The Grey Age Ambassadors.

Something a little different for this post as I've been thinking about that ageing process lately and how it can be embraced in different ways. I'd written a similar blog some years ago, maybe I've found my tribe, which obviously translates to my friends of a similar age who all seem to be just cracking on, or  maybe it's just time to post on the topic again. Either way I hope you enjoy,  and maybe get inspired to get up off the couch if you have found yourself stuck to, toys gathering dust in the garage, Time to rescue them, clean them off, invest in new,  and get amongst it.

Some have that feeling of fear of getting older, whilst some believe that getting older means the need to slow down, to stand on the sideline and observe. If I had a pound for every time I'd hear a parent say, 'I would love to go surfing', I would have to question them and ask 'what's stopping you? or when they say, ‘I wish I could do that’, my reply always - ‘well learn then’.

But whilst those standing and watching, others seem to be speeding up. Refusing to hit the ageing brakes too soon, sliding sideways, laughing, screaming with joy, and fist bumping mates with adrenaline fuelled excitement. When I saw Extreme Sports TV Host Sal Masakela interviewing Pro Snowboarding Legend Jeremy Jones, the topic of age came up, and Sal made some great observations. I’ll quote a couple throughout this post, but he mentioned how it’s important, in whatever we do, “to make it feel like the beginning again, to chase the feeling”.  Those of us that do chase that feeling should feel proud, as we find ourselves as brand ambassadors for the Grey Age. Whilst some might have forgotten that feeling of freedom when they first rode a bike, jumping off a piece of old wood on a milk crate, or bombing a hill on a skateboard, they’ve taken the option of a saga holiday and a gentle Mediterranean cruise.  

There might be some that always frown upon the 'Sliders and Riders', those who refuse to believe that riding a skateboard will get you anywhere in life. Those that post their objections to a local skatepark planning application, saying it’s just a thing for kids, noisy and will bring the wrong element to the area, (wrong!!).  Just listen to Rodney Mullens’ Ted Talk. Now in his fifties, The skating legend speaks about Skateboarding and the lessons it can teach you through life. Skateboarders fall and get back up, they try and try again until they succeed, a lesson that many miss, skateboarders don’t give up.  Surfers persevere until they ride that unbroken wave, hopefully never having to stand up in whitewater ever again. Surfing is a process of breaking down barrier after barrier, and if you never give in, you’ll be a surfer for life, and that old saying ‘Only a Surfer knows the feeling’, well that is very true. To succeed in many of these sports But you have to be determined, committed and also pretty selfish. 

Reaching forty, fifty, sixty, and beyond, and finding the time between the responsibilities and commitments to enjoy the passions of life, well that’s the real commitment. 

My friend who inspired this blog post with a fantastic three words. Rich was 60 years young when he said to me he's "sixty feeling thirty". Like me, he's an immigrant to the West Country; both of us from Brighton, Sussex. I moved as far West as possible, whilst Rich went to Devon. At the heart of some great surf beaches, Rich is amongst a whole community of surfers over the fifty, sixty, and even the seventy mark. All enjoying the mellower waves of Saunton Sands either on the Longboards or Stand up Paddleboards. When he’s not surfing he's a creative filmmaker, graphic designer and gallery owner, and also embarked on learning  Brazilian Ju Jitsu. He’s past sixty and he never stops!

I'm fifty three this year and still feel (albeit mentally), like a little kid riding my bikes, surfing and occasionally skating; It's nice to just still have that feeling inside; being young at heart, and as Sal Masakela also said, “ the 24 year old disease serves you until it doesn’t”. Taking part in activities that seem to provide an eternal youth; apart from the aching shoulders, bad knees, elbows, back and neck, or even the carpal tunnel, my smile says it all and smiles are ageless. 

As an ageing, but super active populous, the grey age ambassadors feel the tiredness in our bodies; the hours of riding, surfing, skating, crashing, it’s going to take its toll. Those who practice yoga, or routinely stretch before and after their activities, undoubtedly benefit from that increased flexibility and longevity of feeling supple; not stiff like a six foot length of seasoned oak. Here lies my physical downfall, I’m strong but not flexible! Partly down to my procrastinating self, the demon of resistance steps in at this point and says; ‘ I'll start that battle against the seizing up process tomorrow’.  I have a yoga mat and I do a little daily stretching but not nearly enough. I’ve bought fitness balls and deflated them all.  It’s a weak argument but it might be because I've never really committed to the billion dollar indoor active lifestyle, I’m all outdoors baby! I know you can do yoga outside, and to my credit, taking yoga seriously is high on my 'I'm nearly 53 - better now than never list’. That list is also currently being drawn up for proofreading, editing and waiting to be published, before it gets the green light…resistance again.

For those of us that are active and  love to play the game; we treat the outside with the sense of freedom; it can be both the escape and adventure that makes us feel young. 

A friend who purchased one of my surfboards wants to improve his surfing, and he's a big cyclist too. As an active over 50 bloke he’s not just riding roads anymore, but seeking out the adventurous trails on his Gravel bike, he’s found that feeling again, that new love of cycling. He's also an avid snowboarder and the way he was describing boarding off-piste or backcountry boarding, was like an excited teenager, yet he also juggles this around being a very busy University Lecturer. 

