Surfing Into Your 70's

Most of the people I surf with in California have been surfing since the late 50s and 60s. Young teenagers at the time. The stories they tell are like all the great watermen and surfers of the ages, the beginning of time in a surfers world.

Remembering a time with uncrowded surf or coastlines without mansions. Avocado plantations and farm fields. Heavy boards and new designs that were 9 foot guns. 

Now into their 70s and 80s, I am still amazed how great they surf. Watching them drop in on some of the biggest waves, they are still living everyday the best way they can. 

Its poetry on the water and their relationship with the ocean is as close as you can get with mother nature. Always with a big smile on their faces and thankful for the ride. 

One day I'll be in my 70s and 80s and I want to be surfing. I asked one of my buddies while we wolfed down some pancakes after a big morning on the water. These guys have gone through hip surgeries and knee replacements. I ask, what is the secret ?

Watching and listening to these groups of people, I'm not sure there is a secret. They meet everyday, they rarely stretch, they chat about what spot is better and the old days. 

My friend say to me one day - being part of the ocean and the way we spend our days on the water isn't complicated. It's one of the purest feelings out there, living your life with the pursuit for happiness. 

So I think the secret is simple, they just never stopped. The child in them that wants to play in the surf is always there.

The secret is never stop being young at heart, never saying I can't do it, always saying I don't care what my age is, I am in this lifestyle until the end.

Michael Folbs still charging and young at heart into his 70s