SeniorsSkiing.com is entering its fifth publishing season. When we started in 2014, we had a vision of creating an online magazine for snowsports enthusiasts over 50 and with it a community.
Getting the magazine off the drawing board required many decisions. What should we call it? How frequently should it publish? Should it be free? Should we pay contributors? Etc. Etc.
We struggled with the name: ElderSkier seemed too religious. SkiGeezer, too self-effacing. MatureSkier, too staid. We settled on SeniorsSkiing.com with full knowledge of its limitations. People in their 50s don’t perceive themselves as “seniors.” That moniker starts to fit after 65. Interestingly, the average SeniorsSkiing.com reader age is about 67.
Frequency of publication is something we’re still thinking about. For the past year, we published every Friday in season and once a month off-season. This season, we’re back to our every Friday cadence. What amazes us is that even off-season, readers continue to sign up.
We started by making SeniorsSkiing.com free and have kept it free. From time-to-time we’ve considered charging a small fee for premium subscriptions that would provide access to a variety of services and products. At present, we have no plans to go there.
Contributors are an essential asset. Over these five years, almost fifty writers have published with SeniorsSkiing.com. Some are professional journalists. Others are amateurs who love to write about their special interests. Still others are simply people with wonderful stories to tell. We rely on our contributors and appreciate what they do for us and for you.
When we launched in 2014 we had virtually no subscribers. Word of mouth and articles in Huffington Post and other places brought in several hundred readers. Then, The New York Times published a half-page interview, and the floodgates opened. We started publishing the annual list of US ski resorts where seniors ski free. As word got around, more and more people signed up. That was followed by the annual lists of the best skis for older skiers compiled by realskiers.com and the best boots for older skiers compiled by America’s Best Bootfitters. More subscribers.
Then we added access to Experticity’s deeply discounted access to outdoor products. That lasted a few years before the company changed policy. Currently, SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers have access to free subscriptions to Ski Magazine and to Skiing History Magazine.
Since we started, we’ve published almost 900 articles. Subscribers have access to the annual reports of places to ski free (this year Canadian resorts will be included), best skis, best boots, and other subscriber-only materials explaining ways to improve technique, etc.
To celebrate our 5th, we’re hosting a party, Wednesday, November 14 in Manhattan. If you’re in the NYC area, please come. Areas and ski-related companies are sending products and SWAG. Among other things 70+ Ski Clubis providing a free trip to Okemo; APEX Boot Systems, a free pair of boots; Bootsteris sending some of it’s compact ski boot horns to help you get your boots on, and DeBooteris sending several of its ingenious skiboot jacks to help you remove them. Orsdenis providing a few ski parkas for the raffle. Jon wears the Orsden parka. He loves it! For invitation and RSVP info click here look at the top of the home page.
Before closing, we want to share with you our mission:
SeniorsSkiing.com is committed to advancing the interests of older snow sports enthusiasts by
- Publishing relevant and useful information
- Encouraging an engaged online community, and
- Advocating on their behalf.
Thank you for subscribing to and supporting SeniorsSkiing.com. We’ll continue to do our best to keep you interested in and on the snow.
Great mission story! Last year was a big year for seniors talking XC ski lessons where I teach. A article by a MD about skiing and health would be good.
Would be. We have found that MDs are somewhat tentative about putting opinions into writing. But an experienced professional (like you) might do. What think?
Brad: Michael is quite right. MD’s are on the hit list for any predatory litigation so they shy away from medical advice on skiing and health. So I will volunteer for them, as I’m an old, healthy skier. Ski. It’s healthy.
Hi Mike! I am teaching on the evening of Nov 14 but depending on the time of your event I’d enjoy dropping in. I did not see a link at the top of the home page (or embedded in the post) – can you point me to the event info?
Thanks,
Paolo