50-50 Over 50

Janisse's success is far from an anomaly. In fact, he joins a growing number of "grays on trays" who rip in the park--and who might take exception to being singled out for being over 50--an age which, incidentally, I chose solely because of how well it goes with the title.

Originally a derogatory name used to refer to adult snowboarders as young as 20 years old, the term "grays on trays" has since been repossessed as a symbol of pride, according to the website GraysOnTrays.com. The site uses 30 years old as the cutoff, in part because of the Baby Boomer slogan, "Don't trust anyone over 30." Ageism dates back a long time, apparently--and by this definition, at 34 years old, I'm gray too!

So why attract "grays on trays" to take a lesson--a freestyle lesson, specifically?

FREESTYLE IS FUN

For Janisse, who was busy investigating how to set up a homemade rail in his backyard the last time we spoke, the answer may be as simple as having some fun.

"A lot of people think that [freestyle is] something they can't do; that it's out of their league; that if you're over 23 they won't let you in a terrain park or something," Janisse says. However, he adds, as "more and more older people are getting into it," they might find that they "enjoy doing some of these things--because they really are a lot of fun."

"Age is in the mind, it's not in the body," says AASI National Team member Dave Lynch, who ran the Old Farts Clinics during the event's first two years. "If you want to learn something and learn it safely, there's a way to do it. Those clinics were all about taking such small steps so that you couldn't fail--you have a 100% success rate and you can move on from there." One of his fondest memories was teaching a 62-year-old who had never jumped before to do a shifty over a four-foot table. "He was ecstatic," Lynch says. 

"GRAYS ON TRAYS" TAKE BACK THE MOUNTAIN

According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) 2008 demographic survey, the proportion of ski area visits by skiers and riders aged 45 and over has grown substantially over the past 10 years. Among 55 to 64 year olds, the proportion of visitors has doubled since 1997/1998.

Instructors, industry leaders, and those who started snowboarding in the sport's early years can be counted among the growing number of "grays on trays." As we get older, we are bound to see increasing numbers of "gray" park riders, with skill levels ranging from first-timers to experts. For this reason, there are also higher level lessons to be taught to older snowboarders--riders who want to hone their skills to be competitive in USASA's Legend (40-49), Kahuna (50-59) or Methuselah (60+) divisions, for example.

DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN

When asked how common it is to see older generations in the park, a young Breckenridge rider replied that he often sees "45-year-old dads hitting the features with their kids." On another informal chairlift interview, a 42-year-old dad whose first snowboard was a Snurfer talked about "running block" for his son in the park--in other words, making sure both his son and other riders practice park safety by waiting their turn to hit the features. 

The comments are consistent with another observation in the 2008 NSAA report known as the "three-generation phenomenon," in which older skiers and riders continue to take part in snow sports alongside "persons young enough to be their children and grandchildren." Since knowing how to navigate a park safely is a skill in and of itself, it is one that is worthy of understanding by all age levels--particularly if they will be riding there together.

"If older generations are safe in the park, they are more likely to introduce their kids and grandkids to it; it can only help out the sport in the long run," says team member Lynch, who believes that park enthusiasts stand to benefit from such multi-generational relationships. "If a grandfather is pulling for a better park, then his voice is heard louder than an 18-year-old's would be," he says. 

So how do we cater freestyle lessons to the wide range of learners encompassed by the term "grays on trays?"

GROUP LIKE MINDS TOGETHER

According to Lynch, there's something to be said for homogenous groups where the participants share something in common with one other. It's why women's programs work, and why we usually teach children separate from adults. In homogenous groups, it's easier to tailor instruction to address the developmental characteristics of different age groups and genders.

These characteristics are outlined in the CAP Model, which divides age and gender-specific attributes into cognitive (C), affective (A), and physical (P) realms. 

The new AASI Snowboard Instructor's Guide states that "groups of seniors often enjoy the social aspects of riding, [so] encouraging this will keep them involved in learning and continuing with the sport." This is an example of an affective (A) characteristic--and arguably the one at the heart of the Old Farts'/Low Key It clinics' success.

"It's a better environment to work in--with peers--versus being intimidated by 16-year-olds overdoing it," Lynch explains. "It was really interesting to have these old guys just being a bunch of old guys together. A couple of the guys actually made up T-shirts and mailed them around, they were so stoked on it."

HAVE A "SESSION"

While homogenous groups can help provide a safe and comfortable learning environment, however, it is often the case that freestyle clinics and lessons attract a wide range of ages and ability levels. By establishing a team atmosphere and using the CAP Model to differentiate instruction for individual students, an instructor can nonetheless create a successful experience for all. "Students can be working on different skills while riding the same terrain feature," says AASI team member Gregg Davis. "The lesson can become a 'session' where people of different abilities can cheer each other on."

The physical (P) side of the CAP Model tells us that while muscle strength and bone density tend to decrease with age, the human body nonetheless responds remarkably well to regular exercise, a good diet, and a healthy attitude. As with any student, a careful assessment of their physical condition helps us decide where to start the lesson--with flatland freestyle exercises on green runs, for example, or by heading straight to the park. If the client has an injury or other pre-existing condition, pick an exercise that won't exacerbate it. How athletic they are--and how they are feeling that day--will determine the lesson's pace. 

