email from the cactus camp...

As I type this my long time friend the Doc, who is a periodic contributor to this blog is on one of his pilgrimages to a remote but epic desert surf location in southern Australia. Last night he emailed the following text and asked me to post it on the blog on his behalf. I have taken the liberty to include some pics of the Doc in his favorite desert habitat.



A Letter from Cactus

For the uninitiated Cactus is the surfers’ name for a series of desert breaks on the far west coast of South Australia, about 11 hours west of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. There are no cacti native to Australia and the story behind the name is lost to antiquity.

The Cactus camp is full of familiar names and faces – old surfers return here every six months, like migrating Wildebeest, driven by some primordial impulse. Many talk about getting ‘leave passes’ from their spouses, clearly rolling pin wielding harridans or harsh uniformed women like those in The Two Ronnies, where the men are stripped of all authority and confined to frilly house dresses and exchanging gossip at the clothes line.

This morning we paddled out into building swell. In the water was a small herd of Wildebeest with a total of two heart bypasses, two cardiac stents and a knee replacement. The conversation turned to blood pressure and cholesterol medication and anti inflammatory drugs, before a solid set arrived and heart bypass spun around on his board, paddled over a feathering lip and disappeared towards the beach. Then cardiac stent took a late drop and tucked into a nice little pocket before knee replacement demonstrated his characteristic smooth carving lines, effortlessly milking the energy of his wave. All modern medical miracles.

The Doc

Fergus and gdaddy tied for 1st, Ramsnake 2nd Goomba 3rd...

A tie for first place!

As the end of our first year of the Surfers Over 50 blog approaches, we tallied the posts. Founder and blogmaster yours truly doesn't count, since its my self-assigned job to keep the blog alive =)

So, then, who else do we thank for sharing the stoke for us over-50 crowd? Fergus McDingo and gdaddy share the first-place tally for most posts, then Ramsnake comes in 2nd place, Goomba 3rd. Surfsister, mal, and monty made a showing with one post each.

Steve and Cher Pendarvis and Robert Parker (oceanautic adventures) have posted by proxy (via email to me).

The other 12 authors have yet to make a showing.

Love to hear from you guys!

Face Time Surfboards

Face time is quality time, time spent together, interacting, one-on-one, in person. When its you and the ocean, face time is the best time, surfing the face of the wave!

Just thinking out loud. About a name for my surfboard-making endeavors.

talk about it...

Our new forum is now open for everyone who cares to discuss the designing, building, and riding of surfboards. Come join us if you'd like, just click here

1st time offered - bahrman rails workshop

Since I've had and responded to many requests to explain my "bahrman rails" system, I've been thinking about how best to present/explain the system to an interested group. So after a year of using the system, I am offering a step-by-step workshop / class to interested persons. Cost will be minimal, at $15 per person. This is an online class, so all the teaching will take place at your computer, and in your own working environment whatever that is.

Bahrman rails are so named because many people asked me if my board had Jensen rails, and I had to explain it was my own rail system. So to distinguish it from any other rail systems, I began calling it the bahrman rail system. I don't claim to have invented anything new, I haven't patented or copyrighted it, and don't doubt something very similar has been done by others before. In fact, I know one shaper who posts pics online has a similar system, 'tho not identical.

With the bahrman rail system, the rails can be built first, and the strength of the board is in the rails. The rails effectively become the perimeter stringer, and a very strong one at that. Because of this, the remainder of the board can be filled in with a variety of different methods. If you normally work with foam, you can build your board with foam. The method would work well with compsand, and is probably similar to many compsand boards being made today. If you like the "fish bones" method of most hollow wood surfboards, you can build accordingly. To test the structure, I even built a board just using the rails and a piece of plywood glued top and bottom, it works fine so far.

The weight of the rails is comparable to most wood rail systems, and is dictated largely by the wood chosen. Balsa or paulownia are probably the lightest, although I have always used 2x6 Calif. redwood, sometimes combined with 1x6 cedar, because they are available very inexpensively at my local big-box stores. I recommend using an inexpensive wood that is fairly light and easy to shape for your first time. Later, once the process is understood, you may go to more expensive woods if desired.

