Ski Burnout

Brayblade

Brayblade

Member
Recently it has been harder and harder to get my friends to ski with me because they all claim to be burnt out on skiing. I have never experienced getting burnt out or tired of skiing so I don't really get what they mean. Is burnout a real thing?
 
Been there, once it starts getting nice out it is like ok enough skiing for the year. Other years it is like no don't close its only May there is still plenty of snow on the hill.
 
My mate did 5 back to back seasons in Austria in his late 20s and now he's 35 he maybe skies 4 days a year. He says he isn't bothered anymore. When he's out he enjoys it but mainly just runs and gyms these days. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me. I'm still psyched right now 2 weeks post tibia/fib surgery ?
 
It’s a lot rougher if you’re living in shitty employee housing making enough to barely get by. I get why people get burnt out. I knew people who were in their 70s living in on-hill employee housing with us in Australia. Having to deal with messiness and loud 20 year olds partying every night. No thanks.

14271331:Buckethead said:
My mate did 5 back to back seasons in Austria in his late 20s and now he's 35 he maybe skies 4 days a year. He says he isn't bothered anymore. When he's out he enjoys it but mainly just runs and gyms these days. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me. I'm still psyched right now 2 weeks post tibia/fib surgery ?
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People change as they grow. It can be difficult to accept that interests and priorities shift. Over 90% of the homies I’ve met through skiing are burnt out and ride

**This post was edited on Apr 5th 2021 at 4:05:19pm
 
(Sorry, bug in mobile app only posted half of my response)

...less than 10 days a year. Some of them flat out quit. I've always found a way to make new friends though.

Just be grateful that you're still passionate about skiing, it's a valuable thing. Even if your friends don't want to go ride, I guarantee that there are lots of other passionate skiers at your local mountain. Just say hi and ride with them. You'll have a fun group of ski homies in no time!
 
14271331:Buckethead said:
My mate did 5 back to back seasons in Austria in his late 20s and now he's 35 he maybe skies 4 days a year. He says he isn't bothered anymore. When he's out he enjoys it but mainly just runs and gyms these days. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me. I'm still psyched right now 2 weeks post tibia/fib surgery ?
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I can understand how that would burn you out, I'm mostly confused because my friends are only 20 and all claim skiing to be their main hobby. I broke my hand this year and had to sit out a few weeks but that only made me more motivated to get back out there
 
Yeah I burnt out pretty hard last season which was cool because there was no season. Too much knee pain and just not enjoying it. Took until January this year to get the stoke back, but now I'm back and loving it
 
Haha well sane thing with my friends. They go climbing then. I dont understand them they like loved skiing and slushy laps and good vibes. We had a lot of backyard sehsh last year and this year no backyard sesh they didnt even came on some fun laps. I dont get it....
 
It’s crazy for me to hear about people getting burnt out and quitting like that. I think henrik put it perfectly: skiing just gets more and more exciting the older and better you get because more and more of your ideas become possible. Im not even that amazing at park, but I think if 14 year old me could see where I’m at now with my skiing and what I can do, he’d be fuckin stoked. I’ve been skiing since before I could walk and I think this season was easily one of the best ones yet. It’s gotten to the point where I get depressed on days that I’m doing something other than skiing, even if I’m doing something fun with all the boys. I literally went soft during reverse cowgirl one time because I was too busy thinking about a rail truck I wanted to get the next day. Idk, I could easily see myself doing this shit everyday til I’m 80 if life’s responsibilities werent a concern.
 
14271857:ASAPCarter said:
It’s crazy for me to hear about people getting burnt out and quitting like that. I think henrik put it perfectly: skiing just gets more and more exciting the older and better you get because more and more of your ideas become possible. Im not even that amazing at park, but I think if 14 year old me could see where I’m at now with my skiing and what I can do, he’d be fuckin stoked. I’ve been skiing since before I could walk and I think this season was easily one of the best ones yet. It’s gotten to the point where I get depressed on days that I’m doing something other than skiing, even if I’m doing something fun with all the boys. I literally went soft during reverse cowgirl one time because I was too busy thinking about a rail truck I wanted to get the next day. Idk, I could easily see myself doing this shit everyday til I’m 80 if life’s responsibilities werent a concern.
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The same kids talk about moving somewhere warm and not skiing more than a few days a year when they are old. I'm tryna be the old dude that skis so many days every year that the resort gives me a free pass. I have other hobbies but none of them really match up to skiing
 
Sounds like you and your friends may be realizing you have different priorities

14271863:Brayblade said:
The same kids talk about moving somewhere warm and not skiing more than a few days a year when they are old. I'm tryna be the old dude that skis so many days every year that the resort gives me a free pass. I have other hobbies but none of them really match up to skiing
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When I was young, I didn't understand it, but as I got older and became interested in things outside of skiing I got it.

