Seniors For Living

Who says extreme sports are reserved for the young and adventurous? These sporty seniors soar above expectations, skate past obstacles, and stay way ahead of the age curve. Check out some video proof that age is just a state of mind, and learn that seniors can go extreme with the best of ‘em’

Flying High
A group of skydiving seniors who call themselves SOS – Skydivers over Sixty — broke the world record for a single formation with their group jump in Leland, Florida last year. The 48 participants range in age from 60 to 80. They’re currently working on their next goal of 60 jumpers.

Board Certified
Dr. Albert Leaung is not only well recognized in the holistic medicine field for his herbal extracts, but his YouTube video makes the claim that he’s the oldest snowboarder in America. Whether or not that’s true, at age 70, his smooth moves on the slopes defy age. There must be some fountain of youth secret in those herbs’ food for thought.

Shoeless Shenanigans
There’s water skiing and there’s its extreme, faster cousin, barefoot waterskiing (or barefooting). “Banana” George Blair at 92 holds the current Guinness Record for the oldest barefooter, and his skills will sweep you off your feet. His signature move is holding the tow rope in his teeth (at an age when most people don’t even have teeth!).

Slam Dunk Senior
When spectators on the bleachers settled in for a college basketball game during the 2008 season at Roane State (Harriman, TN) Community College, they got a show that rivaled any slam dunk they may have seen. They watched 73 year old Ken Mink dribbling down the court with teammates more than two times less his age. He said he was just making up for the year of college ball he missed when he joined the Air Force more than 50 years ago.

Pumped Up Gramps
Body building for over 50 years, the former Mr. America Jim Morris is like the energizer bunny. The California native keeps going and going with daily weightlifting workouts, despite being the ripped old age of 71. Kind of makes you feel extra bad about missing the gym this week, huh?

Beach Boy
There aren’t too many 80+ surfer dudes in the world. But since 1940, John Zabotocky has been riding Hawaiian waves in Waikiki, and at 89, he’s still a regular beachboy surfer. Surf this link if you don’t believe it!

King of the Mountain
In took about a year for the Guinness World Records to grant him official recognition, but at age 76, Min Bahadur Sherchan became the oldest person to scale Mt. Everest. The 29,035-foot peak proved to be no match for this daring climber, and now he’s got the record to prove it.

Granny Walking on Water
Forget about rocking chairs and knitting needles. Ninety-one year old Edith McAllister’s favorite props are her two water skis. She spends every summer in Port Aransas, Texas gliding along the blue waters, and makes it look easy.

Going the Distance
Running a marathon is a feat in and of itself at any age, but when that age surpasses 90, it takes on a whole new level of wow. When Ernest Van Leeuwen, 94, became the oldest man to run the Los Angeles Marathon in 2006, he was then awarded the Los Angeles Marathon’s courage award. Although he passed away the following year, his dedication to running continues to inspire Cali marathoners.

Exploring New Depths
For many years, Marge Frisch longed to go underwater exploring to see beautiful coral reef and sea life, but circumstances kept her on dry land in her native Florida. When she finally set off to take her first Scuba dive in Grand Cayman, she was 81 years of age, but took to it, well, like a fish to water.

Taking the Plunge
Most people who live to age 85 would say they’ve had a long, fulfilling life. But for Jean Pierre Gaston, there was one thing that he’d always wanted to do – free fall off of a bridge. Well, actually, he just wanted to bungee jump on his birthday. And he did! Watch his plunge in this clip, and cheer along with the other spectators.

~Dawn Papandrea