“Old guy in the park” mentality

c-fries

c-fries

Active member
Something I’ve been thinking about a bunch recently. I feel like there’s this weird stigma around freestyle skiing beyond the age of like 23. I think it’s stupid, but it's definitely a real thing.

I’m 27. Some days when I’m lapping the park all day, I feel like I’m the oldest one by a mile. You sit with guys on the chair in their late 20s that are like “back in the day I used to do XYZ tricks but not anymore, I’m too old” (I’m guilty of that one for sure).

Meanwhile in other sports, 27 is an age of peak athleticism. There are plenty of sports professionals that break records and win MVP awards well into their mid 30s. Obviously in our own sport, there are plenty of guys in their 30s that haven’t slowed down a bit. I’m sure we could all name a ton (Henrik, Sammy C, TC crew, fucking candide, etc).

What do you guys think? Which is there this perceived “age cap” in freestyle skiing?
 
It all depends on the person. There's compounding of injuries over years that making it harder/sketchier for people to send it. There's getting rocks bad or enough times you develop "the fear". Prioritizing life and other things, wanting to stay healthy.

Some people are 40 and sending it, some people slow down massively in their mid 20s. I can't take a fall at this point. I need to be careful but I still get in the park a bit and enjoy it, especially if I can ride it more regularly and start to get some tricks back. But it's just nice being out there. So yeah back in the day I could do "xyz tricks but not anymore, I'm too old" lol.

I think I've done the classic transition to bigger mtn stuff though. Ended up moving to a mtn with lots of steep mtn terrain. some techy stuff. Everyone here shreds that kind of stuff so it's a lot of fun ripping around with the work squad or other friends. I'd like to be better in the park still, but I got hurt a bunch. I'm happy I'm able to hit stuff still. It's fun but I'm never going to be that good at park again. I'm turning 34 this month. I had a good season 4 years ago, and the summer after where I relearned a bunch of tricks. Felt dialed on rails and jumps, but was riding a ton with a buddy and slowly built that confidence back up. Gone are the days where I just roll into the park after a break and feel like I'm not going to get fucked up.

If you're feeling it, keep doing. Send it till your 50. If you start to slow down thats fine. Embrace the little wins. I get hyped if I do a sloppy barely countable version of a trick I used to have dialed. Like shit I never would have wanted a person to see let a lone film, get a clip and I'm like "yeahhhhh, still got it!"

It's still fun. I hope I get another 10+ years of it. Hope you get the same!
 
topic:c-fries said:
Meanwhile in other sports, 27 is an age of peak athleticism. There are plenty of sports professionals that break records and win MVP awards well into their mid 30s.
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I'm thinking this has something to do with younger kids make it more known they are in the park with posting clips and such? cant put my finger on it either and I totally agree with how you feel. A lot of my friends (mid 20s) still are nasty in the park but as we get older its like we spend less time in there hiking rails and getting shots. I like to think the "older" guys are more into skiing the laps instead of standing around a feature for 20min thinking about a front swap. Might be why you are seeing more kids in there? Just spit balling here idk
 
I'm 32; still enjoy skiing park.

Think about it this way: celebrate the fact that as you've gotten older, you still got love for play. And, you've made life decisions that allow you to go ski park (hell, ski in general). So good on ya, as life responsibilities grow, you're still able to fuck around a couple of times a week doing what you enjoy. Huge.

One of the things that i've found is set a goal to learn one new trick a year (that works for me considering I ski park like 3-4 days a year). It's like super nuanced, though. things like, "never done 4-on to forward" (2020) "oh, I've never blind 6ed out of a flat bar, wonder how much harder it is than on a tube" (2021) "C7 japan, can't believe I've never done that (2022)."

Most of them are nuanced/variations of tricks i've been doing for almost 2 decades now. Also, think about piecing together interesting lines that you're psyched on vs. individual tricks.

I did, actually, blow my knee skiing park last spring, tho, so take it as you will.
 
14509766:e.will said:
I'm 32; still enjoy skiing park.

Think about it this way: celebrate the fact that as you've gotten older, you still got love for play. And, you've made life decisions that allow you to go ski park (hell, ski in general). So good on ya, as life responsibilities grow, you're still able to fuck around a couple of times a week doing what you enjoy. Huge.

One of the things that i've found is set a goal to learn one new trick a year (that works for me considering I ski park like 3-4 days a year). It's like super nuanced, though. things like, "never done 4-on to forward" (2020) "oh, I've never blind 6ed out of a flat bar, wonder how much harder it is than on a tube" (2021) "C7 japan, can't believe I've never done that (2022)."