So many friends who are post 40 are as excited now about these adrenaline sports of surfing, skateboarding, trail riding and even windsurfing as they were when they were younger, maybe more so.

Jonty, a builder of beautiful wooden studios here in the Wild West, could not wait to tell us how he hit 26 knots windsurfing recently. Jonty is 50+,  buying second-hand sailing equipment online, and revisiting his passion, tired of battling the crowds when surfing his beloved Sennen, getting frustrated with the sport he loved, Jonty turned back to windsurfing and is now determined to loop a sailboard again; He's like a kid again and that's amazing, Jonty has made his passion feel like the beginning again and he’s also using his shaping skills and making his own boards now too. 

Percy the Trail Builder in Sussex, hit the 50 mark and will always have that feeling of being a teenager, and will be like that until the end of days, that's just the way he is. But Percy is up the mountain bike trails where he lives, every weekend, most evenings, tending to them and keeping them safe and maintained for others to also ride and have fun. If he’s not there he’s in Wales exploring the amazing country on foot or bike with his wife and dog.  

My wife Jill is 51 years young, a retired roller derby player, a quad ramp skater, and  a roller skate instructor with her own business WOWW Skating (.com). As a cyclist and a Surfer too, she is certainly not giving in. Her fresh boards keep her excited to keep surfing and her new Gravel Bike helps her find some more fun off the beaten track whilst she rides off to her little wild swimming spots. 

My friend Lesley Reynolds (Pictured above), 50+ and racing BMX at National level and has just qualified again for the World Championships this year. I'm sure Lesley won't mind me mentioning that here she might not be the fastest, but her progression and confidence has grown tenfold and she still has regular coaching sessions to help her move forward. I challenge anyone to disagree with me, when I say that she has the biggest smile while racing round the track. Lesley simply loves the sport of BMX and it changed her life. 

There are so many people I know who refuse to give in, so many Grey Age Ambassadors for the sports which ‘grown ups’ say we shouldn’t being doing at our age, and yet now with Electric BIkes, the previously injured are out there shredding. My best friend Dan Beamish, almost lost his leg in a Motocross accident when he was 16. Now at 53, he’s up the trails jumping and ripping the trails on his Electric bike, and in his words “it’s changed his life”. His leg would not allow constant peddling of that pressure on a conventional bike.  

Sometimes though work gets in the way of this fun, especially how we pay for our toys! Personally, building work doesn't really help me in terms of my physical well-being, with dodgy wrists, back, elbows and shoulders, but I remind myself that returning to construction was a means to step back, to be able to move forward again. Priority was getting my time back, and time is the key word here. Time for family, and escapes like surfing and cycling, all had suffered due to working long, unsociable hours within the ever so oppressive hospitality industry. Feeling tired, grumpy, and stressed I made a decision to lose a salary, and get my life back on track. Has it worked? Absolutely yes. Mentally most definitely. Physically? I’m feeling it. Construction is a tough game but I’m my own worst enemy; when I could be resting, I’m riding; when I’m not riding, I’m  surfing. I just don’t help myself because I can’t stop doing the things I love, within the area we chose to live and keep that feeling alive.  I abide by the two philosophies, the first being my Dads, (RIP) “it’s a good life until you weaken”, and the old Greek one,   ‘Work to Live, not Live to Work’.

Kids also keep us feeling young. If you’re lucky enough to share your passions with your children then you’re winning. Surfing and riding bikes with my son is the greatest gift ever,  and I bet my friends in the same position feel the same. They help our young minds to be so excited because of their enthusiasm and stoke, and this rubs off for sure. 

I'm not alone when I also say that being inspired by others is also key to following our passions.  It’s a fantastic feeling to imagine that our surfing moves emulate our heroes and  I've watched countless surfing films past and present. When I’m riding I might imagine I’m at the start of some championship event and that the next run is the winning run, maybe I’m a little odd, but I’ve always been like this even back in the 80’s on a BMX bike, and now they call it visualisation. Why should we stop dreaming?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Although quietly proud of my drop knee turn, ( a traditional longboarding manoeuvre), I'm really just a salty old sea dog who looks like an egg cup in a wetsuit. A slightly overweight Chunky Brother riding wheels and waves. I look shocking in Lycra, and that's why Gravel Bikes are so good because you can wear what the hell you like and thankfully no longer a MAMIL (middle aged man in Lycra), but importantly don’t actually don’t care if I am.  I've slowed down a little as I get older, my riding is a bit more controlled, maybe smoother, less erratic and in the few Enduro Races I've entered I found that’s the key. Maybe because the consequences and the responsibilities are greater. My surfing has become a lot less energetic at times, I don’t want as many waves, I’m happy to just sit and watch the youngsters and when I do want a wave, I’m more selective. Better to have a handful of great waves than twenty mediocre ones. 
 
So what's the point of this blog post? I think the key to staying young at heart is our imaginations. We might not have to be doing something all the time; but when we do, make sure it makes you feel like a kid again. Make sure it brings a smile to your potentially wrinkled face. Make sure that what you do is worth sharing the memories, and let it continue until we slide into that grave, thinking we look like our heroes, when actually we are just being ourselves, being Grey Age Ambassadors.