On Wednesday, Herb Oedel posed for a photo with his wife, Ginny, at the slopes where he has been skiing for years. While this might be a common practice for ski enthusiasts, this was an exceptional picture.
Oedel is a 97-year-old man whose passion for skiing has spanned an unimaginable 90 years.
With his 100-year-old wife in attendance, Oedel said goodbye to one of his favorite activities as he completed his final run at Bradford Ski Area in Haverhill, Massachusetts. After the run, he posed for the memorable picture to mark the end of an era.
The ski area shared the photo on social media to commemorate the couple’s long-standing relationship with the mountain.
“Herb Oedel age 97 has been skiing 90 years and after his run today at Bradford has decided to retire his skis,” wrote Bradford Ski Area. “He stops by Bradford every year with his wife Ginny who is 100 and his biggest supporter! Congratulations Herb it has been a GREAT RUN!!!”
Oedel, a native of nearby North Andover, Massachusetts, has been hitting the slopes since he was just 7 years old.
Dennis Gauvin, ski patrol director at the resort, said that Oedel had visited it regularly for the past few years. But, ahead of his final run on Wednesday, Oedel informed the staff it was his last day on the slopes.
“He’s decided to hang up his skis for good,” Gauvin told the Boston Globe, describing Oedel as “mentally and physically very strong.”
Gauvin said that Oedel chose to retire from skiing out of an abundance of caution. He had developed a warm bond with the resort’s personnel over time, receiving greetings from them every day he came with his wife in tow. However, Ginny didn’t join her husband on the slopes. She told Gauvin she tried it once but did not enjoy it as much as her husband did.
Herb Oedel has well deserved his place in ski history, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
