Tony Roberts and the
Saltwater Fountain of Youth

As with any aging athlete, there comes a point in every surfer’s life in which things begin to change. It might start slowly; more time devoted to stretching, longer breaks in between marathon sessions, perhaps subtle increases in foam for better floatation, etc. Then, all of the sudden Father Time deals a devastating blow. Hip replacements, herniated discs, painfully slow pop-ups, and for short boarders, the dreaded transition to…gasp…longboarding.

Some take it better than others, shifting to weekend warrior status with relative ease, having that vulnerable chat with their shaper about drastically tweaking their equipment, or actually getting serious about that yoga practice they’ve been avoiding like the plague. Even still, there are die-hard high-performance surfers who take these realistically survivable jabs as though they were knockout punches, tearfully relegating their blades to the rafters for good, like an elderly samurai relinquishing their katanas for a life of peace. Proud warriors who attempt to go about living their lives as though they don’t miss their slashing past one bit, yet they know, deep down, that they are living a lie.

Maybe there are ways to stave off the inevitability of a future of fun boards and nose riders for five, or even ten years. Enough time to make that ego stomping about face to longboarding a little easier to stomach, aided by the wisdom and clarity of a true AARP member? Enter sixty year-old Tony Roberts, aka TR, a lifelong ripper who, even at his ripe age, has found the secret to extending his short boarding shelf life.

TR is regarded as one of the most prolific surf filmmakers in the world and his efforts in the 80’s and 90’s helped put Santa Cruz on the map as a hot-bed of progressive and hard-charging surfing, launching many a career, from Jason “Ratboy” Collins, to Adam Replogle. Years ago, he traded in his 4/3 full suit for board shorts, moving his operation from the chilly waters of SC to the toasty tropics of Central America. A freak talent in the surf himself, TR has managed to continue to progress, even at an age when most people consider giving it up altogether.

I recently caught up with TR to discuss his secrets to surfing longevity.

NK- How does one age gracefully as a surfer? What kind of lifestyle choices must one consider to stay at the top of their game?

TR- Surfing longevity is all about staying fit and loose, so start before you lose those, as young as possible. I started at 18 with the mission to be able to surf like a kid as long as possible and shifted to a vegetarian diet and daily yoga regimen. I didn’t have anyone to look to yet now, I’m 60, still improving. Strangely I never saw anyone else take that path and keep surfing first.

Now, I am reaping the rewards, and wish others in my crew had been able to do the same. I hope future surfers interested in this approach to life will get on it now. Once you are stiff and out of shape you can do your best, but if you get on it before that happens, the limits are still unknown and untested in surfing. The best example we have right now is Gerry Lopez who is 75.  Besides surfing he has a constant yoga regimen, is vegetarian, and lists his favorite meal as brown rice, tofu and veggies, and salad.

It’s all about a proactive mental and physical lifestyle. Alcohol and drugs have no place on this mission. Clear mindedness makes these accomplishments so much easier and satisfying.

There’s no half assing it. It takes full commitment and comes down to priorities and embracing reality. No excuses, only reasons. If one is weak and a slave to bad habits, forget about it.

Physically, Diet is key. Breaking down animal products is a full time job for the human body. Plant based food creates energy and makes your body happy, freeing it up to get flexible and strong from disciplines like yoga and martial arts. These are incredible training for your surfing as you are working on overall core strength and agility to balance out the lopsided workout on the shoulders, back and neck from excessive paddling. Those who say, “the best workout for surfing is surfing” are wrong for that very reason.

On the mental side, staying in control of your mind is everything. Mindfulness training and being present is highly beneficial and carrying that throughout your day and night keeps you on track. Eliminate stress and don’t hang out with negative people who derail your proactive thought process. Living where the waves are inconsistent or too crowded, or having to drive hours to surf, are not conducive to a lifestyle where someone’s first priority is surfing.

Personally, I would add freezing cold water to that as well. Finding a life partner who supports your 24/7 commitment to surfing performance and longevity forever is nearly impossible, even if they initially fall in love with the dedicated surfer. Being a good life partner takes sacrifice, period. It depends on how secure one is with themself, but it is sad to me that so many people have never considered the approach of embracing being single, and concentrating on the benefits of freedom over loneliness. I weigh out the pros and cons and for me it’s not even close.

The result is that not caring about that actually is very attractive to others and leads to plenty of opportunities on one’s own terms. My priorities are clear and I am not sacrificing them. I see so many people sacrifice what makes them happy because they feel it is necessary to be happy, but they lose the core of their true nature in the process, and it rarely works out anyways. The highest stakes gamble I could imagine with the worst possible odds The approach I have taken has been to try my ideal scenario first- be it work, family, whatever…and work my way from there rather than the reverse. As it turns out the ideal scenario has always worked out.

NK- What do you do specifically to continue your commitment to the mission of surfing longevity?

TR- I set up my schedule for the entire year so that during peak surf season I am in the most consistently perfect wave zones in the region (Central America and The Caribbean). I have a high protein and balanced vegan diet and cook all my own food. I start the day with my yoga regimen and pushups at sunrise and continue that throughout the day between and after surfs. I have all my sessions filmed and study my rides after the sesh and make edits of my surfing to hype myself up. I practice mindfulness meditation and have set up my life so that I control the day to day to accomodate my lifestyle and goals. At this point it is immensely gratifying and fulfilling.

