What hobbies have you quit and how did it affect you?

[Markola]

I’ve always been more of a dabbler in lots of things than dedicated to any hobby. Don’t know why. But I was sad when the softball league collapsed in Covid, and now my back arthritis will keep my glove retired.

 

[Christopher13]

I recently retired at 64. I have been downhill skiing since I was 12, but I am seriously considering giving it up. I always thought I would be one of those "old guys" you see skiing into their 70's or later, but honestly, I am not feeling it this year. I came close to throwing in the towel last year, but at the end of the season I decided that since I would be retired this season, I would go more often and enjoy it more, so I bought another season pass. It has been a mediocre snow year in Colorado, and skiing groomed trails all day isn't that fun for me. My wife and all of my friends have given up DH skiing, either because of the same burnout I am experiencing, or because they have bad knees, backs, or whatever. The drive to/from is tedious and occasionally dangerous, and I just feel bored about the whole thing.

I realized today while I was skiing that all of my gear is overdue for a refresh. My boots are 17 years old, my skis are 10 years old, my helmet is 10 years old, I don't even know how old my ski clothes are, but trust me, they need to be replaced, duct tape only goes so far! Even if I shop sales and buy cheap or used, I am looking at $1500+ to replace everything with the same level of stuff I am skiing. Then there is the ever escalating cost of a season pass, you can't even dream of buying day passes and only skiing a few days per year now, it is simply ridiculous. So you have to commit to 12+ days to make a pass worth it, or not ski at all, and even with a pass, when you consider costs of gear, gas and the like, it is easily $100/day to ski now even at a local resort, and that does not include food.

To top it all off, there is world class cross country skiing even closer to us than DH skiing, a season pass for that *both* of us is $200, we have fresh gear for that, and we can get our fill of XC skiing in just a couple of hours instead of using up an entire day.

Really, the only barrier to giving up downhill skiing is that I feel like it is "giving in" somehow, especially since I have no physical reason to stop, and I have been DH skiing for so long. Has anyone else faced a similar dilemma in voluntarily giving up a long-term activity? Any regrets?

Yes, I went through something very similar with backpacking. I used to live for multi-day trips, but a few years into retirement, I realized I wasn’t excited about sleeping on the ground or carrying 40 pounds anymore. Like you, I had no injury pushing me out—it just didn’t light me up anymore. What helped me was shifting my mindset: I wasn’t “giving up” the activity, I was choosing something that better fits the life I have now.

It sounds like XC skiing is already giving you joy, and honestly, if the passion for downhill isn’t there anymore, that’s okay. You’re not failing—you’re evolving. And you’ve got decades of great memories on the slopes already. That doesn’t go away just because you decide to hang up the skis.

 

[John Galt III]

Used to drive o

Leaving is always the most difficult thing about going to any concert or sporting event. Our last concert was in Hershey, PA to see the chili peppers. Its notoriously bad for leaving. Multiple hours sitting in a parking lot. We left before the encore and got right out. No way was I listening to 12 minutes of songs then having to sit for 2 hours in a parking lot .

Used to drive out to Penn State football games (3 hours one way), buy tickets from scalpers, stay overnight in motel. That changed to drive out, buy tickets, drive back home same day. Then that changed to drive out, don't buy tickets, don't go to stadium, just watch the game on TV in a bar, wander around campus or town. Then that changed to crack open some beers at home and watch the game on tube, lol. Will probably keep up this routine for a while.

P.S. Getting out of the stadium parking lot was always a disaster. I used to leave at the start of 4th quarter.

 

[pb4uski]

I recently retired at 64. I have been downhill skiing since I was 12, but I am seriously considering giving it up. ...

I've skiied since I was 6 years old. In fact, my first pair of skis and ski boots clipped into bear trap bindings are on display in the gable end of the great room of our Vermont summer home. DW is a skier as well and it was our common interest in skiing that brought us together. She was a ski instructor at Sugarbush for a few years but quit after she got run over a couple times.