If you want to get experimental, this is a good method to know. Because the rails carry so much of the strength of the board, the options open up for the actual remaining structure. Use your imagination. Once you understand the system, you will see that it can be modified in numerous ways, and you can proceed to customize and experiment on personalizing the process on your own future builds. A rocker table is not required for this system, but a solid flat workbench top is. Also recommended is a good set of shaping racks, like shown in the bottom picture.

This is a solid rail system, that is carved or sanded to shape. To build the rails, you will probably want to use a handheld jigsaw (which is what I use) or a bandsaw (which I would use if I had one!). Clamps are helpful, although screws can be used instead, and then taken out once the glue dries. To shape the rails, a belt sander, 4" handheld grinder with sanding disc, and power planer may be used. Although they could be shaped without power tools (carved and sanded) if so desired. Although not difficult, if you are not comfortable with "shaping" your rails, this is probably not the system for you. And you should be aware that there is a certain amount of "waste" when carving or shaping, that differs from the minimal sanding required of rails built with strips.

$15 U.S. cost of class, no refunds for withdrawal. I will set it up so that payment may be made by PayPal, credit card, or you can send a money order by mail. Everyone will have access to a step-by-step detailed explanation of the process with accompanying pictures / drawings as needed. You can proceed at your own rate, but will be expected to keep your project moving forward on a regular basis.

Classes will be conducted through a private Delphi forum not open to the public, so you must join Delphi (free), and you must be able to post pics. A separate photo-hosting site is highly recommended - like flickr photobucket or picasa, (most are free), as Delphi picture size and space is very limiting, but with a separate photo hosting site, there are no limits. I cannot answer questions very well if I can't see a pic of your project, and I will expect every student to post pics of their progress. To see if you can use Delphi and post pics, you are welcome to try my free public Delphi forum Surfers Surfing Surfboards.

I will walk everyone who joins through the process. You must have a full-sized board template (plan shape) and rocker template (stringer shape) to proceed. Because this will be a group forum, we will learn from each other also, but without the distraction of outside observers and trolls.

Registration will be open until the end of the month. At the first of December, class will begin. What you will end up with is a wood surfboard perimeter rail. You can build your board using any method you want. While the class does not concern itself with the remainder of the build, I will answer questions and discuss the options for those who desire.

If you are interested, email me at doghousereilley@yahoo.com, and title your email "bahrman rails class"

- Huck

A Longer Faster Board for Fast Hollow Waves

I first began to really come to grips with consistent seriously fast hollow waves earlier this year when I began to surf the fabled sand bottom points of the Australian Southern Gold Coast on a full time basis.

Prior to giving up working for a living, my days required me to spend much of my time sitting on my ass in a very interesting, but somewhat sedentary job. I surfed some afternoons and odd weekends when conditions were suitable.

On retirment surfing returned to being a key focus in life, and with some measure of good fortune, I found myself on almost a daily basis tackling fast, small to medium, clean sand bottom barrels. Something I had always dreamed of doing but was never able to devote enough time.

But going from a relatively sedentary work life at age 55 to competing with a voracious "dog pack" most days for fast hollow waves required a level of ability that had deserted me in the intervening years. Despite my original optimism I found my overall fitness, flexibility and equipment were all seriously lacking for this new mission.

Apart from the issues of agility and fitness, in the order of things my most pressing problem appeared to be my current equipment. I was surfing a generic 7'6" roundtail thruster which had seemed to serve me well in my previous waves, but was found wanting in the current circumstances. It now seemed very sluggish in these waves and was not anywhere near fast enough to get me down the line on fast zipping waves.

After being ground into the shallow banks a number of times, I was initially a bit perplexed at how to deal with the problem, until I recalled a surf trip a couple years back to a remote Central Pacific atoll. The reef breaks there were very fast and hard to make, but one expat local was riding a long 9'2" pin tail that he had imported from the Hawiian North Shore. Because of the speed of that board he was the only one really getting through the fast reef sections.

