Watch: Larry McGraw // Five Questions
A few weeks after Steve wrote 'Why Do We Quit', an article that elicited 300-plus comments, septuagenarian swooper Larry McGraw offers his insights on a long surfing life.
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Comments
That’s a lot of consecutive years to Indo!
now thats worth a watch.......
Thanks a lot man!
Nice one Larry. Been at it 50 years plus and to be honest, I just like being out on the ocean.
Rather than some complex belief system, that's all you really need, eh? Enjoyment of the ocean.
Inspirational stuff!
Living a good life....
hes reinforced my belief of fitness regimes: if you do it enough you really dont need to do that much maintenance. or it is kept to minimal levels. this is an overall average obviously there will be exceptions. consistency is the key i think. ive always gotten injured when theres something else going on in life and im not getting in the water as much and youve let some of your critical muscles get a bit lazy.
Good one, Larry living the dream
Can you imagine the level of stoke and calm you'd be feeling after five months of very very uncrowded G Land?
'I never was a ripper.. I'm a swooper and I love it'.
Why not. Gotta love it.
To be living like Larry....
A good board, some good waves, and all the time in the world.
You missed the cold Bintangs to complete the picture IB.
yep and im sure having the income of being a dentist helps.........but good on him love the passion.
That's called playing the long game. While a lot of guys were hanging on the beach and forsaking any good employment this guy was getting an education and advanced degree. By the time of his early thirties he can work anywhere and make 15K plus. And those guys who just hung out and surfed? They're living in trailers and hanging out with fat girls. There is a difference between making surfing a lifestyle and integrating surfing into your life.
cr95 totally agree .....
Just when I was about to hang up the board @ 63 . Thanks Larry , I'm inspired . Now where is that vax passport of mine.
Thanks a lot man, glad you enjoyed, this gives me extra motivation to keep filming and asking thoose questions to surfers!
72-11=61 :) Talk about living the dream!
Some empty gland for Larry!
Enjoy.
Inspirational stuff Larry!
Great for me to read after dusting off the cobwebs at the age of 46 :)
Now to do something about that gut haha...
Is he doing a visa run once a month or did he manage to get a special visa somehow?
I love how he laughed off the question about yoga, exercise or a healthy routine. " I just surf and paddle", said by a man with beer in hand and a sunset reflecting off his glasses, I'm sure after a nice day of waves. May you get another 1000 waves Larry, before the floodgates open with wave and Bintang hungry Aussies.
Live Like Larry….that has to be the new surfers motto…top fella… enjoyed watching that.
The good ol' days are now.... Good onya Larry, plenty more to come no doubt.
he's surfing great.
solid as.
That was Great, saw a 70 old plus mate get a great barrel this morning on a six ft glassy bombie, another 70 old plus bugger packing closeout 3/4 ft runners this arvo. What does this all mean? Never give up the dream to stay healthy and keep surfing. As broken as I am just get that fuckin wettie on and get out there for some more possibilities. I got a barrel myself which has been a long time coming yeeeewww.
thats fkn awesome.
Great vid.
What section of GLand is he taking off on?
Looks like moneytrees on a south swell to me. Definitely not kongs, speedies, ledge or launch pads.
Mostly positive posts above well done. Every now and then though I get something a bit judgemental… equating his income or profession with a judgement. If I’m in the lineup, boxing ring ,sporting field etc does it really matter? Well done mate! Did he mention or, should he explain his income source or access,only if it’s relevant.
LEGEND LARRY.. love ya outlook on life.. keep it up champion
Saw him there 2 years ago. He got some of the biggest bombs from the pad on a couple of solid speedies days. Inspiring.
"Well, your free time is just as important as your work time..."
That's all you need to know really
Legend
I'm a swooper on short boards ha ha.
What I liked is the work-life advice, I see too many people not taking enough time off.
Not everybody can do it, but if you find yourself in a position that allows working less, it's well worth trading money for more freedom and free time.
I took the plunge 8 years ago, and have never regretted it.
I hope I can swoop in Indo at 72, but why not?
Oh for sure, I've started to invest in LWOP across the last few years, and I'm lucky I/we can do it. What I can't get my head around is peeps that don't take their 20 days. I had 1 boss that would do 2 weeks NH skiing every summer and 2 weeks golf somewhere every winter. Sure no kids but always gave him something to look forward to, and he worked hard. Self employed is different again, get that.
Hats off to Larry....
It may sound cruel
Loved that - and I love swooping - underrated I think
So good. Inspiring. Need to get back there.
5 months! Solid.
met Larry 2 seasons ago....he had unique approach and he dominated on his 8'0....lap after lap after lap of money trees...
Had some sage advice for sure...
Met him at gland in 2001 and thought he was old then ha ha
Great interview.
Nothing special just keep fit for your time away.
luv the look of his board
Nothing wrong with swooping. Well on my way to becoming a salty, leather-skinned, swooping battler. Back ending my life after working too much and getting through the family years.
Good luck to you Larry.
wow mind bending he's 72!
Mike Takahashi. Ripped and ripping at 70.
https://www.instagram.com/takahamike/
RIP Larry. G-land legend gone.
RIP Larry Legend
Hats off to a fella who appeared to live his life how he wanted to.
Must have had so many days that were straight out of a dream.
Oh no! What happened?
Bummer . Vale Larry
Surfing gland into mid 70,s is a life done well
Tom De Souza :
Beyond the pack, an older surfer sits way outside on an orange 7’8 Tokoro gun.
74-year-old Larry McGraw is a dentist from Oahu and has been here every season since 1987, including two seasons during COVID, where he was for a time the only surfer in the camp. He sits and waits for his waves. He knows just how critical patience and luck and wave selection are out here, and in a four-hour session he rides only five waves.
“It’s a wave you really have to get to understand. There are so many variables. Ten feet of tide means you’re surfing an entirely different part of the reef on different tides, and the wave does different things on different swell directions. It’s so tricky, and you can really see the surfers who have put in the time and developed a relationship with the wave,” he says.
In all of his stints Larry has seen many of the top professionals surfing here, but he credits West Australian Jeffrey ‘Camel’ Goulden as the best he has ever seen.
: )
That’s cool.
Sad ,sad news,Laz left us last week , Will be missed by all
Sad indeed. Glad to have met the man. He had a lot of wisdom to impart.
Sage advice here. Keep it simple, keep moving, I would suggest stretching or yoga for flexibility, and just keep going. I am 64 and have a heap of mates up to 74 that are all still out there - the ones in their 60’s are still out there in waves up to 10 foot - albeit on longer boards and wearing impact vests, but they are still out there. Life is what you make it and if you stop, you drop.
Hear hear.
It's easy to give up, to get defeatist and cynical and grumpy; don't give in to it.