On the cognitive (C) side of the CAP Model the news is good for older adults, at least according to an article by Peggy Connor in the Western Division's Fall 2008 issue of The Edge. Connor cites research from Dr. Gene Cohen's book, The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain, which shows that developmental intelligence, defined as the "maturing of cognition, emotional intelligence, judgment, social skills, life experience and consciousness," improves with age--making "gray on trays" uniquely suited to learning new tricks!

HELP STUDENTS OLLIE OVER THAT MENTAL BARRIER

AASI team member Josh Spoelstra notes that instructors and clinicians may first need to help older students get over a cognitive barrier--that "I can't" notion--by inspiring them to realize "that their bodies can do it even if their minds don't want to." One way to do this is to "balance the fun factor with the professional factor that older adults often look for in a lesson or clinic by building trust and establishing a safe learning environment," Spoelstra says. "One of the things I like to do to get people confident about their riding is to ask them to describe one of the best days they had on the hill. Sometimes you can bring them back to their heyday and what it felt like. Bringing the client into that positive mental attitude allows the confidence to build so they are able to progress."

Nina Michel, Snowboard Training Supervisor at Breckenridge Resort in Colorado, describes a similar cognitive barrier among women. "Adult female snowboarders sometimes feel like freestyle is outside their realm of possibility because the only images they see are the X Games or someone going huge," she says. "They don't see the small parks, so they think freestyle is not for them."

Like Lynch, Michel has seen great results from grouping like minds together. "Women-specific freestyle clinics and/or events are great environments for introducing 'old ladies' to the park," she says. Such clinics, which are often taught by women for women, "become highly supportive environments that by their nature acknowledge, accept, and move beyond the underlying notions of what we should or should not be doing...and the fear and risk that accompany freestyle."

Michel, who recently celebrated her 40th birthday, has been snowboarding since 1994. She started riding park a few years ago after friends--and the growing demand for freestyle lessons in the industry--inspired her to give it a try. Since then, she has mastered a variety of box tricks not to mention 25-foot table jumps, although she's toned it down a little since becoming a mom. "Priorities change," she explains. "It's a personal choice; you have to set your own limits."

HELP STUDENTS SET THEIR OWN LIMITS

The idea of setting one's own limits is a simple but critical one. In fact, many adventure sports programs promote "Challenge by Choice" as a guiding principle. As Michel explains:  "We teach the skills [and] reinforce to our students that they have the skills, but they pick the level of the challenge. It's not a dare or a choice by us as instructors as to what they are ready for--it's up to the student." That being said, she does not hesitate to recommend that adult female riders give freestyle a try if they haven't already. "It's fun," she says, smiling.

Instructor David "Mad Dog" Dudley, also from Breckenridge, has a 64-year-old client who can ride a 12-foot halfpipe and 50-50 a box thanks to his careful coaching. For his teaching progression on the box, Mad Dog starts with 1-foot-out exercises on the flats before using a "hands-on" approach on the box itself. In this way, he makes sure his client is relaxed and gets a feel for the maneuver before actually trying it by himself. 

"I use the ATML ModelTM in every park lesson," says Mad Dog, who next demonstrates each part of the task himself--using just enough speed in the approach (A) for a good takeoff (T), riding onto the box with a flat board, doing the 50-50 maneuver (M), and then absorbing the landing (L) as he comes off the end. When it's the student's turn, he lines him up on the approach and sends him (or her) slowly across. Mad Dog himself is 54, a transplant from Ohio who learned to snowboard at age 46. Even though his daughter tells him he's crazy and it's time to move back to Ohio, Mad Dog is hooked on the sport. In the meantime, we learn from his example that breaking the goal into small, accomplishable tasks helps to ensure a client's safety while building the confidence he or she needs to be successful.

SAFETY IS THE FIRST PRIORITY

Obviously, tackling a jump or rail is not without its risks. "Shin guards, impact shorts, and helmets are highly recommended for 'old farts' in terrain parks," Janisse says. It's good advice for anybody, really.

Other tips for the freestyle-timid include finding a less-than-crowded park where you can learn at your own pace or simulating a simple box in the comfort of your own backyard by turning a snowboard upside down and riding the flat base of it. Introductory freestyle programs are offered at the divisional level by AASI/PSIA as well as by individual mountains as a prerequisite for bringing clients into the park. To learn freestyle from the book, pick up the AASI/PSIA Park and Pipe Instructor's Guide; there's even a glossary so you can brush up on the lingo. Before you know it you might find yourself teaching flat spins or ollies to fill up that final 10 minutes of a lesson, opening a new door of interest and excitement for a client.

AGE IS IN THE MIND

In his book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, renowned mind/body medicine pioneer Deepak Chopra presents the idea that to experience youthful longevity into our adult years, we need to reject the belief system that our bodies must grow old and frail and instead accept a new paradigm that age is truly is in the mind.

If there's anyone who exemplifies this belief, it is riders like Chuck Janisse, David "Mad Dog" Dudley, and all the quote-unquote "grays on trays" who are out there "killing it" in the park alongside the 16-year-olds, thereby pushing the boundaries of what we--and they--believe to be possible.