Feeling the need for speed, I came apon a new 9"4" McTavish F4 Quad pintail in a local surf shop. After a bit of apprehension about owning something so long, I bought this board and have been riding it on long fast waves since July this year. It is not only blindingly fast in hollow fast waves, but with its quad fin set up it is incredibly manouverable for such a long board. It has seen me increase my wave count manifold and given me enormous pleasure and confidence to ride.

As for flexibility and fitness, I saw a physiotherapist who was also a fellow surfer. He gave me a range of really good yoga and core stregth exercises to do. Apart from yoga I now do around 60 sit ups daily. This has strethened my core body muscles and really allowed me to spring to my feet much more easily.

In combination with surfing most days, these excercises have really improved both my flexibility surf fitness and wave confidence enormously. So I guess the moral here is that with a little thought and enquiry it is always possible to maintain and improve your performance on waves regardless of how old you are.

Fergus McDingo

Fitness Tip of the Day

*EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50*

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.

Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags, then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

What I've Been Doing to Revitalize the Blog

I've been working on revitalizing the blog for awhile now. I have several videos attached (I figured out the secret html to do the mini-videos, do you like them?). I have found some cool gadgets, the most recent is the "who has been here lately" from feedjit, kinda cool I think to see where folks are dropping in from.

I have been picking up new blogs to link to, so the little blog links on the right column are just chock-full of cool happening stuff in the surf world. And I scoured flickr for pics of older surfers that are not all "off-limits" copyright protected.

I've been trying to roust my writers, with limited success. Its always more fun when more people contribute - even if its just a pic and a line or two. Just cool to know what each other is up to.

Oh yeah, and I revamped the forum that no one ever used to include anything surfing related, and I've posted an announcement on swaylocks and tree-to-sea, as well as on all three of my blogs.

Let me know what you think about the blog, and if you have any suggestions.

Oh, and the pic. That's what my big brother has been up to lately. He doesn't surf. If he did, think of the trouble he could stay out of. Then again, would you really want to be out in the lineup with him LOL?

Pendarvis Quiver

Here's what one surfing couple has been riding lately. If you'd like to know more, just let 'em know! (count me in!) Maybe we'll coax Steve and Cher into giving us a detailed rundown on these blacktailed fishy looking shortboards.

Like designing, building, shaping, glassing, riding, or discussing surfboards?

Our new forum is for everyone who cares to discuss the designing, building, and riding of surfboards. Come join us if you'd like.
Surfers Surfing Surfboards (forum)

Still surfing after 50? How about Gary Linden?

Surfer, shaper, and big-wave rider Gary Linden was born in 1949, and he still charges in huge, powerful surf.

You can read more about Gary here. Gary is an inspiration to us surfers over 50!

welcome to the lineup new writer EP

Eric has volunteered to write some posts for surfers over 50. He's been struggling with some of the same issues a lot of us struggle with as we age, and it begins to affect our surfing.

He can tell you more about himself or his situation, if he wants, but we mainly want to extend a warm welcome from the writing staff here at Surfers Over 50! Welcome aboard, Eric! We are looking forward to hearing from you in the near future!

trouble with the popup

They're discussing this subject over on swaylocks right now - check it out!
swaylocks.com/forums/trouble-standing-up-aids

Hey surfers over 50 - watcha been up to lately?

This blog currently has over 20 contributing authors, but very few that are active participants. If you are listed as a contributing author to this blog, please try to post up once a month - just a note on any surfing-related things going on in your life.

We'd like to add some more prolific writers to the roster, and get some added imput from those senior surfers who just don't want to quit surfing and being stoked!

You don't have to be over 50 to be an author - just someone who is determined to stay fit, enjoy the active lifestyle, and never stop being stoked no matter how old you are!

If you'd like to join our blog as an active contributor, please email Huck. doghousereilley@yahoo.com Look forward to hearing from ya'!

Surfing with the sun, seals, and seagulls - and a call to authors

I went surfing this Sunday (haloween), had a great time, in spite of the small surf. I took out my experimental hollow board, the waves were a bit more consistent in the a.m., as the tide dropped so did the size.

