What an inspiration!

www.instagram.com/p/C54XDqqR6FQ/

Hay Pop's keep going man. Love seeing the old ledgends of the sea still sailing and send it too.

Hey Nudie, when are you going to spend some quality time on the water with your old man?

On land - 75.
On water - 20 again.

I had a cuppa with a 75yo legend. We talked about foiling. I hope to have a sesh with him flying about soon

Select to expand quote

Manuel7 said..
What an inspiration!

www.instagram.com/p/C54XDqqR6FQ/

Or it does not. I am getting kind of tired of these variations on the "50 is the new 30". It's delusional for most but the comparatively few who can keep going.

Given some fundamentals, really just good nutrition and exercise, it is all a matter of luck. The reality is that many, many people are dead by 75, and many more cannot even remotely do what they could do ten-twenty years earlier. No matter how hard they try.

Select to expand quote

duzzi said..

Manuel7 said..
What an inspiration!

www.instagram.com/p/C54XDqqR6FQ/

Or it does not. I am getting kind of tired of these variations on the "50 is the new 30". It's delusional for most but the comparatively few who can keep going.

Given some fundamentals, really just good nutrition and exercise, it is all a matter of luck. The reality is that many, many people are dead by 75, and many more cannot even remotely do what they could do ten-twenty years earlier. No matter how hard they try.

I hear you. It's not like this fellow just started windsurfing yesterday. I'd be willing to say this is the result of years of work and taking care of himself and that almost no one 75 is just going to get off the sofa and become a wave sailor.

It's not about that, though. It's using whatever time we are gifted to play like a child and not be limited by society's constructs about how we should "act" and "recreate" as we get older. Many people stop "playing" when they hit their 20s. They don't take care of themselves and don't even consider doing activities that are just play. You are absolutely right - it takes a bit of the genetic and life lottery to be able to windsurf at 75. We all hope we do but life can really suck sometimes. But, it also takes getting off the couch and making the effort. Should any of us be that lucky, I think all of us here want to be able to do that, not stuck inside ranting at the TV news.

Select to expand quote

BSN101 said..
I had a cuppa with a 75yo legend. We talked about foiling. I hope to have a sesh with him flying about soon

That was yesterday.

Select to expand quote

swallowtail said..
Hey Nudie, when are you going to spend some quality time on the water with your old man?

One day!!!.
Mr Winston and I will be their. He said hello Pop's keep sending it!

Select to expand quote

Paducah said.. >>
I hear you. It's not like this fellow just started windsurfing yesterday. I'd be willing to say this is the result of years of work and taking care of himself and that almost no one 75 is just going to get off the sofa and become a wave sailor.

It's not about that, though. It's using whatever time we are gifted to play like a child and not be limited by society's constructs about how we should "act" and "recreate" as we get older. Many people stop "playing" when they hit their 20s. They don't take care of themselves and don't even consider doing activities that are just play. You are absolutely right - it takes a bit of the genetic and life lottery to be able to windsurf at 75. We all hope we do but life can really suck sometimes. But, it also takes getting off the couch and making the effort. Should any of us be that lucky, I think all of us here want to be able to do that, not stuck inside ranting at the TV news.

This is wisdom!
I can vouch for it.
I remember from a long time ago, being told I was still a child. A lady once told me at 40 I was too old to surf. Don't listen to these voices!!!! Nurture your inner child, it will stand you in good stead.

The beauty of windsurfing is it keeps you motivated. It's not such an effort to get off the couch.

At 79, surfing has become a bit too hard from me now, can't get up and settled quick enough anymore, can't compete for waves any more. So the fun/play element is not enough to get me off the couch.

But windsurfing is a different matter, haven't wave sailed for a while, got hooked by the GPSTC, just look for flat water now to go fast on.

I also have been extremely lucky, lived in the right place with a lovely supportive wife, who joined me windsurfing when she was 50.

I can see myself tapering off in my 80s everything is wearing out at an accelerating pace now. But this is life.
Go for it while you can!!!!

Select to expand quote

Paducah said..

duzzi said..

Manuel7 said..
What an inspiration!

www.instagram.com/p/C54XDqqR6FQ/

Or it does not. I am getting kind of tired of these variations on the "50 is the new 30". It's delusional for most but the comparatively few who can keep going.

