If you’re still looking for something different and/or special for older snow enthusiasts, the following suggestions are discounted for SeniorsSkiing.com followers and can be ordered online.
APEX Ski Boot combines a removable Open Chassis with a walkable boot.
APEX Boot System is offering 20% off retail for SeniorsSkiing.com readers. This is the boot many olderskiers are talking about. It’s a good performer, comfortable, and let’s you walk with ease. No issues getting it on or off. Enter Senior3000 at checkout.
Panda Poleshave bamboo shafts and are beautifully hand-crafted in Idaho. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount off the regular price of $95. Enter SENIORS30 at checkout.
Orsdenmakes wonderful parkas and pants in great colors. They’re sold only online. Comparable products in stores sell for twice as much. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount through December 31. Enter WINTER30 at checkout.
The Buffalo Wool Companymakes socks, gloves, hats from bison down mixed with silk, yak, wool, and cashmere. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 10% discount. Enter SeniorsSkiing in the discount code window at checkout.
DeBooter is a skiboot jack, that makes boot removal a breeze. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 20% discount. Enter SENIORSSKIING at checkout.
GearBeast is a colorful smartphone carrier attached to a comfortable neckstrap. While skiing, the phone is under the parka, keeping it warm, accessible, and safe. GearBeast has a little built-in pocket to carry credit card, driver’s license and a few bills. SeniorsSkiing.com readers receive a 20% discount (regular price: $9.99 – $12.99) by visiting gearbeast.comand entering SENIORS-SKIINGat checkout.
Wild West Jerkymakes great-tasting, all-natural, jerky products. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers receive a 20% discount off full retail. Enter seniorsskiing in the promo code window at checkout
Happy Holidays!
https://seniorsskiing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Screen-Shot-2018-11-21-at-10.48.11-PM.png264200Jon Weisberg/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seniors-Skiing-since2013-Logo@2x-300x68.pngJon Weisberg2018-12-11 13:18:522019-01-18 09:24:45Holiday Gifts For Senior Skiers
Twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and ninety-four days. Exactly, nine hundred months. On Wednesday I turned 75. For all but the first nine years, skiing has been my passion.
Two things about me contribute to this craziness: I love being outside in the cold, and what I lack in athleticism, I’ve made up for with persistence.
In Okemo’s early days, when I was 11 or 12, I spent the better part of a season determined to ride the Poma without falling. Eventually, I conquered that demon.
For several years, it seemed I was condemned to the stem, functional but awkward. I remember the moment at Mount Snow when a mogul inadvertently caused me to parallel turn. Before long, I had to think twice before stemming.
There were times when I was bedridden. Regardless of time of year, crumpled sheets became mountain ranges, and my mind took me places where I would ski.
In my teens and twenties, friends and I would jump-turn down Eastern trails, stopping with the occasional tip roll. We wore double leather boots wrapped with long thongs. More than once, I’d get to the bottom and realize my skis were splintered.
There were long weekend rides from Manhattan to Killington and Stowe. On the Stowe Road, the LaMarr’s provided a bunk bed and a hearty breakfast for $5.00. On one of those trips another car spun out of control and wrecked my new MG Midget. Hitchhiking that weekend put me on the road to getting hitched. One of the girls who picked me up became my bride.
Soon, skiing shifted to the West, starting in Alta in 1972. It’s been a rare season since when I haven’t
skied that magic mountain. At one point I fell in love with powder. Those of you who have been up to your knees or thighs or waist will understand. When it’s that deep, steep is your friend. It’s a joyful experience, and, like the word, “joy,” it’s ephemeral.
Over the years, I’ve learned to follow the snow. It’s great to spend the day seeking out the best conditions. It might take you to blacks, blues, or greens. If you know how to use your equipment with the least amount of effort, and if you enjoy making graceful turns, you’ll understand this preoccupation with the physics of poetry.
These days, I’m deliberately slow. Wherever I go – and if I feel up to it – I like to play with the fall line, skiing slowly, making well-formed turns. Some kid me about getting more turns per vertical foot. Others get tired of waiting.
