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- #51
This did not increase my desire to try snowboarding, LOL. I love to watch those who are good at it, though.
Who is a Skier?
KingsKraken
Well-known member
Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Truth be told, I‘m only 46 but I wouldn’t try to learn now either.
I enjoy the sport, but the cost and logistics of today turn me off a bit. 200+ for lift tickets, expensive lodging and Covid concerns have me putting off skiing this year. If I could talk the Mrs. into joining me, it would justify things a bit and maybe I could spring for a year pass.
Does cross country count? When I lived in Wisconsin, I was a very avid cross country skier. I cant say that I was ever very good at it but I did enjoy it and its quite the workout.
I cant say that Ive ever felt the desire to try downhill though. To me, skiing was always more about getting out in nature, alone, in the woods where you had time to enjoy getting away from everything in a sort of zen like environment. It seems like a ski hill or ski resort is more about seeing, being seen, spending money and going to an exclusive resort.
In some ways, its not unlike golf, I suppose.
I do both and I prefer to ski. Part of it is living in New England where it is icy. Snowboarding on ice and firm snow stinks. I also feel like skiing is more versatile particularly bumps and tight places. Agreed a lesson for snowboarding steepens the learning curve.
I became an avid skier at age 6 and spent over 100 days each winter on the slopes through high school. For me snowboarding was much easier to master(two edges rather than four) but I had already been a competitive skier almost a decade when I picked up snowboarding in 1982. My son was a skier from age two and when he wanted to try snowboarding at age 14 he picked it up in a weekend. I enjoy both but when the wider skis became popular I pretty much stopped snowboarding as I could get the same surface area and floatation in powder from a set of ski. My widest pow skis are 161/144/169 mm at the tail/waist/shovel and are 191 cm long. I also have better control on skis whether it’s carving a turn on skis at 60+ mph or hitting a steep bump run. I don’t have the same confidence on a snowboard in either situation.
Definitely counts and it is an amazing workout. I’ve been out a dozen times this year with my daughter who is on her high schools Nordic ski team. All the golf courses around here have x-country skiing and we skied a couple of miles across the lake to one of our favorite restaurants a few weeks ago.
Yeah, I used to really enjoy it. My parents live in NE Wisconsin and all of the mountain bike trails are ski trails in the winter, not to mention you can ski on all the snowmobile trails.
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You can probably guess by my forum name that I do some skiing 
I didn't get out as much as I would have liked this year, but still managed to get some local days in as well as trips to Telluride, Crested Butte, Wildcat and Attitash. Hoping to get a few more days next season and get a little more luck with snow - only had 1 legit pow day all season, although conditions were generally good for my trips. Such is the struggle of a traveling skier!
I didn't get out as much as I would have liked this year, but still managed to get some local days in as well as trips to Telluride, Crested Butte, Wildcat and Attitash. Hoping to get a few more days next season and get a little more luck with snow - only had 1 legit pow day all season, although conditions were generally good for my trips. Such is the struggle of a traveling skier!
I didn't ski at all this year for the first time in a few years. Water ski season starts soon though and I will definitely be doing that.
MrBlast
Well-known member
I used to drive out to Keystone/Breckenridge for a week every year, in April. Did that for a decade plus. I love to ski. Haven't done it for a few years, since I taught my boys how to ski. I hate the little ice hill resorts they have around Iowa. It's not real skiing.
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Went for the first time this winter and I absolutely loved it! 1st time I hurt my shoulder, luckily it was my good shoulder so the damage wasn’t terrible. 2nd time out though was blizzard conditions and it was so relaxing. Can’t wait to go again next winter
I am 69 and have been skiing since I was 13. I originally lived on Long Island and after retirement moved to the Adirondack Mountains. I have only missed one season and that was because of a Hip replacement and now skiing with my grandchildren it is more fun than ever.
FatChance
Well-known member
I started skiing in Minnesota back in 1959 when I was a kid. I was on the ski team in high school (slalom and cross country, then I moved to Colorado in 1968 to go to the University of Colorado. I stayed in Colorado 50 years and skied for all that time, at resorts, backcountry and doing telemark racing. We recently moved to Arizona and, at 71 now, haven't skied since but still have all my gear and plan to start again next season after I recover from an upcoming shoulder surgery. 
I ski a lot. Mostly Vermont as it is close. But lived out in Colorado for a number of years and stillgo out there yearly. Been skiing Silverton, wolf creek and Teluride lately out there. So much great snow including heli skiing. Also Pagosa hot springs is near and that place is awesome. Also been to kicking horse, revel stoke and Fernie a couple of times when we do our BC trip. Just was skiing two weeks ago at Jay Peak in the woods and moguls
Like your form. Keep em flat side down.
