Just looking through the team info on GTC and I see in the top team, SRM, Chris Lockwood is the 2nd youngest and is almost a Master now.
Fortunately for windsurfing, those in it seem bitten for life and usually get finacially better off as they age but what happens when they all get too old to sail?
Maybe there are sailors in their 20s but they are wave sailing or doing tricks but I think the large majority of this demographic are kiting.
What to do? Maybe nothing... more room on the water for us oldies. But then the choice of kit decreases as the market shrinks.. see F2 probs etc. Additionally the secondhand market dries up for those who want to upgrade.
Perhaps those with garages full of unsellable old stuff should give it to teenage relatives with appropriate instruction... just a thought.

Developed countries have aging populations with the population pyramid of a bunch of youngsters and not many oldies, turning into the population trapazoid. Windsurfing is reflecting the demographic changes in society.

There is no problem with the average participant of a sport getting older. However perhaps we do need to do more to get younger people involved, as has been mentioned 1000 times before.

However the great thing about speed windsurfing is age does not seem to be a barrier to good performance. Its usually the old fat bastards who go fastest in a strong blow anyway. I'm happy to be involved in a sport where age doesn't seem to be a problem until you are decrepit. As I get older I think about how many years of windsurfing I have left in me. Adding them up shows I am finishing the first quarter, having sailed all up for about 10 years, aged 37 and planning on windsurfing till I am at least 70.


Companies aways have problems when expenses exceed income, witness General Motors in the USA. There are tonnes of second hand gear floating around, most of it is unsellable.

Water off a ducks back, it was me who chose the name.
People have to feel free to use the word in it's true context without worrying about offending me.
And I think there are at least another 7 years of windsurfing in me.

But I don't seem to have fattened with age and gained any speed advantage!

mineral1 said...

decrepit said...

Water off a ducks back, it was me who chose the name.
People have to feel free to use the word in it's true context without worrying about offending me.
And I think there are at least another 7 years of windsurfing in me.

But I don't seem to have fattened with age and gained any speed advantage!

Oh humble one If half the crew GTC had a ****teenth of your ability we would see PB's flooding the boards.
I watch with green eyes every time I visit the crab cracker run as you make the majority of us look like double left foot hacks

i couldnt agree more! and i reckon your going to be sailing a sh#t load longer than 7 years .dont forget you knocked up 200+ km in a session just recently!!!!!

Pffft...our invalid is better than your invalid!
Let's start Gps Invalid Challenge.

Goo Screw said...

Pffft...our invalid is better than your invalid!
Let's start Gps Invalid Challenge.

Not a bad idea. If done right the media would be interested in it. For some reason my brain was in neutral last night and I watched that current affair show on Channel 7. They had some story about adopting a pensioner because the government won't increase the pension.

Anyway there is Decrepit, who is someone and a noun and there is decrepit, which is a verb or something like that. No offense intended.

Getting old is not so bad. Heaps of people never get the chance to get old.

What comes with age is a realization that you have to strike the iron while it's hot.

I wish i met Roo when he was in Weymouth. I've a feeling he would have kicked my ass into gear.

sick_em_rex said...

Mobydisc said...

Developed countries have aging populations with the population pyramid of a bunch of youngsters and not many oldies, turning into the population trapazoid. Windsurfing is reflecting the demographic changes in society.

There is no problem with the average participant of a sport getting older. However perhaps we do need to do more to get younger people involved, as has been mentioned 1000 times before.

However the great thing about speed windsurfing is age does not seem to be a barrier to good performance. Its usually the old fat bastards who go fastest in a strong blow anyway. I'm happy to be involved in a sport where age doesn't seem to be a problem until you are decrepit. As I get older I think about how many years of windsurfing I have left in me. Adding them up shows I am finishing the first quarter, having sailed all up for about 10 years, aged 37 and planning on windsurfing till I am at least 70.


Companies aways have problems when expenses exceed income, witness General Motors in the USA. There are tonnes of second hand gear floating around, most of it is unsellable.

I'm not too sure Decrepit will be real happy about you bagging him out!

I'm glad nobody was offended.

firiebob said...

hardpole said...

those who know me are sick of hearing this : BUT

the person who has the most fun wins

- age isnt in that formula -

Also, the person with the most unused toys, loses

haha yeah when are you taking your boat out next