Anyway, she injured her knee a few years ago and no longer skis, and since I no longer have a ski buddy, I haven't skied either. I do miss it and sometimes think of doing it on my own without her.

 

[OldSchoolMike]

I recently retired at 64. I have been downhill skiing since I was 12, but I am seriously considering giving it up. I always thought I would be one of those "old guys" you see skiing into their 70's or later, but honestly, I am not feeling it this year. I came close to throwing in the towel last year, but at the end of the season I decided that since I would be retired this season, I would go more often and enjoy it more, so I bought another season pass. It has been a mediocre snow year in Colorado, and skiing groomed trails all day isn't that fun for me. My wife and all of my friends have given up DH skiing, either because of the same burnout I am experiencing, or because they have bad knees, backs, or whatever. The drive to/from is tedious and occasionally dangerous, and I just feel bored about the whole thing.

I realized today while I was skiing that all of my gear is overdue for a refresh. My boots are 17 years old, my skis are 10 years old, my helmet is 10 years old, I don't even know how old my ski clothes are, but trust me, they need to be replaced, duct tape only goes so far! Even if I shop sales and buy cheap or used, I am looking at $1500+ to replace everything with the same level of stuff I am skiing. Then there is the ever escalating cost of a season pass, you can't even dream of buying day passes and only skiing a few days per year now, it is simply ridiculous. So you have to commit to 12+ days to make a pass worth it, or not ski at all, and even with a pass, when you consider costs of gear, gas and the like, it is easily $100/day to ski now even at a local resort, and that does not include food.

To top it all off, there is world class cross country skiing even closer to us than DH skiing, a season pass for that *both* of us is $200, we have fresh gear for that, and we can get our fill of XC skiing in just a couple of hours instead of using up an entire day.

Really, the only barrier to giving up downhill skiing is that I feel like it is "giving in" somehow, especially since I have no physical reason to stop, and I have been DH skiing for so long. Has anyone else faced a similar dilemma in voluntarily giving up a long-term activity? Any regrets?

I went through something similar with cycling—rode for decades, but eventually the logistics, wear on the body, and cost just started to outweigh the joy. Like you, I held on longer than I needed to because it felt like giving up a piece of my identity. But when I finally let it go, I found space for new routines that were just as fulfilling, without the hassle. If cross-country skiing brings you joy and fits your life better now, there’s no shame in making that shift. Sometimes it's not quitting—it's evolving.

 

[richardsok]

Used to drive o

Used to drive out to Penn State football games (3 hours one way), buy tickets from scalpers, stay overnight in motel. That changed to drive out, buy tickets, drive back home same day. Then that changed to drive out, don't buy tickets, don't go to stadium, just watch the game on TV in a bar, wander around campus or town. Then that changed to crack open some beers at home and watch the game on tube, lol. Will probably keep up this routine for a while.

P.S. Getting out of the stadium parking lot was always a disaster. I used to leave at the start of 4th quarter.

I have even given up watching football on TV. This year the only game I watched all the way through was the superbowl, and even that was a trial at times. Nothing wrong with the action; the actual quality of play and the players might be faster and better than ever -- but in my old age I increasingly resent the endless commercial messages thrown at me in almost all media.
Even PAYING Amazon Prime members now get commercials on their films.

My football workaround consists in avoiding the game and avoiding TV for several hours after any big game. A few hours later a condensed commercial-free reel of game highlights runs on youtube.com. I watch all the major plays in about fifteen minutes. I only have so many years left and dammit if I devote to advertisements a minute more than I absolutely have to.

 

[razztazz]

Didn't quit it but maybe drifted away from it. Playing guitar. No real reason for it either. Like you said: "I'm just not feeling it." And it's not like skiing or diving where you do have to take your body into account even if you still feel well. From late 2023 and most of 2024 I was experiencing shoulder pain related to playing but I think I just used that as an excuse. I never got as good as I wanted to / expected to but that was evident years ago and I didn't quit then. Maybe I am subconsciously giving up finally?

Also, I might be moving into an apartment situation as mentioned in another thread. Perhaps I'm mentally gearing myself up for when my playing and singing days are really, no fooling, never coming back again, over...?