I've taken entire seasons off of skiing in the past decade here and there because it was feeling forced and I would rather not ski than being out there just going through the motions but overall just not interested.

So yeah, burnout is real and it happens.
 
I'm gonna try to get at least another weekend of skiing in cause I'll probably regret it if I don't. I usually don't get too much skiing withdrawal cause of biking and sailing. If you don't want to get burnt out yourself, I suggest you diversify your activities.
 
Being from the Midwest, I'll get burnout syndrome after coming home from a big trip out west. Hard to replicate the stoke of ripping through gnarly steep terrain when the blacks here are equivalent to greens out there (and far shorter).
 
Was pretty obsessed with skiing/Newschoolers in high school. Through college I got burnt out of NS but still skied quite a bit. Post college (because of job) I got to ski 3 times in 3 years and barely went on NS. Now Im

back baby! Have skied 6 times this year and will get at-least 1 more in the coming weeks when I ski Tuckermans Ravine.

Its nice to rediscover skiing. I used to be a park rat but after suffering a head injury those days are about over. I like exploring the mountain more and finding challenging terrain. It’s also nice to rediscover hiking in the summer.
 
I felt a bit burnt out when the weather in mn was shitty and i wasnt learning new shit but after a little break i wanted to ski again i think if u give ur friends some time off and dont push it theyll be back to you in a week
 
I used to hate that I was so late to the park game, didn't throw my first backflip til I was 16. Didn't really land a cork until college. But this season I felt like I progressed in the park more than any season, at 21 years old. I got ridiculed by some kids for not doing a prez 2 yesterday when they could, but I took that as a good thing tbh, that I still have plenty left to look forward to learning and have plenty of stoke left to earn. Every time I get something new it's exciting and fun and not once have I felt like quitting.

A bunch of my friends have lost their spirit once they realized we are too old to get anywhere with skiing but I feel like that's because they're missing the point. You can't compare yourself to anybody else, you ski for you. If you no longer get anything out of it, maybe it's time to pick up teleskiing or snowboarding. Some sort of new challenge where you can work toward achieving a new set of goals. I think it's awesome that people like Sean Petit switched directions because that allows them to find a new source of fuel for their stoke. Some other people, that new challenge might not involve winter sports at all, which kinda sucks but thats okay! You ski for yourself, they do whatever they do for themselves. Maybe one day they can burn out on that and will fall in love with skiing again. Or they may have found their true calling. It's really all about finding what makes you the most excited to get out of bed and go do. Then you can find new friends who share that passion, but also can remain friends with your previous buddies!
 
It sucks getting older and is a bit of a head game realizing your years of progressing rapidly in the park are probably behind you. But mountains are big and there’s always something new. I didn’t quite understand it when I was younger but now I totally love skiing through variable, fast and loose stuff off-piste. Even just chopped up, rough shit can be a blast.

I get why so many pros transition to big mountain/backcountry. That lack of consistency and the variable nature gives it its own rush.

14278570:ReturnToMonkey said:
I used to hate that I was so late to the park game, didn't throw my first backflip til I was 16. Didn't really land a cork until college. But this season I felt like I progressed in the park more than any season, at 21 years old. I got ridiculed by some kids for not doing a prez 2 yesterday when they could, but I took that as a good thing tbh, that I still have plenty left to look forward to learning and have plenty of stoke left to earn. Every time I get something new it's exciting and fun and not once have I felt like quitting.

