60s Ski Songs Available Now, More Pass Wars Comments, Ski New Zealand Soon, Fat Bikes, And More.
Back in the early 60s, folk music was just beginning to become popular. Colleges, concert halls, and coffee houses were hosting a wide variety bands like The Kingston Trio and The Weavers with stringed instruments singing old time music as well as newly written tunes. One sub-genre soon emerged in parallel to the growth of the fast-growing sport of skiing. Oscar Brand, Bob Gibson, and a Navy vet named Ray Conrad created their own skiing songs which spread like an avalanche through the growing, ardent band of skiers.
Ray had a knack for composing clever, funny songs about the new world of the skier and skier wanna-bes. His tunes contain a full cast of caricatures like egotistical ski instructors, skiing cowboys, skiing Casanovas, skiing drinkers, you get the idea. For years, these songs were out of print and only available to those who had saved their decades-old vinyl albums. Now, SeniorsSkiing.com has worked with Ray to make these songs available again.
You can download Ray’s 16-song album, The Cotton-Lickin’ Lift Tower and Other Songs, for $20 from CDBaby. This is a download only. You can listen to short clips on the CDBaby site. Seniorsskiing.com is sharing the proceeds with Ray, who, at 95 years old, is ecstatic people are still interested in his music.
For an earlier article on famous skiing songs of the 60s, click here.
More Season Pass War Puzzlements
Yes, the new editions of season passes and their features are confusing. We are hearing complaints from SeniorsSkiing.com readers about feeling left out by these passes. In this week’s edition, Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg opines on who wins and who loses in the season pass lottery.
And here’s a link to The Ski Diva, our friend and colleague, who writes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek advice column on how to choose between Mountain Collective, IKON, Epic and the rest.
Please let us know how you are navigating these choices. Are you happy? Unhappy? If unhappy, have you complained to the pass vendors to let them know how you feel? Remember, there are lots and lots of senior skiers affected by these pass changes. When we shout together, it’s pretty loud.
Think More Skiing In New Zealand
March has brought extraordinary, mind-bending, other-worldly snow conditions to the Sierras, the Northwest, parts of the northern Rockiers, and, thankfully, New England. Spring snow sports should be over the top. If, however, that isn’t enough for you, and you have the time and curiosity, you can always go to New Zealand, where the ski season will soon be “cooling up.” Here’s a promo video from The Remarkables near the recreation city of Queenstown. You should recognize The Remarkables from Lord of The Rings.
For another review of En Zed skiing, check out last September’s report from SeniorsSkiing.com advisory council member Bernie Weichsel here.
Ski The Remarkables, Queenstown, NZ
This Week
Check out our new Mystery Glimpse. It’s a dashing ski personality who left us too early. Do you know who he is and what he was known for?
Correspondent Tamsin Venn reports on the first annual Ski Museum of Maine Senior Legends Race. This looks like a lot of fun, and congratulations to the competitors, most of whom were north of 70.
Correspondent Jonathan Wiesel has an interesting question: Better to cross-country ski on groomed trails or au naturel? Each has its unique qualities. Your thoughts?
Fat biking is a new-to-us snow country activity although we hear its been around since 2007, starting in Alaska and working into the western US. XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr introduces us to fat biking on snow with a visit to Kingdom Trails in northern Vermont. For course, people also fat bike on beaches and mountain trails in the summer, but snow country is an interesting idea.
Discounts For Seniors
Two interesting vendors on our Discounts For Seniors page for this week’s highlight:
FitterFirst, exercise equipment emphasizing balance and coordination, and Injinji, compression socks that also accommodate individual toes.
Please visit all our Discounts For Seniors vendors. There are some interesting deals in gear, clothing, and gifts you should check out.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends about us and remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.