Most of them are nuanced/variations of tricks i've been doing for almost 2 decades now. Also, think about piecing together interesting lines that you're psyched on vs. individual tricks.

I did, actually, blow my knee skiing park last spring, tho, so take it as you will.
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yo this, psychologically humans get over the “i’m an invincible badass” stage in their mid 20s. i’m still planning on trying to up my game before 30, but waiting for a nice powdery backcountry step up where i’m not gonna slip a disk or some shit.

in the park im working on grabs. you ever done a crail 5? what about a true nose 3? little stuff like that helps you ooze harder.
 
A buddy is wants me to build a jump with him(mellow) and do some flips. Haven't done one this year yet. Coming off of an injury and not really riding nearly as much as normal. Just got day 6 in. First day was just before Christmas, foot/leg was still too swollen for boots. Honestly even the shittiest flip would make me feel pretty good though. Out of shape, coming off an injury and feeling the oldness. It's def the little things though. Hopefully we make it happen. I'd love to go upside down again.
 
I'm not sure for certain why its a thing, but I agree its dumb. I'm 26 now and have never felt better on skis, in or out of the park. Honestly though a lot of it might be a reflection of how finances, time, and the social aspect go for your average middle-class American as you age.

Like in high school and college people have the time, a community, and usually some support from parents that allows them to ski with friends constantly. Right after college though, during your mid and late 20's, people usually have bigger fish to fry trying to get their first place, start their careers, hell maybe even buying a home or starting a family, and the low wages and high cost of living recently only makes this pressure greater. I mean I feel like I've really lucked out but even then after college I had to move from VT to DC to start my career, and keeping skiing a priority the first few years after college was pretty hard at times
 
Skiing is more comparable to gymnastics than say football or basketball, the peak age for skiing is far lower than team sports IMO but there are plenty of 30+ skiers that can crush it still. I think its more in relation to the mind than the body, when you get older its more difficult to get past the mental block.
 
14509773:eheath said:
Skiing is more comparable to gymnastics than say football or basketball, the peak age for skiing is far lower than team sports IMO but there are plenty of 30+ skiers that can crush it still. I think its more in relation to the mind than the body, when you get older its more difficult to get past the mental block.
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100%. Turn 25, start paying for your own healthcare and it gets real. Its hard to do things that could break your neck when you're not young and dumb. On the same note hella respect for crews like child labor busting their ass well into their 20's. You see Eagle soon tell him Bernie from upstate says hi.
 
I'm 25 and still hike features and film a lot, and some of my friends that I film with are in their late 20s to early 30s. I also wasn't very good when I was younger so there's an element of wanting to catch up, but I think it just depends on each person and their mindset.
 
I'm 33 and can still do any trick I've ever done, I'm just a lot more careful about how and when I do certain things now. Most people I know who are my age have stopped park skiing because they have careers and families or they put their time and money into partying. I'm just the weirdo who still loves skiing.
 
Everyone is different but I wonder if one angle is what you could do versus now. You see it in former pros that barely ski/ride. If you were pretty good when you were younger and now not that good sometimes that's hard. You can get stoked on the little things just being out, but there's def something too the knowledge you'll never have shit on your older self.

Like skateboarding, I never really did it, grew up an hour and a half from a skatepark, shitty rural roads. Bmxed a bit as a kid and was into that. But I skate now. I'm not good at it, but as far as flowing around a skatepark I'm as good as I've ever been. It hurts like hell to fall but I really like skating. Snowboarding I'm shit compared to what I used to be. It's not the only reason you go out, but it def hurts a bit to know how much better and confident you were. I honestly have more fun skating now because I was never good so that hang up doesn't exist.

I think sometimes the people that are still pushing it and as good as they ever were found skiing or at least park later in life. They're still running off that energy.

Plenty of people that were good as a kid and will always be good. But a lot of really good skiers/boarders I grew up with don't even ride at all anymore. Where as the people that were picking it up high school and past are still more into it.

Again, not saying that's everyone because it's not. But I think that has an impact for some people. I def see it for myself with how I feel about winter mode versus skating.
 
I hate to be that guy but I always hear “I wish I still had the energy to do that kind of stuff, but I’m in my 30s now” from the guy who barely sleeps, drinks too much on the regular, and lives off ham sandwiches and Red Bull. Obv this is not the only reason people stop throwing down in their 30s, but I think you can get away with a lot more while treating your body like shit when you’re in your 20s.

