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  1. #51
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    I sized down years ago from 200+ skis to 190ish skis I have been on the last 20 years or so.

    Weight gain, check.
    Rockered skis, check.
    Backcountry lighter setup, check.
    Lift served full alpine burley setup, check.
    watch out for snakes

  2. #52
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    Mar 2008
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    I sized down from 200+ but that was due to a whole different design where modern skis were shorter/wider/more sidecut/ better design/better material ... have you sized down your MODERN skis ?
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Orthoski View Post
    Btw, this is one of the best TGR quotes I've seen in a while. I've actually used it with patients since...

    Thanks Old Goat!
    Quote Originally Posted by rod9301 View Post
    I'm still in my 184 katanas, metal inbounds and carbon in the Backcountry.

    I Don't understand why people think it's harder to bend a ski as you get older.

    Any turn will produce at least 1 g, which should be more than sufficient to bend a burly ski.

    The only disadvantage to a longer ski, for me, is that it's harder to do kick turns when skinning

    Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk
    1 g will bend an unsupported ski as far as you could possibly want. But put the ski on snow, especially deep snow, and it takes more force to bend it. That force is speed x mass (if I remember my HS physics) so if you slow down as you age you can't bend the ski much unless of course you gain weight as many of us do.
    I started buying softer skis in my early 60's.
    Why do older skiers slow down--sometimes our slowing reflexes tell us to, sometimes our brains tell us to, most likely our orthopedist tells us to. One thing to keep in mind--get hurt when you're over 65 or so and you're going to have a very hard time getting back to the condition you were in before you were hurt, and most won't.

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    Seattle
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    I went to full rocker for a while, and yes, easy to cheat. As time went by I wanted more ski underfoot and am still there.
    Quote Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles View Post
    If I lived in WA, Oft would be my realtor. Seriously.

  5. #55
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    Jan 2009
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    Squaw valley
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    Quote Originally Posted by old goat View Post
    1 g will bend an unsupported ski as far as you could possibly want. But put the ski on snow, especially deep snow, and it takes more force to bend it. That force is speed x mass (if I remember my HS physics) so if you slow down as you age you can't bend the ski much unless of course you gain weight as many of us do.
    I started buying softer skis in my early 60's.
    Why do older skiers slow down--sometimes our slowing reflexes tell us to, sometimes our brains tell us to, most likely our orthopedist tells us to. One thing to keep in mind--get hurt when you're over 65 or so and you're going to have a very hard time getting back to the condition you were in before you were hurt, and most won't.
    Force is acceleration times mass

    Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Fort Collins
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    770
    All dick waving and compensation aside, I've gravitated and enjoyed longer skis as I get older.

    I'm still sort of "young" by some standards, at the ripe age of 32. But I'm skiing stronger, spinning and inverting more, and skiing steeper & more aggressive terrain than I was in my 20s. I also weigh less than I did for much of my 20s.

    I'm a pretty strong advocate that your 30s are some of your most physically prime years. I've heard a lot of people arguing the same about their 40s. In the long run though, I think it's a very relative thing. Properly bending a ski is the key to skiing well, so whatever length or stiffness you're able to do that and still enjoy yourself, go into whatever the correlating size is.

    I think some companies have figured out how to cheat the system a little bit with the right flex pattern and sidecut/camber profile; Kastle, some Blizzards, and Stockli come to mind.

  7. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by DarthMarkus View Post
    All dick waving and compensation aside, I've gravitated and enjoyed longer skis as I get older.

    I'm still sort of "young" by some standards, at the ripe age of 32. But I'm skiing stronger, spinning and inverting more, and skiing steeper & more aggressive terrain than I was in my 20s. I also weigh less than I did for much of my 20s.

    I'm a pretty strong advocate that your 30s are some of your most physically prime years. I've heard a lot of people arguing the same about their 40s. In the long run though, I think it's a very relative thing. Properly bending a ski is the key to skiing well, so whatever length or stiffness you're able to do that and still enjoy yourself, go into whatever the correlating size is.

    I think some companies have figured out how to cheat the system a little bit with the right flex pattern and sidecut/camber profile; Kastle, some Blizzards, and Stockli come to mind.
    Come back to this thread in a decade or two. You don't fit the description.

