New and Experienced climbers over 50 ##24

Isn't Ensure a nutrition product for old, I mean really old, perhaps periodically clinically dead people?

Jay Goodwinwrote:

Isn't Ensure a nutrition product for old, I mean really old, perhaps periodically clinically dead people?

Yes, exactly!  That’s why it’s the perfect product.

So here’s a funny story in the same vein: my husband took up archery a few years ago and just recently started competing in matches on occasion. Last week he told me he won the match in his category.

The category for his age of 66 is Super Senior.

Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Makes being even more senior than senior sound very special.

phylp phylpwrote:

Yes, exactly!  That’s why it’s the perfect product.

So here’s a funny story in the same vein: my husband took up archery a few years ago and just recently started competing in matches on occasion. Last week he told me he won the match in his category.

The category for his age of 66 is Super Senior.

Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Makes being even more senior than senior sound very special.

66?  he's just a youngster!

I always like it when the ‘oldest’ category in a competition is called “masters”—has an even better ‘ring’.

the primitive biathlons that I do the adult class is 16 to 60. finally now that i am 61 I am in the senior class. 

Alan Rubinwrote:

I always like it when the ‘oldest’ category in a competition is called “masters”—has an even better ‘ring’.

Alan, when he used to shoot highpower rifle, he was rated a High Master. But that is not an age category, it’s the highest ranking for the competition class you shoot in. 

I think for some of the climbing comps here Masters is over 40 which is just silly. 

Jay Goodwinwrote:

Isn't Ensure a nutrition product for old, I mean really old, perhaps periodically clinically dead people?

So, it is easily digestable and presumably safe for those of us who have less-than-perfect immune systems.

Ultimate (frisbee) masters category starts at 35 last I played. It would make more sense at 40 but honestly, a well run team of 20 somethings is gonna beat the older folks every time on fields that big.

Alan Rubinwrote:

I always like it when the ‘oldest’ category in a competition is called “masters”—has an even better ‘ring’.

Grand Masters is where its at.  Or maybe following the Brits - Severely great grand masters,  Probably better then - old people that are still alive,

For the Festivus comp, I was in Masters, because I was over 50. But? There's some assumptions there. A reasonable one that 20 and 50+ might have different levels of strength. But they also had Novice, obviously those with not much experience. Then male/female in the various categories.

Which meant some of what I did actually came close to tracking respectably in the novice category.

But my actual competitors in the female masters were far more experienced than I. 

They need to just have a "wtf" category. Populated with people who try, anyway, no matter the obstacles.

H.

We are experiencing a growing trend of older individuals either staying or becoming "athletic." 

Accordingly, what passed for "masters" or oldest categories in amateur competitions (40+ or 50+), has changed significantly recently to accommodate this trend.

MTB racing now regularly have categories for 60-64, 65-69 & 70+ for Cat 1 cyclists. Even in more localized races, 65+ is now a more commonly seen category. And,  in these oldest groups, the competition is surprisingly stiff and often deep.

When I started climbing, it was exceedingly rare to see someone over 50 at the crags. And, if you did, they were typically climbing routes at the easiest grades. This is a far cry from today, where climbers in their 60+s can be seen pulling hard at most major crags.

Maybe we never "grew up" enough to want to settle into a life of complacency.

Randywrote:

We are experiencing a growing trend of older individuals either staying or becoming "athletic." 

Accordingly, what passed for "masters" or oldest categories in amateur competitions (40+ or 50+), has changed significantly recently to accommodate this trend.

MTB racing now regularly have categories for 60-64, 65-69 & 70+ for Cat 1 cyclists. Even in more localized races, 65+ is now a more commonly seen category. And,  in these oldest groups, the competition is surprisingly stiff and often deep.

When I started climbing, it was exceedingly rare to see someone over 50 at the crags. And, if you did, they were typically climbing routes at the easiest grades. This is a far cry from today, where climbers in their 60+s can be seen pulling hard at most major crags.

Maybe we never "grew up" enough to want to settle into a life of complacency.

About 20 years ago I was having trouble at the crux at a sport route in Sandstone Quarry (Red Rock).  A climber on an adjacent route asked if he could show me the sequence he used.  He sent it easily.  He was 82 or 83.  Kind of overweight.  That's when I decided I would continue to climb into my 80's (which will arrive in a couple of months).

Randywrote:

We are experiencing a growing trend of older individuals either staying or becoming "athletic." 

Accordingly, what passed for "masters" or oldest categories in amateur competitions (40+ or 50+), has changed significantly recently to accommodate this trend.

