I stood at the ocean water’s edge with a brand-new surfboard tucked underneath my arm as I watched waves crash and retreat on the tan sand. I had just turned 40 and was about to do something I’d failed to do 23 years prior.
Back then, posters of surfing legends Kelly Slater and Lisa Andersen had adorned my teenage bedroom. Every Saturday, I’d drive an hour-and-a-half to the beach, and after the locals and the lifeguards had cleared out, I’d give surfing a shot on my boyfriend’s board, but I could never stand up, let alone surf. Soon after, my dream of surfing ended like other childhood fantasies, and I moved on to build a career and family.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/guRPNa3hb1686831972677/8872112211.jpg]
Now at midlife, I stood on the same beach where I now lived full-time, understanding that this was my last shot. But what was I thinking? I had a career, two kids and a mortgage. I was older, slower and weaker.
What if I got hurt? What if I drowned? What if I got attacked by a shark?
My life changed that day as I lay prone on the board, paddled through the water and my fears, and silenced the voices in my head. With the help of some new friends, Vinnie, Ralph and Amy, I’d learned how to surf and live better, braver and stronger.
Like me, Ralph Sharp, 56, who hails from suburbia, took up surfing in midlife. “I caught my first wave at 51 years old. My nephew got a surfboard, and it was something I’d always wanted to do since I was young. I did it to hang out with my nephew and never imagined it would change my life as it did.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/guRPNa3hb1686831972677/8372786838.jpg]
Vinnie Noble, 52, a Wildwood local, surfed his first wave at 14. “I was working at Luigi’s Restaurant in Wildwood. Across the street, the restaurant had bought an old church with plans to turn it into a club. A back room happened to be filled with surfboards, and the owner told me to pick one out. I was on the beach that day surfing.”
Amy Litynskij, 49, who resides in Pennsylvania, also surfed at a young age. “I was 23 years old when I first started surfing. Back then, I was the only girl in the lineup. I was attracted to the culture, the freedom and the free spirit vibe. There’s nothing like it — the feeling of just letting go.”
All three midlife surfers agreed that the physical, mental and emotional benefits of midlife surfing are enormous. “It gets you into the best shape of your life,” Amy said. “My best surfing was in my 40s. By then, I’d mastered my body, learned to strengthen my...
Back then, posters of surfing legends Kelly Slater and Lisa Andersen had adorned my teenage bedroom. Every Saturday, I’d drive an hour-and-a-half to the beach, and after the locals and the lifeguards had cleared out, I’d give surfing a shot on my boyfriend’s board, but I could never stand up, let alone surf. Soon after, my dream of surfing ended like other childhood fantasies, and I moved on to build a career and family.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/guRPNa3hb1686831972677/8872112211.jpg]
Now at midlife, I stood on the same beach where I now lived full-time, understanding that this was my last shot. But what was I thinking? I had a career, two kids and a mortgage. I was older, slower and weaker.
What if I got hurt? What if I drowned? What if I got attacked by a shark?
My life changed that day as I lay prone on the board, paddled through the water and my fears, and silenced the voices in my head. With the help of some new friends, Vinnie, Ralph and Amy, I’d learned how to surf and live better, braver and stronger.
Like me, Ralph Sharp, 56, who hails from suburbia, took up surfing in midlife. “I caught my first wave at 51 years old. My nephew got a surfboard, and it was something I’d always wanted to do since I was young. I did it to hang out with my nephew and never imagined it would change my life as it did.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/guRPNa3hb1686831972677/8372786838.jpg]
Vinnie Noble, 52, a Wildwood local, surfed his first wave at 14. “I was working at Luigi’s Restaurant in Wildwood. Across the street, the restaurant had bought an old church with plans to turn it into a club. A back room happened to be filled with surfboards, and the owner told me to pick one out. I was on the beach that day surfing.”
Amy Litynskij, 49, who resides in Pennsylvania, also surfed at a young age. “I was 23 years old when I first started surfing. Back then, I was the only girl in the lineup. I was attracted to the culture, the freedom and the free spirit vibe. There’s nothing like it — the feeling of just letting go.”
All three midlife surfers agreed that the physical, mental and emotional benefits of midlife surfing are enormous. “It gets you into the best shape of your life,” Amy said. “My best surfing was in my 40s. By then, I’d mastered my body, learned to strengthen my...
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Jersey's Best (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2023