Tag Archive for: Learning To Ski

Harriet Wallis

Don’t Tell Me To Stay Home

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How I Was Reinvented As An Athlete.

Riding the rope. Harriet’s daughter Alison, 5, in leather boots and wooden skis on Jiminy Peak’s rope tow. Credit: Harriet Wallis

I learned to ski on a dare. Actually, it was a threat.

When my husband announced he was going to learn to ski, I gulped. I thought skiing was something crazy people in the other side of the world did, but not here in Connecticut.

“You’re going to do what?” I asked. “How are you going to learn to ski?”

“I read a learn-to-ski book, and I’m going to do it,” he said.

I was still processing that concept when he added, “And you can babysit the kids.”

I was being told to stay home and take care of the kids while he was going off to learn some stupid sport. That was the last straw.

“Whatever this ski-thing is, we’re all going to learn to ski,” I insisted. “You, me, and the kids.”

It was the early 70s and equipment was changing rapidly. Plastic boots were making a hit, and leather boots were cheap at ski swaps. We outfitted all four of us – boots, boot carriers, wooden skis, poles, and a few jackets – for under $100. Lessons got us started, and we spent many Saturdays practicing wedge turns from Jiminy Peak’s free rope tow. The sport was beginning to stick.

As for me, I didn’t know I was athletic until I learned to ski. I was in my 30s with two children. Back in high school gym class, I was always the last one picked when they chose teams. I wasn’t even chosen. I was the last one standing there and the gym teacher would say: “Harriet, go over to that team.”  I just wasn’t very good at team sports: volleyball, basketball, or softball. But when I learned to ski, I was reinvented as an athlete.

And that has stuck too.

Rose Marie Cleese

Learning To Ski As An Adult

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The Number Of Senior Skiers Is Growing By Leaps And Bounds Every Year. Join The Gang. 

[Editor Note: This article first appeared in Liftopia Blog. SeniorsSkiing.com thanks Liftopia for sharing Rose Marie Cleese with us.]

Statistics show that many people who give skiing a try—regardless of age—never return after their first day. Why? Because it wasn’t the most pleasurable of experiences. They didn’t prepare (wrong clothing, out of shape, etc.) and they didn’t start with proper instruction on Day One. To give skiing and boarding an honest shot and ensure that you’ll want to go back for Day Two, be prepared for Day One and make sure that day includes a good ski lesson. You’ll be rewarded with a lifetime of exhilarating days on the slopes. Here are four important first steps…

Step #1: Check yourself out.

Before you sign up for those beginner senior lessons or if you’ve been off the slopes for a number of years and you’re itching to get out there again, the first step is to have a physical exam and get your doctor’s blessing.

If you’ve turned into a couch potato, get back in shape. Attend aerobics classes weekly; walk a lot; start a daily regimen that includes balancing exercises, weights, and some cardiovascular activities.

Here’s the recommended conditioning checklist for older skiers issued by the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA):

  • Check with your doctor before starting any physical training
  • Choose a low-impact exercise regimen that includes stretches, half-squats, drive-ups, lunges, leg curls, crunches—avoid polymetric exercises, such as box jumps
  • Include weight training in your exercise program—start with light weights and low reps, gradually increasing both
  • Don’t over-train; alternate among walking, biking, stretching, and active rest.

If you’re over the age of 50, see important tips for cardio, balance and strength exercises that senior skiers can do to prep for the slopes.  Click here for some ideas from Liftopia and here for the beginning of an exercise series from SeniorsSkiing.com.

Step #2: Gear up.

If you’re a first-timer, either purchase ski apparel that you can wear both on and off the slopes or rent ski clothing. You can also rent a helmet and equipment (boots, skis, poles, boards) until you’re sure that you’re going to continue. If you’re returning to the sport after a hiatus, consider upgrading since ski equipment has improved markedly in the past couple of decades and makes skiing easier, safer, and more enjoyable. And buy a helmet!

Step #3: Start smart.

Seek out mountain resorts that offer special instruction programs or workshops for adult or senior skiers. For your first day, pick a day with great weather and good snow conditions and go on a weekday when the slopes are more empty.

Choose a ski area that employs PSIA-certified instructors who have been trained and accredited to instruct skiers 50 years of age and older. PSIA’s Accreditation I offers its Levels 1-, 2- and 3-certified instructors two days of training to address the instructional needs of beginning and intermediate senior skiers; Accreditation II is three days of training available to Levels 2- and 3-certified instructors to enable them to teach all levels of senior skiers modern ski techniques that will optimize their strength, balance, and enjoyment of the sport.

Step #4: Be enlightened.

Talk to other older skiers about skiing at a certain age. What are the pluses? The minuses? Helpful hints?

To sum it up…

When considering sports that seniors typically take up, Snowsports Industries Association’s Director of Research Kelly Davis says, “While golf and sailing and hiking are amazing activities, skiing gives you an experience of freedom that’s difficult to match. While working your core, you get the thrill of flying down a snow-covered hill. Plus the bonds you form on the slopes and on ski lifts are second to none.”

Her message is obviously resonating. The number of senior skiers is growing by leaps and bounds every year. In 2014, skiers aged 55 and older accounted for 6% of all skiers (double that of 1994); today in 2017, approximately 15% of all skiers are over the age of 50. Make this the year you join (or rejoin) the growing ranks of older skiers. You won’t be alone!