Ski resorts expand grooming for aging boomers

At Vail, nine of its 29 snow machines are being replaced as part of the effort to boost grooming, Jensen said. It's not a small step, since each machine can cost as much as $235,000.

Beyond the slopes themselves, the evolution of the shaped ski is a big factor in keeping boomers skiing, Jensen said.

“Initiating a turn has never been easier — but the reality is that any ski, straight or shaped, performs best on straight and groomed surfaces,” he said.

Fitness experts say boomers need to be careful, even on groomed slopes.

“Many of the severe knee injuries occur on very forgiving, flat terrain that is well-groomed,” said Dr. Robert H. Johnson, a professor of musculoskeletal research at the University of Vermont and a specialist in skiing injuries. He also said older women are more likely than younger skiers to suffer leg injuries.

Ski areas haven't totally forsaken the boomer who wants to shred. Aspen Mountain, for example, offers a “Bumps for Boomers” program designed to take skiers comfortable on groomed slopes to more difficult terrain using “techniques that both reduce fatigue and stress to aging joints.”

How will skiers see the difference in grooming this season?

Krista Parry of Park City, Utah, says the resort grooms 15 expert runs on a rotating basis to open up more of the mountain to less experienced skiers. Sun Valley, Idaho, has replaced its grooming fleet with 10 new machines to primp its “ego snow.”

Grooming isn't strictly an overnight affair during the season. Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia hired 10 extra summer trail crew members to harvest the alders, willows and high brush that grow on ski runs — a safety hazard and a hassle for groomers, spokeswoman Michelle Leroux said.

“We get people who say we groom too much — typically they are a younger person,” said Chuck English, mountain operations manager at Deer Valley. The Utah resort is perennially ranked as No. 1 in grooming.

“Some of our guests only get seven days to go skiing and they don't want to get their ass kicked,” English said.

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