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May, 2025

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Old NSer's: At what age can your body not take it anymore?

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03gade
Posts: 856 - Karma: 3,263
I started park riding when I was 18 in college. Now I'm 25 (and I'm not much better). I kind of feel like I got maybe 5 years left before the bailing is just too much for my body to take and I have to resort to being an east coast powder hound.

Am I wrong? I want to learn so much more trick wise but I feel like my days are numbered.
9 years ago
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,018
i mean it's really a personal thing
9 years ago
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MuteMedia
Posts: 17 - Karma: 69
Being a powder hound isn't that bad, trust me. I think it'll depend a lot on your fitness, previous injuries and how hard you go. There's a bid difference between slipping out on a K-FED and casing a dub 10 on a 60 footer.
9 years ago
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BoardSideDown
Posts: 547 - Karma: 254
It definitely gets harder as your list of injuries pile up, but staying in shape is your best bet.

However, if you have insurance, I'd send it!
9 years ago
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03gade
Posts: 856 - Karma: 3,263
Luckily I'm basically injury free, save tearing a tendon in my thumb last season, which never healed properly and is kinda bothering me right now actually.
9 years ago
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Willgum
Posts: 3254 - Karma: 3,066
Honestly i'm looking forward to the days where I can just relax and ski pow and smoke some j's in the woods. I mean I'm not saying skiing is stressfull or anything, but theres definitely a different feel to spending a day in the park, feverishly trying to land a new trick and getting banged up, and exploring the mountain and just cruising and chilling. Idk, I wouldnt worry about it.

By the time your body is too old, you'll probably prefer all-mountain riding anyways
9 years ago
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dizzydizzy
Posts: 304 - Karma: 1,023
im 27 and my body started really feeling it two seasons ago around 25. granted i skied moguls really hard from like 11-19, then skied park hard from 19-23, then big mountain after that, so ive been taking big slams my whole life.

these days i prefer to just keep it really smooth and flowy, ride all mountain, and ski lots of pow. its a lot of fun transitioning from having to push yourself every day progressing to just having fun on the mountain, taking it easy, and kicking it with your friends. no need to send it hard and put your season on the line, leave that for the young guns.

just try to keep it positive and have fun, and listen to your body when it tells you to cool it a bit, you wanna still be shredding when you're 70
9 years ago
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mozzy
Posts: 1034 - Karma: 60
Okay, I'm way older than most of you guys on NS.

I started on snowsports in my 20s, and never really took to the park / jump stuff. Yes, I've spent time in the park and pipe, but I never felt it or enjoyed it. So, my time is spent in the trees, carving, steeps, stuff like that. I'm also looking forward to hiking for my turns, those areas of resorts that you have to hike up to, and enjoy the workout at high altitude.

Yeah, I wish I had started this stuff earlier in life, but not everybody's circumstances allow for it, whether it's location, economics, or life events. I stay in good aerobic condition, and my build is slight, so my joints are still doing pretty well overall.
9 years ago
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RRhighrider
Posts: 2145 - Karma: 1,163
I am 31 and my goals have just changed. When I take park runs I am more foucused on maintaining tricks I can do instead of learning new tricks.
9 years ago
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25444 - Karma: 13,856
I skied with a guy who is 37 and competed in x games big air at mt snow in 2001 today, claim. Dude still launched large and skied hard. Different for everyone, but savor your painless joints and non fucked up back while you have them.
9 years ago
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Alvaro
Posts: 323 - Karma: 2,056
candide is 33 and skis as hard as always
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAKmjUduG6j/?taken-by=candidethovex
9 years ago
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dbchili
Posts: 2555 - Karma: 1,658
it is different for everyone, but the bottom line is that once you get to a certain age, you have way more fun skiing at your comfort level than beyond it