NK- Most older guys get into mid-lengths and longboards after their 40’s. What is your opinion on that? Is it necessary?

TR- Nothing is more pathetic than the “orthodox shortboard only old guy”. Riding a mid length or longboard when the waves are weak is a great alternative to bogging or sitting on the beach whinging. It keeps the paddling muscles toned and ready for the next swell. I also feel riding a big board hones one’s style, which greatly helps the foundation of good shortboard technique.

NK- Does living in the tropics keep you young? If so, why do you think that is? 

TR- I feel living in the tropics is a cheat code for surfing longevity. When I go to a cold climate I feel a loss of flexibility and blood flow and highly doubt I could be accomplishing what I do if I didn’t surf in the tropis every day of my life.

NK- How about shooting and being around young and talented surfers?

TR- Being around young and talented surfers is very inspiring, mostly because I feel like I am at or above their level most of the time. The surfers I see and surf with, mostly in Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and El Salvador, even if they have good maneuvers, I rarely see them linking it together well. A few exceptions are Manuel Selman from D.R., Thomas King in Costa Rica,  Brian Perez in El Salvador and Kevin Cortez and Jackson Obando in Nicaragua. All those guys inspire me a lot.  Watching the WSL and current pro surfers edits is super inspiring and I try to learn from them– visualize doing it and apply it to my daily surfing goals.

NK- How does one age gracefully as a surfer? What kind of lifestyle choices must one consider to stay at the top of their game?

TR- Surfing longevity is all about staying fit and loose, so start before you lose those, as young as possible. I started at 18 with the mission to be able to surf like a kid as long as possible and shifted to a vegetarian diet and daily yoga regimen. I didn’t have anyone to look up to, yet now I’m 60, and still improving. Strangely, I never saw anyone else take that path–  keeping surfing first. Now, I’m reaping the rewards and wish others in my crew had been able to do the same. I hope future surfers interested in this will get on it now. Once you are stiff and out of shape you can do your best, but if you get on it before that happens, the limits are still unknown and untested in surfing.

The best example we have right now is Gerry Lopez, who is 75. Besides surfing, he has a constant yoga regimen, is vegetarian, and lists his favorite meal as brown rice, tofu and veggies, and salad. It’s all about a proactive mental and physical lifestyle. Alcohol and drugs have no place on this mission. Clear mindedness makes these accomplishments so much easier and satisfying.

NK- Do you still skate? How does skating help your surfing skills and vice versa?

TR- I do still skate, and feel like the aggression and speed of attacking a ramp or hill translate extremely well to the mental attitude of what’s needed to charge, and the techniques for proper above-the-lip surfing really must be learned and practiced on a normal skateboard on a ramp or pool with coping.

NK- Are you slowing down at all?

TR- I still don’t feel like I’m slowing down. I’m in much better shape than ever. I am working out harder and am more committed to training and surfing than ever. Yoga is a great yardstick to one’s physical state and I can continually hold difficult poses longer and more steady and that keeps improving. I love riding traditional logs in small surf, and slowing down for that is mandatory and is a big challenge for me, which I work on a lot.

NK- What adjustments have you made to address the inevitability of getting older?

TR- The adjustments I have made are continually looking for ways I can improve. Even though I wasn’t a huge drinker I quit alcohol completely seven years ago, and quit smoking weed about a year ago. Every productive life change I have done in the name of improving my surfing longevity continues to pay off.

NK- Do you ever plan to hang up the shortboard? Does that idea frighten you at all?

TR- It doesn’t frighten me at all, no. I could see hanging up the shortboard one day when I stop improving and am not on a mission to keep getting better. At this point, I am more psyched than ever when I watch the day’s clips and see how I am surfing at 60 years of age. It is a huge reward for a lifetime of commitment and nothing has ever inspired me more. I really enjoy the dozens of diverse boards of all sizes in my quiver, but at this point mostly because when the waves are good they make what I want to ride most feel better than ever–my shortboard.

NK- Who are some of the older dogs who inspire you to stay youthful and surfing at a high level? What have they done that seems to work for them?

TR-The only old dog I can think of that inspires me is Gerry Lopez, and he is 15 years older than me! Really, what inspires me most every day is drawing on the carving technique of Adam Replogle and the air technique of Ratboy and Nate Acker. I spent countless hours documenting and watching them surf over and over in the editing process of my movies when they were in their prime thirty years ago, and trying to combine that into what I do now.

Honestly in my age group, I watch the guys that still surf pretty good and I know they could be a lot better if they had lived a proactive lifestyle and kept health, training and surfing first. I get inspired by above-the-lip surfing mixed with seamless carves, all linked together with power and style and I just don’t see that. Some kids can drink piss, get high and eat burgers and still be surfing to the best of their ability, but not once you’re a carp.

If you want to Surf and Shoot with TR go to trsurftrips.com

TR’s YouTube channels are Real Surf Stories and Real Skate Stories and his instagrams are @trsurfing and @tonyrobertsphoto