Agin' Ain't Easy
As a 35 year old who has been surfing for most of his life, and sure as sh*t wants to be surfing for most of the rest of it, I often think about how to age–and surf–with grace. As surfers, we’re blessed to have something that we can enjoy for most of our lives. Let’s be real, we’re lucky that something involves water, you know, that soft and forgiving surface that goes easy on us when the waves are nice and tame. Much unlike the concrete that skaters deal with, or the rocky terrain that mountain bikers explore, or the snow (often ice) that snowboarders ride.
While the ocean can certainly be very dangerous and deserves the utmost respect and caution, there are ample days when you can wiggle and splash around with low risks. Honestly, our largest risk comes from other surfers, or our very own surfboards–just this month I had to get stitches after my fin gashed my ankle. Out of thousands of hours surfing, this has been one of my more serious injuries. Did I mention how we are lucky? With proper instruction and guidance you can become a self-sufficient surfer and cruise at your own risk, and with your own rewards.
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While I first learned to surf when I was 10, it wasn’t until I was 23, when I moved to California, that I began to surf regularly and really progress. Now, 12 years later, I know I’m a far cry from the incredible young bloods like Tosh Tudor and Caity Simmers, but I’m feeling like I’m in my surfing prime–a feeling I hope can continue for many more years!
There’s a lot of inspirational surfers out there that prove that age is just a number when it comes to getting out into the lineup and into the groove. Kelly Slater aka the GOAT (greatest of all time) is now 52 years young and still one of the best surfers in the world, period. Same goes for Taylor Knox, he’s 52 and blows my mind every time I see him in the water here around San Diego. Alan Burke, Thermal guide in Barbados, is in his 50’s and he’s got more snap than most guys half his age. Michael Stewart, co-founder of Sustainable Surf, is 55 and has turns that make me envious. All of these guys will be surfing for decades, yes, decades to come.
Beyond them, there is the Hawaiian legend that is Michael Ho (father to Mason and Coco) who is 66, and still charges heavy waves like Pipeline and Backdoor. Check this insane wave he got two winters ago at the ripe age of 64 years young. How about Gerry Lopez, you know, the legendary Mr. Pipeline? He's 75 and still surfs frequently, here he is at a wave pool in Washington.
Think that’s it? Nope, I can (and will) go on…Two of my favorite legends are Skip Frye, who is 82, and Mickey Munoz, who is 88 years old. Yes, they still surf as much as humanly possible and I will mention them again soon. While we can easily say that 'age is just a number', alas, there is a lot that comes with that number. Even at 25, my body couldn’t take the beatings I could handle as a 15 year old competitive snowboarder–no way! For what it’s worth, here’s my best suggestions for keeping your stoke level on high when it comes to surfing later in life.
3 Things to Age and Surf with Grace
1. I like to keep fluid and nimble with mobility practices. Yes, of course, that means yoga. Not only that, I’m deep in the Instagram rabbit hole of mobility and movement and it’s been helpful for me in addressing some injuries that I thought would never heal. My favorite is Ben Patrick aka @kneesovertoesguy, his program has helped my knees feel better than they did back when I was 17. Next up is @beardthebestyoucanbe he’s all about keeping things buttery, and by “things” he means joints. Lastly, I have been digging on @sondre_berg and @leo.moves for the inspiration to really get fit and strong without needing a gym.
2. Keep an open mind when paddling out. This one is everything because even if you’re totally fit and healthy, you can’t control what will happen in the water except for your perspective. You could wake up at 4:30 am to catch first light so you can get barrels all to yourself and rip and…the swell hasn’t yet shown up and it’s kinda small, definitely no barrels. You could be pissed OR you could be proud of yourself for having that determination to get after it, getting skunked is part of the process of being a surfer–just like cheetahs, we must always chase but (even if we are fast and fit AF) we do not always catch. Mickey Muñoz famously said, “There are no bad waves. Only poor equipment choices and a lousy attitude.”
3. Following up on Mickey’s sentiment is the importance of matching the right equipment to go along with your open mind and positive attitude. Unless you’re living somewhere with excellent surf it’s hard to keep the stoke high on a 5’10” as you age. Joel Tudor, a 3x World Champion Longboarder, who won his latest title at 45, discusses this very topic in this clip where he says, “you gotta remember, the goal is Skip Frye.” Alluding to the fact that the goal is to surf into your 80’s and that means riding bigger boards that will allow you to still have fun.
