For many people who have snapped on alpine skis and hit the slopes at one point or another, the sport eventually fades as other priorities in life take hold.
Work, family, and other interests often relegate skis to the attic, and when retirement arrives and more time is available, some people think they’re just too old to ski again. Roger Wangen, a 76-yearold ski instructor at Hyland Hills Ski Area in Bloomington, is trying to change that mindset. Wangen specializes in teaching “soft skiing,” a technique developed by renowned instructor and author Lito Tejada-Flores that allows skiers to work less, conserve energy, and ski more safely.
Wangen’s courses, “Ski Younger Now” and a more advanced class called “Brilliance for Boomers” are geared specifically toward older adults.
“I started with adults and it didn’t make a difference what age they were,” Wangen says. “But now that I’m a senior, I want to help other seniors continue in the sport. I want to give them the opportunity to come back to skiing.”
Wangen has taught students from their 50s all the way to skiers in their late 80s. He makes a point to discuss medical conditions, abilities, and risk factors with each student, but notes that confidence is usually the biggest factor in getting older adults back on skis.
“It takes courage to overcome the fear that you’ve had before,” he says. “And courage really is making sure that you don’t let life escape you. There are many people who are disabled who ski, and people with other conditions who ski, both downhill and cross country. I have had 88-year-old people in my class and they’re not only alive, they are alive and kicking and they’re interested in learning how to make it easy.”
The key to soft skiing, Wangen says, is making the skis do the work. Through the use of simultaneous foot movements and a focus on body positioning and balance, he teaches students how to make their skis tip, pivot and bend with minimal effort.
One student, Kathy Lucas, 68, of Bloomington, returned to skiing in her late 50s after many years away from the sport.
“I really enjoyed it, but I found that I really had lost everything that I had learned, so I needed to start over,” Lucas says. “To me it’s just been a wonderful learning experience that has definitely improved my skiing and improved my energy level that I put into skiing— it’s just made it easier.”
Skiing has also been a social sport for Lucas, who has met many new friends on ski hills. She even races as a member of the Minnesota Ski Challenge team.
“It gets me outside, enjoying Minnesota winters, which we all know get long,” Lucas says. “I think being outside in the fresh air, doing something that really is fun and energizing helps your physical health. It helps you to stay active. It helps to maintain your balance so you can avoid falls.”
Wangen, whose first skiing experience involved rubber boots strapped to wooden skis, says he’s experienced the same benefits throughout his life. And he’s still learning—he’s logged over 1,000 hours of lessons for himself. Passing along that knowledge is an added perk.
“There’s so much joy in watching these people smile and say they didn’t know it could be this easy— they didn’t know there could be this much enjoyment,” Wangen says. “You just can’t imagine how much joy that gives me.”