89-Year-Old Japanese Man Named Oldest Male Surfer, Wants to Keep Going Until He’s 100

No matter what you're doing right now with your life, chances are you aren't breaking any world records for being the oldest person to take part in a rigorous sport. But that's not the case for Seiichi Sano of Fujisawa, Japan, who was recently recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest male surfer.

The 89-year-old man has been actively surfing for years, but before he picked up that hobby, he decided to climb Japan's highest peak, Mt. Fiju. At 80 years old.

According to the Associated Press, Sano lives in a prime area for surfing and was inspired to pick up the sport by a local bank employee.

Sano lives about 20 minutes from Yokohama and gets out most weekends on the black-sand beach near Enoshima, the small island that hosted sailing for the recent Tokyo Olympics, and was the harbor for the 1964 Games.

He said he was inspired by an employee at his local bank, who was always tan and didn’t look like a typical banker. His secret, he said, was surfing. So Sano followed up and found a teacher.

“I don’t consider myself an old man,” he said in his wet suit, board standing alongside. “I have never thought of myself as an old person. I always feel that I can still move forward. I can still do it. I can still enjoy it.”

In an interview, he discussed other hobbies.

“Maybe I’ll try bouldering,” but decided he would start in a gym if he did. “Outside it might be a bit dangerous.”

He also said that bungee jumping was “too scary."

For the moment, though, he seems content to keep on surfing.

“I think it would be interesting to try to surf until I’m 100,” Sano said in that interview. “I think I take better care of myself when I have goals like this. Even now, I take better care of myself than I did before.”

After receiving the record and getting some press coverage, it appears that Sano is on Twitter now, though the tweet pinned on the account warns that "On behalf of the person who does not touch the computer, we will publish photos, voice videos, etc."

It did, however, publish photos from the Guinness recognition.

"Guinness certificate unveiling party was held in Enoshima," the above tweet translates.

Still, there doesn't seem to be anything quite as pure as listening to Sano talk about his passion. He's 89 years young and wants to do it for another decade or more.