(that's me holding my board, but not me surfing - I snapped a shot of a female longboarder on her last wave in)

The sun was shining, the seagulls were keeping me company in the lineup, and a big old gray seal was keeping his eye on me! I caught several waves, and am having a blast riding a single fin, something I haven't done for years.

----------------------------------

For the call to authors: If you want to join the blog as a writer, let me know your email (I'm Huck in the list of contributing writers down on the right column), we're looking for verbose senior surfers LOL.


It really doesn't call for anything profound, just taking a few minutes to post up a pic and tell us what you're up to lately. We all enjoy hearing about each others' surf sessions, projects, goals, etc.

anniversary trip to the coast

When you're wife lets you take your surfboard along on your anniversary trip, you know you've got a keeper! Guess that's one more reason to celebrate 23 years' of a great marriage! Here's some photos I took of a beautiful trip to S.L.O. county.

my surfboard art

I love painting my homebuilt surfboards also. I know wood board builders usually don't do that, but since I use plywood a lot, its ok. Honest, it is.

some more of my homebuilt surfboards

Being landlocked in Bakersfield, building surfboards is therapeutic for me when I can't go surfing.

keeping the stoke - by building surfboards

One way I've found to keep my stoke up is by building my own surfboards. I've built 5 so far, rebuilt one that was broken in half that someone gave me, and started number 6.

Always one to take the hard road, my boards are built from wood, rather than foam (well, one was wood and foam!). And so far, they've all featured my custom wood rails I call "Bahrman rails".

Ticker issues over 50...

I've always been fairly active and never felt the need to work out. Bicycling, snow sports, surfing, backpacking and that sort of thing seemed to keep me in shape for the most part.

As I get older I find that relatively minor injuries take a toll. A tweaked knee here, a back spasm there seemed to put me on the disabled list for a longer and longer recovery period. During those recovery periods I found myself losing ground as far as physical fitness was concerned.

A couple of years ago I found myself suddenly struggling to get air while on a steep hike out of a remote canyon. My throat felt tight, I was sucking wind and my pulse was irregular and hard to find.

I made it home and figured I was old and out of shape. I decided to purchase a heart rate monitor and begin cardiac training. I calculated my 'target zone' and programmed it in to the heart rate monitor. Day by day I rode my bike, got in the zone and kept it there for an hour or so as often as possible.

Every now and then, I'd feel those same symptoms and when I checked my monitor would find that my rate had jumped suddenly from the 165 range to 200+ in seemingly one beat. As long as I ceased the activity, the rate would drop just as suddenly back to the 165 range and I would feel better.

I discussed this with my MD who ordered a treadmill with a local cardiologist. For some reason I made it through without problems and felt no symptoms even though my rate was as high as 180 during the test. I was told I was OK but I felt as if the test was inconclusive... I.E. no symptoms during test? Whatever it was wasn't happening. That to my way of thinking didn't mean there wasn't an underlying problem.

I then went online and bought a portable EKG recording device that stores the EKG signal in 30 second intervals. I pumped out an event on my exercise bike and recorded the weird rhythm.

I showed it to my doc who seemed unimpressed but I stuck to my guns and demanded a cardiology consultation. I was dismissed as having an anxiety disorder and prescribed a powerful anti-anxiety medication. I did however leave the office with a consult for the cardiologist.

The cardiologist hooked me up with a 'holter monitor' to record any events that occured over a period of one week. I went home, got on my exercise bike and stomped one out.

After transmitting the data via telephone - it worked like a FAX machine - the cardiologist called me directly and wanted to know if I was OK. He wanted me to see another specialist ASAP for further testing and treatment.

I then received a call from the electrophysiology specialist who had received the results. He agreed to see me the following day.

I drove several hours to the hospital and was carted in to an operating room where they inserted 6 lines - 3 up each groin to the heart. I was pumped full of an adrenaline-like drug that had me shaking like a leaf. They paced my heart at 200+ with one of the internal electrodes and got me in to 'that' rhythm where I felt all of the symptoms that I had complained about.

While the weird rhythm was going they mapped out the electrical paths and using an electrical current, burnt out the section of the heart muscle that was conducting the short circuit. They called this an 'ablation' procedure.

