Spring Swell: Ageism projects a shadow on the full range of surfing talent

So I’ve been having spine issues. Pain, weakness, creaking, cracking — you name it, it’s there. The joke that I’ve known and participated in since before I could remember is that if you start to have back problems, it means you are getting old, so buckle up. 

At 21 years old, this is not the way to think about it. Am I still nervous about engaging in activities that need my back to be at its strongest, or could risk injury? Of course. One of those activities is surfing.

There’s an unfortunate trend in any sport that once a child reaches a certain “age” — that age being particular to the difficulty of the sport on the body and mind — they have lost any chance at being one of the greats. They might as well quit. 

When I paddle out, and of course this depends on the time, the day, the conditions etc., I find it unsurprising that most of the surfers out there are male, but it is fascinating that many of them are nowhere near my age — especially those older than me. You don’t even have to be in the water to engage in that camaraderie; my dad, a surfer who favored Zuma Beach back in the ’60s, has recently bonded with co-workers who happen to be former Dewey Weber team riders and are still chugging in their 60s. 

But there’s no better place to turn to than the world tour and pro circuit to see the longevity of surfing in a person’s life. You know who is about to compete in a heat when the commentators constantly mention age and “the GOAT” in their sentences: it’s Kelly Slater. 

Slater is repeatedly hounded by rumors about when his final year on tour will come, the condition of his body, but very few times does the media mention that not only is he the oldest world champion in men’s history, but also the youngest. The 20-year-olds on the tour would still rather draw a heat with someone else for a better chance at winning. 

But this is a hyper-visible athlete we’re talking about, which makes this point seem like a one-off. Arguably the greatest surfer ever on the women’s tour, Australian Layne Beachley, won her record-breaking seventh world title in 2006 at 34 years old. Nathan Fletcher, the style-master of the Vans surf team, recently went for one of the biggest airs ever at Pipeline at 46 years old. Not-to-be-forgotten big wave surfer Peter Mel caught probably the best barrel to ever be surfed in a century at Mavericks, still fearless at 51. 

Are any of these surfers “old?” Absolutely not. With their knowledge of ocean swells, home breaks and dicey waves, they will remain at the top of the sport for a long time to come, regardless if it is in competition or not. 

It’s important to remember this even in the face of emerging talent in the form of 16-year-old Jai Glindeman, or in the loss of one of surfing’s best, Andy Irons, at 32. At any stage of your life setting aside fear, unwarranted shame or instant gratification can lead to a whole new world of opportunity to grow as a person and as an athlete. Any assumptions that lead to narrow thinking in what you should be doing or what you are “too old for” only leaves you defenseless to your own self-doubt. 

Lauren Mattice is a senior writing about surfing. She is also the digital managing editor at the Daily Trojan. Her column, “Spring Swell,” runs every other Monday.