03/20/2026
Here's a fun thing. Yesterday I passed my PSIA 'Senior Specialist II' certification in an event at Mount Hood Meadows, Oregon. This is something I've wanted to do ever since I started as a ski instructor. Lots of ski instructors focus on teaching kids. But Senior Specialist II certification is very, very rare. I love teaching older skiers. Folks like me, who started skiing in 1961 on straight, long, wood skis with bear-trap cable bindings and leather boots. Folks who came of age watching Jean-Claude Killy win three gold medals at the Grenoble Olympics in 1968. We've seen a lot of changes, in ski culture, in ski gear, in ourselves. We've accumulated a few injuries and infirmities, maybe are moving a little bit slower, maybe are consuming a bit more Ibuprofen at day's end. But all of us are still out there, still kicking butt, and having just as much fun as ever. If that sounds like you, send me a PM. Maybe to book a lesson, but maybe just to ask for advice. Whatever.
