Words Hayley Lawrence
We catch up with 76 year-old surfer Susie to find out how to stay motivated in your 70’s.
Spanish explorer Ponce de León sailed the world looking for the ‘Fountain of Youth’. Little did he know, all he had to was jump off his boat and go surfing. You see, the demographic in the line-up is getting older. Surfers, it seems, have unlocked a key to eternal youth and are riding the waves long after most mere mortals have taken up knitting. To prove age is just a state of mind, and surfing isn’t just for young folk, we catch up with 76 year-old surfing icon from California, Susie Terry (aka @SurferSusie66).
If you’re not following her on Insta yet, after reading this you’ll no doubt be on there getting your daily dose of stoke. After seeing Gidget at the movies in San Diego in 1959, Susie knew she wanted to be a surfer. And over sixty years later she’s still a Team Betty Surfer (@bettybelts) and Team Rider @jbayfindesign. But more than that, she’s out there daily sharing her joy of the waves with all generations of surfers. We chat to Susie about keeping it real, keeping stoke levels high, and how to be a surfing icon in your seventies!
Susie, what’s your secret? How have you managed to keep surfing way past most people give up and start knitting?
I’m not sure I have a ‘secret’ as such. I’m just one of those annoyingly self-motivated people and actually it’s quite easy to keep surfing, because that stoke is my choice of drug. If you know, you know!
Do you surf every day?
I wish I could say I surf everyday, but I’m way too picky for that. I know what I like, I know what I can catch, and I know when I want to get wet!
What do you do to keep so fit and healthy for surfing?
First off, I exercise loads. Again being self-motivated and having a long career in the fitness industry has freakin’ paid off. Seriously! I’m an exercise-aholic. I run, walk, do daily ball work, daily stretching, rehab routines and spin. Secondly, I pray!
Your joie de vivre is infectious and inspiring. How do you stay so positive?
Positive mental attitude is 100% required when you’re old, trust me. My mind moves my body, and talks me into doing what I know I can do. Negativity is the enemy. Plus I’m too old to be too much of a boring pain in the butt! Really, it’s my Christianity that turned complaining into positivity.
Have you had to adapt your board and style as you’ve got older?
Hell yes! Board length not really as I’m a longboarder, but glass boards beat up my knees since I only knee paddle. So I had to get a padded soft-top – it’s a real epoxy surfboard, not a wave storm, thank you very much! And I love it! As far as ‘style’ goes, the older I get the less I care about ‘style’. I’m just happy to still catch waves and stand up! As you get older things change dramatically. Wave selection is smaller, time spent out is less and you’re way more aware of the things that can go wrong out there.
What inspired you to share your stoke on socials?
My grandkids said, “you gotta get on social media!” And they helped me figure it out. Plus they thought it was cool that I was surfing with friends they know!
How did you become an Insta sensation on the surf scene? Why do you think your content resonates with so many people?
I hadn’t surfed in months then had one of the best sessions in years, and I was all by myself. So I grabbed my phone did a quick video sharing my stoke and posted it without even a thought. Woke up the next morning and found out it went viral! I was like, are you kidding me? I almost deleted it before I went to bed coz I looked so bad in it, ha! I still have zero clue why anyone would like to watch an old lady spit out crazy surf sesh stories! Who knew? Ha!
Do you have sponsors and brands you have to keep pushing out content for, or do you do it for the love of it?
I’m very fortunate to be a Team Betty Surfer with @bettybelts, and a rider for @jbayfindesign from South Africa. I mean, how flippin’ cool is that?! I’m also an ambassador with @getbacknecklaces. And I count myself lucky to be associated with all three!
Rewind to when you started out – the original Gidget film inspired you to be a surfer – but how did you go about hitting the water and learning?
So I saw Gidget that was it, I was gonna be a surfer. So my Dad took me up to the Yater Surfboard shop and got me a 9’10” glass Yater! Mom drove me in her VW bug to the Ventura south-side pier, and I surfed a couple of hours all by myself. I remember what they said from the Gidget movie and basically it was a learn as you go sesh! I just remember having one hell of a bitchen’ sesh!
Did you ever have any bad vibes from the guys in the water as one of the only girls?
I’ve had this question asked so many times, and I always got the feeling people wanna hear how mean the guys were, but I never had any issues back in the day. Not like it is now! Back then the only people in the water were other kids in school, so we all knew each other. I freakin’ loved it! I was usually the only girl and that’s not too shabby, being out there on my own with the cutest dudes in the water!
What about as you get older, do you find cheeky young groms stealing your waves?
I’d say the biggest issue nowadays are kooks! Oh my, and you know who you are.
Where did you get with your surfing? Were you a shortboarder, longboarder, mediocre surfer, shredder?
I don’t like contests. I don’t like line-ups. I guess you could say I’m a soul surfer. I prefer being away from other surfers, on my own waves. I hate to share, ha! I’ve only surfed longboards and have no desire to try anything else.
What’s your advice for surfers that want to stay feeling young and keep shredding?
Shredding is in the eye of the beholder. Haha. I can only say a healthy lifestyle has worked for me.
How long do you intend to keep surfing?
My ONLY goal is to surf till I can’t! I love to paddle, too, so I do that a lot, regardless of the waves, which I believe helps keep me in the water.
What advice would you give surf girls who want a lifelong relationship with surfing?
Don’t make every wave a contest. Keep it fun and be a kook once in a while. It keeps you humble.
