age

[goofy footer]

3 words: Big Wave Dave

Ditto, haven't seen him since Earl @ NS

I regularly surf with a guy who's 68 years old and still charging the big days on a shortboard. Pretty inspiring!

Sounds like friend of Dave's named Bob ......... if so, he is amazing, these are the local guys that do Rule ..........

[Gfootr]

Dryland and diet are key. Hamilton's last book says your body is turning over 2 million blood cells per second! Now ask yourself, what are you making them out of... Cheetos?

[goofy footer]

Attachment 4201I’m 52 and have been surfing since 1977. I love surfing and can’t imagine just walking away from it, but aging is a process none of us escape. The body may decline but not the Stoke!

I spend a good bit of time and effort trying to stay in condition to surf. I can still surf fairly well, not as good as when I was 25, but I still spend most weekends chasing waves in OBX, and still usually manage a trip overseas each year. I have seen a gradual decline of my skills, reaction time has slowed a bit- endurance is declining but I can still put in good long session if the waves are there.

Just like they told you in pee wee football – concentrate on the basics- blocking and tackling. Diet and exercise: keep your weight under control, stay strong and flexible. What I have seen is guys that let themselves go end up fading away. What I do is yoga for flexibility, especially for the back, shoulders and hips. Weight lifting for strength , some type of cardio (treadmill/swimming/ pushing sleds)
As an older guy and one who weighs about 195 I also find it is important to find a good shaper to work with – too many people just start adding length and thickness and end up with a bloated board that doesn’t do anything well. Or they just go to the LB figuring they are too old for anything else.
I can’t ride a hpsb anymore so I don’t even try – but a well designed board with more width to plane quicker, a bit more thickness for float and the appropriate rocker work good for me.

A public service announcement – As you get older (maybe start @ 40 or 45) make sure to have regular physicals. I dislike Drs as much as anyone, but at 45 I was diagnosed with Cancer during a routine physical. Went through surgery (missed the entire 2004 Fall East Coast season) but am cancer free today. Wouldn’t have found it as early, and my prognosis wouldn’t have been as good without that physical.

The picture is me in El Salvador in July 2011.
Jim

Well said, so true and inspiring post ....Thanks ......... have a friend who's back in the water after a long battle with cancer too. Most humans, difficult to discuss these life threatening Illnesses as fighting off the aging process is bad enough but when you add surgery and chemo to the mix that's one heck of an accomplishment .................

[Retzlaff44]

Attachment 4201I’m 52 and have been surfing since 1977. I love surfing and can’t imagine just walking away from it, but aging is a process none of us escape. The body may decline but not the Stoke!

I spend a good bit of time and effort trying to stay in condition to surf. I can still surf fairly well, not as good as when I was 25, but I still spend most weekends chasing waves in OBX, and still usually manage a trip overseas each year. I have seen a gradual decline of my skills, reaction time has slowed a bit- endurance is declining but I can still put in good long session if the waves are there.

Just like they told you in pee wee football – concentrate on the basics- blocking and tackling. Diet and exercise: keep your weight under control, stay strong and flexible. What I have seen is guys that let themselves go end up fading away. What I do is yoga for flexibility, especially for the back, shoulders and hips. Weight lifting for strength , some type of cardio (treadmill/swimming/ pushing sleds)
As an older guy and one who weighs about 195 I also find it is important to find a good shaper to work with – too many people just start adding length and thickness and end up with a bloated board that doesn’t do anything well. Or they just go to the LB figuring they are too old for anything else.
I can’t ride a hpsb anymore so I don’t even try – but a well designed board with more width to plane quicker, a bit more thickness for float and the appropriate rocker work good for me.

A public service announcement – As you get older (maybe start @ 40 or 45) make sure to have regular physicals. I dislike Drs as much as anyone, but at 45 I was diagnosed with Cancer during a routine physical. Went through surgery (missed the entire 2004 Fall East Coast season) but am cancer free today. Wouldn’t have found it as early, and my prognosis wouldn’t have been as good without that physical.

The picture is me in El Salvador in July 2011.
Jim

Jim, a fantastic post. So much excellent and honest advice. The board advice is great. I've got a 6'8" but its a hybrid quad. I never would have touched it without some expert encouragement, but its got float and it's fast - into the wave, down the line. Probably the most fun board I've ever owned. I think the whole hybrid movement has been a godsend for us older guys looking for alternatives to a LB (which I do own and enjoy).

And x20 on seeing the Doc. A all good thoughts on beating the cancer. Somehow I was presuming it was skin cancer, but I can now see I read too much into your posts. Again, congrats, and all positive thoughts. May you have many healthy years of surfing to come.

Skin cancer was mentioned earlier in the thread. It's SO important for us to get checked over as we get older (and keep using sunscreen!). I see the dermatologist every 6 months and have a number of divots on my back and chest.

Fortunately, it seems like all the nasty looking ones have been dealt with. And luckily I've only had one scare that a required a second procedure on a suspicious spot. They took a pretty serious chunk of my forearm (stitches inside and out). Part of the scare was having the Doctor's office call and ask me to come in immediately. Man, did my heart sink. A very uncomfortable wait for the results. My hands were shaking when the Doc called back and said "benign."

At this point, any day I paddle out is good day.

[LBCrew]

I'm 47 (and a half... but who's counting), and I second what a lot of the other old heads have said, which can be summed up as "don't let yourself go." Eat right, don't drink too much, exercise, rest when you're hurting or sick, and if you smoke, quit.

But also... keep yourself active mentally and at peace spiritually. Challenge yourself... take yourself out of your comfort zone and learn new things. And at the same time, do things that give you peace of mind. Pray, meditate, do art, make music, volunteer... do something that gives you peace, and do it often. Compared to keeping your body healthy, sometimes keeping your mind and spirit healthy is way harder.

[dave]

if getting older depresses you, consider the alternative

[ragdolling]

if you haven't watched the movie Surfing for Life, you must. A documentary about aging surfers. Proof that surfing is the fountain of youth. .

I'm 40. It's all about yoga yoga yoga and Tony Horton P90X type stuff.

http://www.surfingforlife.com/

[Earl of Funk/Duke of Cool]

Great thread. I'm 42 and agree totally with JTS's post about a good balance between Yoga, weights, swimming, cardio when out of the water. and LBCrew's about sound mind. Free your mind and your A$$ will follow. I have already had 2 different hunks of "cancerous cells" removed off my shoulders which is scary considering my Gramps died form melanoma Just gotta keep life in the right perspective and keep surfing in your life. Plus, a nip at the Jack Daniels and a good cigar after a good session never hurt!

[Westy]

Ditto, haven't seen him since Earl @ NS



Sounds like friend of Dave's named Bob ......... if so, he is amazing, these are the local guys that do Rule ..........

Yep, Bob's the man. And the rumor is that Dave moved to CR.

[gnurider7]

my advice to keep you healthier:
1. YOGA
2. warm up before you go out
3. eat right
im only 28 but about 2-3 yrs ago i started getting nagging injuries...primarily my shoulder and lower back pain. i started doing yoga a few times a week and it was killer for overall body health and keeping the injuries down.