If one guy has skied for 12 years and the other for 50, the one that's skied for 50 years is obviously going to be better. A function of my location (downstate NY) is that I'm not skiing anything but groomers most of the time. We can't afford a second house and still be able to take other vacations, both in and out of ski season, so mostly I'm skiing stuff within daytrip reach. Next year, I'll be living in the north country and my primary skiing destination will be Whiteface, not Mountain Creek. I plan on using that opportunity to expand my horizons and ski more than just groomers.
I've lived in New York my entire life.