What's going to be your sign-off age? Or will you ride this thing into the grave?
You ever wonder what’s going to be your sign-off age? The day when surfing gets too hard physically, when the bones ache too much or your seized hips ruin any mobility?
What’s it it going to be? Sixty? Seventy? Eighty?
No matter how you play it, your days are numbered. I know a few old coots, most in their sixties, one a little over seventy, still dragging ’emselves into the water. The impressive thing is, none of ’em ride longboards even if it would mean more waves and a better experience. Instead, they persist with twin-fins and slightly thicker seven-o’s. It’s an impressive middle-finger jammed in the face of the whole surf-is-youth notion.
Recently, the Australian Broadcasting Commission profiled the just-turned-eighty-year-old Kevin Merifield, a pal of Taj Burrow.
“Surfing at 80 has to be every surfer’s goal,” Taj told the ABC. “Kev is a legend and he’s right — it’s all about getting out there, getting wet and talking shit with your boys.
Despite having to ride prone due to a loss of equilibrium brought on by an ear injury, Merifield ain’t afraid to hit decent-sized Margaret River for a three-hour session.
“That view is part of the reason that’s kept me going for so long,” Merifield said in a story by the fabulous sometime BeachGrit writer Anthony Pancia. “You come around the corner on a day like today and catch your first glimpse of those magnificent lines of waves. Your heart just starts racing. There’s nothing quite like it.”
How do you keep backing it up, even at such an advanced age?
“Obviously, you’ve also got to try and look after the old body and keep it moving,” he said.
You?
How long are you going to persist? What will it take for you to hang up the boots? What’s the deal breaker?
Or are you going to ride this thing into the grave?
Unless you supposed to make a lot of money doing it.
Hmm yes this is a hard one Derek Rielly.
But I have been following Kelly slaters lead in all aspects of his surfing and improvement and whats possible in terms of performance at a latter age.. Everything but his health program..
I think The real question here is at what age do you stop trying to improve on your performance level and trying new moves like airs.
I think that really the time your surfing is over when you slowly return to just a trimline and your back at a beginner level.
Me I’m 41 and just starting to concentrate on perfecting a “fat” high lien grab forehand air..
And my spelling!
As long as it takes.
About an hour or two.
Oh no, you’ve misunderstood! It’s “Skate AND Die.”
After a year of trying, I quit yesterday but you talked me into staying with it. I’m the 35 y.o. guy next you on a Wave Storm, surf buddies for life. Let’s get matching tattoos.
In your golden years if you have good style it doesn’t matter what you ride.. Honestly I need to start prepping for the long haul not interested in being a line up mascot.
Hey wiggy, Currently Nick Carroll surfs better than his brother Tom and MR,
That’s 2+4=6 world championships
Australias best ever.
How many years of surfing before you become an honourary Surfer whether you ride waves or not?
I’ll surf until the intermediate plateau feels like a high performance dream and I physically can’t catch a wave.
Super Bucks steals my heart
Mate you’re a loser if you’re not pounding the Geisha
I’m all in, all the way!
I’ll keep going forever as long as I don’t have to go out there and “talk shit with the boys” every time. Maybe perv out on the chicks like a dirty old man should
A few days ago, I saw 74 year old John Peck showering off after coming in from a session of bombing waves. I hope to be like him, without the crazy back story.
I’ll surf until I can’t. Then I’ll get a SUP and ruin little peaks on that. Then when I can no longer SUP I’ll get a foil board and ride it at Seaside. When that ship sails I’ll take to the sponge I guess. Or I’ll just take up golf and get out of everyone’s way….
by then there will be ” hover wheel chair surfboards “……fitted with gattling guns!
Can you surf a SUP in a wheelchair?
I’d honestly be surprised if you couldn’t.
yes even foils ,made with Valerian Steel ,and sharper than a scalpel , no need for the gattling guns, the SUP/Foil is the cutting edge solution!
Are you just trying to ruin my night with all of this bullshit SUP talk in north county? Better to belly like the old dude in the video than ever be a janitor in the lineup.
Agreed, when my time comes I’ll do the honorable thing and sell all my boards on Craigslist and start playing racquet ball at LA Fit in Vista….
Don’t forget Pickle Ball/Paddle Tennis!
BTW, with I-5 being so close to the coast, what % of north county surfers actually live WEST of the I-5 Freeway? I am going with the over/under of 5%
Good call, I bet it varies from city to city but I’d say 5-10% is probably accurate. Most of the homes on the coast in North County are vacation rentals/investment property or owned by folks as a second home. I haven’t lived on the coast since college, and that was in the 90’s when you could live in PB for dirt cheap.
Depactus is apparently the worst way to go.
I’m taking this train wreck to the bitter end. Even if it means riding a lid. If I become to debilitated then I’ll hire someone to throw me over the ledge at the right and let the ocean dispose of me.
Yes, throw me in the bin too. Probably the only way I’d ever surf the right.
But clearly you’d be en route to, or back from, a great adventure!
When retired why would one not for instance move to Crete and creakily surf a longboard at a clean soft warm uncrowded and always 2 foot point break, then sip ouzo and eat good olive oil and fresh local honey and look after a couple of goats and stray dogs and chat in the afternoons with Yannis from down the lane? Certainly could be worse
id move there now got photos
Who’s Yannis?
That is what you’d find out!
the amiable goat herd.
I like the idea but there are too many Australian jokes about Greek men with goats . If only they had sheep .
Been thinking about that a lot lately – going to be fucking devo when I cant, so got to enjoy it while I can!! Got a mate who surfs a high level at few years on me!! He is inspiration to what can hopefully keep doing. So you eat well train stretch etc then no reason why if body holds out you cant go deep into life surfing