I didn't think it was all that extreme when I was a kid and loved to ski. Even back then it wasn't that hard to keep one's body warm but frostbite on the face was a real possibility.
Sure beat staying home or indoors.
If you ski fast, windchill should always be considered... where do you draw the line ? 10 degrees ?, 0 ?
Many loggers love to work when it's below zero cause the limbs just snap off. People in Alaska deal with -40 on a regular basis. You dress for it and be smart... no big deal.
But I do understand the mountains decision to close when business would be very slow and now that people are scared of every little thing....