MTB racing now regularly have categories for 60-64, 65-69 & 70+ for Cat 1 cyclists. Even in more localized races, 65+ is now a more commonly seen category. And,  in these oldest groups, the competition is surprisingly stiff and often deep.

When I started climbing, it was exceedingly rare to see someone over 50 at the crags. And, if you did, they were typically climbing routes at the easiest grades. This is a far cry from today, where climbers in their 60+s can be seen pulling hard at most major crags.

Maybe we never "grew up" enough to want to settle into a life of complacency.

I'm with you on all of that. I can remember in the 90s seeing a local guy in his mid 40s soloing a 5.12 that we were all projecting, that was rare as hell. The proliferation of indoor climbing/fitness centers has definitely helped me continue to climb at a level that I definitely wouldn't be if I had to get my workout outside. The gyms 20 years ago were not much fun and they were injury factories with all the crimps all over the vertical walls, lots of people hated them including myself.

RIP Merrill Bitter

I’ve been enjoying my lake sitting and family visiting. One grandkid in particular looks like he needs someone to talk to. (Can you tell which one?) so I'm scrapping plans for the day and going back to pay an extra visit.  

What Randy said.   I’ve had climbing, and especially

“climbing at a certain age” heavily on my mind. Is it still important to me or is it time to let it go?  It’s still REALLY important to me.

I was listening to a podcast this morning interviewing some good climbers and the questions were around training. At the end of the round table it was concluded that everyone trains according to need, project and desired outcome.  It was presented in a fresh way so I could fathom my own “training” as a 70 yo who has certain routes in mind and certain styles of climbing.  Id like to do more featured face climbing. Id like to tackle a 5.11 steep face that would have to be a project.

The other agreement was that none of this gets done in one or two outings.  Give the hard stuff 6-9 months.  I really like that!

Randywrote:

When I started climbing, it was exceedingly rare to see someone over 50 at the crags. And, if you did, they were typically climbing routes at the easiest grades. This is a far cry from today, where climbers in their 60+s can be seen pulling hard at most major crags.

I was fortunate starting to climb at Devil’s Lake and the Gunks in the early/mid-60s because we had some excellent role models who were climbing—and climbing well, past middle age. At the Lake it was the Stettner brothers and, in particular, Dave Slinger ( though he wasn’t actually as old as he seemed to us). In the Gunks, Fritz Wiessner and Hans Kraus literally personalized the history of Gunks climbing and were frequently present. There were others, less well-known but still a major part of the scene, such as Lou Lutz from Philadelphia and Lester Germer.

They all showed us, even in our youth, that this was a sport that could be practiced for a lifetime. It is significant that many of them had grown up in Europe and started to climb there, because climbing and otherwise being active in the outdoors throughout one’s life, was and  still is very common there. On my last visit to Kalymnos a few years ago, it was amazing how many ‘geriatric’ climbers—make and female, were there—-and many of them cranking hard. 

Idaho Bobwrote:

About 20 years ago I was having trouble at the crux at a sport route in Sandstone Quarry (Red Rock).  A climber on an adjacent route asked if he could show me the sequence he used.  He sent it easily.  He was 82 or 83.  Kind of overweight.  That's when I decided I would continue to climb into my 80's (which will arrive in a couple of months).

Wow, inspirational! Keep on keeping on!

Masters category in rowing starts at 27!!! In cycling it starts at 30. There was a guy in colorado who would win the Pro/1 race and then win the 45+ too. Masters fields are the largest out here for road cycling races. Seems to be a dying sport for juniors - it’s super expensive between equipment and entry fees so maybe that has something to do with it. Kind of sad for the future though. 

Wow, I never thought road biking had become that expensive but come to think of it I have heard of mtn bikes costing as much as motorcycles. Around here the road bikers are at least 75% over 50 I'd guess.

M Mwrote:

Wow, I never thought road biking had become that expensive but come to think of it I have heard of mtn bikes costing as much as motorcycles. Around here the road bikers are at least 75% over 50 I'd guess.

High end racing road bike - easily $10k. One thing that gets me is how much a single crash could cost and everything is lightweight and carbon so you know it’s going to break if you go down. I think people pick and choose races too since entry fees are so high. It’s a really different sport from when I was racing in the 90’s/early 00’s. Between TT series, track and road I’d often race 4 times a week - $10-15 entry, actual prize money that helped offset cost, and you could bend a brake lever back if you had to! I spent the last few years as a moto-ref. Masters categories are huge (and are split between USAC cat now) and juniors might have 5-6 kids. :( I kind of sound like a curmudgeon! Back in the day…… lol