100-year-old celebrates milestone birthday by skiing down a mountain in July

George Jedenoff celebrated turning 100 on July 5 not with leftover fireworks, but by skiing down a Utah mountain open just for him.

Jedenoff didn’t start hitting the slopes until he was 43, and said over the last 57 years he’s had “a lot of fun and made a lot of friends” while skiing. He lives in Northern California, but has been coming out to ski Utah every year since 1960, and was excited when Snowbird offered to open for one day only this summer so he could mark this milestone. “It’s wonderful,” he told ABC4. “I couldn’t think of a better birthday present than skiing and having all this attention, which is great.”

His friends and family cheered him on as he swooped down the mountain, and after receiving a plaque in honor of his centennial, Jedenoff — who credits daily exercise, healthy eating, and having fun with his longevity — reminded them that “age is just a number. Don’t let your age bother you.” Catherine Garcia

Watch George Ski Snowbird At Age 100!