Given some fundamentals, really just good nutrition and exercise, it is all a matter of luck. The reality is that many, many people are dead by 75, and many more cannot even remotely do what they could do ten-twenty years earlier. No matter how hard they try.

I hear you. It's not like this fellow just started windsurfing yesterday. I'd be willing to say this is the result of years of work and taking care of himself and that almost no one 75 is just going to get off the sofa and become a wave sailor.

It's not about that, though. It's using whatever time we are gifted to play like a child and not be limited by society's constructs about how we should "act" and "recreate" as we get older. Many people stop "playing" when they hit their 20s. They don't take care of themselves and don't even consider doing activities that are just play. You are absolutely right - it takes a bit of the genetic and life lottery to be able to windsurf at 75. We all hope we do but life can really suck sometimes. But, it also takes getting off the couch and making the effort. Should any of us be that lucky, I think all of us here want to be able to do that, not stuck inside ranting at the TV news.

All I know is that, just having turned 40, I love seeing these guys in their 70s out windsurfing (and still jibing way better than me!).

I have seen relatives who are not active at all deal with all sorts of issues and try to stay "comfortable" and it ends up being very sedentary with mostly television and...I know what I want to keep doing after seeing all that.

Whoo hoo, one month to go.

Mani (for Manfred), the guy in the video, is the nicest guy you'll meet. Always a smile, always a greeting, he's been here a long time and rides his bicycle(s) across the country. He goes to lots of events and races. Doesn't even own a car!

Select to expand quote

aeroegnr said..
All I know is that, just having turned 40, I love seeing these guys in their 70s out windsurfing (and still jibing way better than me!).

I have seen relatives who are not active at all deal with all sorts of issues and try to stay "comfortable" and it ends up being very sedentary with mostly television and...I know what I want to keep doing after seeing all that.

Continuing to do what you want depends on how much you are physically compromised and the pain you are dealing with. It takes a lot of will power to keep exercising if you are in a lot of pain, and if your body is compromised certain activities are just no longer possible.

Sport-people like us typically try to keep going. Who wants to stop windsurfing? or mountain biking? or backpacking? But my age group is at the end of life, not the start. And we'll all have to stop at some point. It's the cycle of life. And there is something nice about recognizing that!!!

Select to expand quote

duzzi said..

aeroegnr said..
All I know is that, just having turned 40, I love seeing these guys in their 70s out windsurfing (and still jibing way better than me!).

I have seen relatives who are not active at all deal with all sorts of issues and try to stay "comfortable" and it ends up being very sedentary with mostly television and...I know what I want to keep doing after seeing all that.

Continuing to do what you want depends on how much you are physically compromised and the pain you are dealing with. It takes a lot of will power to keep exercising if you are in a lot of pain, and if your body is compromised certain activities are just no longer possible.

Sport-people like us typically try to keep going. Who wants to stop windsurfing? or mountain biking? or backpacking? But my age group is at the end of life, not the start. And we'll all have to stop at some point. It's the cycle of life. And there is something nice about recognizing that!!!

No doubt. Injuries or other issues could definitely screw up my plans. But thankfully you're in the active group. I know so many that stopped doing anything really physical in their 40s and 50s and it is very bad.

Yes, the years do catch up. Injuries, weakness, joints, you name it.

At age 69 I had to stop sailing formula since the huge gear got too "heavy" for my aging body. Those 11.0 and 12.0 sails got to be too much.

I switched to foiling in 2016 and have not looked back. At 76 I can easily manhandle a 7.0 (my biggest foiling sail size), and 5.0 is my favorite sail size. It works.

As we get older the body slowly wears out. Once I turned 50, there was always one thing bung and when it healed there was always something else. When I turned 60 there's now always multiple things bung. But with age comes resilience and the ability to keep on keeping on and the bung things just become normal and we have fun any way. The secret is to just keep on moving. Now foiling 90% of the time, but still love to speed windsurf in flat water.

Select to expand quote

Manuel7 said..
What an inspiration!

www.instagram.com/p/C54XDqqR6FQ/

Slick skills!

There is a lot of wisdom in this thread. For myself I am definitely way up there with my age. Over the last three years my WS has gone on the back burner while I focused on snow sports. But I feel the pull to return to WS and have been upgrading some accessories. As others have pointed out, it is a matter of redefining our niche in sport. Short well-targeted sessions (for any sport) do it for me. Just as well given car parking time limits now days!