Community » » »

This is Chris’ natural turf, but I am going to jump in and give my two cents since I am temperamentally a thrifty New Englander and if even I had the *gait going out and spending some of your hard earned money on things, then you know there must be something to it. The reality is that exercise is the foundation of your new life, and it takes a certain investment in any foundation to make it work. For some of us, this can be as minimal as a used Nordic track and membership at the Y, while others get a true charge and motivation from buying latest and greatest equipment and exercising at high-end gyms. I will start with my own current situation, which is I am skiing on a pair of 15-year-old K2s, which embarrass my children and provide endless amusement for Chris and anybody else I ski with. I have demoed some of the newer skies, and it would certainly make a difference, but I would point out that I have been having a blast skiing for the last 15 years without particularly noticing how far behind the times I have gotten. All that said, I am on the edge of buying a new pair of skies this season because even I recognize that the fun level has gone up enough to warrant the new investment. I guess for me it is comforting to realize that people having a blast skiing 50 years ago on wooden boards nailed to their feet (almost), and while I enjoy the new technology I think the attitude that you are out there to have fun in any sport is what brings the joy. I am also thinking about buying a new bike, mine being a 26-year-old 10-speed that was state of the art when I bought it but is a vintage classic now. We would love to hear from people who are enjoying their old toys, and also from people who are absolutely thrilled with their new toys as well as all the people deeply immeshed in the details of choosing the next great thing to use in the pursuit of youth and fitness!