I have been a snowboard instructor for 27 years. Level III AASI instructor , the past 25 have been up in VT. I do a lot of splitboarding as well and got my Avi 1 4 years ago. When I do go out west it’s always Jackson Hole backcountry. Been to CO, ID, UT but Jackson is where it’s all. My kids and wife also ride. We only got 33 days this season but was an awesome season for sure.
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MickNuggetz
New member
I used to snowboard a bit. Haven't been in years, but I'd like to pick it back up. Like you say, costs money, and a lot of mine goes to my family, and what I have left I try to spend on golf lol. Just wanted to reply because my father was an avid skier (and scratch golfer), and I was born in 1986.
CrashTestDummy
Well-known member
Skied for 11 years. Started at age 5. But never skied again after I started snowboarding. I surfed and skateboarded, so I knew snowboarding was it for me. However, I haven't been snowboarding in years. Nowadays, too much hassle and time. Rather just grab the clubs and head to golf course, mountain bike, fish, or go running. 
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I am finally getting around to putting summer wax on my skis now that it's halfway through summer Just been hard to find the time with all the yard work, golfing, trips, and visitors. But they don't look too sad - luckily I had waxed them all fairly recently before the end of the season so they aren't real dried out. Can't wait for the season!
Anybody want a pair of 179cm Atomic pow skis?? I've had them since I lived in Washington but they are way too fat for out here and I'd love for someone to put them to good use!
Just been hard to find the time with all the yard work, golfing, trips, and visitors. But they don't look too sad - luckily I had waxed them all fairly recently before the end of the season so they aren't real dried out. Can't wait for the season!Anybody want a pair of 179cm Atomic pow skis?? I've had them since I lived in Washington but they are way too fat for out here and I'd love for someone to put them to good use!
Yeah, you definitely are missing out if you live in Utah and don't get into skiing. I've been able to get in ~ 25 days/year the last few years since I joined a ski club. Vermont and then then a week out west most years. Utah is fantastic when you take into account the number of resorts and reasonable lodging less than an hour from the airport, awesome terrain, and consistently great snow.
You need to get a pass now as the last 5 years or so daily passes have skyrocketed. Ikon pass will get you unlimited days Aat Solitude and 5 or 7 days at Alta/Snowbird, Deer Valley, Brighton. Many other excellent resorts around the country if you travel around. In Vermont i get 7 days at Killington and unlimited days at both Sugarbush and Stratton. A good ski forum is skitalk.com
I envy those that have been able to ski 20+ days/year for a long time. IMO skiing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Looking forward to the coming season.
I don't agree that it is prohibitively expensive, we all know Ski equipment is expensive. It can cost a couple thousand dollars for your kit. Just like in Golf, clubs can cost a couple of thousand, so that's a wash. Greens fees average what about 60.00 on most muni's figure a round of golf takes 5 or so hours that's 12.00 an hour, a ticket at Gore Mt in NY is around 100.00 and owned by NYS, unless your a Senior like me then it's cheaper, the mountain is open from 9:00 to 5:00 that's 8 hours of fun for 12.50 an hour. Now I'm sure you can all tell me of other Ski areas that are more expensive, and I'm sure that there are Golf courses that are way out of most of our price range, but lets all agree that Skiing can be really expensive but so can Golf. I know I know what about the golf deals you can get, believe me you can find great deals in skiing. Here's just one that I like, a local Mt. offers 2 hrs of Skiing , a Breakfast sandwich and coffee for 35.00 on Wednesdays. Anyway in general the cost between Skiing and Golf is pretty much a wash.
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- #74
Your lift passes are less expensive than ours, from what you are describing. In Utah, I think you could purchase a season pass and if you skied enough, you could push the per hour price to something equivalent of golf. However, I don’t have enough time to do everything and will not likely ever purchase a season pass, so where I ski four or five times a year, there is no way that the cost is equivalent. I just played 18 holes at my home course. I walked (which is what I usually do, since I have an electric push cart), but I paid $28 for 18 holes. It is very difficult to ski for less than $100, particularly on a weekend.
Not that it really matters. It costs what it costs. Both are super fun activities. I have an addiction to golf. I am not addicted to skiing, so I am glad that the golf is so reasonably priced here in my locale.
I uses the lift prices at my home Mt, and Golf course because the math was easy, of course I could find much more expensive
I used the prices of my local golf course and mountain because the math was easy, of course we have more expensive places to play and ski here in the east, that goes without saying. I'm kind of envious of your living in Utah the skiing must be awesome but what I really think is that if you are wanting to do something ie: ski, golf, or whatever you'll pay to play.