It turned out I had been slipping in to V-Tach during strenuous exercise and that is what was causing my symptoms.

I did not have a heart attack nor do I have clogged coronaries. It was an electrical disorder... one that could have been fatal during any of the events I had experienced.

The doc said I was likely born with it. My mother had a history of a similar disturbance.

My goal in sharing this experience is to get people to see their doc if they experience any sort of symptoms like mine. Don't take "NO" for an answer. Stick to your guns and demand proper diagnostics and treatment. There have likely been too many "heart attacks" that could have been prevented had the victims sought early treatment.

Being that this is a blog for those over 50, I feel comfortable advising that this is not a good time to 'tough it out' when you don't feel right.

In this day and age of ever increasing health care costs and ever decreasing reimbursements from insurance companies, it's all too common for patients to be dismissed by docs with an eye on containing costs. It is up to us to demand the care which we need and deserve.

The life it saves could be your own...

Back in the lineup at 62 - after 20+ years away!

Aloha - Here's a short bio: I'm currently 62 y/o and still surfing.

Attached are a few pics of my quiver, a pic of the gang at Bolinas circa 1967, and a pic of me taken in 2005 just after I started surfing again after a 20 + year hiatus, and before two spine surgeries at UCSF.

I currently live in the Northern California town of Petaluma and surf a spot north of the Golden Gate called Bolinas. I have been surfing there since I started in the late 50's.

Lived in Hawaii in the early 70's and work on Waikiki beach and surfed with Rabbit Kakei, Ben Aipa, Jerry Lopez, Dick Brewer, and many other locals of that era in the Islands.

Great Blog, Mahalo, Gary

surfers over 60!!

Aloha! Just found your website and wanted to share some Big Island experience. Im 65 (started surfing in '55 in Waikiki) and wife is 62 (surfer/videographer), we surf almost everyday when there's surf (it is the Big Island!).

Here's a couple of pics. I am an avid paddler, and do all the repair work for our canoe club. The first shot is of our koa canoe, carved from 1 log that I have restored, the 2nd shot was taken about 5 years ago, big island secret spot.

Enjoy your blog, you should make one for surfers over 60!


Gil and Sandy

A Small Fun Day!...............

...............about 3 0r 4 years ago and I am happy to report I have lost about 10 kilos since then! Good thing I decided the shortboard was just not doing the job and took the time to come back in to get my longboard. A great little session and sorry for dropping in Roland, but I was never going to be letting that one go!

surfer dude by royce 10 (Hung Tran) on flickr

"People over 50 that surf look silly."

I found an interesting website at http://atomicbride.com/. One page has comments from older surfers about the "good old days" at Malibu. I thought some of their comments made for interesting food for thought.

It would be easy to find excuses to give up surfing after age 50 - but I'm not about to consider it! I had 23 years of making excuses - now I'm back, and I'm here to stay!

here are some excerpts. To read more, go to http://atomicbride.com/surfwrite.html

I surfed for 17 years and at 35 owned two 10 ft. boards. I lived in the Santa Monica Canyon and took my board down to State Beach one afternoon to ride a few small waves. While I was out, a kid paddled out nearby. I liked to knee paddle and was paddling to catch a little wave.

The kid catches the same wave and rides toward me, cuts back and comes toward me again, all before I even stand up. By the time I get to my feet he's pulled out. He's riding a short board which has become the style. I stand up for a minute on my 10 ft. board then just fall over on my side into the shallow water and something clicks inside.

"That's it."

I've had my fun.

I prided myself for sticking with longboards when the trend shifted to little darts. I stuck to a slow smooth style and knee paddling.

I found myself mumbling things to younger more agile surfers like, "ya, I'd like to see what you're doing when you're 35".

I realized I was bitter about my own aging and how much surfing had changed over the years. It wasn't fun anymore. It got crowded. There were fights and too many people with bad attitudes.

I walked home and put my board away. One day I was out front when two young boys walked by. I said, "hey, you guys want some surfboards?" They looked at each other like "duh" and said, "Sure".

I gave them both my boards and never went surfing again.

