Rick Sylvia wrote: > > Quick side note on this thread..... > > Age brackets certainly have their place, but as you are all well aware, they > aren't always an indicator of skill and ability. Let me add my own revelation of this back in the late 1950s. I was on a Junior Year Abroad program in Santiago Chile. A fellow student from Dobbs Ferry were huffing and puffing on a walk up San Cristobal, a hill overlooking the city. As we agonized up the path, a Chilean man well into his 60s wearing a suit, hat and carrying a walking stick breezed by us as if we were turtles. My friend was a jock and I was a good walker. A little later that week, I was jumping off of trolley when I almost bumped into the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen. She was leggy and wearing a dress suit and was well into her 50s. So at 20 or so I learned something about age and what I might look forward to. I have not been disappointed now that I am 62. Kayaking is especially generous to older people. I get calls and email all the time with some phrase like "I just turned 50 and was wondering whether I could start kayaking..." Yes, you can and much older. The two oldest kayakers I know are past 85 and still going strong. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Jan 25 2001 - 14:06:28 PST
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