One of my heros

[Tom]

His name is mouse, he's 81 years old and SUPs or surfs just about every day there's surf

[supthecreek]

Excellent choice!
Go mouse... go!

[SCruzSUPr]

Love Mouse!  What a great role model!  I wanna be out there every day when I'm 81 too...
 

[tribalthunder]

Now that's a role model. Mouse, keep on Rockin' !

[SUPcheat]

Hmm, maybe there's hope for me yet.

Never on a board until 62, practiced in the harbor for ten months, the first four in panic and terror. Finally got enough balance to have reasonable confidence in those circumstances, lost 35 pounds.

Went out onto the ocean for the first time in May of this year and decided to learn it's ways slowly, whole order of magnitude more difficulty in balancing. Spent a lot of time on my knees, in panic, fear and disorientation again for a couple of months. Started knee surfing but rigorously staying away from the lineups between Private's and 41st St.

Started getting my basic ocean balance in July/August,  broke a rib Sep.15 (egod, that was painful) and stand up surfed my first wave about six weeks ago with the broken rib.

I now have surfed maybe 30 waves stand up. My board (Red Paddle Mega) is not an ideal surfing vehicle, but actually does all right all considered. Sometimes I just paddle into the waves on my knees and then stand up on them, get knocked off in the suds frequently.  My balance is getting decent, can negotiate the chop and ride over large waves and bounce around quite a bit without falling off. I am losing my fear of the ocean, but never my deepest respect.

I am still having trouble with my board dance and foot position, because I want to stay in my most stable position, but that is next on the practice agenda, I am just riding them in standing on the board.

I was embarrassed today a bit because a wave knocked me off.  I got back on and was sitting on the board getting oriented.  A big one hit me and knocked the paddle out of my hand and took me in "barco-lounger" surfing with me sitting upright on the board like a bullet all the way to shore.  That made me feel like more of a kook than usual.  Paddled back out by hand and found my paddle, but the breaks were way too crowded for me so went in.

Anyway, the rib is healed and I think by next summer I might have some modest skills.  It is nice to know it might be possible into 70's  or even more.  81 is still 17 years away.

[supthecreek]

17 good years

[Weasels wake]

POWER TO THE OLD FUCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I say that in a loving way, I'm 63.  

[SlatchJim]

At 50, My bar is now 81 and rising.  Great story Tom.

[surfinJ]

81 and still out there!  That's what I call a lottery winner.

[Admin]

Ole was at it into his 80's.  Quality.  A favorite recited piece of lineup lore - shows up at the beach one day and deadpan says "Boys, I have some bad news.   I've outlived my dick."

[Puamana4me]

John Zapotocky....paddling  at age 95 .

an original Waikiki beach boy . RIP my friend ...he passed away oct. 2013


http://www.c4waterman.com/2012/2013/10/15/sup-pioneer-c4-ohana-member-john-zapotocky-sr-passes-away-at-95/#!/-1/

[supthecreek]

Very cool! So much fun to watch a guy Johns age, still surfing a paddleboard so well.
Get up everyday and head for the water.

[crkrider]

catching a wave better than any anti-depressants in the world. And chicks dig surfers, particularly chicks who are all ready surfers. It's a win, win situation

[coldsup]

think I'll need to move somewhere warmer to surf into late years....otherwise summer only. Or...maybe wetsuits will be thin and totally heated by then