- Tom McBride

"People over 50 that surf look silly." - TubeSteak

It was with a touch of sadness that I read your (and Tubesteak's) comments about "old guys", those past 50 and not wanting to look funny like them. Bill Bragg, one of the legends of South Bay, thinks that you have completely missed the point. I agree with him.

Why did you take up surfing to begin with? Most everyone I know took it up because it was "fun". When you were a kid, you rode the roller coaster because it was fun. Surfing is fun. Skiing is fun. Sky diving is fun. If surfing is fun, why should you really care what someone you never met (and would never "hang with") thinks about your fun? Do you for one minute think that the kid that took off on the short board and made two maneuvers before you got to your feet gave any thought to you on that wave past the end of that fateful day. He did not.

Ironically, long boarding is back in favor. Lots of people still surf the short boards, but I suspect that more surfers favor the long board. My kids, now in their 30's started on short boards and got very good. They are now riding long boards because frankly its more enjoyable if you're not surfing everyday and have a life out of the water.

As an aside, Kemp, Higgison, Gary Teller, L.J. Richards, George Carr, Bragg, and a few more guys are over 60 and still have incredible game. They don't look funny at all. Let's face it, surfing is one sport that is healthy, safe, cheap and immediately available to those of us who live on the coast. So Tom. I've got a couple of extra boards and wet suits. What's say we meet for a session at the Point in Ventura. Pray for surf.

- Bill Hinkle

My conclusion about surfing is that it's not like riding a bicycle (which stays with you all of your life). It's a sport that seems to require continuous work and involvement to keep the skills in place. - jon ebeling

I went down to Carlsbad with my mom when I was 15 or 16 (can't remember) and went down to Tamarack for the first time. That was truly an experience I will never forget.

I paddled out into a chatter of older men all on longboards. Being rather young and a feeling awkward I hesitated to initiate any kind of conversation. The waves were rather nice that day about 4-6 ft with nice shape. When a set rolled in I wasn't in great position but I went for a decent left anyway.

To my suprise as I was paddling for the wave I heard cheers coming from behind me and when I finally got up I looked to see and hear the older men cheering for me. I think I cracked an enormous smile than proceded to fall as I tried to cutback. When I paddled back out some of the men smiled at me and said, "nice ride". I was blown away by their kindness.

No one cared that I had never surfed there before. In fact I began to make friends with a 30 year old car salesman who frequented the spot. To say the least I was stoked. And even though I fell on that wave it represented a turning point in my outlook on surfing.

Previously when I surfed I had a hard time relaxing and being happy unless I was performing well. I had learned that you don't talk to locals from a few bad experiences I had had surfing at the pier in San Clemente. But after surfing at Tamarack I realized the true point in my surfing. I began to surf because I loved it and because I enjoyed everything about it. No longer was I concerned with how I performed. No longer did I believe that a negative attitude toward any non-locals was required.

To me those guys at Tamarack and the old timers at Old Mans that are so kind to youngblood truly represent the spirit of what surfing should be. I read a quote somewhere that stated what I believe surfing should be. The author was talking about how surfing culture has changed and how the surf culture of old focused on fun, mutual enjoyment and respect for the coastal environment.

It's really sad to see the state our world is in. People killing one another because their beliefs differ, people letting pollution infest our water, air, and earth, and on top of all that some people can't even find it in their hearts to share the waves. Well I hope that this has touched your soul and changed the world (just kidding). I think the world, at least the surfing world, would be much better off if everyone adopted an attitude like the guys at Tamarack.

Sincerely, Zach Wordes

SOME GUY AT SAN ONOFRE HAD A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK PADDLING BACK FROM TRESTLES WITH HIS KID WATCHING FROM THE BEACH.
The victim was DOA at the hospital.
Get out of the water and be a legend.

- TUBESTEAK/MALIBU

Bethany Hamilton, an inspiration

I just finished reading Bethany Hamilton's autobiographical account of her shark attack where she lost her left arm, and her subsequent adjustment to surfing with one arm, and progressing in the pro ranks one-armed.

She is truly an inspiration for anyone who has obstacles blocking their dreams (and if you're over 50, you know what I mean!) - she has shown that where there's a will, there's a way.

