In short: No, but some things do change.
In long:
I say no, because with the exception of arthritis or other movement inhibiting disabilities, I know that there’s nothing that would stop me from snowboarding. I think any of you that love skiing/snowboarding will agree on this.
So, what changes as you get older?
I’m not even old, but I’ve already seen changes from when I started snowboarding in my teens. For starters, that lingering thought of ‘Is learning this trick worth the risk?’ becomes louder as you realize the consequences of injuries and their impact on your future.
I recall a past conversation with Nev, from SnowboardAddiction.com, where he said something along the lines of: “Yeah, I’d like to be trying some of those crazy tricks, but I also want to be able to walk when I’m 50.” I think it’s natural that as you grow older, you want to preserve your ability to have the same amazing lifestyle that you’re experiencing right now, especially for those of us who live the ski life.
Your goals change too. Back when I started snowboarding, my goal was progression. Every trip up the hill was another chance to progress and if I didn’t learn something new, I felt like I wasted a day. These days, I still want to progress, but I care a lot more about just having fun on the mountain. Riding with friends, doing floaty 360s in the park, these days I’m always happy to be snowboarding, even if I don’t make any progress.
What about your body? Will I get too physically old to snowboard?
Sure, at some point you may have health complications or other disabilities that stop you, but like I said before, there’s not much else that will stop many of us from continuing to snowboard or ski when we’re grey and wrinkly.
The older I get, the more I try to keep my body in shape for snowboarding. I’ve accelerated the wear on my body thanks to multiple knee surgeries and many falls in the park, which makes me even more mindful of my physical conditioning.
As you get older, there’s more need to stay in shape. I don’t know about you guys, but for me, knowing that staying in shape will prolong the time I can snowboard is a great motivator for going to the gym.
If you want to be snowboarding/skiing into your 60s and beyond, you need to be conditioning your body to take the stress. This might mean going to the gym 3 times a week, but I see it as a small price to pay to keep doing what you love to do.
I’ve seen guys as old as 80+ on the chairlift in Whistler and my goal is to become one of those guys.