**This post was edited on Feb 13th 2023 at 3:21:51pm
 
A few people have already brought it up, but I think a lot of it comes down to how well you treat your body. Eating well, staying active in the offseason, taking PT seriously when rehabbing injuries, getting quality sleep, and whatever else goes into that. On top of that, life happens and people move on from the sport.
 
14509771:IsaacNW82 said:
I'm not sure for certain why its a thing, but I agree its dumb. I'm 26 now and have never felt better on skis, in or out of the park. Honestly though a lot of it might be a reflection of how finances, time, and the social aspect go for your average middle-class American as you age.

Like in high school and college people have the time, a community, and usually some support from parents that allows them to ski with friends constantly. Right after college though, during your mid and late 20's, people usually have bigger fish to fry trying to get their first place, start their careers, hell maybe even buying a home or starting a family, and the low wages and high cost of living recently only makes this pressure greater. I mean I feel like I've really lucked out but even then after college I had to move from VT to DC to start my career, and keeping skiing a priority the first few years after college was pretty hard at times
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This is what I was thinking. Yeah, if someone were to be able to keep any activity as their top priority in life, mid twenties is definitely the prime. But, since I couldn't keep the sports I played as a teenager as my top priority, I as a 24 year old would get absolutely whipped by 17 year old me in the pool. But I'm also skiing far far better now than when I was that age so it's got trade offs.
 
Growing up, it felt like that - yes. But a large part of that was because the sport was so young and we had no one to look to. Now you’ve got Tanner Hall and Tommy Ellington still throwing tricks in their 40s (well, I think Tanner is like 39). Jesper Tjäder is at the top of his game and he’s 28. Henrik just won an Olympic medal at 31.

The times they are a changing.
 
Having a fully developed brain makes you worse at hucking your meat lol

I always progressed way slower than everyone and never pushed myself that hard to learn new tricks. Some people might call me a pussy for that, honestly kind of fair.

but here’s the thing: I’m 29 now and I’m the best I’ve ever been at park skiing and still enjoy the shit out of it. I’ve never had a serious injury. And a lot of guys who I grew up with who were chucking flips and stuff don’t ski park at all anymore. Meanwhile I’m skiing street almost every week. So honestly I really don’t regret not doing a bunch of big jumps and shit back when I was 17, cause if I had I’m not sure if I would be skiing at the level I am now. I never would have been a pro skier anyway, so who cares??
 
"Yeah I used to do these tricks back in the day" - a fat, fucking loser who is too big of a bitch to keep progressing.
 
Straight airs only for me. I still like hitting mid-big kickers.

Fucked myself up' on a snowboard 2 years ago and don't need more injuries pretty happy and content with overall risk factor in skiing sick lines and don't need to dail it up in the park.

I'd hike rails if I was at a hill in the fall/spring and had someone elses skis but realistically probably not going to happen living in Boston. I don't ride any of my own skis that I'd hit a rail on if I am driving a few hours for turns or flying.
 
Because people grow up and realize big mountain and charging is more fun than spending 5 hours trying a new rail trick

topic:c-fries said:
Something I’ve been thinking about a bunch recently. I feel like there’s this weird stigma around freestyle skiing beyond the age of like 23. I think it’s stupid, but it's definitely a real thing.

I’m 27. Some days when I’m lapping the park all day, I feel like I’m the oldest one by a mile. You sit with guys on the chair in their late 20s that are like “back in the day I used to do XYZ tricks but not anymore, I’m too old” (I’m guilty of that one for sure).

Meanwhile in other sports, 27 is an age of peak athleticism. There are plenty of sports professionals that break records and win MVP awards well into their mid 30s. Obviously in our own sport, there are plenty of guys in their 30s that haven’t slowed down a bit. I’m sure we could all name a ton (Henrik, Sammy C, TC crew, fucking candide, etc).

What do you guys think? Which is there this perceived “age cap” in freestyle skiing?
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14509847:WabbleDee said:
Because people grow up and realize big mountain and charging is more fun than spending 5 hours trying a new rail trick
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”Big mountain and charging” are really fun. However not much beats the satisfaction for me of landing a new trick after a bunch of tries.

