Is it Age or merely Experience that cracks the whip?

On a forum in which I participate a discussion began about the commonplace acceptance of a dom being aged greater then the sub. It didn't take long for members to shift ever so slightly to state their attractions for older Doms, and how they could not willingly submit to a dominant in their own age category, or even worse, younger.
While I do understand this generalized train of thought, I had to point out how the common attractive nature to older members of the opposite sex is brought about by life experience. Typically, the younger is looking for a father figure or a mother figure, and this lead them to seek out attractive qualities in the age of the partners they share. However, if this is the case, then wouldn't the lessons of BDSM teach us not to judge a book by its cover?

We all agree that in BDSM, safety is the number one priority of any relationship or playful exchange, even amongst strangers... and with that, are people painstakingly confusing AGE with EXPERIENCE. What I mean is, would someone choose a Dominant who was new (within the last 2 years) to the scene, simply because they were twice their age, or would they feel more inclined to choose a Dominant within their own age category who had been prominent in the lifestyle and the scene for more then 10 years?
When you think about it, we generally want the best suited person, the one most capable for insuring our health and safety. When we see a surgeon, we want the one with years of experience, not the one fresh out of medical school. When we skydive we want the instructory who's a former Airborne Ranger not the guy who stayed at a Best Western last night. When we're talking about safety and health, why would a BDSM relationship be any different? Why would we choose the man with no whip control over the one skilled in the placement of the kiss of the lash. Why would we choose the one with no meter for self control over the one with years of knowing when its time to cool down? Why choose the one who can't read people over the one who can?