I highly recommend the book, soon to be a motion picture (as a rule I don't like Hollywood's take on the surfing world, so I have mixed feelings about that).

I admire her spunk, her tenacity, and her positive outlook in the face of adversity.

The "I Quit" Update

Remember a few weeks back when I was whining about being coerced into hitting the gym? About "quitting" the denial thing I previously had about not having to cross train in order to surf? Well, here's the update.

I have some good news and bad news for you guys about working out twice a week. The bad news is that going to the gym twice a week for 45-60 minutes a pop has had zero net effect on my weight or my waistline. The good news is that I definitely have noticed a difference in how I feel, particularly my endurance and recovery when surfing.

To recap my "workout" if you could really call it that, the boy (he's 28) and I spend about 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. I run it at a pace that according to the machine's computer says I'm burning about 400 calories so I reckon that's probably about equal to a 4-mile walk in an hour. I also do some ab work on two machines, one where I pull into the crunch and another where I push into it. Then we usually cap off with a set of pull ups and another set of dips - for that one I'm using a machine that subsidizes my effort by counterbalancing my weight so that instead of pulling my entire 195# I'm only pulling up 135# - that enables me to get more reps.

The abdominal machine that has me pulling into the crunch has another benefit for me - it's cut down into my usage of chiropractic care from once/month to zero/month. Because of the way the seatback on that machine is positioned against my back it provides a little bit of a fulcrum for "popping" one of the vertebrae in my middle back (right between my shoulder blades) back into place. If I work that weight in the full range of motion, after about the 5th rep that vertebra pops back into place where it's supposed to be. I've had trouble with that sucker for my entire adult life, and as most people know, when one part of your spine is out of sync it tends to pull other parts of the spine out of line and sets muscles working against each other in a negative way.

Another benefit is from the elliptical in that all that movement in my hips and lower back has that area loosened up quite nicely. So now when I do a 2-hr session in the surf I don't end up with a sore lower back like I do when I'm not walking a lot or doing this. Lastly, my endurance in paddling and my recovery time from one of those sessions have both improved quite a bit.

I started noticing the onset of these benefits almost immediately after I started "working out", within the first couple weeks. It surpassed the point of providing more benefit than hassle by the end of 4 weeks. I'm still only going twice a week, so I really can't even say I'm working at it hard or that the workout represents a lifestyle change.

My point for mentioning all this on a blog is in order to provide the datapoint - you don't have to put in a lot of extra effort or change your life in order to reap some noticeable benefits in short order.

We're starting to gradually add in some extra sets and reps and adding some additional resistance as we go but neither of us are actually pushing it. Word on the street is that the addage "no pain - no gain" is currently out of vogue with a lot of the fitness folks. They've swapped in the idea that we're supposed to push hard enough to feel like we worked out, but not hard enough to be sore after quitting. Maybe buying into that is wishful thinking on my part, but one upside to it is that I don't think I'm pushing hard enough to injure anything.

Obviously, I still have lots of room for improvement. If I added another gym session and maybe started walking with my wife after dinner that would work with my efforts on the elliptical to further build my cardio and endurance. Maybe I should try to surf more - what a concept, right? If I cut down on the starches I consume I could start dropping some weight. At any rate, I feel like I'm on a slightly better track right now so that's a little bit of all right.

Aloha from Cher (and Steve) Pendarvis

Hey, there! Here in PL, San Diego, we have a stoked crew of surfers over 50 who have been sharing waves and stoke for more than 40 years. Everyone enjoys sharing encouragement, recipes and tips for keeping flexible and in tune to ride the waves.

Steve and I began surfing in the mid-1960s (some friends began earlier), enjoyed the long boards of the day, the exciting transition to shorter boards and all of the creativity of the times. We're happy to see people expressing their creativity and riding a variety of crafts today. We love to ride everything, and enjoy making boards.

To keep in shape for surfing we enjoy a healthy lifestyle and keeping our bodies flexible. Some years ago, a friend said "Move it or lose it!" and we agree. We check the waves every day at sunrise and then enjoy a brisk one to two mile walk near the ocean. Steve is a surfboard shaper and glasser (and builder of Pendoflex), so he keeps moving at work.

