Skiing Black Runs in his 70s

For those of you thinking you're too old, here's some inspiration from a client I had the pleasure of skiing with last winter.

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[DarrellGrainger]

I just turned 60 and decided to learn how to ski. Just did the bunny hill. Can do a snow plow to slow down and turn. I feel I'm a long way from this guy but hopefully I'll be skiing this well before I turn 70. 😊

[philiplacey]

71 years old here...There are lots of 70 plus skiers who are much better than this fellow but that's not the point. Perhaps he has only just taken up the sport and is still improving every season or only gets 10 days a year. If you are 70 years old and you are improving at a skills based sport like skiing, swimming, surfing, rowing etc, you deserve all the credit for that accomplishment and have a right to brag about it on social media. The advice by the way is spot-on as I have battled all those issues myself.

[Luke-fj]

Learning to ski later in life is MUCH harder than when you are young. Well done Michael.

[stevedugas]

So, I'm sevent-four and I ski every day that conditions allow. Unfortunately here in Pennsylvania, conditions are not always ideal, but as long as the groomers at my hill advertise "packed powder" (tranlated: glare ice alternating with death cookies and rocks) I'm at it. God has blessed me with good health, strong bones and joints and a very understanding, non-skiing wife!

[ardenpowers]

This is my 70th year on alpine skis. Twenty seven of my years have been spent as a ski instructor. I would highly recommend more time in the gym prior to starting each ski season. This acquired fitness will definitely help in developing many of the muscles required to stabilized skiers and help them to execute better turns and aid in their progression in the sport. ( never mind reduce the incident of injury )
Just my thoughts . . .
Thanks for sharing

[kgalvin]

Love this video! I am 47 and am generally pretty fit, but I am learning to ski for the first time. This gives me hope that it’s a sport I can continue to improve upon through the next couple decades (there are not many sports where you can say that.) I don’t have any illusions about catching up to people who have been doing this since they were kids - I just hope to have some fun with my husband. Because my spouse and I have kids at home and both work full time, we don’t have the luxury of being able to log hundreds of days a year as some of the other commenters here.

[timmytuka]

Great, inspiring video, thanks for posting. It seems that some people give up on a physically active life years before their 70s.
Mid 60s here, skiing, hiking, surfing, makes me feel alive. I'm occasionally told to" act my age" which I think means sitting on the couch staring at a cell phone etc. Staying active is so important especially with age.

[agapesong]

At 73, this is my third season back on skis after more than 30 years. I am blessed with the support of a large senior skier community here at Mt Baker, Wash. I am one of the younger members of this group of men and women, several in there 80's and a few in their 90's. It helps that a season pass is less than $200 for skiers over 70.

[fourftr]

As a skier who turns 71 next month and has been skiing for forty years without lessons this has been one of the greatest videos I’ve seen 🍺👍

[GrahamSmith-tt]

I am 79
, level 2 CSIA, and still skiing regularly in all terrain though leaving double blacks for a day with very good conditions. This skier was using the pre shaped ski technique of aggressive unweighting left over from stiff straight skis. There was no contact with the snow until the skiis were past the fall line. For me focusing on what I feel from my feet reminds me when I am not keeping consistent pressure on the snow. Thinking of peddling a bicycle engages the new foot at the crossover point well before the fall line. Also moving the upper body towards the next turn instead of up keeps us stiff old guys angulating instead of inclining.

[tfs]

Good for that old boy! Linking turns and having a blast! Hiking for turns is bad ass!
I`m 69 and still skiing the steeps on tele gear. Keeps me young :)
Cheers.

[JeffVallance]

I don't get some of the criticism here. Just being out there at 71 puts Mike way beyond the vast majority of people his age and is an inspiration. I'm "only" 55 and I hope I look this good skiing when I'm in my 70s.

[ctsehn]

Some of these comments definitely went a little sideways!
Too bad really because what some people are commenting was not at all what he was trying to portay in this particular video. I am 42 and would absolutely love to still be able to ski in my 70's - so this video puts stars in my eyes and gives me the inspiration to look forward to being able to still ski when I am that age as well. Currently, I wear a level 3 hinged knee brace on each knee to protect my knees more than anything because I ski with my 13 year old son who I definitely can't let "one up me" 🤣
More to the point, I believe this video was meant to put stars in more people's eyes and not call out every senior out there that can still ski.

[ilipika]

the video analysis is very clear, the cut in of your model stances had made the explanation ever clearer given the ease to compare. thanks so much!!!

[leonardbertaux]

Dude you need to meet the Over the Hill Gang at Alta. 90 is the new 70!

[coltruger]

Go to Sun Valley, Idaho and you will see many men and women over 70 years old that are shredding the mountain.

[robturner]

I ski with Junior Bonous, he turned 99 in August, he still skis powder and loves to carve big turns on steep groomed black runs. He is still skiing 100+ days a year on average.

[philliptoone]

I taught my dad how to ski in his 70s. He skies Snowbird twice a week every week now for years.

[Gottenhimfella]

The most inspiring thing is that he's still taking lessons!
Come to think of it, so am I, and I've been a qualified instructor from an early age.
And I'm only 69 ...
But I hope I'll be taking them (as a pupil, and maybe occasionally still an instructor) in fifteen years.
I'm certainly more flexible that I was as a teenager, and almost as strong.
(Lots of enjoyable conditioning work, but without gym visits, or equipment other than what I improvise)

[philipmorgan-duvz]

I’m another of the silver slides and still learning must keep yourself fit