I view skiing as a metaphor for life. We develop and use a range of skills. Some days are bluebird; some are dark. There are times of confusion when we feel our way into clarity. Other times it can be cold, miserable, and ugly. But most of the time, skiing is an expression of love.
Legally Younger?
A 69 year old in the Netherlands tried to legally change his age to 49, which, he says, is how old he feels. The Dutch government rejected the request. He plans to appeal, based on the idea that other forms of personal transformation, such as name and gender, are gaining traction in the Netherlands. In one of the SeniorsSkiing.com reader surveys we asked about your actual age and how old you felt after a good day on the slopes. Your ages averaged about 67. How old did you feel? Twenty years younger!
Rare 20% Discount from Apex Ski Boot System
If you’ve been thinking about slipping your feet into a pair of Apex boots — they provide comfort and performance and, like the ad states, let you Ski Hard and Walk Easy — now is a good time to do it. The company is offering a 20% discount to the first 50 SeniorsSkiing.com readers who respond (shipping to the lower 48, included). Offer ends Christmas day. Go to the Apex website, make your selection, and enter SENIOR3000 on checkout.
Ski Whiteface with an Olympian
Mirror Lake Innin 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. It’s on the pricey side ($450 for 8:00AM to noon, lift ticket included), but for the deep-pocket set, it sounds like a fun experience.
Vermont Adaptive Honors Volunteers
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, the nationally-recognized group empowering people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming, announced its Volunteers of the Year. They are Phil Crowell, of Plainfield, N.H., and Jackie Levine, Barry Whitworth, and Ryan Kennedy, all of Burlington, VT. Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports provides services regardless of ability to pay.
Stoking Your Inner-Pow
I don’t know where this videowas shot, but it’s titled “First lines of 2018 – skiing some powder.” Enjoy.
More Great Holiday Gifts for Older Skiers
I just purchased a dozen GearBeasts– all different colors – as holiday gifts for my skiing friends. They’ll use and love this neat, little smartphone carrier. It fits over the neck and under the parka, keeping the phone warm, accessible, and safe. Warm, because it’s close to the body and helps keep the charge. Accessible, because it’s always there and no need to search pockets. Safe, because the phone can be used on the lift without concern for accidental drops. GearBeast has a little built-in pocket to carry credit card, driver’s license and a few bills. When I use it – and I use it often — I leave my wallet in the car. As a holiday gift to SeniorsSkiing.com readers, the company – an advertiser – is giving 20% off its regular prices that range from $9.99 to $12.99 (I bought the $9.99 version.) Go to gearbeast.com (or click on the adjacent ad) and enter SENIORS-SKIING when checking out.
A thoughtful gift for any older skier visiting Aspen/Snowmass is a one-day Ski Younger Now session with Seth Masia: $820 with 7 day advance booking.
Other Recent Gift Giving Suggestions:
Wild West Jerkymakes great-tasting, all-natural, jerky products. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers receive a 20% discount off full retail. Enter seniorsskiing in the promo code window at checkout
The Buffalo Wool Companymakes socks, gloves, hats from bison down mixed with silk, yak, wool, and cashmere. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 10% discount. Enter SeniorsSkiing in the discount code window at checkout.
Panda Poleshave bamboo shafts and are beautifully hand-crafted in Idaho. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount off the regular price of $95. Enter SENIORS30 at checkout.
Orsdenmakes wonderful parkas and pants in great colors. They’re sold only online. Comparable products in stores sell for twice as much. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount through December 31. Enter WINTER30 at checkout.
DeBooter is a skiboot jack, that makes boot removal a breeze. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 20% discount. Enter SENIORSSKIING at checkout.
Safe Descents is emergency ski and snowboard evacuation insurance.Among other benefits, it covers ambulance or air evacuation services if injured in-bounds at any ski resort in the United States. The policy is available to residents of all but five of the lower 48. $56.99 for the season.
Join Us in the Alps
Join us the week of March 10 when we ski in the Aosta Valley with guides fromAlpskitour. Each day, we’ll go to a different resort in Italy, Switzerland and France. The all-inclusive price — $4500 to $5500 per person– depends on where you fly to and whether you stay in a 3 or 5 star hotel. Orsdenis a sponsor and giving a parka to each participant. If interested, email me:jon@seniorsskiing.com.
