{"id":3469,"date":"2024-02-20T12:57:30","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T19:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowvalley.ca\/ski-hill\/blog\/?p=3469"},"modified":"2024-02-27T11:54:35","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T18:54:35","slug":"at-99-2-this-age-defying-duo-hit-the-slopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowvalley.ca\/ski-hill\/blog\/at-99-2-this-age-defying-duo-hit-the-slopes\/","title":{"rendered":"At 99 & 2, This Age-Defying Duo Hit The Slopes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I enter the main floor of the lodge to find my skiing partners for the afternoon. They have 101 years of age between the two of them\u2014Muriel Watterworth with 99, and Huxley Derksen with 2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, many of you have heard of Muriel, the 98 (now 99) year-old skier who inspired us all to hit the slopes and stay active<\/a> as we age. Well this year, her close friend Joy set up some ski dates between Muriel and Huxley, who at age 2 is possibly the youngest skier on these slopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

I was lucky enough to be invited along to ski with these two shredders, as well as Tim Derksen\u2014Huxley\u2019s dad (and also his official ski-harness holder!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Muriel & Huxley (Left), Muriel & Alex, article author (Right)<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As we (Muriel, Hux, Tim, and I) head up the quad lift for the first time, I ask Muriel what she thinks of sharing the chair and slopes with Huxley, who is 97 years her junior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell I think he\u2019s just a miracle. Though I am biased – he has been a miracle ever since the day he was born.\u201d This is not the first time they have skied together; their close family connections and shared love of hitting the slopes is evident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rounding the bullwheel at the top of the chair, Huxley sees the exposed grassy slopes on the back-side and points. \u201cRide there?\u201d he asks jokingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, you\u2019re being silly! We are going to ski on the snow!\u201d Tim reminds him. As an aside to Muriel and I, \u201cHe made that joke last time we were here too.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We head down Old Road, Muriel making her signature perfect turns as Huxley leans forward in his tiny skis and follows. Tim controls Huxley\u2019s speed and direction with the aid of a ski harness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we ski down, we notice Huxley watching Muriel closely, trying to turn left and right at the same time that she does. It is clear that she is an inspiration for seniors and toddlers (and everyone else) alike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Huxley watches Muriel to learn how to time his turns <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Heading up the chair again, I ask Huxley what his favourite part of skiing is. Tim replies \u201cHe\u2019s pretty shy, I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s going to ans-\u201d \u201cApplesauce!\u201d Huxley interrupts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour favourite part of skiing is applesauce?\u201d Tim clarifies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah! Applesauce ski!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGreat, I don\u2019t think we have ever had skiing applesauce before, but we will make sure to bring some next time we are here\u201d. The chairload of people is chuckling now. (As we round the bullwheel Huxley again points at the grassy backside. \u201cRide there!\u201d Kid\u2019s got jokes!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muriel zooms down Old Road again; when Tim and Huxley catch up with her at the top of the Snowflake carpet, Tim shouts \u201cHey Muriel, hi-five!\u201d Huxley\u2019s hand is up in anticipation. Muriel looks at it curiously. Tim again encourages \u201cHi five? Maybe a fist bump?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh I don\u2019t know if I know all these moves.\u201d Muriel replies, but a fist bump is eventually figured out and the gang again zooms back down the rest of the hill. (To be fair, Tim points out, the first high five was initiated in 1977, when Muriel was already in her 50\u2019s!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
A successful fist-bump between Muriel and Huxley<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On our next ride up the chairlift, I ask Muriel about her recent brush with fame. The previous article garnered significant attention and Muriel\u2019s story was picked up by CTV News<\/a>, the Canada Ski Council<\/a>, Zoomer magazine<\/a>, and was viewed as far away as Japan & Hawaii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful! I met so many people and they all know my name. I don\u2019t know who they are, but it\u2019s delightful. I have met so many new people and it is really fun.\u201d She continues \u201cPeople will find me in the lift line and ask \u2018are you 99?\u2019 so I just say \u2018well I was the last time I checked!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also ask her about skiing this year. \u201cIt\u2019s great! I still try to get out a couple of times a week – sometimes just once. I just love it. I wish I didn\u2019t have to come off the hill, but I get tired and I always know when I have to rest. Such is life!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Tim, Huxley, and Muriel prepare for another run down the hill <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our quartet heads back down and Muriel again watches Huxley. \u201cIsn\u2019t he just wonderful! So brave and fearless and relaxed\u201d, she muses. Tim told me that the first time he and Huxley watched a ski video together, Huxley pointed at the people flying through the air on jumps saying \u201cHux do that!\u201d Fearless indeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Near the bottom of the hill, Huxley sees his mom, baby sibling, Joy, and another friend of Muriel\u2019s waving from the Snow Valley patio. We angle in to grab a hot chocolate. Sipping our drinks and looking out over the hill, several generations of skiers and snowboarders are all engaged in lively conversation. At one point, Tim turns to me and says \u201cyou know, as an adult, I never really got the whole Snow Valley thing, but now that I have kids, wow do I ever get it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I look at the crew assembled around the table\u2014some members of the Rocky Mountain Seniors Ski Club<\/a>, their family, a 99 year old inspiration, and a 2 year old tot who fearlessly shreds the slopes and is ready to join the next generation of skiers\u2014and I realize that, surrounded by community, friendship, warm drinks and a love of winter, everyone else here gets \u201cwhole Snow Valley thing\u201d too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Generations of skiers and riders gather in the Snow Valley lodge for laughs, stories, and hot chocolate<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Want more of Muriel and Huxley?<\/strong> SnowSeekers author (and Tim’s brother) Jeremy shares his own story about skiing with Muriel and Huxley here<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I enter the main floor of the lodge to find my skiing partners for the afternoon. They have 101 years of age between the two of them\u2014Muriel Watterworth with 99, and Huxley Derksen with 2.  Now, many of you have heard of Muriel, the 98 (now 99) year-old skier who inspired us all to hit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAt 99 & 2, This Age-Defying Duo Hit The Slopes - Snow Valley<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.snowvalley.ca\/ski-hill\/blog\/at-99-2-this-age-defying-duo-hit-the-slopes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At 99 & 2, This Age-Defying Duo Hit The Slopes - Snow Valley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I enter the main floor of the lodge to find my skiing partners for the afternoon. 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