im 27 now, and i started skiing park when i was 12. 15 years of it definitely takes a toll on your body, but after the age of 20 i pretty much stopped progressing. I still love to go lap the park on a sunny day and dial tricks i'm comfortable with, but am i launching 60 footers and trying flips anymore? no, i ski within my comfort zone and its way more fun knowing im probably not going off the hill that day in a stretcher
9 years ago
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dbchili
Posts: 2555 - Karma: 1,658
and sorry, but my whole point was that once you find your comfort level and accept your place skiing there, your forseeable future of how long you can ski extends far beyond that when you are trying to progress

i'd like to be able to ride park still when my kids are old enough to ride park, and if i stay in decent shape touch wood that'll be able to happen
9 years ago
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ianrich511
Posts: 511 - Karma: 723
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/804720/Old-Man-in-the-Park
60s is the cutoff for still killing it.
9 years ago
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
25 here still going strong. Though I do feel it more than when I Was 18...really sucks. But still love throwing down. Not really progressing much anymore but love just charging all mountain hard now and some occasional park days.
9 years ago
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
03gadeI started park riding when I was 18 in college. Now I'm 25 (and I'm not much better). I kind of feel like I got maybe 5 years left before the bailing is just too much for my body to take and I have to resort to being an east coast powder hound.

Am I wrong? I want to learn so much more trick wise but I feel like my days are numbered.


First off, 25 is nothing. Stay fit, stay smart about injuries and you can be fucking sending it for a decade or more.

Second - the idea that you need to "grow up" one day and stop doing these silly things you did as a kid are completely stupid. Or that you're going to go from one day sliding a box to the next day looking at the park and your body explodes.

I mean I'm 36 now, and I've done nothing right on the fitness side. Sure, I'm not trying switch tricks off of 85' jumps anymore.... nor am I trying a large disaster 2 onto something gnar... but I love ripping through the park. I just have fun with it.

Some days I do more tricks than others, and some days I don't even go in there. Sometimes I spend my whole day in the park.... but it doesn't matter to me how good I am anymore. I'm just there to enjoy the act of skiing however I feel like.

The one caveat where I would agree with you is if you have a life goal to do a couple of specific and super gnarly tricks.... get on it. The longer you wait the more consequence in life there is to injury and the less motivated you'll be to try the big dick shit.
9 years ago
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3mania
Posts: 2649 - Karma: 10,869
It mostly depends on how bad you want it. To me skiing is like eating, i would die without it, so I make sure my body can take the pounding. That means MANY hours in the gym in the off season, doing plyos, lifting and sweating my ass off, usually for 2 or 3 hours 5 or six times a week. I know people don't have the time or motivation for that, but for me I know the pay off is the ability to ski 180-200 days a year, so i do it.
I've had a couple of knee surgeries and a torn rotator cuff, but nothing that really kept me from getting after it or wanting to stay on the ground, I love to throw 3's off everything, and the day I can't do that anymore might change my outlook and desire, but for now, I got do what I love for as long as i can. 30 seasons is a lot of wear and tear, but i think I got a few more in me. I'm 52 if you're wondering.
9 years ago
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3mania
Posts: 2649 - Karma: 10,869

Forgot to add a photo to the post above.
9 years ago
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UilyJeff
Posts: 394 - Karma: 1,482
I'm 37 years old and still park ski hard. Last year was my first injury when I blew my knee out. I am slowly getting back to skiing and my confidence level is completely out the window. On a sidenote, I know what dude who is 51 years old who still skis park and didn't learn how to ride rails until last year.
9 years ago
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dan4060
Posts: 1458 - Karma: 847
I will weigh in here, but my skiing is limited to resort steeps, mainly Mammoth now, and I never skied park much so I am not any help there. I spent half a decade in Tahoe at Squaw after college, I left a bit more than a decade ago. I skied 120 days a year then. I then left to go to grad school, and now I am a yuppie living in socal. I ski Mammoth 2-3 weekends a month, which is about 30+ days a year. I would say I am just as good at skiing the mountain as I was 7-8 years ago. Obviously I can't ski the way I could in Tahoe, but I ski far less. I have not noticed being unable to ski steeps I could 7-8 years ago, so I think I am just as good. For steep skiing I think you can maintain it into your 40's as a weekend warrior. As a local, I think you can maintain your skill, but you probably won't huck as big as you did when you are younger. Injuries and bruising yourself, while not as bad as in the park, still happens in the backcountry/big mountain setting, and so the body just does not want to do it as much. The older guys I knew in Tahoe were definitely that way. Still really good,could still tear apart steep terrain, but not quite as aggressive as they were when they were younger. As far as park goes, you definitely have more jarring landings, and you get stiffer as you get older, so I think park skiers have to cut back earlier than steep skiers. It helps to train in the off-season, if you want to last a while you had better do that.