Last evening we celebrated our fifth year of publishing with a party in New York City. The crowd that showed up had a good time. Many walked away with raffle prizes.
The idea for a magazine dedicated to older skiers, boarders, and snowshoers developed over several years. Living in Park City, I saw that, midweek, almost everyone on the lift was my age or older. Ski magazines, by contrast, were publishing things mostly for and about younger people.
As the concept formed, I used the lift to bounce ideas. For those of you familiar with market research, the chair ride became a series of 8-10 minute focus groups.
MikJone Maginn and I are friends from college. We both graduated when giant green animals with pea-sized brans were feeding from tree tops. Following graduation, he spent time on the editorial staff of Skiing Magazine. We stayed in touch over the years, and I suspected that despite a busy consulting practice, he might have some time. He understood the concept immediately – a growing cohort of older skiers without a core. Would he be interested in partnering? The next day he agreed, and we immediately started to plan.
SeniorsSkiing.com launched less than a year later with zero subscribers. As we enter our fifth year of publication, we have subscribers, worldwide, who, last season, generated up to 50,000 monthly page views. The numbers keep growing.
The earliest advertisers – Masterfit, DeBooter, and 70+ Ski Club – have been joined by others wanting to reach active, outdoor-oriented seniors.
SeniorsSkiing.com is a true labor of love. Contributors aren’t paid, but they like to share their experiences and stories with an ever-growing audience. We go through considerable effort to publish annual lists of areas where seniors can ski free, the best skis for seniors, and the best boots for seniors. Realskiers.com and Masterfit provide the data for the ski and boot lists.
The party last evening was terrific. Numerous attendees told us they made plans to ski with new friends they met there. Several walked away with excellent raffle prizes, including a four-day trip to Okemo Mountain in Vermont (courtesy, 70+ Ski Club), a pair of Apex ski boots, and two Orsden parkas. Others won DeBooters; Bootsters; GearBeast cell phone holders; Buffalo Wool Companybison wool socks; Safe Descents, ski and snowboard insurance, and lift tickets to Powder Mountain in Utah. The SWAG tables were heavy with materials from Skiing History Magazine, Powder Mountain, Solitude, Ski Pennsylvania, Mont Saint Anne, and Sunday River.
The person travelling the longest distance to get there was Mauro Cevolo of Alpskitour. He came from the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, where his company conducts weeklong guided skiing to Courmayeur, Mont Blanc, Zermatt, and other snow-covered marvels, returning each night to a classic hotel in the scenic town of Saint Vincent.
You’ve helped us get to five years. Please tell your older skiing friends about SeniorsSkiing.com. As for our part, we plan to keep you informed with relevant and timely information of interest to the older snowsports enthusiast.
News of resort openings from the mountains.
Here are a few from this week’s email:
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows (CA) Nov. 16
Brighton (UT) Nov 15
Brianhead (UT) Nov 16
Copper Mountain (CO) Nov 16
Grand Targhee (WY) Nov 16
Okemo Mountain (VT) Nov 16
Stowe (VT) Nov 16
Sugarbush (VT) Nov 17
Crystal Mountain (MI) Nov 22
Skier vs. Drone
Salomon released this clever video of French racer, Victor Muffat-Jeandet competing on a GS course against champion drone racer, Jordan Temkin. Most resorts have no-drone policies, but Snowbird, where this was taped, must have given special permission. Short and amusing, with a surprise end: click here.
Great Holiday Gifts for Older Skiers
Over the next month, I’ll highlight unique and useful gift ideas for older skiers.. The following, which I’ve mentioned before, advertise on SeniorsSkiing.com. Simply click on the ads to reach the sites.
Bootster is a compact device that serves as a ski boot horn. It rolls up and fits in your pocket. Some of you have written in about DIY devices for getting boots on. One of the beauties of Bootster is that it goes where you go, making it ideal to get boots back on after lunch on the hill. $25.00
DeBooter is a skiboot jack.I keep mine in the car and loan to others in the lot. It works extremely well, even with stiff, cold boots. Your foot comes right out without difficulty or pain. One of my friends reports that his grandkids love his DeBooter. $39.95, less 20% SeniorsSkiing.com discount.
