Paraphernalia redux
We have become a nostalgic lot. This morning I was Googling, recollecting the back-of-the-calf supports that were slid into or otherwise added to old ski boots. All I came up with were Jet Stix, the lame supports that losers strapped to their Rosemount boots. (Who used Rosemount boots anyway?) I...
Saturday hash comes early: January 26, 2012
The idea behind these assemblages of random snippets is that they are supposed to accumulate over the week and then we chuck them out on the weekend, when we’re rather be doing something else. But sometimes the bucket gets filled early, and great news doesn’t necessary keep. So… These are...
Saturday hash: January 21, 2012
This is where we ball up all the loose ends of the week and shove them in a drawer, which we’ll open in six months looking for something else and say, “Oh. Remember this?” A guy was arrested this week for surfing off a beach…in Chicago. The perp isn’t quite...
Rainer Hertrich takes a break: The run of runs comes to an end
It’s over. Rainer Hertrich, the 50-year-old madman who had skied every day for 2,993 consecutive days, has stopped. The run of runs that started in 2003 is at an end, which means that Hertrich can finally claim his Guinness record for “Accumulated Vertical Descent in Consecutive Days on Telemark Gear.” ESPN...
Saturday stew: December 24, 2011
For those who don’t want more Christmas pudding, here’s another helping of Recreati stew. Digestible, delectable and full of good cheer: Don’t blame the holidays for your gut, Canadians. In a study conducted by Molson (yes, the brewer), most people say they’ll gain from one to nine pounds over...
Saturday stew: December 10, 2011
Yes, we are debuting a new feature: an assortment, a stew, a bouillabaisse of delectable items that we’ve collected over the week . In another example of bad timing—or perhaps hesitancy—we’re launching it a day late. But we’ll do better later. Meanwhile, enjoy: Winter routes: In the summer, we’re inclined to...
Thanks, Echo Mountain, for the 12 years of free skiing
Skiing is expensive and we are cheap, so we invest a certain amount of time tracking discounts, deals and freebies accorded gray-bearded customers by ski resorts around the country. (We also notice when someone dramatically increases the prices on olds.) Thankfully, online ski magazine First Tracks!! has put together a...
So much of a good thing: skiing 365 days a year for eight years
There’s a point where the guy with an awesome idea becomes the guy with the epic ambition. And another point where his epic ambition becomes his white whale, his Daisy Buchanan, his driving and terrifying obsession. We’re not sure where Rainer Hertrich lands on that spectrum. At the moment,...
Denial, bargaining, resignation: making the transition to (somewhat) tamer pursuits
At some point, each of us decides to set aside the things of a child and pick up the things of a being with weak knees and occasional shooting neck pains. Often there’s a watershed moment. (“Mark the date and time. That was my last roller-coaster.”) More often, the...
Sunday Quote: October 23, 2011
“If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do.” –Warren Miller, the godfather of sports action films
Colorado’s Powderhorn Ski Resort tweaks the cost of its senior pass. By 400 percent.
The operators of Colorado’s Powerhorn Ski Resort used to offer older skiers (those over 70) a season pass for $75, which was ridiculously cheap. For the coming season, the price was bumped up…if 400 percent constitutes a bump. The new price will be $329 (although 75-year-olds can still...
Is it too early in the season to write about old people skiing?
No, it is not. We’ve seen some interesting changes in gear (which we’ll address in the near future) but for now we’re paying attention to the ever-escalating cost of senior tickets. Not that many years ago, ski hills would give a free ticket to any...