I would not look down on becoming a powderhound though. I don't know any powderhounds regret leaving park to go to that kind of skiing. Keep that in mind. For me, powder skiing is the ultimate in skiing. It might not be for everyone, but I don't know anyone who skis pow and wishes they were skiing park instead. Even most park skiers that I knew in Tahoe lived for pow, they skied park when there was no powder. You never saw them in the park on a powder day. I'm not putting down park skiing, and I really don't want anyone to infer that from my post, just understand that there is a whole other realm of skiing out there that lots of people live for. Good luck. I do hope you are able to keep progressing for a while, I'm just saying that you might find you prefer pow when you go in that direction.
9 years ago
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*DUMBCAN*
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 5,628
I'm 22 and I've stopped doing park. Honestly I never really enjoyed it.

Until I was 14 I lived an hour from mountains and I'd go ski mountaineering every weekend when the conditions were good, and the Scottish season goes well into Spring. Then I moved to England and all we had was dry slope, so I learnt park. I've had way more injuries through park skiing than any other sport, and I find it way harder to get psyched for jumping 20 feet and spinning around.

I don't think it's really that the risks are too great, it's that the reward isn't worth it for the effort compared to other sports.

But that might be because the largest features I have access to are 20 ft snowflex jumps, and it's kinda hard to get excited for them.
9 years ago
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
I'm 30 and I'm more achey than I used to be and my knees stiffen up if I sit for too long, but I have no plans on stopping anytime soon. I don't do much park, but like to jump off stuff when I can.

I doubt weighing in at 285lbs helps my situation though. Working on that.
9 years ago
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JayB
Posts: 107 - Karma: 38
Based on what I've seen with peers - for almost everyone I know, giving up on the park has less to do with the physiological process of aging than it does with the realities of adult life conflicting with the psychological desire to keep hitting the park.

If you discover that you are one of the rare people for whom that isn't the case, then there's really nothing inherent in the process of aging that will keep you out of the park as long as you have the discipline necessary to stay fit, and the wait for the right conditions to try anything new.
9 years ago
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PoLaRpEaK
Posts: 439 - Karma: 555
It's more about overall fitness then age. Keep in shape, keep your tendons and muscles strong and you will be able to charge for years.

I don't keep in shape and stopped skiing park when I was 24 because it was to painful, but that's on me, not my age.
9 years ago
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
30 and feel better than ever on skis. Probably b/c i was fatter at younger ages.


Just keep that weight down and enjoy yourself.


I just pull the plug at the end of the day and don't force myself to ski hard when I can tell Im tired and not on my game. The way I ski it gets scary when you aren't on point going that fast so to not go fast I just have to accept Im making tons of turns and going into pussy mode.


But I go harder than ever for 4+ hours before that.


But- Im psyched out on my rail game those falls hurt so fucking much and 2 month recoveries for bruises on shins just aren't cool so Im going to get back into that side of park when I find the right free ski coach to get me back into it with confidence. I know I can 50-50 any rail but I want a good instructor pushing me to get my confidence back on point. Hititng every big kicker in the park though which is good.
9 years ago
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Dddsz
Posts: 3042 - Karma: 7,323
That video of the 98-year-old still tearing up Groomers gave me hope for the future.
9 years ago
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reeski
Posts: 1029 - Karma: 1,719
UilyJeffI'm 37 years old and still park ski hard. Last year was my first injury when I blew my knee out. I am slowly getting back to skiing and my confidence level is completely out the window. On a sidenote, I know what dude who is 51 years old who still skis park and didn't learn how to ride rails until last year.


