89-year-old Japanese Man Has No Plans to Stop Surfing

2023-04-03

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1
  • In the early part of his life, Seiichi Sano was a busy business owner.
  • 2
  • Later in life, he took on other difficult activities.
  • 3
  • At the age of 80, he climbed Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain.
  • 4
  • Soon after, he started surfing.
  • 5
  • Sano turns 90 later this year.
  • 6
  • After being recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest male to surf, he's considering trying other activities.
  • 7
  • "Maybe I'll try bouldering," he said, suggesting he might do it first in a gym. "Outside it might be a bit dangerous."
  • 8
  • But maybe he will just stick with what he knows.
  • 9
  • "I think it would be interesting to try to surf until I'm 100," Sano said.
  • 10
  • "I think I take better care of myself when I have goals like this. Even now, I take better care of myself than I did before."
  • 11
  • Sano lives in a place about 20 minutes from Yokohama.
  • 12
  • He gets out most weekends on the black-sand beach near Enoshima.
  • 13
  • It is the small island that held sailing competitions during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games that took place in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 14
  • Sano said he got the idea to try surfing from a worker at his local bank.
  • 15
  • The man's skin was always tan and he did not look like a usual banker.
  • 16
  • His secret, he said, was surfing. So, Sano found a teacher.
  • 17
  • "I don't consider myself an old man," he said in his wet suit, board standing next to him.
  • 18
  • "I have never thought of myself as an old person. I always feel that I can still move forward. I can still do it. I can still enjoy it."
  • 19
  • Sano joined hundreds of other surfers recently at Enoshima.
  • 20
  • All the surfers were younger, of course.
  • 21
  • Several young students who also work with Sano's surf teacher, 46-year-old Kazuto Shimizu, talked about Sano.
  • 22
  • "I think age doesn't matter in surfing," 12-year-old Iroha Shimabukuro said.
  • 23
  • Added her twin sister, Fuka: "He's more like a family member regardless of age."
  • 24
  • "I think he's amazing," said their younger brother, Shua.
  • 25
  • Rokka Saito, the other young surfer in the group of four, summed it up. "I respect him," she said.
  • 26
  • "To be honest, I was surprised by his age," said Shimizu, Sano's surfing teacher.
  • 27
  • "I was most worried that he would get injured. I did not know how fit he was, physically."
  • 28
  • Sano still runs a business that supplies wood to building companies.
  • 29
  • He works 9-to-5 at the job.
  • 30
  • Surfing eases tension for him.
  • 31
  • Sano joked about surfing in the delayed Tokyo Games, held just under two years ago.
  • 32
  • "I was hoping to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, not as a competitor but as an old-age demonstrator," he said.
  • 33
  • Sano regularly does a complete set of stretching exercises before going out.
  • 34
  • When he stands, he's straight as his board - though at 1.65 meters, far shorter.
  • 35
  • "People often say that surfing is life, itself," he said.
  • 36
  • "If I describe it in one word, I think it really applies to me right now."
  • 37
  • I'm John Russell.
  • 1
  • In the early part of his life, Seiichi Sano was a busy business owner. Later in life, he took on other difficult activities. At the age of 80, he climbed Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain. Soon after, he started surfing.
  • 2
  • Sano turns 90 later this year. After being recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest male to surf, he's considering trying other activities.
  • 3
  • "Maybe I'll try bouldering," he said, suggesting he might do it first in a gym. "Outside it might be a bit dangerous."
  • 4
  • But maybe he will just stick with what he knows.
  • 5
  • "I think it would be interesting to try to surf until I'm 100," Sano said. "I think I take better care of myself when I have goals like this. Even now, I take better care of myself than I did before."
  • 6
  • Sano lives in a place about 20 minutes from Yokohama. He gets out most weekends on the black-sand beach near Enoshima. It is the small island that held sailing competitions during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games that took place in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 7
  • Sano said he got the idea to try surfing from a worker at his local bank. The man's skin was always tan and he did not look like a usual banker. His secret, he said, was surfing. So, Sano found a teacher.
  • 8
  • "I don't consider myself an old man," he said in his wet suit, board standing next to him. "I have never thought of myself as an old person. I always feel that I can still move forward. I can still do it. I can still enjoy it."
  • 9
  • Sano joined hundreds of other surfers recently at Enoshima. All the surfers were younger, of course. Several young students who also work with Sano's surf teacher, 46-year-old Kazuto Shimizu, talked about Sano.
  • 10
  • "I think age doesn't matter in surfing," 12-year-old Iroha Shimabukuro said.
  • 11
  • Added her twin sister, Fuka: "He's more like a family member regardless of age."
  • 12
  • "I think he's amazing," said their younger brother, Shua.
  • 13
  • Rokka Saito, the other young surfer in the group of four, summed it up. "I respect him," she said.
  • 14
  • "To be honest, I was surprised by his age," said Shimizu, Sano's surfing teacher. "I was most worried that he would get injured. I did not know how fit he was, physically."
  • 15
  • Sano still runs a business that supplies wood to building companies. He works 9-to-5 at the job. Surfing eases tension for him.
  • 16
  • Sano joked about surfing in the delayed Tokyo Games, held just under two years ago.
  • 17
  • "I was hoping to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, not as a competitor but as an old-age demonstrator," he said.
  • 18
  • Sano regularly does a complete set of stretching exercises before going out. When he stands, he's straight as his board - though at 1.65 meters, far shorter.
  • 19
  • "People often say that surfing is life, itself," he said. "If I describe it in one word, I think it really applies to me right now."
  • 20
  • I'm John Russell.
  • 21
  • Stephen Wade reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 22
  • _______________________________________________________________
  • 23
  • Words in This Story
  • 24
  • surfing - n. the activity of riding waves on a special board
  • 25
  • bouldering - n. a kind of free climbing practiced on indoor walls or outdoor rock formations
  • 26
  • sailing - n. the sport or activity of traveling on water in a sailboat
  • 27
  • tan - adj. having skin that has been made darker by the sun's rays
  • 28
  • wet suit -n. rubber clothing that is worn by swimmers and divers to keep their bodies warm
  • 29
  • demonstrator - n. a person who shows other people how something is done