I am an artist, writer and photographer, which requires sitting at a drawing board or computer, so I also swim at the local YMCA and in the ocean for overall fitness and flexibility. We enjoy the Surfers Over 50 blog and are stoked to contribute.

Below are pictures of Steve and I surfing in Mexico.

Our longtime friend Rick Geist is a well respected surfer, paddler and writer who is known for his good health habits that allow him to perform at his best both mentally and physically. Steve and I are grateful that he shared the recipe for this tasty salad with us. The Duke's Man-Sized Meal Salad includes raw green, yellow and purple vegetables that help you stay healthy for a lifetime. This salad is a treat for the palette and for the eye.

Good health practices include eating well and enjoying regular exercise. Buy organic vegetables when you can find them!

The Duke's Man-sized Meal Salad

Salad ingredients

Head of romaine
Purple cabbage (one of the top 10 super foods)
Carrot
Red bell pepper
Tomato
Avocado
Sunflower seeds
Celery

Utensils needed

Large poppa-sized salad bowl, plus three baby bowls
Knives
Cutting board
Grater
Garlic Press
Measuring cups
Spoons
Fork
Bowl for salad dressing, with fork to whisk ingredients

Process

Tear romaine into approximately 2 inch pieces. Slice purple cabbage thin into 2-3 inch strips. Grate the carrot. Dice the red pepper into small squares. Cut the tomato into thin wedges. Cut the celery length-wise and then cross-wise. Chop the kale thinly. Combine the romaine, carrot, red pepper, celery and kale into a bowl and toss. Cut the avocado into half, then peel and cut into length-wise slices. Slice the tomato into wedges. The tomato and avocado slices will be arranged on top after the salad is dressed and finally tossed.

Salad dressing

Purple Onion (1/4 cup)
Garlic (pressed in a garlic press)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Bragg's Liquid Aminos all purpose, all natural seasoning
Cayenne pepper
Parmesan cheese

Finely slice, then chop 1/4 cup of the purple onion. Combine the oil and vinegar into a small bowl. Add a healthy shake of Bragg's seasoning, and a little shake of cayenne pepper. Grate a little parmesan cheese into the bowl. Then use a fork to whisk the ingredients.
Pour the finished dressing over the salad and then toss the salad to merge the flavors. Arrange the tomato wedges and avocado slices on top the salad. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds on the finished salad as a final touch.

Ideas for variety

If you'd like to add some protein, try adding chunks of fresh grilled salmon or mahi mahi. Canned albacore or canned salmon also make a nice addition to the Man-sized Meal Salad.

Enjoy!

Aloha, Cher and Steve Pendarvis

As we're all finding out, it's a hell of a thing to be getting older. Like a lot of people over 50, from time to time I idly scratch my crotch and vaguely contemplate where all the piss and vinegar that I took for granted just a few years ago has gone.

As a stand up board rider, my endurance, strength and agility have been the fundamental engine that drives my ability to have an enjoyable surf. In turn having a good surf is healthy fodder for the mind, and I suspect has been responsible for my naturally sunny disposition thats been in evidence ever since I first took to the ocean.

However I now find that in order to be properly tuned up to surf decent waves, I need to spend around a solid 30 to 40 minutes each day doing yoga exercises and stretches to maintain flexibility, agility and to build and maintain core body strength, especially in the abdominal area where the spring that gets you quickly to your feet resides. I try to back up these exercises with a trip to the local gym between two or three times a week, where I do weights and aerobic exercise.

But I'm no paragon of virtue in keeping to this schedule. I have to continually remind myself that a failure to exercise will simply translate into a failure to have fun in the oceanic realm. In this regard I have to work hard to overcome the minds natural tendency to want to slack off the program. So it helps me to have an objective to work towards, such as a planned trip to more demanding waves or even the knowledge that a bigger swell is due soon.

So the equation for me is a simple one: Exercise + Yoga + Stretching (plus a few other things like a good board, ocean knowledge and good waves) = a good surf + a sunny disposition.

Now if I can just get my seriously demented mind under control I'm sure everything will be just fine!