I'm 37 as well married with two kids under 3. I occasionally park ski but mostly ride all mountain. It's all about keeping staying in shape both with weights and cardio for me. I am dying to backflip but haven't mustered up the halls to do it, I think this year is the year. So cool that the 51 year old just started riding rails I'm gonna have to try now.
9 years ago
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Shoey-Ski
Posts: 1649 - Karma: 6,199
follow this guy on insta i think his username is ski_freak hes like 51 and still kills it, shreds a lot of park according to his pics
9 years ago
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Jaybrtn
Posts: 375 - Karma: 643
I'm 25, most of my skiing has been big mountain, backcountry, and powder. Just started skiing park as well last year and having a blast doing it. It's fun learning something new
9 years ago
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UilyJeff
Posts: 394 - Karma: 1,482
Shoey-Skifollow this guy on insta i think his username is ski_freak hes like 51 and still kills it, shreds a lot of park according to his pics


That's my buddy Lance!
9 years ago
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03gade
Posts: 856 - Karma: 3,263
Thanks everyone, this was actually super helpful. Basically, my body will tell me if there is an issue and if I don't like that I can hit the gym or change the way I approach the park.

Like I said, I'm not very good at park, I'm really just throwing 3s and 5s off of jumps. My grab-while-spinning and rail game is weak, and that's the stuff I'm trying to step up. Its relatively tiny shit I guess so I'm not really putting myself in a bad situation injury or painwise.
9 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8018 - Karma: 26,936
My recovery time from beating myself up all day has gone from like a day to up to 5 days at times. But I could be doing a lot more to keep my fitness level up. I think that's the biggest difference. When your young you just are a good athlete by default and you don't have to do shit. When you are old you have to work for it or you start to fall off.
9 years ago
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qroberts7
Posts: 93 - Karma: 191
Ever seen that guy Mike "rad dad" Legay from MSP's Days of My Youth? Dude's 55 years old throwing blind side switch ups and fucking killing it in general. Age is a number, stay fit and healthy and just keep going.
9 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52627 - Karma: 174,631
Peter.i mean it's really a personal thing


This. My knees back and other stuff have been shot for years but was still shredding pretty full on till 2 or 3 years ago. And good enough till just under 2 ago. I'm only 26. My body sucks, my brain is fucked, and I've slowed down, but that ssaid, not going to quit completely till everythings completely fucked or I'm 3million years old.

I'm really into turns right now though. Always was, but now I've really been focusing on that.

#smokingturns.

Idk, I get more stoked on a steep pitch with perfect cords than riding park a lot of the time. Or a good pow day in some nice terrain. Idk, I'm in the park everyday, so I still ride it, but for if I had to choose right now I'd much rather build parks than ride them.

I didn't even do an inverted trick the last year. Sure 26 might not be old, but I'm growing pathetic.

I'm already starting to live vicariously through everyone else lolz. I'm going to start sitting on my porch playing dominoes and eating supper at 3 oclock.
9 years ago
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Most-D
Posts: 729 - Karma: 1,088
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/786285/Skiing-park--when-is-enough-enough-

I wrote about this here on NS last year and got some interesting responses - take a look!
9 years ago
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2385 - Karma: 7,781
RRhighriderI am 31 and my goals have just changed. When I take park runs I am more foucused on maintaining tricks I can do instead of learning new tricks.


now that im older i continue the confident tricks and avoid the forcing 270 ons
9 years ago
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FSKP
Posts: 332 - Karma: 2,214
Know a guy who's 29 years old and he's skiing since he's really young. He is still throwing cork 9 blunt and switch cork 720's on 50 foot kickers.... He's in shape and train every day so that's the key...
9 years ago
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MikeWeinerONE
Posts: 501 - Karma: 1,215
Age is a number.

