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February, 2025

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Past your prime-- age at which you skiied best

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first_rodeo
Posts: 2385 - Karma: 7,781

20 years young, but my body feels like its 40.

INB4  OP's a pussy     

I feel that normal people can only progress or regress after plateau-ing

when i was 12-15 not only skiing was easier, but other action sports were also,

when you weight less and have not yet recieved injuries...

skateboarding i could float over the board when flipping the board

skiing i could spin and big switch landings much better

THREADS:    

Mar 19 2013 1:30PM
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TheClap.
Posts: 21679 - Karma: 4,225
bhahaha goon
Mar 19 2013 8:28PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10651 - Karma: 7,686
last year but i had an elongated back injury this winter.
Mar 19 2013 8:29PM
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Drail
Posts: 14044 - Karma: 10,316
So I looked for actual facts about this and this is the best article I could find that wasn't just opinion.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701132244.htm

athletics - 26.1 years
swimming - 21 years
chess - 31.4 years

So pretty much your mid to late 20's on average for your physical and mental peak.

I'm curious what the peak was for a human male 100 years ago and how quickly we change from generation to generation. I would assume we peaked earlier 'back in the day', but how quickly can our physical body adapt to our longer life spans, or do they at all? Cell development and all that jazz... it's not like it's taking us longer to reach maturity, we are just able to sustain life longer what with modern medicine and technology. It would be nice to think that with the longer life expectancy of our species we can maintain a physical peak for longer, but I'm just not sure if biology works that way.

There's gotta be someone on NS who actually knows this shit, no?
Mar 19 2013 8:32PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Around 2005 maybe, had backflips, 540s and 270s on,, I flet like a g. I haven't progressed at all, and usually don't like busting my ass in the park to much anymore
Mar 19 2013 8:32PM
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
It sucks you wrote so much because I bet everyone read up to this point and didn't bother with the rest because it makes you sound like such a bitch.
Mar 19 2013 8:55PM
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jackf
Posts: 231 - Karma: 416
basically close to my prime at age 18 and not looking forward to shitty knees when im older
Mar 19 2013 8:59PM
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
yeah ive heard around late 20's for sports that dont destroy your body are your physical peak and you kinda just plateau till your mid 30's IF you keep your body injury free. early to mid 20's for sports that fuck your body up, and plateau for a couple years.

ive heard from multiple people, an athlete marketing agent and a race car driver, that peoples prime in most sports is their early to mid 30's its when your minds more mature and sharpest, your body is still in peak physical form, and it gives you enough time to have a good amount of experience in your sport.
makes sense to me, you look at all the best quarterbacks, pitchers, race car drivers, skiers(who dont destroy themselves) etc.. they usually show their dominance around early to mid 30's. id say the best skiers i know of in freeskiing right now are around that age, when you count more than just park. (i think people get bored of park more than anything)
Mar 19 2013 9:01PM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
The physical prime for a man is about 27 give or take a year or two depending on the person. That is seen as the age scientifically where the combination of strength, athleticism and experience combined is at its peak. You may be a hair faster at 25 but the overall composite is peaking at 27.

Once again I reiterate how big of pussies a lot of people are sounding on this website. There is a reason most pros are in their early to mid 20s and not 16 years old.
Mar 19 2013 9:03PM
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
Hahahaha, you've gotta be kidding me... it's obvious you don't know anyone or maybe that whoever you may "know" are all far from "dominating".
Mar 19 2013 9:06PM
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LIL_WAT
Posts: 1900 - Karma: 475
Currently at my best/claim (at 20), however progressed the fastest at 16.
Mar 19 2013 10:37PM
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Maximumsushi
Posts: 7837 - Karma: 3,354
I think my skiing probably peaked two seasons ago, when I was 26. It's not because I physically or mentally peaked, I left ski bumming. I ski bummed for about 4 seasons getting in about 100 - 170 days per season. I got a lot fucking better during this time. I moved to the city, slipped a disc in my back, and put on about 15 lbs. I haven't had the chance last season or this season to really push my skiing, but I'm not sure I'll be where I was two or three seasons ago.