 

[aja8888]

I'm on the cusp of giving up golf. I've played since I was 14 and over the years belonged to private clubs in California and Texas, but dropped my last membership just before DW died in 2023 as I was taking care of her daily.

I've been playing with a group of guys in my age range for the last two years but due to guys dropping out for health reasons (dementia, neuropathy, etc) we are having trouble getting a group together on a weekly basis. And it's no fun walking on a public course to hook up with a short foursome. So this Summer may be it for me. And joining a club at my age makes little sense. I'll just go to the YMCA instead as I just renewed for this year.

 

[ponyboy]

Used to drive o

Used to drive out to Penn State football games (3 hours one way), buy tickets from scalpers, stay overnight in motel. That changed to drive out, buy tickets, drive back home same day. Then that changed to drive out, don't buy tickets, don't go to stadium, just watch the game on TV in a bar, wander around campus or town. Then that changed to crack open some beers at home and watch the game on tube, lol. Will probably keep up this routine for a while.

P.S. Getting out of the stadium parking lot was always a disaster. I used to leave at the start of 4th quarter.

We were at the Bryce Jordan center a couple weeks ago for a monster truck show. We don't even live that far and it was the first time I was ever to psu. We talked about how terrible it must be after a football game. After the show, we walked to the creamery and blew 45 minutes before heading back to car. The parking lot was empty. Granted, there were only a couple thousand people attending a monster truck event geared towards kids. I can't even imagine 100,000+ people at Beaver stadium. There are no major roads to get out of there until you hit the highway. Yikes.

 

[sparky08]

Anyway, she injured her knee a few years ago and no longer skis, and since I no longer have a ski buddy, I haven't skied either. I do miss it and sometimes think of doing it on my own without her.

Sorry that you no longer have a ski buddy. I'm at that age where I ski alone a lot. Most of the people my age aren't retired yet. So, my weekday skiing can be solo.

Last week I skied at Aspen. (I had a free day that had to be used up before they closed for the season). I rode up the gondola with a gentleman and I told him I was unfamilar with Aspen. He offered to take a few runs with me to show me around, "if I could keep up." I ski 100+ times per year, pretty agressively, so I wasn't worried. (But I should have been . )

This guy started down the mountain at a pretty good clip, only slowing down to point out a run I should do later. Otherwise, we skied 3,000 vertical feet without stopping. Then we rode up the gondola and did it again, and again. By then, his buddies had shown up and we parted ways.

This guy was 83 years old. He didn't look it, didn't act like it. I skied the rest of the day thinking that I hope I'm half as fast as him in 20 years.

 

[pb4uski]

... My football workaround consists in avoiding the game and avoiding TV for several hours after any big game. A few hours later a condensed commercial-free reel of game highlights runs on youtube.com. I watch all the major plays in about fifteen minutes. I only have so many years left and dammit if I devote to advertisements a minute more than I absolutely have to.

I record football on the DVR and if I fast forward 30 seconds after a play ends, more often than not I am just before the snap for the next play and of course, fast forward through all the commercials.

 

[Gallaher]

For any of you musicians out there who may see this…DONT STOP!
It’s good for your brain, especially if you are digging into more challenging material.
You may end up in my situation. Long time casual, guitar, fiddle, banjo player. When working not enough time to play, when retired,not enough time to play. I really enjoy playing music.
Six months ago an acquaintance, at a jam asked me if I’d be interested in working on a band project with him. I’m 65 he’s 70.
Next thing you know we bought a PA system and are playing paid gigs.
I’ve been paid to play plenty but not this consistently. Not getting rich but we’ll more than pay for the PA system this year.
I was happy to play on the porch but this has made me up my game.