    Sent from my SM-A505W using Tapatalk
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  8. #58
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    Sep 2005
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    Sizing up as you get older, when getting older means you're now in your 30s? Get out of here with that shit.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  9. #59
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    Jan 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by DarthMarkus View Post
    All dick waving and compensation aside, I've gravitated and enjoyed longer skis as I get older.

    I'm still sort of "young" by some standards, at the ripe age of 32. But I'm skiing stronger, spinning and inverting more, and skiing steeper & more aggressive terrain than I was in my 20s. I also weigh less than I did for much of my 20s.

    I'm a pretty strong advocate that your 30s are some of your most physically prime years. I've heard a lot of people arguing the same about their 40s. In the long run though, I think it's a very relative thing. Properly bending a ski is the key to skiing well, so whatever length or stiffness you're able to do that and still enjoy yourself, go into whatever the correlating size is.

    I think some companies have figured out how to cheat the system a little bit with the right flex pattern and sidecut/camber profile; Kastle, some Blizzards, and Stockli come to mind.
    Kids these days??? As one of my sister-in-laws once said to her oldest son "you're not even old enough to have hair on your balls". Let me give you a preview of 15 years from now. You'll start waking up in the morning after a long day of making turns and your body will greet you with a simple "fuck you". All those old injuries that were no big deal in your 30's...fuck you. Zipperline moguls....fuck you. Big drops onto hard landings...fuck you. 6,000' vert tours...fuck you. You get the idea. For me, getting older is a little like have a hangover in your joints, but one that never quite goes away. Question is whether we can work at staying in shape, put on our big boy pants and tell our bodies...fuck you. We're going to use the equipment that let's us cheat the most out of it and still have fun like we did in our 30's, before we were old enough to have hair on our balls.

  10. #60
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    30's are prime years for having 2 kids a mortgage, job and planting a white picket fence. Those guys are on day 2 of the season and often just can't keep up while a motivated old fuck is on day 50
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  11. #61
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    Nov 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Thomas View Post
    Kids these days??? As one of my sister-in-laws once said to her oldest son "you're not even old enough to have hair on your balls". Let me give you a preview of 15 years from now. You'll start waking up in the morning after a long day of making turns and your body will greet you with a simple "fuck you". All those old injuries that were no big deal in your 30's...fuck you. Zipperline moguls....fuck you. Big drops onto hard landings...fuck you. 6,000' vert tours...fuck you. You get the idea. For me, getting older is a little like have a hangover in your joints, but one that never quite goes away. Question is whether we can work at staying in shape, put on our big boy pants and tell our bodies...fuck you. We're going to use the equipment that let's us cheat the most out of it and still have fun like we did in our 30's, before we were old enough to have hair on our balls.
    Flawlessly eloquent.

    At 32, I still felt like 22.

  12. #62
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    Jan 2011
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    XXX,
    No doubt. I was once 32 and my son happens to be 32 at the moment. I ski with he and his friends on occasion, and occasionally tour with some local guys in their 30's. So, to follow the theme of this thread, there are a couple of things that help compensate for skiing with guys that are approaching half my age. First is skill. I'm fortunate to be a pretty competent skier and can ski as well or better than most of them. Second, some of the more modern gear allows me to keep up, even if I can't sustain the peak exertion I did 20 years ago. It's an ongoing optimization exercise. For instance, last year I sold my old Katana 190's. Great skis but I couldn't pound it out on them for a full day like my son (who fit's your description pretty well) who can easily....without working at staying in shape or recovering from injuries. Now I'm wondering if I can fill that quiver slot with a Corvus 188 and still do pretty much the same thing but be able to go all day? Switching from touring on Lhasa Pow 191 hybrids to 186 BMT 109's bought me an additional 1,000' vert. Size down as I get older....working on answering that question as this is written. We're fortunate to have some modern gear options that are expanding what's possible for those of us not in our 30's.

  13. #63
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    Nov 2006
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    Seattle
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    You're barely old enough to have hair on your balls!



