No impossible steeps, flips or cliff-hucking. Don Burch creates kinder and gentler ski videos showing normal skiers doing normal things. His editing, use of interesting digital enhancements and choice of scenic shots have a warm, old-school quality appealing to skiers and boarders of a certain age. “Calling Me” (about 3-minutes) is Don’s most recent production. Click on the image to[Read More…]
There’s a joy to walking through the parking lot, skis on shoulder on the way to the lift or at the end of the day. People wishing you a good day, asking how the day went, commenting on the snow, sitting on a lawn chair sipping a cold one. The often-unnoticed backdrop to this gemutlichkeit is the ski-oriented vanity license[Read More…]
Sometimes life exceeds expectation. That’s what I’ve found with winter ranches in the Rockies. In summer, hundreds of dude ranches draw thousands of visitors. They’re crazy-diverse: homespun and elegant; private and heavily peopled; mostly self-service or with staff at your call. You’ll find Spartan working ranches as well as places with canapés and kidney-shaped swimming pools. The few ranches open[Read More…]
Several responses to a recent article under the same heading suggest I left the wrong impression on some readers. That’s anathema for a coach, so this is an attempt at clarification. The sketch is my attempt to explain the direction in which the skier’s torso is best oriented; not the direction your skis will be taking. In reality, every[Read More…]
Even though senior skiers ski more and spend more per capita on skiing than younger generations, there’s a perception throughout the industry that the older cohort is made up of tight wads taking up otherwise valuable space in the day lodge. Jon touches on the issue in this week’s Short Swings! column. In his typical light and informative style, Skiing[Read More…]
Many in the ski resort industry harbor an image of older skiers taking up otherwise profitable space in day lodges while consuming their bag lunches and lingering over a cup of coffee. I take offense at that stereotype. I prefer a cup of hot tea to coffee and I take my own teabag from home. Clearly, the facility makes more[Read More…]
Cold air supply growing… Before I look forward in this discussion, let’s look back. October was a very warm month relative to normal across the country, in large part because a sizable upper level dome of high pressure stretched across Canada and the northern states. Early snow cover over northern Asia and Canada are typically harbingers of a fast start[Read More…]
There are two trips around Walden Pond near Concord, MA. The first is a ski tour through a picturesque New England landscape, with sharp and steeply wooded hillsides surrounding an ice-covered, lambchop-shaped lake. Around the same pond is a second trip, a pilgrimage that passes the cabin site of Henry David Thoreau, “self-appointed inspector of snowstorms”, conjuring the spirit of[Read More…]
This is my shortest ever blog, but it may have a significant impact on your next ski holiday. It’s your first day back on the slopes, and you want to hit the ground running. You don’t want to miss a thing, so you‘re up early, on the first chair, and skiing like a mad thing all day. It feels so[Read More…]
In a sheltered, out-of-the-way spot, a tree nursery suddenly popped up at Brighton, the ski area gem at the end of Salt Lake City’s Big Cottonwood Canyon. That’s where 266 saplings are adjusting to life in pots until they’re big enough to be planted back onto the mountain. Mother Nature inconveniently sowed seeds on ski trails where they took root.[Read More…]
For newcomers to cross country (XC) skiing, deciding on the best skis can be intimidating, especially if you don’t want to rely entirely on retail sales people or on-line outlets for advice. The following guidance about selecting and using XC gear is general and intended to help you be an informed consumer. Note that as a rule of thumb, standard[Read More…]
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. The pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage readers to visit. This big time skier was hardly stilted when it came to skiing or to publicity stunts. He was ski school director of the ski school of a New England[Read More…]
Originally published in the 2020-21 Masterfit Buyer’s Guide and realskiers.com Bindings are rugged little devices, but like any mechanical unit they can wear out quickly if not kept clean and lubricated. At the beginning of the season, do a binding check. Annual shop inspections of the ski/boot/binding system will reveal any deviations in the release system that may require a binding to be[Read More…]
Ever since Vail Resorts and Alterra started gobbling up ski areas, there’s been industry chatter about corporate vs. independent resorts. Among other topics, this issue’s Short Swings! weighs in on the issue. Ski instructor and contributor, John Gelb, reports on Alta’s Intermediate Breakthrough instruction program and suggests ways to replicate it at other areas. One suggestion: take lessons on Sunday, when[Read More…]
Every industry benefits from a mix of offerings. The ski area industry is no exception. I find it enjoyable to ski big corporate resorts as well as independently-owned areas. Some, like Alta, Big Sky, and Jackson Hole offer both big terrain and an attractive level of smaller resort intimacy. It may surprise you that, according to the National Ski[Read More…]
Mother Nature picks up the pace… Halloween is upon us and it’s now reasonable to think snow. In the past week we have seen some major amounts of snow fall in the West, particularly in the Sierras of California. After a very dry summer, a veritable firehose of moisture pointed at the coastal ranches and let fly. Thankfully, there was[Read More…]
Hello readers, super great comments and questions on my “Secrets for Your Best Ski Season Ever” piece. Also spoke with two readers in follow up. I can sense everyone’s excited for this ski season – me too. Shoot me your thoughts or questions and I’ll reply. Previously I mentioned my good friend (60+) who improved bigtime from only four group[Read More…]
SKIS The ski shop makes more money renting out or selling higher performance equipment. Be honest with yourself – if you don’t ski hard and fast you probably don’t need it. Higher performance skis perform worse when not skied hard – they need higher momentum, and more force to get them to work well. Skied slower they can be harder[Read More…]
Originally published in the 2020-21 Masterfit Buyer’s Guide and realskiers.com How long your gear remains in tiptop condition depends entirely on how well it’s maintained. At least once a season, it’s good to get skis tuned by a specialty shop, where tuning machines can reproduce a factory finish on the skis so they perform like new. Here are some tips[Read More…]
Isn’t it remarkable how electric vehicles are taking over the automotive industry? By 2035, virtually all General Motors vehicles will be battery powered. Our grandkids will look back and tell their kids about a time when combustion engines ruled. I think a similar new frontier is being established with the Dahu ski boot. The company has parted ways[Read More…]
Don Burch creates short, artistic ski videos that capture the small moments showing people of all ages and abilities having fun together on the mountain. “Skiing The East” features scenes from Stowe, Okemo, Otis Ridge, Sunday River, Killington, Sugarbush, Mount Snow, Stratton, Wildcat, Magic, Waterville Valley and Maple Valley (long closed). Enjoy this two-minute ride.
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. The pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage you to visit and to support. This image was submitted by the Alf Engen Ski Museum, located in Park City, Utah. The museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of skiing[Read More…]
Last winter XC ski gear was in demand like never before and all segments of cross country ski equipment sold out, with few or no options for retailers to reorder. There also was an uptick for backcountry gear and snowshoes. Retailers are still experiencing demand and supply issues. Coupled with global supply chain challenges, everything from the components that complete[Read More…]
Years ago, a fellow I knew in the fitness industry commented, “You don’t ski to get in shape. You get in shape to ski.” I didn’t always agree, but as I’ve aged, I’ve realized that it really does require considerable training to prepare for the season. This issue has some good advice from Pat McCloskey about similarities between mountain biking[Read More…]
