Is it possible to lose the passion for skiing?

[Greg]

A lot of "quantity vs. quality", "turn-earning is more satisfying", "powder-only" talk lately. I'm not ragging on anyone that is more selective about how, where, and what they ski, but it seems to me, at least on the surface, that these pusuits may be a result of a bit of boredom in terms of lift-serviced on-piste skiing. This begs the question: Is it possible to eventually lose the passion for skiing entirely? I mean can the pursuit of powder, turn-earning, BC, glades, etc. become repetitive and boring if you do it enough? Perhaps this is a silly question, but something about lift-serviced and/or on-piste skiing became boring enough that new pursuits were sought after so who's to say these new pursuits won't eventually become boring?

My most satisfying ski days can come in a couple of different forms, but most in some way involve bumps. I can have a lot of fun just honing skills on a few seeded bump lines at a local hill, but my favorite runs consist of deep powdery moguls on a natural snow trail. There's something about the mental as well as physical challenge of moguls that really appeals to me. Each run is different and the learning curve is so gradual that it makes you just wanting more. Once you get to the point of being able to hold a line is when skiing bumps gets totally addictive. The quest to ski every bump run perfectly seems to be the goal, one that doesn't even seem to be attainable, but the quest to do so is what keeps me coming back. With that said, I don't think that I can ever lose the passion for skiing. At least I hope I don't. My oldest daughter starts this season and I expect that teaching the kids to ski will keep me interested for many many years as well. Nevertheless, the thought that I might tire of skiing someday has crossed my mind. What the hell will I do then?

 

[ajl50]

I think it is def. possible to lose the passion for skiing. Doing anything all the time with a mindset of improvment and perfection will eventually dampen the real fun of just getting out there and going downhill.
I used to think that I'd never get tired of rowing. I loved going out on the water every day. It was just awesome. But after 10 years of rowing with the last 4 years in a top level program with NO breaks I got sick of it. It just wasn't fun anymore. I lost the fun of the basic sport. Wasn't until I coached some kids one summer and taught my GF to row that started to see the basic fun in it...
So I can totally see how people lose the fun in skiing.

 

[koreshot]

Interesting question. I think it is definitely possible to lose passion for skiing, or any sport for that matter. I know many people that were into skiing or some other sport earlier in their lives and then slowly "grew out" of it or "moved on". Often this is related to a life or health condition change though.

I think the people that call themselves "purists", people who go after powder, steep natural runs, etc... (me included in that), are just individuals looking for variety and challenge. Most resort based powder/steeps addicts still spend a lot of time bombing groomers back to the lift. While bombing down a groomer, laying the skis over from edge to edge is fun and I spend at least half of my day on the hill doing just this, it does get repetitive after a while. Bumps, powder, trees offer more variety and more challenge. You have to pick your line and think things through a bit more and no 2 runs are ever the same.

 

[bigbog]

tired of skiing....?

I think a lot of us who enjoy the process of improving our skiing and other activities' ability-level...rowing, Paddling(canoeing[kayaking]..ww/flat..for me) and don't mix/share it with others(...Greg, aj) after a while!....would definitely lose the interest. The sharing of the outdoor experience, imo, is the major factor. I started skiing in my thirties:roll: , but began paddling before I was 10yo, and paddling alone is REALLY boring...beyond belief...for me. Except for checking out new streams/rivers and their potential hazards/fun-factors or taking the camera for pics, I'll only get out in a canoe/touring_kayak with others..

 

[ctenidae]

No.

 

[ajl50]

Yea...bigbog i agree...when i got of a rowing team it struck me how it wasn't fun anymore because there wasn't other people to share it with. When i started coaching the fun started to come back.
That's one reason I love skiing- my GF and I have taken every single runs of our skiing life together and we love sharing that experience- so long as we keep doing that- I'll be fine.

 

[nelsapbm]

I would say I've sort of lost the passion. Or maybe I could say I've gained some interest in other winter sports as well.
I'm not as gung-ho about skiing as I used to be. I used to try and get out 20+ times per year. Now, I'm happy with 5 days on the hill. If I get out more, great. If not, no biggie.
I also like spending an afternoon at a college hoops game or at an ice hockey game. I also like hanging out by the woodstove and watching movies or reading a good book.
I guess it just depends on how I feel that day. I'm lucky to be close enough to skiing that I can decide that morning what I feel like doing.

 

[dmc]

I get bored in bounds some days... Some days I don't.... depends on some stuff...

Terrain- Who I'm with- weather...etc...

I even get bored at Tucks... If not a lot of stuff is skiable..

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I've been skiing for 46 years and have not lost it yet. For better or worse it is a big part of my Identity and I can't imagine not doing it.

My parents where avid skiers, but when they retired they moved to Florida and played tennis everyday, so who knows?

 

[YardSaleDad]

What the hell will I do then?

Start hang gliding of course :wink:

 

[Powdr]

Switch to tele. You will never be bored again.

 

[2knees]

obviously, you arent core enough. :wink:

my interest has waned in the past. Dont think it'll happen again but you never know. The last 5 years or so, i've been as passionate about skiing as i have ever been. I just dont get to go as much anymore, which just makes me appreciate it all that much more when i can.

 

[Greg]

obviously, you arent core enough. :wink:

I am most definitely not core enough... :lol:

 

[Rushski]

I did a few years ago, as it seemed I was cursed. 2000 went to Tahoe (1st trip out West) and had a great time. The next two years I had very little time to ski and the few times I did try and get out it rained or iced out. Actually felt like I closed cannon twice! That's hard to do.

Took three years off and got together with some guys who were going out constantly which helped. After a couple years of being back out there on shaped skis (which also helped) I will not take any time off probably again...

So, yes you can lose the passion for skiing. BUT, it can come back!

 

[SkiDork]

I've been skiing since I'm 6 (45 now)

My babe is much more passionate than I am, and she started in her 20s...

Not sure what that means but I thought I'd throw it out there...

 

[Jean-Pierre Skier]

If you're core enough to subscribe to and read a web forum dedicated to skiing in the Northeast, you've got the bug. I may not be as giddy as a six year old on Christmas Day every time I go to the mountain, but I sure as heck feel that way whenever I show up and I've got some pow to turn on.

With repetition comes farmiliarity and that tends to dampen a person's sense of anticipation and excitement. What makes skiing so great is the endless variety of conditions and terrain to fire you up all over again. The first time I went to Mad River, I could have been driving up to the parking lot at Alta, I was so stoked to check it out. And the same can be said for hiking up a defunct ski hill for some back country turns or a nice sunny day in the spring when you absolutely know the bumps will be perfect. Even on a frigid day when the hill has turned into an ice rink, I yank out my racing skis and I'm a world class downhiller, skiing mach 5 with my hair on fire (on an appropriately un-crowded run, of course). Like a good marriage, skiing is all about mixing it up.

 

[DrSkimeister]

Hi folks...

I agree that if we spend our time reading and posting on the internet about skiing that it's not likely that we've lost the passion. I think in 25 yrs of skiing that my passion has changed, though. Used to be how much vert, open to close and then the apres defined the passion. Now the passion is the quest for good snow on the mountain in which to make smooth turns.

Happy trails.

 

[JimG.]

There will come a day when we all lose our passion for skiing.

The day we die.

 

[ctenidae]

There will come a day when we all lose our passion for skiing.

The day we die.

Two days after, I think, is a more accurate projection.

or maybe that's just when we become indestiguishable from a telemarker.

 

[bigbog]

...the answer!....

Greg,
...The answer to your funk.....Nordica's Supercharger..!.....