    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Thomas View Post
    Kids these days??? As one of my sister-in-laws once said to her oldest son "you're not even old enough to have hair on your balls". Let me give you a preview of 15 years from now. You'll start waking up in the morning after a long day of making turns and your body will greet you with a simple "fuck you". All those old injuries that were no big deal in your 30's...fuck you. Zipperline moguls....fuck you. Big drops onto hard landings...fuck you. 6,000' vert tours...fuck you. You get the idea. For me, getting older is a little like have a hangover in your joints, but one that never quite goes away. Question is whether we can work at staying in shape, put on our big boy pants and tell our bodies...fuck you. We're going to use the equipment that let's us cheat the most out of it and still have fun like we did in our 30's, before we were old enough to have hair on our balls.
    Quote Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles View Post
    If I lived in WA, Oft would be my realtor. Seriously.

  14. #64
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    Sep 2001
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    I downsized to 186 Stockli Stormriders from the 200 Snowrangers.
    Then I reupsized to circa 2006 200 Lotus 120s.

    I haven't liked the massive rockers in the newer skis and I don't really like the reverse cambers either.

    It's like DPS got it right the first time with a little rocker and lots of effective edge.
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  15. #65
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    Dec 2016
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    In a van... down by the river
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buster Highmen View Post
    I downsized to 186 Stockli Stormriders from the 200 Snowrangers.
    Did you hang on to those Snow Rangers? Those were such nice skis... mine have a bunch of gear hanging from them in the garage...

  16. #66
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    Aug 2006
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    Wasatch
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    Those who sized down due to age... yay or nay?

    I haven’t sized down due to the actual skiing. Skiing in big cottonwood requires a lot of billygoating, side stepping and booting. It’s easier on the body with a shorter and lighter ski. Hip flexors appreciate the shorter skis.

    However If I was still an AltaBird person I bet I’d have longer skis - bigger ski lines and somewhat less shuffling around would be fine with bigger hardware.

    Edit to add current quiver deets:
    Elan dipstick 106 181cm w outlaw x NTN
    4frnt renegade 186cm w outlaw x NTN
    Kastle fx85 180cm w outlaw x NTN
    Dps wailer 99 184cm w outlaw x NTN
    Elan ripstick 96 181 g3 ion. Haven’t skied these in a year. Tele is just too much fun!
    Last edited by jmedslc; 02-17-2020 at 09:49 PM.

  17. #67
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    Apr 2014
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    Canada
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    355
    58 yrs old and just replaced my all-mountain skis. Last weekend the Nordica/Blizzard and Fischer demo crews were at Pano and I had already skied the 184 M5’s Mantras (96mm underfoot). So I knew I liked those. Old skis being replaced were 177 Mantra v.1.

    Skied the Blizzard Bonafides in 177 and 183. The 183s gripped better on groomers and didn’t hurt me in the trees. Re-tried the M5’s in both ( can demo them for 10 bucks an hour and if you buy, it comes off your price.). In the end, I went with the 184 cm M5’s. So up a length after 10 years.

    My other sticks are 177 cm Rossi P700 for groomer only days and 188 cm Rossi S7 for the powder days.

    I think length more comes down to technique and conditions. Good technique (mine is far from perfect) and one I think is less impacted by the incremental 5 cm. If one isn’t charging groomers, a shorter softer ski may be better as one ages. I know I am slowing down, just from creeping fear of speed syndrome. But the longer Mantras just felt grippier on the groomers than the shorter length. And more stable at my usual speed. For me, YMMV...


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  18. #68
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    Sep 2018
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    6,643
    When I was younger it was easier to bully skis around - force long sleds to turn in tight trees and bumps, or force short skis to rip groomers without getting bounced around. A little more strength and significantly more stamina allowed me to use one pair for almost anything. Now I like a (small) quiver. Makes it easier to ski hard bell to bell by tuning my skis to what I'll be doing. That's the major difference I've seen.

    Different sticks for different tricks.

  19. #69
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    1,279
    I posted this just a few days ago - but I'll repeat the gist.

    I skied a 0-3 times a year before I turned 20.
    Got a few more days in, average, till I was 30.
    Had kids and got a few days a year climbing volcanoes and skiing off - but no lift-served days.
    Then my daughter decided she'd like to ski - at age 12 or 13. That year was crazy. I realized how much I missed skiing.
    I've probably put in 125 days over the last five or six years - so peanuts to a lot of people here. But that's easily tripled or quadrupled my total lifetime days.

