As the saying goes: “Age is just a number”.  For Paul Robotta that number is 69.  Here are a few more of his numbers for you to consider.  He has been surfing for 57 years, and when the surf is up he rides 2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week.

Paul grew up in San Diego County.  His parents were from Canada and were reluctant to have him get involved in surfing, but he finally convinced them to let him have a board.  His first was a 9/6 Weber Performer.  He shortly after transitioned to a short board, the Bing Foil.

As a young teenager Paul mostly surfed Scripps and Black’s.  He and his friends pretty much taught themselves how to ride.  He remembers there being these two guys at Black’s who were really good surfers.  They didn’t know their names, so they called them Mr. Green and Mr. Blue for the colors of their boards.  They would watch them day-in and day-out to learn to perfect their stance, take-offs and approach to the wave.  They later found out that the surfers were Paul and Dan Bridgeman, two well known surfers out of La Jolla.

Growing up Paul was the the only member of his family that surfed, but he has since passed the love of the sport on to his son, Morgan. He started teaching him around the age of 5 or 6. Morgan quickly took to surfing and today is an excellent rider.

As an adult Paul worked as a land surveyor, eventually working his way up to managing a large department for a Civil Engineering firm.  As he put it, “not every job is a good surfing job”.  He worked long hours, but still managed to ride as often as he could.

Since retiring, however, Paul has had more time to spend in the ocean and surfs Seaside regularly.  He has also been a member of the Encinitas Board Riders since its founding. He likes that the Club is conducive to providing a sense of community and provides a venue for up and coming surfers.  He told me that he enjoys the relationships he has formed there almost as much as riding the waves.

Surfing can be a physically demanding sport, and I wanted to know what Paul does to stay in shape.  He credits a lot of his ability to continue riding to the time he spends at a physical therapy clinic called “b Project” located in Carlsbad.  He has been going there regularly since 2016.  They have some local surfers there who are movement specialists. They have helped him a lot, including during the time when he was recovering from hip replacement due to osteoporosis of the left hip.

Paul has suffered an injury surfing; he wiped out badly and separated his shoulder.  As with the hip replacement he fortunately recovered quickly.  That led me to ask what advice he has for riders who want to stay healthy and ride waves into their senior years.  He said to eat right and stay strong all over.  There will be times when you fall in a bad position and you need to be ready for when that happens.

I found Paul to be a really interesting guy who clearly loves the sport of surfing and will be doing it for many years to come.  Funny thing was that when we were getting ready to start his interview he asked me whether the club had run out of good candidates for the Rider of the Month Award, since he was being selected.  My quick answer was “No”.  While I am not involved in the selection process for the recipients, I do get what the Board of Directors is trying to do with this monthly recognition. I think Paul was a great choice. You see, surfing is not just a sport.  It is a lifestyle and a culture that can be learned, practiced and appreciated by the young, the not-so-young, the beginners, the enthusiasts and the champions.  The Encinitas Board Riders is an organization premised on competition, but it is more than that.  It is a diverse and all inclusive club that promotes and nourishes the surfing community here on all levels and this award exemplifies that.

Written and photographed by Nicholas Paoni