YOU SAID:
He was good at skiing when he was young.
INTO JAPANESE
彼は若い頃スキーが上手だった。
BACK INTO ENGLISH
He was a good skier when he was young.
INTO JAPANESE
彼は若い頃はスキーが上手だった。
BACK INTO ENGLISH
He was a good skier when he was young.
That didn't even make that much sense in English.