Plus big mountain just has to carry more risk than most mid/small park stuff. “Graduating up” to big mountain as you get older doesn’t make a ton of sense for me from a risk perspective. Catching the side of a narrow chute, sliding for life trying to avoid getting cheese grated, getting off balance before a 20 footer etc does not always sound super fun lol
 
14509821:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
Growing up, it felt like that - yes. But a large part of that was because the sport was so young and we had no one to look to. Now you’ve got Tanner Hall and Tommy Ellington still throwing tricks in their 40s (well, I think Tanner is like 39). Jesper Tjäder is at the top of his game and he’s 28. Henrik just won an Olympic medal at 31.

The times they are a changing.
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It’s crazy how much exercise and diet can help you progress. I bet these guys are crazy about their lifestyle (minus tanner) that’s why they are throwing down late. That’s why nba/nfl/mlb players are prime around 28 and still play into their 40s.

I remember a dope interview with henrick, about how his lifestyle choices. Pretty sure he’s vegan too
 
14509853:c-fries said:
Plus big mountain just has to carry more risk than most mid/small park stuff. “Graduating up” to big mountain as you get older doesn’t make a ton of sense for me from a risk perspective. Catching the side of a narrow chute, sliding for life trying to avoid getting cheese grated, getting off balance before a 20 footer etc does not always sound super fun lol
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I realized a couple years ago that street skiing is actually pretty safe. You can just call an ambulance right to the spot. Fuck getting evacuated from the backcountry lol
 
14509853:c-fries said:
”Big mountain and charging” are really fun. However not much beats the satisfaction for me of landing a new trick after a bunch of tries.

Plus big mountain just has to carry more risk than most mid/small park stuff. “Graduating up” to big mountain as you get older doesn’t make a ton of sense for me from a risk perspective. Catching the side of a narrow chute, sliding for life trying to avoid getting cheese grated, getting off balance before a 20 footer etc does not always sound super fun lol
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Yeah it's way riskier. Hiking a rail in the park trying to get tricks doesn't feel very dangerous at all lol, unless you're sending a massive disaster or something.
 
Yeah Henrik is, at least, a vegetarian and doesn’t drink alcohol. Maybe that’s not true anymore but it was

14509858:muffMan. said:
It’s crazy how much exercise and diet can help you progress. I bet these guys are crazy about their lifestyle (minus tanner) that’s why they are throwing down late. That’s why nba/nfl/mlb players are prime around 28 and still play into their 40s.

I remember a dope interview with henrick, about how his lifestyle choices. Pretty sure he’s vegan too
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I'm 37 and still in the mentality that if there isn't any new snow then we're lapping the park. Spring park laps come in a close second after powder days in my book...
 
Starting to feel this a little bit as a 23 year old. My goal has always been to continue deepening my trick bag every year and have more and more tricks that Im always comfortable doing. Get as much time on skis as possible every season and Im bound to get more comfortable/improve/get more stylish. Im always skiing with people who are better than me and it just makes me want to keep improving. Idk havent burned out yet, dont plan on it but no one does I guess. At least im not as old as [tag=185028]@Ginger_Drew[/tag] i suppose
 
If its a weekday, the weather is bad, and park build is shit then you're probably not going to see older dudes in the park. It's not worth their time because they got more going on. During spring when the weather is nice, the park is popping off w plenty of older guys.

Also a lot of people I know moved away from here once they got older to go ride better mountains/parks. All of my cousins deliberately found jobs in cities w proximity to skiing.
 
14509773:eheath said:
I think its more in relation to the mind than the body, when you get older its more difficult to get past the mental block.
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As the old lady in the park I definitely find these true.

14509836:hi_vis360 said:
Having a fully developed brain makes you worse at hucking your meat lol

I always progressed way slower than everyone and never pushed myself that hard to learn new tricks. Some people might call me a pussy for that, honestly kind of fair.

but here’s the thing: I’m 29 now and I’m the best I’ve ever been at park skiing and still enjoy the shit out of it.
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My progress is at the rate of a snail. It's taken me a few years to accept this while watching all the young ones progress fast. In a different sport I did before taking up skiing, I got really good really fast surpassing my peers. But I was able to train almost every day and the risks were lesser.

With skiing I now, am happy for every victory or new thing I do no matter how small it is.
 
