Is there a 'cutoff' age for skiing?

[Anonymous]

I mean, what’s the proposal here—that there be some universal consensus that there is ANY specific age when someone should stop skiing? Isn’t the only possible answer to this “depends on the person,” just like it is for walking, dancing and driving?

[Anonymous]

I ski regularly at 48 and my dad is on ski patrol in Colorado at 78.

I am more cautious now and I definitely get more sore but it is fun.

[Anonymous]

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 48. I’m now 54 and although meds and weight bearing, regular exercise had helped me, skiing is out for me. I will snowshoe and cross country ski.

[Anonymous]

Skiing in France now and half the people are 70-80

[Anonymous]

The reality is most people don’t recognize their own limitations or fully appreciate the risk as they age.

I have not one, but two, colleagues who were hospitalized for serious injuries related to falling off a bike. These people were serious cyclists who hiked to work in DC and cycled throughout Europe. Guess what? You lose your balance as you age. It’s a fact.

I know people who stopped skiing after they blew out their knee or injured their back or neck. That can happen at any age, but the people I know suffered injuries in their 50s/60s. Now they’ll be in pain for the rest of their lives.

I know avid skiers who switched to cross country skiing (is that what it is called?) when they hit 50. They travel abroad to do it and seem to have fabulous trips.

[Anonymous]

I was just on a ski trip and saw lots of seniors on the slopes. Downhill skiing is rough on the knees, though, so keep that in mind.

Cycling can be a lifelong sport with low impact. I plan to do it all my life.

[Anonymous]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5784561/

Research on increased risk of injury for elderly cyclists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At some point, rehabbing from a broken bone becomes too much trouble. I wouldn't do it past 50

Whst a sad life you'll live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A fall at 30-40-50 is not the same as a fall at 60-70-80. Your useful life and independence could be over in one fall. Look at Terry.

+1.

I've started to wonder about this myself. In the past few years, I've had multiple friends - all regular skiers who used to live in CO and UT - suffer pretty bad skiing accidents in their 40s. One had an ACL tear, the other broke a few ribs and shoulder, and another suffered knee injury that required surgery. I know that many of us still ski well into our 40s but the risk of serious injury increases tremendously. I enjoy skiing and will stick to pretty easy slopes from here on out. Once my kids can head out on their own, I will likely not venture out. The risk is too great.

Surely these posts are a joke. You folks act like skiing into your 40s is a death wish. Go ski the big mountains in the Rockies and you'll see plenty of retirees in their 60s and 70s hitting 60+ ski days a year.

[Anonymous]

I was once skiing out west and there was a big 70+ skiers meet up group. They were having a blast. My parents stopped skiing at around 60. I'm 47 and hope I can ski for another 20 years but what I love most about it is just being outside in the mountains so maybe I'll stick to cross country at some point. My kids are now too good for me (I ski blacks, they ski double blacks)

[Anonymous]

My dad stopped skiing when he was 85. He retired to Colorado when he was 63 and would ski almost every month of the year - in the summer he would fly to New Zealand, Argentina or Chile. I went with him on one of his last trips and he only did one run. He stopped skiing because he had early dementia and his wife didn't want him out on the slopes by himself - she didn't ski. Because he stayed so active, he was still physically able to ski at 85 years old.

[Anonymous]

Tons of old people living and skiing at the resort we went to in Vermont. Not what I'd want to do, but good for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 48. I’m now 54 and although meds and weight bearing, regular exercise had helped me, skiing is out for me. I will snowshoe and cross country ski.

How was your osteoporosis discovered so young? Is it genetic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ski regularly at 48 and my dad is on ski patrol in Colorado at 78.

I am more cautious now and I definitely get more sore but it is fun.

Wow that is impressive. Say hi to your dad!

My dad is turning 78 this year, he does steep double blacks with moguls like a professor. This past February he would go down one first and would have to wait for me a for a few minutes half way down the hill.

My mom started learning around age 40. She broke her leg on flat ground because she hadn’t buckled her boots properly (if at all). She never went back.

I learned when I was 10 and keep improving (now 44).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 48. I’m now 54 and although meds and weight bearing, regular exercise had helped me, skiing is out for me. I will snowshoe and cross country ski.

Basically the same story. Osteoporosis at 55. Now 60, skied last year after Dr gave ok after fosamax worked, but was nervous about a fall. Giving downhill skis to my daughter will do cross country.