Safe Descents is emergency ski and snowboard evacuation insurance.It covers ambulance or air evacuation services if injured in-bounds at any ski resort in the United States. That’s in addition to other coverage like sending a loved one to the hospital and/or getting back home following a hospital stay. These and other benefits have a maximum of $25,000. A thoughtful gift to drop into any stocking. $56.99 for the season.
World War II produced many heroes. One of Norway’s best known died earlier this week. Joachim Ronneberg led the ski-assisted raid that destroyed the facility where Nazis were producing “heavy water,” a component they would have used to produce an atomic bomb.
He was 23 when, according to his obituary in the The New York Times, he and eight other “…Norwegian saboteurs skied across the Telemark pine forest in winter whites, phantom apparitions gliding across moonlit snow. . They halted at a steep river gorge and gazed down at a humming hydroelectric power plant where Nazi scientists had developed a mysterious, top-secret project… Hours later, in one of the most celebrated commando raids of World War II, Lieutenant Ronneberg and his demolition team sneaked past guards and a barracks full of German troops, stole into the plant, set explosive charges and blew up Hitler’s hopes for a critical ingredient to create the first atomic bomb.” Ronneberg was 99. The complete Times obituary provides a brief history lesson on the epic event.
Help celebrate our Fifth Anniversary, 5:30 – 8:00 PM, Wednesday, November 14, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Meet other metro area senior skiers. Win Apex Ski Boots, a trip to Okemo in Vermont, Orsden ski parkas, a season of ski insurance from Safe Descents, The Bootster device to help get boots on, the DeBooter device to get them off, discounts on Masterfit boot products, etc. Lots of SWAG from areas all over the country. Meet a representative of Alpskitours based in Italy’s Aosta Valley. All free except for cash bar. RSVP, jon@seniorsskiing.com.
Buying Boots? Use a Professional Bootfitter.
If you’re considering buying boots, PLEASE, use a professional bootfitter. It is one way to assure the positive outcome of your purchase. We highly recommend using the services of bootfitters who have gone through training with Masterfit’s America’s Best Bootfitter (ABB) program. To find one near you visit: https://www.bootfitters.com/find-shop.
New England Areas Get a Head Start
Sunday River, Maine, opened last weekend. Mt Snow will open this weekend, the resort’s earliest opening in its 64- year history.
Mind-Boggling Ski Videos
These feats are not to practiced on your home hill.
Skiing East Face of Matterhorn: The six-minute video starts with the climb up Mt Cervin (aka Matterhorn). The skiers unrope themselves from bolts in a rock face and ski — ever so cautiously — a steep, rocky face, until they let loose on saner terrain.
Line of Winter: This three-minute selfie from GoPro shows Nicholas Falquet skiing what appear to be high elevation vertical walls covered in deep powder. Can’t tell if he has a cable attached to his back. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
Caught in a Crevasse: This one is 17 minutes and shows a skier falling into and being rescued from a deep crevasse. Lesson here is to avoid crevasses and if you’re in those conditions, to ski with others with rescue skills and equipment.
Park City’s BIG SHOT!
Sunrise Rotary Club in Park City (I was a member during my Park City years) set a world record on Saturday, October 13 with its 3rd annual Shot Ski Event. If you’re not familiar with shot skis, they’re skis affixed with shot glasses. For competitions — or just for fun — the glasses are filled with booze (in this case from Park City’s High West Distillery). The entire ski is hoisted and the contents guzzled by the participants. To reclaim the record from Breckenridge, 1275 Parkites showed up to lift 508 skis (2570 feet long) off Main Street. Congratulations, Sunrise Rotary for raising almost $30,000 from the event!
Axe Throwing and New Pod Hotel at Whistler
Among other new developments at Whistler this year are the Pangea Pod Hotel and apres ski axe-throwing. Two more reasons to visit Whistler Blackcomb, one of North America’s largest and most fascinating resorts. It has an added benefit for seniors — its relatively low elevation (long vertical, nonetheless) makes it easier on the lungs.
