30 flashlight. It comes with a rechargeable Li-ion battery. A small button transfers between five light settings, the brightest of which is an impressive 1600 lumens. The light also has a strobe setting. It’s about 4.25” long and 1” wide, comes with a carrying case and a USB cable for recharging. This is ideal for pack, car, boat, basement or garage. MSRP: $79.95. Available at https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-ld30-flashlight-1600-lumens/.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Have you ever been in or near an avalanche? Big Mountain skiers everywhere are accustomed to hearing and feeling the reverberations of bombs and other technologies used to dislodge slides, making the areas safer.

A few years ago, Taos added a chair to improve accessibility to Kachina Peak.  Last week, following inspection by patrol, a slide there killed two. 

At the top of NinetyNineNinety at Park City Mountain Resort (the part of the area formerly known as The Canyons), there’s a gate and signs clearly spelling out avvy risks of going into that part of unpatrolled backcountry. Similar warnings probably exist on Kachina Peak.

Warnings at the top of NinetyNineNinty

Several years ago a friend instructing at The Canyons joined a search party looking for a couple whose car was in the otherwise empty parking lot and who hadn’t picked up their child from daycare. My friend explained the methodical nature of combing the post-avalanche slope where the couple was thought to be buried. It was late in the day, but there was ample light. My friend, a geologist, had been trained to seek anomalies…things that were different from the surroundings. Looking up the slope, he detected something angular, possibly the back corner of a ski. He told the search leader, who advised him and the rest of the party to continue probing the cement-like snow to detect what might be buried below. They found nothing until they reached the angular ski tail jutting from the snow. It led them to the two buried bodies. A tragedy.

Last year, I became friends with a man in his 40s who was rescued from a backcountry avalanche. I don’t remember his full description other than how horrific an experience it was and how, after months of hospitalization and rehabilitation, it altered his life.

The website of the National Avalanche Center, a unit of the National Forest Service, shows 551 US avalanche fatalities since 1998. All but five (on Mt Washington in NH and on Mt Mansfield in Stowe) occurred in the West. Most were in back and side country. 177 skiers died. 68 boarders died. 2 were snow shoers. 196 were snowmobilers. 48 were climbers. Five were ski patrol.

This year, alone, there have been 26 snow-related deaths at European resorts.

Once, skiing a remote in-bounds section of The Canyons, I set off a minor slide. It only made it to the tops of my boots, but it was dense and difficult to get free.

There are older skiers who seek out the adventure and solace of side and back country. I no longer have the lungs to climb, but if conditions are right, I rarely hesitate to take a gate or duck a rope for a promising patch of powder on the other side. But with every year I think a bit longer before I do.

Free Lift Tickets for Furloughed Government Employees

Mad River Glen  (VT), Sugarbush (VT) and Snow King (WY) announced free skiing benefits to furloughed government employees. Sugarbush upped the ante by extending the freebie to immediate family members. The deals will end when the shut-down ends. 

Knee Issues?

Ski-Mojo and Elevate are products for those experiencing knee problems. Both are advertisers. Ski-Mojo is a set of light-weight shock absorber springs that reduce pressure on the knees by 33%. Worn under ski pants, the device reduces pain and fatigue. The people I’ve talked with who use Ski-Mojo, swear  by it. Elevate is a soft, robotic ski exoskeleton that boosts quad strength and reduces muscle fatigue and joint pressure. The product causes loads to pass the knee entirely;  improving knee stability and preventing normal wear and tear. Elevate is available to demo at locations in Lake Tahoe and Park City.  

Saturday is Ski California Safety Day 

Resorts throughout California and Nevada will participate in Ski California Safety Day this Saturday, Jan. 26. Each of the 15 participating resorts will host activities designed to inform guests about skiing and riding safely. Topics range from avalanche and deep snow safety to proper chairlift loading and riding. More at skicalifornia.org.

Will Renovated Snowpine Bring New Vibe to Alta?

That’s the question explored in an article this week in The New York Times Travel Section. The Snowpine Lodge was the funkiest of Alta’s five lodges. I know this from multiple stays at each of them over my 45+ years skiing Alta. Accommodations were less than luxe. Food was okay. Guests – maybe because we were all subjected to the same musty smells and low, head-bumping passageways – always seemed to bond. That was back then. The new Snowpine is said to be super-luxe, Aspen or Vail style…with prices to match. It may raise eyebrows among readers who know and love Alta, or simply raise the bar for the other lodges.