    All that to say, the level at which I ski has gone up dramatically the last five years. Which may make my case a bit of an outlier.

    So, while I'm getting older [I'll be 53 this year] I don't think I've reached my peak yet. [Also for reference; I'm 5'7" and about 140#]

    And just this last week, I sized up on a Cochise. I was skiing the 177, but got a chance to snag a 185. It's been a serious revelation. Landings from airs are probably the biggest place they matter - the platform has a way wider sweet-spot. If you're just a tiny bit off on the 177's you're going to splatter. The 185's feel completely insane in what you can throw down and still land it.

    My current quiver is Kastle MX 98 / new & old Cochise / OG Bodacious - so I def like very damp, very heavy destroyers. And I can't imagine changing this.

    But I'm not sure I need the 185's. Other than airs, and skiing WAY faster than I do with the 177's [which was already way too fast] I'm not sure I need the 185's. In fact, it feels like buying a 200+hp sport bike. Yeah, it's nuts fun, but it might just kill you. [Ok, not might, will.]

    Yet I doubt I'm going to give up the 185's, and honestly, I'm probably going to go larger all the way around. Age is going to catch up to me eventually, but I'm going to go down screaming the entire way! Once I get too scared of going that fast, I'll go back to my shorter stuff - provided I don't die first. Yet I think I have a few years yet before I'm there.

    I think it's all about where you are, where you've been and what your goal is. Mine is, essentially, milking all the crazy stuff I might have done on skis in my 20's and 30's out while my body is somewhat capable of handling it. My skiing ability is still getting better, and I'm still craving more. So longer works for me.

    Not everyone is there though.

    Mainly, longer skis, IMO, allow you more stability so you can go faster, go bigger and be wild. If you're willing to turn the volume down a little, then shorter makes sense. It's less weight to haul around and make you tired. But that all depends on your taste, your tolerance for risk, and what you want out of a day.

    For me, I think I'm heading the other direction.

    [Some thanks to @GregL (and a few others) in the Blizzard thread. I don't think I'd have considered the 185's without his thoughts. I don't think that was his intent, but it pushed me to try something, and I'm pretty surprised at the outcome.]

  20. #70
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    northern BC
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    a ski doesn't know how old you are it just knows how much you weigh
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    a ski doesn't know how old you are it just knows how much you weigh
    And it doesn't know how strong you are or how much fast you have, just how much you weigh.

    Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk

  22. #72
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    Jan 2006
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    Alpental
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    haven't most of you dentites been gaining 2-3 lb/yr as you age? I'd expect most to be sizing up at least waist bands.
    Move upside and let the man go through...

  23. #73
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    426
    I think most of us are functionally downsizing whether we want to believe it or not. I'm skiing the same mid-180s lengths I skied a couple decades ago but with the advent of rocker that is a lot shorter than it used to be - jump on an older ski and the new ones feel like cheating. As aforementioned, it's all about what you want the ski to do. In wide open powder one may find it easier to have longer, stable skis, including as one ages - much easier to balance. When one gets a more frontside oriented ski, one quickly realizes the advantage in the hard, icy bumps or between the tight New England trees of going just a little bit shorter (in my case high 170s) with only a marginal sacrifice as far as stability on groomers. I completely agree with the comment about a quiver being more and more relevant as one ages - you can still crush it if you bring the right tool the job.
    Originally Posted by jm2e:
    To be a JONG is no curse in these unfortunate times. 'Tis better that than to be alone.

  24. #74
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    Nov 2008
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    I suggest shorter but beefier.
    Oh, and narrower.

  25. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by rod9301 View Post
    Force is acceleration times mass

    Sent from my Redmi Note 8 Pro using Tapatalk
    I oversimplified it for all the poets on the forum. The actual formula is Force= mass x velocity squared/radius

    A ski definitely knows how fast you ski--by how much it bends when you put it on edge. It may not know how strong you are, but your legs will definitely tell you how stiff it is. And just like the ski feels more force the faster you ski, your legs feel more force in a turn the faster you ski, so how fast you can ski depends in part on how strong you are. Some of us would not be capable of making one carved turn at DH skis--our legs would buckle.

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