Too old for water sking???

[Bubba1235]

I was showing a buddy some pics of one of the boats I worked on this last summer and some of them were on the water with a couple of us sking behind it. He asked if that was me sking and I said yes. He said, "your two years older than me and thats too old for water sking. Water sking is a young guys fun. Your gonna break something."

SAY WHAT?! Heck, I plan on sking till I join Davey Jones!!!

Seriously, I may not be up to the National Championships at Okeeheelee but I can get out there with anyone and better than most. (Not bragging, just saying.) I love water sking, always have, always will. I can't imagine giving it up and by no means am I afraid of it or afraid of "breaking something". Heck, I think its one of the things that helps me stay in shape and be active. I know it sure trims off the extra umm, insulation I manage to put on in the winter.

So I ask, is there such a such a thing as "too old" in you folks minds? If so, what age is it?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I'm not ashamed to admit, I'm 47 yrs old and stay away from it, the last time was a couple years ago and I was sore for 3 days. Now my older sister @53 is gung ho. My mom is 81 and well I wouldn't let her but She was willing.

 

[QC]

Re: Too old for water sking???

No, never too old, although it does hurt more now. Not during, cause I don't push it until I splatter like I used to . . . I definitely ski less now, but that's cause I am always pulling kids around. I have a good friend who hadn't skied in probably 3 years that I pulled this last summer. He's 50 and was making some awesome turns just like he did when we were 30 . . .

 

[mphy98]

Re: Too old for water sking???

i am 54 now almost 55. when i was in my teens we lived on browns lake in racine county wi. skiied everyday, was quite good imho. 2 years ago my neighbor said hey lets go skiing, i said lets go. tried to start out with one ski after all its like riding a bike right. well when i was a teen ager i was 120lbs soaking wet. now 200lbs. coulnd't get may fat but up on one ski. take two. two skis, up no problem, drop one, upt to speed and down i go. got up the next day and hurt in places i didn't know i could hurt in. ouch never again

 

[evinice66]

Re: Too old for water sking???

no not too old. take vitamins, research vitamins, and take vitamins. and research research research. then buy more. youd be SUPRISED... dont buy cheap vitamins. i take antioxidents.. i think the are alot of grape seed extract, and calcium with trace minerals. b vitamins and more calcium. then take more calcium and get some good ummmm glucloseamine (sp!) that helps jiont tissue. i can get super wasted and not get hung over one bit... calcium enables a way higher oxegen level in the blood stream, but calcium is also the hardest mineral to absorb, thats why you need 1/3 magneseium to aid it. im sorry i cant spell but i hope you get the drift. you need to research so much because people dont want you to know the truth, there is alot more money to be made if your sick.(not sayin you are..) example 100% of your daily value of vitamin d is ... oh man its been a while since i did my research but not much they claim, its somewhere around 150 international units (the standerd of measuring vitamins) and when your in the sun your body naturally produces 10,000 international units in 10 minutes!!!! well go ahead, and buy good vitamins from a mom and pop type store (more knowlegeable people inside) get some good calcium, antioxdents, glucloseamine, and omega 3, and come back in one month and tell me how you feel !!! i bet great.

edit : here dere hey from wisconsin

 

[aspeck]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I'm not too old ... just too fat! Used to tear it up, but since the shoulder dislocation/surgery I just don't want to put the boat through the misery of having to pull me up in my double boot ski, and I just can't bring myself to using 2 skis! LOL! I do still tube, belly ski, trick ski, but those times are few and far between, not like the EVERY morning at 6 AM routine I used to be in 20 years ago.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Very inspiring Bubba, and 10yrs my senior!, ever think about trying a wakeboard?

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Too old for water sking???

after about a 20 year hiatus I squeezed my fat but into my old barefoot wetsuit and barefooted this year at the ripe young age of 40. I am still picking up wakeboarding. I slalom ski, double ski, and wish oh wish I could find someone to pull me over a ramp on jump skis again. I will try to ski as long as I can breath.

 

[UnregisteredUser]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Man when I was a kid, my dad would pull me all over Lake of the Ozarks. Short of stopping the boat, he could not get me to drop. When I was 16 I joined a ski show, I had to try out two years before they took me but I finally made it. My brother and I got pretty good at it. Spending most of our summers at the lake full time allowed for lots of time behind a boat when we were not working.

The last time I skied was about 13 years ago. The guy driving the boat was an idiot and liked to kill us all. Now I just don't know anyone I would trust to pull me, not that I would readily try anymore. I get just as much excitement pulling my wife, daughter, and grandkids.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Too old for water sking???

A neighbor of my parents skis a couple times a year just to show the grandkids he can still do it. I don't know his exact age, but a couple of his grandkids are approaching 20 years old. I'd guess he's in his mid-70's and in generally good shape but no athlete. He pops right up on 2 skis and goes all over the lake, then lets the younger kids take over the rest of the day. He loves it.