Solitude to Host FIS World Snowboardcross and Skicross Championships

The world’s best snowboardcross and ski cross athletes will compete at Solitude, Feb 1-3 in the 2019 FIS World Championships. It will be the biggest winter event in Utah since the 2002 Olympics.

Mont-Tremblant International Airport

The single strip airport is about 20 miles north of the resort. Porter Airlines and Air Canada flights connect through Toronto. A quick check shows that New Yorkers and Bostonians can get round trip fares are as low as $275. Both airlines include free flights for kids and free lift tickets. Click here for details. 

Breckenridge to Ski to Memorial Day

That’s the plan for this and future seasons, conditions and US Forest Service permitting.

Videos Worth Watching

Teton Gravity Research generally produces interesting ski videos, and this one (4+minutes) is no exception. It focuses on the challenges a young skier faces at the top of a cornice before skiing a beautiful, steep line.

Kings and Queens – The Evolution of Corbet’s Couloir is fun. The 7+ minute video shows a competition of men and women skiing and boarding Jackson Hole’s famed chute.  Please comment if you’ve had the Corbet’s Experience, and we’ll compare notes.

Experience Something New at Whiteface

Mirror Lake Inn ,in Lake Placid, is a lovely place to stay when visiting Whiteface Mountain and other North Country attractions. Starting this season, Andrew Weibrecht, son of the Inn’s owners and an Olympic medalist, is available to ski with Mirror Inn guests at Whiteface. For details, click on the adjacent ad.

Cell Phone Dying on the Mountain?

Try the GearBeast phone holder. The $9.99 – $12.99 device (SeniorsSkiing.com readers receive a 20% discount; enter SENIORS-SKIING at checkout) fits over the neck and under the parka where your body warmth keeps the phone battery from draining. Other benefits? You won’t drop the phone when using it on the lift. And the mini pocket for credit card, ID and a few bills lets you leave bulky wallets in the car or lodge. Click on the company’s ad. 

fact vs belief
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Some interesting comments on last week’s Short Swings! asking if older skiers and boarders are invisible to the people making business decisions about skiing.

Reader Rich Spritz, a Breckenridge instructor, wrote that seniors don’t spend money and it makes sense that, resorts, being businesses, don’t give seniors their attention.

  • There’s no question that the group he describes exists. I see them sitting around lodges, nursing a cup of coffee; shooting the breeze. But they don’t represent all older skiers. Our reader surveys indicate that on day trips, seniors spend about $100 per person per day and, on vacation, $250 per person per day. Last year we asked how much they spent per person on skiing and skiing-related activities for the season. 56% reported they spent between $1000 and $5000 per person for the season. More than 10% spent $5000 or more. Note that their ages averaged around 67. It may be that older people like to sit around and socialize. But even the most hard-hearted corporations should keep a soft spot for loyal customers who for decades have supported their (or their prior owners’) operations. Considering that most older skiers are at the mountain mid-week, when operations are at full capacity and usage is not, letting older, dedicated skiers hang out over a cup should not a hardship for anyone.

Catherine Meyer wrote that PSIA now offers Senior Specialist credentials to instructors interested in working with older skiers. Many of these instructors are organizing special programs at their home resorts to cater to older skiers and riders.

  • SeniorsSkiing.com would like to publish a list of areas offering special programs for older skiers and boarders. We’d appreciate information about those programs from readers.

Bob Ohrt wrote that skiing has always been young adult oriented. The pics you see in ads are almost always the young and the beautiful. That is fitting…When skiing we don’t think of ourselves as Seniors.

  • Bob is correct. One of our reader surveys asked for actual age and how respondents felt after a good day on the hill. The average actual age was 67; the perceived age was 47. That’s consistent with age perception surveys in non-skiing sectors. For most people, behavior (e.g. spending and lifestyle decisions) is influenced by perception, and when we perceive ourselves as younger, we behave that way. I’m in favor of keeping that 20-year subtraction in our age arithmetic.

And Ellen wrote, Senior skiers are the healthiest seniors I know, it would be awesome to see us depicted in some ski ad!! I…bet lots of the youth and families out there are being bankrolled for these pricey endeavors by grandma and grandpa.

  • Ellen, you are spot on!

Summit County (CO) 50+ Winter Games to be Held Feb 10-12

The 39th Annual 50+ Winter Games in Summit County, Colorado will be held February 10 – 12. Seniors compete in Alpine and Nordic events, figure and speed skating, and “hockey shoot skills.” The event also features a series of social events. It’s a fund-raiser for the Summit County Senior Nutrition Programs. Inexpensive to participate and sounds like a lot of fun. Click here to register or for more information.

