Lifelong skier guaranteed win

An 87-year-old ski racer has no plans to hang up his boots.

Paul Bush is the only entrant in his age group (85-90) in the NZ Skiing Masters, a three-day racing series that ends at Coronet Peak today.

That means he is guaranteed a title, but Bush says he is "just a skier", not a champion.

"I’m not a great racer — I never have been."

The retired farmer from Cheviot, North Canterbury, has been skiing since he was 19, and has been coming to Queenstown to ski for at least a week every year since 1950.

He competed in the slalom yesterday and returns for the giant slalom today.

Two Super G races scheduled for Thursday were cancelled because of fog.

Despite the next oldest competitor being six years his junior, Bush said he had no plans to give up the sport.

Last year he skied for 37 days — five in France — and has hit the slopes of North America and Japan as well as Europe.‘‘I intend to keep doing it as long as I can.

"I’m getting older but I’m reasonably fit and I enjoy it."

For fitness he  exercises, plays tennis and  helps out on the family farm, now run by his son.