A bunch of my friends have lost their spirit once they realized we are too old to get anywhere with skiing but I feel like that's because they're missing the point. You can't compare yourself to anybody else, you ski for you. If you no longer get anything out of it, maybe it's time to pick up teleskiing or snowboarding. Some sort of new challenge where you can work toward achieving a new set of goals. I think it's awesome that people like Sean Petit switched directions because that allows them to find a new source of fuel for their stoke. Some other people, that new challenge might not involve winter sports at all, which kinda sucks but thats okay! You ski for yourself, they do whatever they do for themselves. Maybe one day they can burn out on that and will fall in love with skiing again. Or they may have found their true calling. It's really all about finding what makes you the most excited to get out of bed and go do. Then you can find new friends who share that passion, but also can remain friends with your previous buddies!
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After 50-60 days in a season I start to prioritize other things. Once it gets warm I like to skate and goof around with friends more than skiing
 
14278570:ReturnToMonkey said:
I used to hate that I was so late to the park game, didn't throw my first backflip til I was 16. Didn't really land a cork until college. But this season I felt like I progressed in the park more than any season, at 21 years old. I got ridiculed by some kids for not doing a prez 2 yesterday when they could, but I took that as a good thing tbh, that I still have plenty left to look forward to learning and have plenty of stoke left to earn. Every time I get something new it's exciting and fun and not once have I felt like quitting.

A bunch of my friends have lost their spirit once they realized we are too old to get anywhere with skiing but I feel like that's because they're missing the point. You can't compare yourself to anybody else, you ski for you. If you no longer get anything out of it, maybe it's time to pick up teleskiing or snowboarding. Some sort of new challenge where you can work toward achieving a new set of goals. I think it's awesome that people like Sean Petit switched directions because that allows them to find a new source of fuel for their stoke. Some other people, that new challenge might not involve winter sports at all, which kinda sucks but thats okay! You ski for yourself, they do whatever they do for themselves. Maybe one day they can burn out on that and will fall in love with skiing again. Or they may have found their true calling. It's really all about finding what makes you the most excited to get out of bed and go do. Then you can find new friends who share that passion, but also can remain friends with your previous buddies!
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WOW thankss a lot this post made my day. :)
 
It happens. Especially if you're used to the ins and outs of trying to make a healthy living in a ski town or near one or rely on a local economy thats like that. Lots of people have been able to make it work but lots of other people have also thrown the towel in and gone off to do other stuff, maybe chase a more lucarative stable career path and ski on the side whenever they can. Skiing can become everything that you wanted in life until you find some other stuff you're interested in. And honestly I think its way more fun being involved in other things and having skiing there on the backburner.

**This post was edited on Apr 20th 2021 at 2:24:57pm
 
Definitely hard to see close friends who I grew up skiing with be content with only going once or twice every few years. As much as the social component of skiing was a big part of why I did it so much - I've only realized in recent times that it's always somewhat been about what I enjoy doing. Getting "older" coupled with certain societal norms also puts a strain on how much time & money one can contribute towards sliding on snow.

I'm happy to say I've bought a season pass for the past 19 years and will continue to do that so I get that extra push to get outside and enjoy what has given me so much in life.

I'm sure it'll all go full circle once I start a family and the fire burns stronger when I'm packing up the car on a weekend to go teach the youngins.
 
Regards to friends, a lot got burnt out early 20s and a rediscovery phase in their late 20s. But lots just fully stopped.

For me, when I quit doing park comps it took awhile to like skiing again, so there was like a 2 season period where I still skied a lot but it wasn’t very fun. I was able to refind the fun though, especially in the park side! Now I’m in my mid 30s and still pump out 50 plus days a year. I would say I am way more picky about conditions these days. I do ski less park and more pow, but probably 50/50, and am way more picky about conditions. I’m also not dirt bagging anymore, so I was able to get a sled for access, touring set up, and pre-covid would do summer trips to Chile and Argentina (which I always dreamed of but couldn’t afford when I was younger).
 
I lost interest in my early 20s because I just didn't have much of a chance to ski. Then I moved to a ski town and fell back in love! Still doing wfh from here, pretty sweet to be making a full time salary but being minutes away from the gondola. It can definitely come back
 
Not really. Ive had seasons where I skied almost every day. After 120 days, you feel burned out and excited for spring.

This is my 30th season skiing straight without a missed season and I plan to do 30 more.
 
i can go about 3 months surfing or one month mountain biking before burning out on summer but even in the longest of seasons i haven`t burnt out on skiing
 
14279591:Alvaro said:
i can go about 3 months surfing or one month mountain biking before burning out on summer but even in the longest of seasons i haven`t burnt out on skiing
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You must not be mtbing in the right places
 
Kind of, for me I enjoy skiing just as much through the end of the season as the start and everthing in between, but theres usually like a 2 month period of time after my local closes that I dont really want to see or consume content about or for skiing, then it gets rekindled and am stoked for the next season by early april
 
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