Tribute to Stein and Best Pow Vids of the Year

Stein Eriksen was born in and died in the month of December. His grace on skis transformed the sport. I had the good fortune of riding the lift and skiing with him a few hours one morning at Deer Valley. It was in the late-80s or early-90s. This 41/2 minute tribute to his skiing accomplishments is wonderful.

Powder Magazine,which always publishes mind-boggling ski pix, issued this 3 minute video compilation of the best powder videos of the year. My guess is that the skiers pictured are between 16 and 24.

Ski Cakes!!!!!

Last week I showed a picture of my ski-oriented brithday cake and asked to see some of yours. Please keep them coming…

Marilyn Edman sent in this beauty made by her friend Sue McEvoy on the occassion of Marilyn’s 70th.

 

And Kelli Majiros sent in this from her Tuesday morning Ski Divas group at Jack Frost in the  Poconos. Group leader, Bernie Oldroyd, leads an annual Susan B. Komen Ski for the Cure fundraiser.

Skiers’ Travel Trailer?

Reader Scott Colesworthy asks if anyone can recommend a travel trailer made for winter conditions: insulated, cold-resistant plumbing, etc. Please register suggestions in Comments following this article.

Happy Holidays!

Mike and I are taking a break for the holidays. SeniorsSkiing.com will be back January 4.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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I keep a list of the places I’ve skied since I was 10. In a few weeks, I’ll be 75. The list totals 85 areas, mostly the US and Canada. The others are in the French and Swiss Alps. One, an indoor area that no longer exists, was in Japan.

Photo: Rylo

That, and the recent addition of Canada to our annual list of paces where seniors can ski free, got me thinking about just how many areas there are. Note that I used the term “areas,” not “resorts.” Some of the places I found are indoor ski centers. Others are quite small and have few amenities. I don’t want to give the term, “resort” a bad name.

According to one Google reference, as of last season, Europe had 3,478 ski areas. That’s a lot more than the 472 in the US. When you add Canada’s 219 areas, and Mexico’s one little ski resort, North America totals 692.

By comparison, Australia and New Zealand, combined, have 62. And all of South America has 30.

Africa has seven areas: two in Algeria, one in Lesotho (I once travelled there on non-ski-related business and met the king), three in Morocco, and one in South Africa.

I counted a total of 728 areas across Asia; most of them in Japan. The list of Japanese areas I used was a bit confusing, so my count may be off. There certainly are more than 500 Japanese areas. Currently China has 7 areas, but as reported here last year, there are plans to build 500 more by 2022, when China hosts the Winter Olympics.

India has 11 areas; Pakistan 9. A few years ago, I wrote a piece about North Korea’s newest resort. The country has two. South Korea has 20. And, in case you didn’t already know this, there are areas in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Even Mongolia has a ski area. And in the Middle East, there’s skiing in Lebanon, Iran, Israel, Syria, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates (indoor, of course).

Add them up and they total 4997 ski areas. I’ve only been to 85! If any of you have skied unusual or out of the way places, tell us about them in “Comments,” or drop me a line at jon@seniorsskiing.com.

Pass the Bucks

Last season Vail sold 750,000 Epic Pases. This season, Alterra expects it will sell 250,000 Ikon Passes in this, the first full season for the Ikon Pass. These passes come with a cost for senior skiers – the elimination of local area passes and the senior discounts they offered. While on the subject, Valle Nevado in Chile, just became part of the Ikon Pass.

LGBTQ Skiing

ELEVATION is a series of annual gay ski and snowboard weeks. It started 16 years ago at Mammoth and has been a presence in Park City for the past eight years. This season, the event will also be held at Mont Tremblant.

Colorado Has the Goods

Breckenridge and Keystone received 5’ since mid October. Both open this week.

Skiing With Grandkids

This article from the Ski Utah website gives practical advice for parents of young skiers. If you’re a grandparent, taking young ones out on the hill for the first time, it will helpful.

Maine Ski Hall of Fame Inducts Seven

The Maine Ski Hall of Fame recognizes Maine skiers who have brought distinction to Maine skiing or made significant contributions to the sport. This year’s inductees are US Freestyle Champions, Karen Colburn and Anne Dowling; Leon Akers, cross country coach and ski shop owner; David Stonebraker, prep school ski coach; Warren Cook, Sugarloaf ski executive; Kristina Sabasteanski, biathlete; and (posthumously) Norman Libby, Bridgton winter adventurer who was the first to ski Pleasant Mountain (Shawnee Peak) in the 1890’s.

The Hall of Fame is a program of Ski Museum of Maine.

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