I'm 36 and while I don't recover as fast as I did when I was 17, I still ski just as hard or harder then I ever have due to experience.

Keep having fun and never let anyone tell you you're too old to do something.
9 years ago
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reeski
Posts: 1029 - Karma: 1,719
This is a great thread haven't been on this sight much in last few years but I have to stay the content and posts have evolved nicely, it's not just a young kids site anymore. Good stuff. Can talk/read/view skiing all day
9 years ago
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jec1521
Posts: 238 - Karma: 11
I am 26 and can ski as hard as ever still,and still feel to have a long way to go. But as far as park goes, I'm 80% done with it. As soon as I broke my shoulder and tore my rotator cuff a few seasons back, I just didn't have to will to do it anymore. I just stick to a few park runs a day doing basic stuff and explore the rest of the mountain for the rest of the day.

Not worth the stress and physical damage that was being done.
9 years ago
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Morriski_
Posts: 179 - Karma: 895
*DUMBCAN*I'm 22 and I've stopped doing park. Honestly I never really enjoyed it.

Until I was 14 I lived an hour from mountains and I'd go ski mountaineering every weekend when the conditions were good, and the Scottish season goes well into Spring. Then I moved to England and all we had was dry slope, so I learnt park. I've had way more injuries through park skiing than any other sport, and I find it way harder to get psyched for jumping 20 feet and spinning around.

I don't think it's really that the risks are too great, it's that the reward isn't worth it for the effort compared to other sports.

But that might be because the largest features I have access to are 20 ft snowflex jumps, and it's kinda hard to get excited for them.


I live in Edinburgh so the vast majority of my skiing is on a dry slope. We have one jump on the slope I go to, its horribly constructed, you can hardly get enough speed to attempt anything larger than a 540 and hasn't been maintained in fuck knows how long, so I totally get where youre coming from. I still go up there and shred when i can because i love skiing so much but its just nothing compared to real snow
9 years ago
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CT_CREW
Posts: 675 - Karma: 3,566
when you become a pussy.
9 years ago
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,944
When you die.

After 16 shit just starts/stays hurting a lot more though
9 years ago
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ben_southworth
Posts: 1063 - Karma: 447


Seth in his mid 30s. No excuses.
9 years ago
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humpty
Posts: 1190 - Karma: 3,162
WillgumHonestly i'm looking forward to the days where I can just relax and ski pow and smoke some j's in the woods. I mean I'm not saying skiing is stressfull or anything, but theres definitely a different feel to spending a day in the park, feverishly trying to land a new trick and getting banged up, and exploring the mountain and just cruising and chilling. Idk, I wouldnt worry about it.

By the time your body is too old, you'll probably prefer all-mountain riding anyways


this whole post. I definitely feel the different mindset between a day of park riding and trail /woods riding. Park is always fun and shit but man nothing is more chill then bumping some reggae and just carving down groomers like its nobody's business.
9 years ago
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MNREPSHOW
Posts: 16 - Karma: 124
Zack Mertz is now 37 and still throwing down all the time.
9 years ago
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Alvaro
Posts: 323 - Karma: 2,056
ben_southworth


Seth in his mid 30s. No excuses.


that must be the gnarliest ski photo i`ve ever seen, can you link a video of it?
9 years ago
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ben_southworth
Posts: 1063 - Karma: 447
Alvarothat must be the gnarliest ski photo i`ve ever seen, can you link a video of it?


I couldn't find one online. It's from Seth's segment in Believe, circa 2007. Same movie that Tanner does the gnarliest pillow lines ever skied, one of my favorite movies of all time.
9 years ago
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freestyler540
Posts: 13237 - Karma: 20,473
Mary Woodward from Nelson BC skied from she was 23 to 80. She was such a rad lady, she would even out ski some of the guys. So as long as it doesnt hurt and you are having fun, you can ski forever.
9 years ago
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