I rode a chair last season with a couple who got upset when they saw a dead porcupine on the trail below. They “knew” the animal from skiing there for several months. It looked like it had been attacked.
I’ve seen a lot of animals while skiing over the years. Nothing larger than the moose who frequented part of The Canyons. I’m confident that even with Vail’s acquisition of that wonderful area (now part of Park City), the herd still hangs there, occasionally moseying out on a trail .
Deer Valley had many weasels and, if I have it right, ermine. The critters are long hot dogs making a slinky wave as they run across trails. I had to swerve more than once to avoid trail-kill.
The Catskill and Adirondack areas had occasional deer and lots of porcupines. I remember one tree where the chair passed a porky perched there most of the season.
Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, birds of all persuasions, an occasional raccoon. They appear on slope and trail. More often it’s their tracks, but look, and you’ll see them.
And dogs, especially those trained for avalanche rescues. Bless them for their excellent skills and stellar service.
Among the most curious creatures encountered to date are Snowbird‘s and Alta‘s leopard and zebra. They’re a couple who frequent the place and everything they wear — cape to boot — is themed accordingly. He’s the leopard. I’ve bumped into him, solo, a few times on the tram or in the lot and told him how much I enjoy his outfit. His response is always the same: “You ought to see my wife. She’s a zebra. I’m always chasing her down.”
SeniorsSkiing Fifth Anniversary Party!!
5:00 – 8:00PM, Wednesday, November 14, Manhattan.
We’d love you to be there, meet other senior skiers, win cool raffle prizes and help us celebrate our fifth. Prizes and SWAG from Apex Boots, 70+ Ski Club, Masterfit, Orsden Parkas, Buffalo Wool Company, Solitude, Powder Mountain, DeBooter, Bootster, GearBeast (the perfect skier’s cellphone carrier), International Skiing History Association, and others. We’ll provide the nibbles. Open bar. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to jon@seniorsskiing.com. Location: E’s Bar (Rumpus Room), 511 Amsterdam Ave. (bet 84th and 85th Streets), Manhattan.
Snowing Across the West!!!!
The resorts and state ski associations are reporting snowfall, snowmaking, and opening dates. A few examples: Wolf Creek in southwest Colorado got 20″ and will have limited skiing this weekend. The Utah resorts received more than a foot of snow. One of them, Snowbasin, got its first big dump in September! Opening days at the Utah areas range from November 21 to December 21.
Warren Miller, Posthumously
Face of Winter is this season’s Warren Miller film, the first since his passing earlier this year. Click hereto find when it will be playing near you and to purchase tickets.
Squaw Valley Extremes
For six minutes of pure skiing fun, watch Drop Everything, a video of the recent history of extreme skiing in Squaw Valley. Click on the name to get you there.
New Ski Utah Magazine
Ski Utah outdid itself with this new, free annual magazine. There 100+ pages. Available in print and digital editions. Not your typical ski industry promotional fare. There’s a page dedicated to the wisdom of George Jedenoff, who celebrated his 100th birthday last July with several runs at Snowbird. Ski Utah is essential reading for everyone from regulars to those planning their first visit. To order a copy or send one to a friend click here.
Skiing History Night
If you’re in the New York area, International Skiing History Association is hosting a free pizza/wine/beer Skiing History Night at Hickory & Tweed (410 Main Street, Armonk). 6:30-9:00 PM, Monday, October 15. Highlight of the evening: ISHA’s Jeff Blumenfeld will present how skiing has been portrayed on TV over the decades. RSVP requested: kathleen@skiinghistory.org.
I heard a massive avalanche one time. Chamonix in the late 60s. Several minutes later a fine dust covered everything. When it stopped, it was an inch or two deep.
When you ski in the West, you often hear the early morning thuds of dynamite and bombs dislodging unstable slopes. It’s impressive.
I like to seek silence, pausing in the trees, away from the sound of cable and the chatter of other skiers. When its fresh, snow muffles its surroundings. Maybe you’ll hear a bird, a squirrel in a tree, or nothing.
