Like Riding a Bike Except Way More Slippery

[martin2007]

Hello out there!

I'm back on skis again after a 3-year hiatus. I'm an "older gentleman" who got into tele late in life. I won't tax you with the details of the challenges of these last three years. Suffice to say I had some serious doubts about the place of tele and some other activities in my future. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a go again at Mont Tremblant, the place where in 2015 my son and I first experimented with tele turns on DIY crap skis and bindings and leather boots salvaged from thrift shops. After that first year I spent the next 4 winters skiing tele south of the border and loving it. Then, almost overnight, that chapter ended.

Anyway, I'm back again in Quebec and, for sure, my old Garmont Synergys are looking a little worse for wear. Me, too. Okay, a lot worse for wear...

Drum role, please...

First run:

My old body remembered exactly what it had to do! Came back really quick! Muscles were killing me, of course. 7 ski-days later my legs are getting stronger. I am ecstatic that I can still do it. And not way worse than 3 years ago. And loving it almost like before.

Maybe this story will give some hope or, failing that, maybe a chuckle to somebody out there...

[mca80]

Awesome! Glad you're having fun in the snow! I am new to the sport (first tele turn only like 3 or 4 weeks ago) and wondered what it will be like returning to the activity after summer.

[lowangle al]

I'm glad you're back Martin. Keep it going.

[martin2007]

Thank you, gentlemen. It's good to be back.

[phoenix]

Good to see you're around again Martin! Hope you have some joyful hours on the snow this season. I'm just south of the border, in VT.

[bauerb]

good for you !! I got back into Nordic skiing and racing this season....I had not set foot on Nordic skis in 35 years. I've raced 3 times already, and been out training a lot...its 80% like like riding a bike....but man, that last 20% is tough...lol

[JohnSKepler]

Hello out there!

I'm back on skis again after a 3-year hiatus. I'm an "older gentleman" who got into tele late in life. I won't tax you with the details of the challenges of these last three years. Suffice to say I had some serious doubts about the place of tele and some other activities in my future. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a go again at Mont Tremblant, the place where in 2015 my son and I first experimented with tele turns on DIY crap skis and bindings and leather boots salvaged from thrift shops. After that first year I spent the next 4 winters skiing tele south of the border and loving it. Then, almost overnight, that chapter ended.

Anyway, I'm back again in Quebec and, for sure, my old Garmont Synergys are looking a little worse for wear. Me, too. Okay, a lot worse for wear...

Drum role, please...

First run:

My old body remembered exactly what it had to do! Came back really quick! Muscles were killing me, of course. 7 ski-days later my legs are getting stronger. I am ecstatic that I can still do it. And not way worse than 3 years ago. And loving it almost like before.

Maybe this story will give some hope or, failing that, maybe a chuckle to somebody out there...

My story is a little different. Also an old guy skiing tele for the "first" time. I fell in love with skiing in 1989. I got to go a half-dozen times between then and when I was finally able to move out west in 2019. It was like getting a new lease on life. I kept myself in good shape all that time hoping I'd one day get to live out here and do this more than a few times a year.

From time-to-time I think about all those years that I missed and if I let it, it can make me angry. But what's the point of that? The body still does what it is supposed to do, despite some injuries along the way. I look around and most of the people my age have stopped. The magic faded for them years ago. This is all new and fresh for me. Every time I go out it is still an exciting rush! Just because my hair is gray doesn't mean I can't learn new things and get better at them. Somewhere along the way that kind of became my motto: Always have something you're getting better at.