Hey Old Guys. Embrace the new skis, bindings, boots etc. etc. they will make your transition back easier and much more fun than BEFORE not to mention safer. I started in leather boots over 55 yrs ago and did not give up skiing for one single winter.
11 yrs younger than you, but sounds like we started about the same year, 1965-ish. However, i missed a lot of years and never could ski as often as desired. Charnita (now Ski Liberty) was being developed. A rep went around and gave programs at the grade schools, and then on Wednesday nites, kids skied for $2 including rentals, so long as you had the chit signed by a teacher. For years i didn't know you could ski in the daytime
The big mountain for us was Blue Knob. Both places helped put the ice in "ice coast" skiing.
Now I am 79 and skiing technically probably better than ever a lot of this has to do with my equipment. Embrace the new and have fun.
I think you are right, something about the new equipment has allowed me to progress in leaps and bounds (no pun intended) actually beyond where i last left of a dozen years ago (other than bump skiing). But another advantage is all the videos that did not exist when we were kids. I practice stork turns when not with my speed demon buddy. That one exercise more than any other has helped put me in better habit to things i knew i was supposed to be doing, but lacked methodology to attain and stay there. I wonder if it's possible to do slow to medium speed stork turns keeping the toe of the raised inside ski grazing snow, if the entire frame & balance is not right? Other than some refinement & timing to avoid over rotation.
My report above about past Monday found me appreciating but ambivalent about the new skis, and feeling more secure as well as more precise on the old ones. This was on mostly hard snow and some moderate (not glare) ice.
Friday again at Elk i skied the new shaped skis first, had a ball, most any run except still can't get in the swing of moguls. Nonetheless, was looking forward to a run on the old long skis before breaking (ahem) for lunch.
In fact, i could not ski on the old ones. It shocked me as i barely managed to stay on my feet and barely turned away from the lift reverting to snow plow and stepped turns. When the green slope speeded up, i could not turn in the mashed potatoes and literally fell down. I got up and tried again and everything felt so alien i wondered for more than a moment if it was going to be possible to make it down under control on greens and blues. I can't remember learning to ski, but it felt like that must be what it feels like. Like you see everyone doing it, but it is flat impossible to ski. That was a shocker.
Of course i made it, as things gradually came back. But i went in for late lunch and the romance is off.
Nevertheless, as others have commented, I'll probably keep skiing both styles in future. At least for now in my progression, they reinforce each other for some of the stuff i'm learning, and, darn it, the old long board ice skates are fun at times in the right place.
smt<-----hopes to learn modern carving at moderate speed before the legs retire
& maybe be able to ski some sedate bumps again at some point.