And I have some other friends who I ski with semi-regularly, two couples in their mid-50's. They live on a lake and are out at least 3 evenings a week. Both wives and both husbands, slaloming, wakeboarding, etc every other day.

I guess I'm not old yet, but now at 38 I just had my best summer of skiing ever. This year I ticked off two things I wanted to accomplish: I managed to complete an entire slalom course for the first time, and I learned how to wakeboard some basic tricks...180's, small jumps, etc. I ski about 2x per week all summer and sometimes crash HARD (actually had to see the doctor twice for water-sports crashes this year) I get sore, sometimes I get hurt, and I always heal and start over. A brand new ski/wakeboard boat is in the planning stages...I gotta figure out how to get MUCH more air on the wakeboard than my current runabout can provide for my tastes. And next summer I'll definitely start shortening the rope on the slalom course.

Grandma always tells me "use it or lose it." The moment you quit doing something because it get's "harder" due to your age or physical condition, you'll never do it again. At 92 years old she's still living alone and doing fine, and one of my role models. As soon as someone becomes sedentary they have basically begun to shut down permanantly. Sounds a little harsh, but that's the way I see it. And that's not for me.

It does take work. I ride my bike about 1,500 miles every year, I lift weights year round, and I walk/run/play sports whenever I get the chance. I keep my weight under control and eat a balanced diet. And of course I ski. If I didn't do those things I'm sure it would be harder. But I do those things...and I don't plan to stop...ever...because that's what the body needs to stay healthy.

So I ain't quitting anytime soon. I plan to next reassess that decision sometime around year 2038. Someone please remind me when that date comes around, just in case I forget to reassess because I'm out on the water...

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Never too old if you have the inclination then go for it. Just take it steady on 2 skis to begin with and see how you feel the next day. Judge future activities from that.

 

[skibrain]

Re:

Re:

My bad.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I turned 48 this year, and skied 51 days for the season in MN. With drysuits we are in the water by end of April or early May and ski into October always. Sometimes a couple of days in November. 2 to 3 days a week during the prime months.

I'm not barefooting as much anymore (1-2 runs a year). But slalom a lot. For me the trick has been to recruit a network of like-minded friends that will get up early (sunrise in June is 5:30 a.m.!) and hit the lake when the water is flat and there are few other boats.

I am REALLY sore for the first 4-6 weeks of the season while the connective tissue in arms and shoulders gets whipped into shape. Then just in mild pain all season long. OK we ski pretty hard and run the slalom course, but if I'm not skiing at least twice a week, I am going backwards in skiing strength.

Ibuprofen is good.

I hope to keep at it for a long time and encourage anyone else to do same.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Skibrain...

SWEET. You know how to get it done. Never stop. And nice pics!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Two skis??? What do you do with the extra one???

Drop it when you feel comfortable !!!!!
If not keep it on !!!!!
Then judge your activity from there.

 

[electricjohn]

Re: Too old for water sking???

I still love skiing at 52 years old. Pretty much do anything on skis that can be done. No skis too. I do ski less now a days, being a skier since 1964. This is because I have trouble finding a driver and observer. My daughters are grown up now and not around that much, and my brothers are kind of out of skiing. Daughters are not even with us for the full duration of our vacation on the lake any more. Brothers just want to sit on the beach. My older daughter and I will ski on the local bay and inlets when we can, and this usually involves skiing without an observer because we can't find a third to go with us. In the mean time, I use my ski forums to try to find people to ski with around here, but places to ski in NJ is kind of limited.

Back to the topic....If you are getting older and skiing is starting to hurt, concentrate more on good form and posture. Your back should be straight, standing up straight, with knees slightly bent. Skiing shouldn't hurt being it is not that strenuous. Don't take chances with risky moves, like taking a whip on a turn, as these kind of "out of control" falls do the most damage. Just relax, and have fun.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Unless I misread all these posts, you young guys are all thinking you are old. I'm 63 and still deepwater a slalom with no trouble when I can get a spotter. My sons friends all are surprised when I jump overboard. I also wakeboard 'cause it's another way to slide over the water. Only thing I won't do is tube behind my son 'cause he will try to kill me and I need to work on Monday. As long as I can stand and hold a handle, I intend to continue skiing. And when I can't stand, I'll do it in a chair.

As you get older though, you do need to be sure your mind is not writing checks your body can't cash. I don't try to do some of the stuff I did in my 20s.

 

[Robj]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Plan on skiing as long as the body can handle it. Actually that is not really true, I am 43 years old and planning on giving up skiing, started wakeboarding instead. Great fun.

Have a great day,

Rob.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Good job!

When I was in high school (mid 70s) my watersports mentor was in his 60s. Tricks, slalom, barefoot... you name it, he was easily the best skier on the lake. His name was Sam. I'd like to like Sam and still at it 15 years from now. Here is a shot of him barefooting:

 

[kyle f]

Re: Too old for water sking???

Ha! look at this pic. This is a 56 year old that jus tpoped right up behind my boat.