Anything I should know that's changed about it aside from helmets becoming more popular?

I used to be an OK skier, could handle blues and moderate blacks, ice, and moguls and such. I'm still in much better physical condition than the last time I skied, but also older.

My old boots still fit well and are in good condition. I am assuming the common binding types they use have not changed for rental skis? I am about 5'9" 159#, and I know ski length generally runs by skill and size of the skier, what would be a good balanced choice these days for the rental?

I have fairly new gear I bought for a trip 2 years ago that fell through on me, so most of my garb and gear is pretty new.

Will be at Purgatory for the first time (in the winter) this time.

Be prepared for muscles to hurt that your forgot you had.

If you are flying, just rent some demo all-mountain skis and boots at a shop in Purgatory. I don't think lugging the boots up would be worth it. Also, get the helmet. They are warm and protect you from the Texans on the mountain

It's like riding a bike. My son hadn't skied in 15 years and he was back on blacks the second day. Agree with just renting. Have fun.

Tailgate88 said:

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It's like riding a bike. My son hadn't skied in 15 years and he was back on blacks the second day. Agree with just renting. Have fun.

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That's ironic from a guy that still walks with a limp!

It's way more expensive now

I'll be the single voice of decent on the boots…if you have boots that you like and you know are comfy, it's worth every bit of hassle to take them. You won't save any $ on the rental by having your own boots, but a comfortable pair of boots can make or break your weekend. I always take my own boots, regardless of how quick my trip is.

That said, if you only sort of like them, then just rent, having your own boots only saves like $10 on the rental.

LOYAL AG said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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It's like riding a bike. My son hadn't skied in 15 years and he was back on blacks the second day. Agree with just renting. Have fun.

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That's ironic from a guy that still walks with a limp!

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I hung with the kids on the blues last year but I am retired from blacks now. I skied with the grandkids in the afternoons and let all the kids run wild on the backside. Some thought I wouldn't get back on skis but I'm old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway. Headed to Purgatory next SB!

Tailgate88 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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It's like riding a bike. My son hadn't skied in 15 years and he was back on blacks the second day. Agree with just renting. Have fun.

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That's ironic from a guy that still walks with a limp!

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I hung with the kids on the blues last year but I am retired from blacks now. I skied with the grandkids in the afternoons and let all the kids run wild on the backside. Some thought I wouldn't get back on skis but I'm old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway. Headed to Purgatory next SB!

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That's great! We were at Purgatory when you fell. We were in our condo playing spades debating whether we wanted to ski one more day when Daughter of Tailgate88 texted Daughter of LOYAL AG saying you were being flown to Denver and that pretty much made our decision for us. Lol. We packed up and headed out first thing the next day.

LOYAL AG said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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It's like riding a bike. My son hadn't skied in 15 years and he was back on blacks the second day. Agree with just renting. Have fun.

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That's ironic from a guy that still walks with a limp!

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I hung with the kids on the blues last year but I am retired from blacks now. I skied with the grandkids in the afternoons and let all the kids run wild on the backside. Some thought I wouldn't get back on skis but I'm old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway. Headed to Purgatory next SB!

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That's great! We were at Purgatory when you fell. We were in our condo playing spades debating whether we wanted to ski one more day when Daughter of Tailgate88 texted Daughter of LOYAL AG saying you were being flown to Denver and that pretty much made our decision for us. Lol. We packed up and headed out first thing the next day.

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Sorry to ruin your last day, brother. It wasn't even a real ski accident I was just sliding to a stop at the bottom and looked up the hill for the boys, dropped my pole under my downhill ski and hip landed square on an icy patch. This is my sheepish grin look.

Lift passes are like 1000x what they used to be. My days skiing at these prices are numbered.

Crazy Ag 97 said:

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I'll be the single voice of decent on the boots…if you have boots that you like and you know are comfy, it's worth every bit of hassle to take them. You won't save any $ on the rental by having your own boots, but a comfortable pair of boots can make or break your weekend. I always take my own boots, regardless of how quick my trip is.

