We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But it doesn’t seem to apply to surfing.
Eleven-time world champ Kelly Slater has adapted over the years just fine. Big wave hellman Kai Lenny’s always finding new ways to blow our minds and actual surfing dogs are even learning new tricks. And in the footage below, we see the world’s oldest surfer learning something new.
So Slater, take note: You gotta hang in there another 40 years or so to take this guy’s Guinness World Records (GWR) title as the “oldest person to surf.”
The video above was posted yesterday by Nippon TV News 24 Japan and is captioned:
“Japanese man Sano Seiichi, recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest surfer, tries out a new trick days before his 90th birthday.”
They should add “total badass” to his title.
According to GWR, “Seiichi started surfing at the age of 80.”
He was confirmed as the world’s oldest surfer two years ago when GWR said he “still enjoys it regularly in the ocean at the age of 88.”
Last week just days before his 90th birthday on September 23, Seiichi decided to expand his surfing skills by learning to surf on one leg.
The video above shows him longboarding in a wave pool wearing a full wetsuit. He appears to be goofyfoot since his leash is on his back foot, but he also surfs switch-stance like it’s no big deal.
“My heart is pounding,” Seiichi says before trying his new trick.
Later, after not quite nailing it on the first try he says, “I’ll have to work on this one.”
The news reporter says:
“Sano says he stopped thinking about his age ever since he started surfing.”
We applaud you Seiichi.
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