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I cannot believe how often friends give me the line "Ah, having your mid-life crisis, huh?" when they hear I have resumed windsurfing.
Recently I met up with a few old school friends that I used to sail with. When I told them what a ball I was having sailing again, and suggested they should consider getting back into it, their wives gave me dagger eyes that could almost kill !!
I find it really sad, and almost offensive, that many people seem to be of the opinion that you can't have fun once you are past your 20's.
Why do people give up on life so soon?
It is sad some people get old before there time. Life is short and your a long time dead. 'Make the most of every day' is my motto.
I know what your saying its to easy to give everyone your time and not keep enough for your self. the killer with windsurfing is when the wind is up you just have to drop everything and go
Hi Harrow,
I am sort of in the same boat but no one has criticised me for getting back into windsurfing. If they did I'd ask them what are they doing with their time thats so great. Its better than sitting around the house watching TV, DVDs or on the interweb. Thats what work is for.
You know what Harrow??
Your spot on!!!
I have mates whose wives let them go for a surf once a weekend and think Im despicable because I go sailing when its windy and that I have a sport that is healthy and outdoors.
My wife and daughter think its great and as long as we balance all the other things we do as a family then its sweet.
I now find I have a lot more in common with the people I wind surf with and have slowly lost contact with some of my surfing friends simply because they are not allowed out to play.
Compromise is the word. I just spent a week at Sandy Pt with the boys and next weekend my wife is spending the time with her sisters on a girly weekend.
Works both ways.
Seems its a lot more acceptable to don tight bright Lycra and head down to
the local cafe with your new carbon mtn bike than it is to go to the beach. You
just gotta shout out to the world " I'm a windsurfer and proud of it", if enough of
us do eventually we will be accepted.
If you laugh, the whole world laughs with you.
Make the world a better place.
Go windsurfing
My mid life crisis has turned into a full on addiction.3 years ago at the age of 52 I grabbed my sons gear for a go while waiting on the beach for him dinghy sailing.This has now resulted in the purchase of 4 boards, [the latest being a 95 lt FSW last week]5 sails 3 booms and a trailer to cart it all in.Some one told me that learning to water start over the age of 40 was like trying to make lead float,well thats a load of crap.Looking forward to purchasing a van and spending my long service leave and many more hoildays over the west after having a very good holiday over there last year.The people I have met since taking up this sport have been great,and the fact that having type 2 diabetes I have found a sport that keeps me fit and helped me shed about 8 kilo.This is definately one midlife crisis that I am going to explore even further and hopefully take to the next level because I am having a blast.
But be buggered if I can get those gybes
The gybes are starting to come together,been having some coaching from Wormy down in Bowen.
40 is the new 20:
- Was reading a study the other day: your reaction times are fastest at 39
- Andre Agassi
- Mark Occhilupo
My wife's very cool now with how much I windsurf, which is basically if it is windy then I'm going (if not working). She's noticed how much happier and fitter I am 
. she now understands there could be a wind drought for many weekends in a row.
Nebs, your friends don't have a clue. Signs of a mid-life crisis are doing things that are aimed at impressing 22 year old chikky babes. Windsurfing certainly doesn't rate on that score. If you had taken up kiting your friends might have a point.
Why do people give up on life so soon? I think it's because they think they should "act their age" whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. When I now do things that I used to enjoy when I was much younger, like going bush, boating or snorkelling, I enjoy them just as much if not more these days. With one exception- skateboarding. I ain't still got it there.
If you dont use it - you lose it
Young in spirit -young in life
People who carry on telling you to act your age are normally just jealous and resent what they have allowed themselves to become.
Screm em and go for a sail, lifes too short.
Men's Reactions Peak at Age 39
Scientists asked 72 men, ranging in age from 23 to 80, to tap their index fingers as fast as they could for 10 seconds. The researchers also did brain scans to measure in each subject the amount of myelin - a fatty sheath of insulation that coats nerve axons and allows for signaling bursts in our brains.
Both the tapping speed and the amount of myelin was found to decline "with an accelerating trajectory" after age 39. http://www.livescience.com/health/081017-reaction-times.html
I think I've had several mid life crises then. Did the Harley thing 10 years ago, but it was too slow so I got back into sports bikes.
I hung up the mountain bike because my knees are trashed, but who knows they may have some nifty implants available in a few years time so I'll give it a go again.
Just recently re ignited an old passion, started tracking my car. Lot's of fun
But windsurfing has been a staple for a long time so I can't be accused of using this as a mid life crisis thing.
It's interesting, most of my friends windsurf, ski & mountain bike..and most of them have a very different view on life compared to the ones that aren't active in such sports.
So Harrow, maybe you need to encourage your friends to get back into life. But hang on, you're not that old are you?
This is a photo of a guy in Maui (I think his name is Hugo, not 100% sure), he would be 65 in the shade and he still rips hard.
If being a windsurfer at our age (being very wide in range here)is a mid life crisis this guys never got pass his and no way do I intend to either.
He was cranking on a 6.2 RS on this day when I was being blasted on a 5.8 wave sail.
He rips out past the reef, turns and heads back, if he makes the in bound gybe (jibe) he goes for another run if not he picks his kit up, puts it on the beach and has a rest.
In a little while he picks up his kit and does it all again, he has some very cunning rigging tips to.
No mid life crisis just a great time at all ages. This guy in inspirational.
I keep tell the family that i,m not middle aged yet.You have to know what your end date is before deciding what the middle is 
My middle age is 51 so i,ve got a few more years of being young and imature. More sailing and boarding please
)
)
You guys are unfortunately right: most men give up on life and living when they're real young. The majority stop doing sports and activities coming out of uni. The few left, stop doing anything going into marriage. (Renovating the house forever doesn't count.)
Guys at work and in the 'hood try to convince themselves they're active by playing basket with the kids once a month or mowing the lawn. Or owning fancy bike gear, that sits in the garage.
My sheila is mostly OK, I was at a freestyle comp lately and she was helping me setup the gear and discuss moves with the younger guys. She might have been trying to pick up, but what the hell, I get to windsurf.
You need a missus with a passion for something (and renovating doesn't count) to create a balance. Else it's a life of control and slow death...
Send your old mates a copy of The Windsurfing Movie for christmas. Always gets me pumped for a sail. their wives will hate it.
Ive been lucky enough to have kids that want to get dirty in the shed ,or thebush or out sailing. Im amazed at how different each one is. dear wifey has finally gt the message that I'm beyond getting a thrill from renovating,and only asks when its broke.
Hence I sail ,therefore i am young
great A.
I was chatting to "Barry your race director" at the start of a ledge to lancelin a couple of years ago and said "I thought I was too old to do this race anymore". He corrected me on that one and at the finish when I saw all the grey beards I realised I had a few more left in me.
Two of my favorites:
Your only as old as you let yourself feel.
The person who has the most fun wins.
--
Also I cant remember his name but that "retired gentleman" who sails at Mettams (and lots of other places) who has the landrover loaded with kit of all kinds on the roof doesnt seem to think mid life is the time to stop. I have been told he even rips it up at Margarets on occasion.