That said, if you only sort of like them, then just rent, having your own boots only saves like $10 on the rental.

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Second this, especially if you have fitted boots custom to your feet. I will not go anywhere to ski without my own boots (and skis, but I didn't buy my own skis to not take them with me).

Crazy Ag 97 said:

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I'll be the single voice of decent on the boots…if you have boots that you like and you know are comfy, it's worth every bit of hassle to take them. You won't save any $ on the rental by having your own boots, but a comfortable pair of boots can make or break your weekend. I always take my own boots, regardless of how quick my trip is.

That said, if you only sort of like them, then just rent, having your own boots only saves like $10 on the rental.

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3rd this.

I have pretty cheap, second hand boots that are pretty old. And they are still WAY better than anything on the rental rack. I have never owned a pair of skies (even though I live 30 minutes from Wolf Creek). But I won't go anywhere without my own boots.

hbc07 said:

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Be prepared for muscles to hurt that your forgot you had.

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Yeah, once I hit my 40s, i sensed my ACLs telling me "Just go to Grand Cayman before something bad happens to us, dude", so our winter trips are mostly beach trips now

Tailgate88 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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Tailgate88 said:

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It's like riding a bike. My son hadn't skied in 15 years and he was back on blacks the second day. Agree with just renting. Have fun.

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That's ironic from a guy that still walks with a limp!

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I hung with the kids on the blues last year but I am retired from blacks now. I skied with the grandkids in the afternoons and let all the kids run wild on the backside. Some thought I wouldn't get back on skis but I'm old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway. Headed to Purgatory next SB!

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That's great! We were at Purgatory when you fell. We were in our condo playing spades debating whether we wanted to ski one more day when Daughter of Tailgate88 texted Daughter of LOYAL AG saying you were being flown to Denver and that pretty much made our decision for us. Lol. We packed up and headed out first thing the next day.

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Sorry to ruin your last day, brother. It wasn't even a real ski accident I was just sliding to a stop at the bottom and looked up the hill for the boys, dropped my pole under my downhill ski and hip landed square on an icy patch. This is my sheepish grin look.

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Oh you didn't ruin it for sure. I think we were looking for an excuse. Daughter got a concussion on the first day out and son strained a leg muscle on day 3. Mrs LOYAL AG fell getting off the lift somewhere along the way so everyone was licking their wounds a bit. You just sealed the deal! Glad you got back up there though. Think we'll head back next season.

I'm always blown away how having a helmet 15-20 years ago when I first skied was never really even a thought. Nowadays I would feel naked without it.

i also had a ~15yr hiatus

it was like riding a bike

i like the helmets now

its a lot more $$$

have fun

Quote:

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but a comfortable pair of boots can make or break your weekend

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Re: ski length
They will size you up but at your height it should be something in the 160-170 range.

Absolutely love skiing. As I've got older I'm a more conservative skier but I think I enjoy it more. Just soak in the views, fresh air (albeit thin), and general time outdoors!

I went 25 years between skiing trips. I went two years ago and had a blast. All of the advice here has been on target; just take it easy. It took me a day or so to regain confidence to ski some of the blues with authority. However, I still was relatively careful. I have now skied 10 days over the last two years and hope to get a couple of more days this year. Have fun! I have stayed fit over the years, which certainly helped.

Cool. Glad to know my gear will still be useful. I'll be on a trip with a couple of my uncles who are now around 60 and go every year, so it'll be an interesting age versus experience comparison.

I'm not worried about getting banged up, I'm in better shape than I was when I was in my 20's, and am used to that kind of exertion and exercise, but I also probably have gotten a little more cautious with age. I figure if we stay as a group then I should be fine with any runs they do. We're driving in my uncle's big AWD van so plenty of cargo space. I just need to remember to take it easy at the gym the week or so before so I start the trip without any nagging minor injuries or already sore.