Lively Up Yourself!

Much has been written over the last few years of the new windsurfing generation, the crop of teens and pre-teens that are shaking up and revitalizing the windsurfing world. But what about the other end of the spectrum? Despite some mention of Team Advil in some of the magazines, I think the older generation isn't getting it's fair share of publicity. After all, they are also reshaping our notions of an active lifestyle, pushing the boundaries, shunning the rocking chair, knitting needles, cards and bingo for the latest boards and sails. Here on Maui I've had the pleasure to know many very active windsurfers who are redefining what we can do in our 70s and 80s. One was Bob Peck, a 77-year old inspiration and now legend among Kanaha regulars.

Recently I've had the pleasure of getting to know Barb Guild, a 79-year-old-going-on-29 year old local Maui windsurfer. Barb sails out of Sugar Cove here on Maui and is as anxious and eager to improve her sailing as the 9 year olds are eager to learn the latest freestyle moves. Click the image to the left to see some video of Barb sailing with her instructor at Sugar Cove (QuickTime, 2.1 MB).

Last winter, she was thrilled to experience great improvements in her skiing, thanks to a smart boot-fitter helping her optimize her equipment to work for her, and to working regularly with an instructor on her technique. She decided to see if she could make the same kinds of changes in her windsurfing this summer. She works with a personal trainer 3 days a week to build her strength and endurance (being already blessed with remarkable flexibility) so she can windsurf 3 days a week, wind permitting! At this point, those sessions are with an instructor, gradually improving her efficiency and technique, but her goal is to feel confident and competent enough to sail independently. She's lived most of her life near the beach in California and Hawaii, and loves being in the water. One day, when the wind wasn't cooperating, she taught her inland-raised instructor the basics of body-surfing!

Over the past 10 years, she's combined her passion for the beach with her UCBerkeley engineering background to lead successful "beach nourishment" projects to rebuild the eroded beach at Sugar Cove, not only protecting the homes there from harm, but also providing a much-used and -loved beach for fishers, divers, boogey-boarders, surfers, kitesurfers, and windsurfers.

At any age, a person like Barb is an inspiration. At 79 years young, she is living proof that age needn't be a handicap or deterrent to doing anything you want. As boomers contemplate their next move, they needn't look far to see people like Barb showing the way.

Barb has a personal attitude she shared that we would all do well to adopt;

"Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear, -- this disposition helps to facilitate the ultimate harmony."