Quietude can be part of the experience. But like other life wonders, we need to slow down to hear it. Being aware of our surroundings, wherever we are — but especially on mountains in winter — is part of the richness of our experience.
It doesn’t matter if you’re skiing Hunter Mountain, Jackson Hole’s Hobacks, or Catherine’s in Alta. Simply enter the woods and listen.
November 14 Party in Manhattan
RSVPs are being emailed in. We’re looking forward to meeting you in person. If you’re in the New York area and want to attend, please send me a short note at jon@seniorsskiing.com.
Last week, I mentioned that APEX Boot Systemsis providing an $800 pair of its ultimately adjustable and superbly comfortable boots. 70+ Ski Club is giving a free 4-day trip to Okemo in Vermont. Richard Lambert, who heads 70+, will be on hand to answer questions about upcoming trips. Orsden, which makes incredibly comfortable and good looking parkas, is giving two parkas for the event. Sara Segall, the company founder expects to attend. There will be Bootsters to help you get your boots on and DeBooters to help get them off. The Buffalo Wool Company, which makes remarkable socks from bison and silk is sending a selection of products. And GearBeast, which makes the perfect cell phone carrier for skiing and other activities, will have numerous pieces to give away. Different resorts and state ski associations are sending lots of SWAG. And if you want to learn about fantastic skiing packages based in Italy’s Aosta Valley, where you ski in Italy, Switzerland and France, Mauro Cevolo of advertiser, Alpskitour will be there. For more on the party, click here.
Trail Masters
We sent 100+ patches, stickers, etc. to last season’s Trail Masters. The only one returned was addressed to Thomas Bolstad. If we receive your correct address, we’ll resend.
The Art of Fear Ski Camp
I know several older skiers who are unable to realize their potential on the slopes because they’re afraid. A few are afraid of injuring or reinjuring themselves. Others limit themselves to the same terrain because they fear taking it to another level. My wife, an athletic person with excellent skiing form, gets concerned when we approach the steeps. Kristen Ulmer is an author and life coach who helps people overcome their miscellaneous fears. She will host The Art if Fear Ski Camp, March 9-10, 2019 at Alta. The cost is $579. For more information visit The Art of Fear 2-Day Ski Camp.
DeBooter solves that dilemma. It’s a clever ski boot jack that makes boot removal fast and easy.
SeniorsSkiing.com readers can purchase DeBooter for less than $32, a 20% discount from the $39.95 retail. (Enter SeniorsSkiing at checkout.)
It’s simple. Loosen your buckles (obviously!). Place DeBooter on a flat surface. Anchor it with the toe of one foot and place the other heel in the jack. Lift your foot, and you’re painlessly free!!!
Full disclosure: DeBooter is an advertiser, and I’ve written about the product in the past. But many of you are gift shopping, and I’d be remiss not remind you of this perfectly designed device.
On several occasions, I’ve shared my DeBooter with others in the parking lot. Some of them contemporaries, some older, some younger. The reaction to having their ski boots pop off painlessly is universally positive.
David Johnson, who invented and manufactures the product, reports that most of his sales are in the US, and that they are increasing abroad.
If you’re looking for the right gift for the skiers on your list, look at DeBooter.
https://seniorsskiing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/image.jpg120177Jon Weisberg/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seniors-Skiing-since2013-Logo@2x-300x68.pngJon Weisberg2017-11-29 11:59:092017-11-29 14:51:14Holiday Gift Suggestion: DeBooter Easy-Off Ski Boot Jack
Trail Masters are those senior skiers whose number of days skied last season matched or exceeded their ages. Seventy-seven qualified, compared to 42 in 2015-16, the first year Trail Masters were recorded.
At the top of the list is our oldest Trail Master, Fredi Jakob, who skied 83 days at age 83. Fredi’s home resort is Alta. He has been skiing 66 years. Next is Jack Nixon, 82, who skied 110 days, whose most frequently skied resort is Crested Butte. Jack was also in second place last year.
Several people made the list both years. Among them is David Orlinsky, a ski buddy of the past few seasons. We’re both 73, and when we skied Copper Mountain in January, he was always waiting at the end of the run. Glad to see “Speedy” clocked 85 days.
