It all began 11 years ago, when Lloyd T. Lambert wrote to 50 ski areas and asked if they could help keep older skiers on the slopes.
”I often had people complaining to me that they just couldn`t afford to ski any longer because they were on fixed incomes,” said Lambert, now 87, a retired display designer for a large department store in central New York State.
Thirty-six ski areas responded with offers of free skiing or half-price discounts on lift tickets. ”It was very gratifying,” said Lambert, who then founded the 70+ Ski Club with a nucleus of 30 skiers in that age bracket.
”Today, for a lifetime membership fee, more than 4,200 members enjoy free skiing or skiing at a discounted rate, all over the world-places like France, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Canada and British Columbia,” he said.
The discount also applies at more than 200 American ski areas.
Blue Knob and Hidden Valley, for example, charge skiers 65 and older the junior rate. That`s a $5 weekday and weekend savings at the former and a $7
(weekday) and $12 (weekend) savings at the latter. Boyce Park offers a $2 discount to all senior skiers on weekdays, cutting the cost of a lift ticket to $8.
”Tell them or anyone else to write or give me a call,” said Lambert, who lives at 104 Eastside Dr., Ballston Lake, N.Y. 12019. His phone number is 518-399-5458.
Lambert said ski operators now contact him about offers for senior skiers. ”They say our members and their club patches serve as a highly visible incentive to people in their 40s and 50s who think they are getting too old to ski.”
”It`s a great deal,” said John McManus of Green Tree, Pa., who joined the club in October. ”You have to document your age, so I sent Lloyd a copy of my birth certificate and driver`s license with my $5 membership dues.
”He sent me my membership card, a club patch to wear on my ski jacket, a newsletter and a state-by-state, country-by-country list of places where I can ski free or at a discount.
”The club is always on the go, too. It had a trip to Bariloche, Argentina, in August and is offering trips to Cortina (Italy) next month, Grindelwald (Switzerland) and Kitzbuehel (Austria) in March, and New Zealand this summer.”
McManus started skiing at age 10 ”on a glorified hill” in Newton, a suburb of Boston. ”I had wooden skis with bear trap bindings (the name says it all) and it was a real feat to keep your balance.”
Since then he has skied in Pennsylvania, New England and Europe. He and his wife, Ruth, have two children, Gretchen and Mike, both of whom ski. ”Ruth can`t ski because she has a bad hip, but she sits in the lodge and writes poetry while I ski. She goes to Europe with me, too.
”Climate is no longer a problem. Gore-Tex, down and space-age materials help keep you warm. The quality of skis, boots and bindings has improved dramatically over the years. I think you`re safer skiing down a mountain than you are driving a car.”
”I encourage people to resume or begin skiing by taking lessons from a professional ski instructor. As long as you can walk, you can ski. I tell them to take their time, relax and enjoy themselves.”