That all said, you will peak in the park before you peak in your overall skiing. As you get older in your 20s and keep skiing, you get stronger and more confident. My legs got stronger and I grew more confident skiing gnarlier lines and jumping off big cliffs. I really feel like I quit my skiing lifestyle before my body quit or started to slow down. I look at what my friends are doing right now and they are absolutely slaying shit. We were peers two years ago, but I know now they'd be far more confident in zones and dropping certain lines. Good work guys. The real world sucks.
Mar 19 2013 10:55PM
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fennjack
Posts: 286 - Karma: 132
im guessing like 20
Mar 20 2013 12:05AM
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myllhouse
Posts: 1064 - Karma: 2,162
20 and the next couple years will probably be the best
Mar 20 2013 12:22AM
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theo79
Posts: 305 - Karma: 70
I would say 21 was the year I learned the most.
I'm 23 now, I had an amazing season until I broke my collarbone so i'm counting that out.
The years to come will be better for sure.
I'm taking skiing to the grave with me.
Mar 20 2013 3:56AM
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Shifties4Dayz
Posts: 1657 - Karma: 553
I was best when I was 16-18 but now most of my body is pretty messed up. But it's hard to get out of the park when you live in Michigan
Mar 20 2013 8:34AM
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jpastor
Posts: 431 - Karma: 848
I am 20 as well and sometimes feel that I am past my prime. I competed moguls from when I was 13 to 18 years old. I broke my leg pretty bad when I was 17 during one of my competitions. The next year I came back stronger than ever. Now that I am in college I can really only ski once a week except for pow days like yesterday. I learned rodeos earlier in the year on the air bag just never put it snow yet and I used to be able to backflip like it was no problem and I have not done one in two years. And for that reason I feel like I have past my prime.

Except for pow, I kill it in the pow
Mar 20 2013 10:31AM
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montanan
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 1,346
oh doooood i know im such a bitch. you ever torn / destroyed your acl and mcl?, you ever torn your hamstring 14 inches clean off your pelvis ? you ever not been able to do any physical activity for over a period of years ? you ever almost break your neck DH ing, and had your brain stem hemorrhaging ( bleeding for 3 days and fighting to stay alive without a deadly blot clot forming in your brain. ?? you ever been told in the ER you will never write or talk the way you used to before you had a brain injury ? if you dont like reading long posts , heres a tip dood, dont read it. skip to the next post where a 12 year old says hes past his prime and just started skiing a year ago, ha , have a good day buddy.
Mar 20 2013 11:11AM
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
Now that we have that mess cleared up...

I've had injuries happen before but I'm not a bitch that wallows in my own pity while sharing "war stories" with kids on the internet.
Mar 20 2013 11:54AM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
No, you're a shitty little troll, great job!
Mar 20 2013 12:00PM
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montanan
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 1,346
.
Mar 20 2013 12:27PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Just stop dude.
Mar 20 2013 12:34PM
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
You're right, I shouldn't throw the "B" word around so much. It's degrading to women.
Mar 20 2013 12:40PM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
Sounds like your problems are completely mental and not physical. Just believe in yourself and throw the back again and take the rodeo to snow. I'm sure you'll have it within a few tries.
Mar 20 2013 12:52PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
No you're just acting like an absolute tool, you don't know anything about this guy or what injuries he has had, or how they have affected him, so shut your mouth.
Mar 20 2013 3:13PM
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Obese.Geese
Posts: 339 - Karma: 288
Im 15, started skiing period in january last year, and this year i have progressed enough, that hopefully by the end, ill be able to switch double cork... seems unbelievable, but i can do almost anything switch.
Mar 20 2013 3:26PM
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Mstchief
Posts: 751 - Karma: 524
I think it really depends. I am 27 and still love skiing park but I think I definitively have peaked, probably around the 23-24 age.

That being said, I injured my knees pretty badly at 24 and I hasn't quite been the same since. My knees feel weaker when I ski and I am not willing to take the same risks as I used to. I am sure someone who has not had any major injuries could ski till their 30 and not peak.
Mar 20 2013 6:53PM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
i'm 22 and have yet to hit anything urban.. planning to start next year with member Mitch.Horton and some other chill dudes from marquette!
Mar 20 2013 6:55PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,752
I agree 100%.

All other things being equal, any slight decrease in some "abstract absolute physical ability" between 26 and 32-5 (withstanding injuries and assuming the person lives the same lifestyle), would be totally offset by experience. If we're talking skiing in general, as opposed to specifically spinny flippys, there's no substitute for savvy, knowledge and experience, not only as those things pertain to skiing, but also to life and decision making in general.
Mar 22 2013 12:21AM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
This is how I see myself. I've never suffered a serious knee injury and so I push myself really hard. I've had some gnarly falls and sometimes I wonder how I don't get more hurt but I trust my body. I think until I suffer an ACL tear I will continue to push myself for better or worse. I hope it never happens but I think I take too many risks and its only a matter of time (fingers crossed).
Mar 22 2013 12:33AM
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