The average age of all Trail Masters is 66. Their average number of days skied last season is 83.5, and their average number of years skiing is 48.5.
Each of the ten oldest Trail Masters will be mailed a DeBooter, that outstanding ski boot jack that lets your remove boots quickly and painlessly! Every older skier should own one.
Skiing one’s age is a terrific accomplishment. For all of us it will be easier to accomplish next season than the season that follows.
DeBooter: Easy-to-use ski boot jack. Click on image for demo. Credit: OutDoor Logic Solutions
They are the collective sounds of people removing their ski boots: the moans of agony and the sighs of joy heard in lots and lodges around the globe.
I’m simply relieved to get the damn things off, but getting the top of my foot past those two nasty tabs of plastic are akin to ripping a bandage off an old wound. I HATE IT!
No more. I recently had occasion to remove my boots with the DeBooter, an easy-to-use ski boot jack. It takes the pain and discomfort out of the process of taking off ski boots. You’ll still need to bend over to loosen your buckles and your booster straps (if you use them), but the struggle is over!
Place your boot heel in the designated area, step on the back of the device, and lift your foot out of the boot. It happens so quickly and so easily that you need to keep shoes close by so you’re not hopping around on one foot.
Wanting to verify my experience, I took the product around the Alta parking lot one afternoon as people were approaching their cars still wearing their boots. About a half dozen tried it. Using it is intuitive. The first few questioned why it was necessary. As soon as they tried it, they wanted to know where they get one for themselves. Another person who was wearing telemark boots had a little difficulty at first but quickly figured out how to make it work. Each and every one of the others appreciated the ease with which their boots popped off in full comfort.
The day had warmed up and the melting snow required shaking the product to get rid of dirty water. When faced with those conditions, keeping a towel in the car or using the DeBooter bag which can be purchased separately makes sense.
A great idea whose time has come. Get those boots off easily! Credit: Outdoor Logical Solutions
The product is constructed of rugged plastic. It’s one of those things you purchase once and will to your favorite skier. It looks like it will last forever.
DeBooter is available in two versions: portable and commercial. I used the portable model, which sells online for $49.50. The commercial model gets screwed into a solid surface and is intended for use in condos, homes, and ski shops. It’s listed for $42.00. The company is a SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser and is offering readers a 20% discount.For more details, click here.
https://seniorsskiing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Debooter-e1459273642802.jpg486728Jon Weisberg/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seniors-Skiing-since2013-Logo@2x-300x68.pngJon Weisberg2016-03-29 17:56:422016-03-29 18:35:33DeBooter: DeLovely Way For Easy (And Painless) Boot Removal
GearBeast is a colorful smartphone carrier attached to a comfortable neckstrap. While skiing, the phone is under the parka, keeping it warm, accessible, and safe. GearBeast has a little built-in pocket to carry credit card, driver’s license and a few bills. SeniorsSkiing.com readers receive a 20% discount (regular price: $9.99 – $12.99) by visiting gearbeast.comand entering SENIORS-SKIINGat checkout.
athleticism, I’ve made up for with persistence.
I just purchased a dozen 
purchase. We highly recommend using the services of bootfitters who have gone through training with Masterfit’s America’s Best Bootfitter (ABB) program. To find one near you visit: 
Sunrise Rotary Club in Park City (I was a member during my Park City years) set a world record on Saturday, October 13 with its 3rd annual Shot Ski Event. If you’re not familiar with shot skis, they’re skis affixed with shot glasses. For competitions — or just for fun — the glasses are filled with booze (in this case from Park City’s High West Distillery). The entire ski is hoisted and the contents guzzled by the participants. To reclaim the record from Breckenridge, 1275 Parkites showed up to lift 508 skis (2570 feet long) off Main Street. Congratulations, Sunrise Rotary for raising almost $30,000 from the event!
Among other new developments at Whistler this year are the Pangea Pod Hotel and 
apres ski axe-throwing. Two more reasons to visit Whistler Blackcomb, one of North America’s largest and most fascinating resorts. It has an added benefit for seniors — its relatively low elevation (long vertical, nonetheless) makes it easier on the lungs.