 

[Dtail]

For any of you musicians out there who may see this…DONT STOP!
It’s good for your brain, especially if you are digging into more challenging material.
You may end up in my situation. Long time casual, guitar, fiddle, banjo player. When working not enough time to play, when retired,not enough time to play. I really enjoy playing music.
Six months ago an acquaintance, at a jam asked me if I’d be interested in working on a band project with him. I’m 65 he’s 70.
Next thing you know we bought a PA system and are playing paid gigs.
I’ve been paid to play plenty but not this consistently. Not getting rich but we’ll more than pay for the PA system this year.
I was happy to play on the porch but this has made me up my game.

Excellent.

 

[Choosehappy]

For any of you musicians out there who may see this…DONT STOP!
It’s good for your brain, especially if you are digging into more challenging material.
You may end up in my situation. Long time casual, guitar, fiddle, banjo player. When working not enough time to play, when retired,not enough time to play. I really enjoy playing music.
Six months ago an acquaintance, at a jam asked me if I’d be interested in working on a band project with him. I’m 65 he’s 70.
Next thing you know we bought a PA system and are playing paid gigs.
I’ve been paid to play plenty but not this consistently. Not getting rich but we’ll more than pay for the PA system this year.
I was happy to play on the porch but this has made me up my game.

This is awesome! I picked up banjo and lessons 2 years ago. I can’t imagine playing for anyone (but my unfortunate hubby), but would like to someday get to the point where we (he plays guitar) can jam with others. It’s been a terrific exercise for my mind and fun to also play along with Chordify.net.

 

[dadu007]

Cameras and photography. I finally had to be honest with myself; I’m a mediocre photographer at best. I loved the machinery of photography more than taking pictures. Bought and sold WAY too many cameras, just to experience different gear. The photo GAS got out of hand for awhile, LOL. I finally sat down and added up the $$. Oofa! But I did a great job taking snapshots when the kids were growing up, even though I doubt they’ll look at them much after I’m gone.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was taking a weaving class. My wife is a knitter. When we’re watching TV, she’s MAKING something… I’ve always liked doing DIY stuff (home improvement stuff), but that’s FIXING stuff. The weaving process is very satisfying tactile-wise AND I can do it while we’re watching TV and I have a handmade object afterwards. Suddenly any desires related to photography vanished. It’s like a switch was flipped. I now have absolutely no desire to pic up a camera and take pictures. It’s actually a relief.
I’m in the process of selling off almost all my camera gear.

 

[SJhawkins]

For any of you musicians out there who may see this…DONT STOP!
It’s good for your brain, especially if you are digging into more challenging material.
You may end up in my situation. Long time casual, guitar, fiddle, banjo player. When working not enough time to play, when retired,not enough time to play. I really enjoy playing music.
Six months ago an acquaintance, at a jam asked me if I’d be interested in working on a band project with him. I’m 65 he’s 70.
Next thing you know we bought a PA system and are playing paid gigs.
I’ve been paid to play plenty but not this consistently. Not getting rich but we’ll more than pay for the PA system this year.
I was happy to play on the porch but this has made me up my game.

Excellent,

I gigged a ton in my 20s-30s, it's so fun, the stage never quits calling. Completely get what you saying.

I'm been threatening myself to get back at it, to afraid to do more hearing damage. A low key brewery gig could be fun and probably not to bad on the old ears but the full band experience is hard to compete with. Never played with in ear monitors, they claim that's better, need to try that some day.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

What did I quit.

I haven't gone to a bar for a drink by myself or with my friends since I met my wife in 1993. I wasn't a big bar guy. Don't miss it at all.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Quit mountain biking around age 62. Lost my nerve, too many falls. It was my only activity that required 100% focus. I miss it for that mind clearing response.

 

[Lsbcal]

Quit mountain biking around age 62. Lost my nerve, too many falls. It was my only activity that required 100% focus. I miss it for that mind clearing response.

But you body thanks you.

I see so many wild guys (never ladies) flying down the trails here and all they need for a life threatening injury is for a turkey or deer to cross their path. To be fair those guys are generally under 40.

 

[planuntilthefisthits]

Used to golf 3-4 times a week, but gave up after knee and hand rebelled. Took up pickleball, which i quit three months ago after yet another injury, Just completed my third pickleball-related surgery. Lawn bowling, anyone?