Getting close to 40... still sending it. Way I figure it, if Candide can still do it, then I might as well try... but usually this results in lots of pain and my (non-skiing) friends wondering why I don't do pickleball instead, lol
 
14509911:nmwninjart said:
With skiing I now, am happy for every victory or new thing I do no matter how small it is.
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props to this idea... I'm just super stoked when I land anything semi-clean at this point
 
Even at 23 years old I really have noticed a difference in how my body feels after not drinking nearly as much as I used to and eating way healthier, whole foods. I am slowly working on sleeping better but it's the hardest lifestyle change of everything low-key. You can force yourself to eat a salad but can't force yourself to fall asleep. Being healthy in as many aspects of life as possible makes everything better honestly, not just skiing. But skiing is the best aspect :)
 
Team sports have a lot more money in them to keep people motivated to play with the risk of injury. A lot of people have jobs that they can't do if they get hurt which would be a huge financial burden on them.

That being said there are more guys still ripping into their 30s now, purely for recreation. I think I might be the only one still learning new things, mostly because I wasn't that good when I was younger. Still am not that good considering I've been doing this since 2006. Also I will bust out a tripod and hike a rail to try to get a clip of something a few times a season since I didn't film anything I was really proud of when I was in college or hs. Now I'm just slowly stacking clips until I don't feel like it anymore and can make another very mediocre edit. I like skiing.
 
We should hang out soon so we can talk about how much we ski. Maybe we can ski together and I can show you my tummy size? :)

14509954:skierman said:
Oh look, the fat fuck who is too lazy to keep skiing park. Sorry homie, don't need your validation.
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20's is young. And 27 is still peak! Don't fall victim to unrealistic stigma.

I'm 41. I pull my mask up to hide my grey beard and at least still spin a few jumps.

My buddy who's 44 still throws cork 7s. In some ways I still try to get better too.

#foreverYoung
 
Just turned 30 and my rail game is better than ever. I agree with most things said above.

-As we age, our brain develops a bit more and risk seems more real.

-Injury hurts more, career and money wise, as we age

-Compounding injuries for me are a huge reason I don't jump much anymore

Its all about taking care of your body. Many peers my age are fat, out of shape, drink too much and rarely workout hard. I hope to ski park and throw 2s on into my 40s. Eat relatively well, hit cardio hard and lift heavy things often.
 
36. a few knee surgeries under the belt. Ski more back country now, but aint gonna quit sending in the park anytime soon. Finally got a pass to ski more park again, haven't hit real jumps in a while, just started trying to get my jump tricks back on Coppers big line today.
 
Posting to convince some more of you to keep skiing park when you’re old like me. 37 and counting and trashed acls…

[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1064228/trim-BDA53497-AE8A-4398-A012-0A8750F3D966-MOV[/video]
 
14509853:c-fries said:
”Big mountain and charging” are really fun. However not much beats the satisfaction for me of landing a new trick after a bunch of tries.

Plus big mountain just has to carry more risk than most mid/small park stuff. “Graduating up” to big mountain as you get older doesn’t make a ton of sense for me from a risk perspective. Catching the side of a narrow chute, sliding for life trying to avoid getting cheese grated, getting off balance before a 20 footer etc does not always sound super fun lol
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For me getting hurt to where u cant ski or whatever really starts getting old the more you do it. Riding park presents lots of opportunity to fuck up old injuries even on small features or falls. Riding big lines can be very risky to life and limb, but you just are not beating on your body in the same way. Plus staying in shape from touring.
 
14510018:bradwalters said:
Posting to convince some more of you to keep skiing park when you’re old like me. 37 and counting and trashed acls…

[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1064228/trim-BDA53497-AE8A-4398-A012-0A8750F3D966-MOV[/video]
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Yessir!

I havn't filmed a sev in a while, gonna have to try and get one here soon to post up.
 
14510018:bradwalters said:
Posting to convince some more of you to keep skiing park when you’re old like me. 37 and counting and trashed acls…

[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1064228/trim-BDA53497-AE8A-4398-A012-0A8750F3D966-MOV[/video]
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Fuck yea!!!!
 
Could care less about how I look in park—doesnt that come with age? Doin it for myself. Does suck that no friends really do park anymore, and my friends might give me 2 pity laps im hardly warmed up then we’re off somewhere else on mountain again..
 
14509819:Ginger_Drew said:
A few people have already brought it up, but I think a lot of it comes down to how well you treat your body. Eating well, staying active in the offseason, taking PT seriously when rehabbing injuries, getting quality sleep, and whatever else goes into that. On top of that, life happens and people move on from the sport.
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I treat my body like shit, I work grave shift and dont sleep, I have injuries that never healed right.
 
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