This 69 Year Old Surfing Hippie Will Make Your Day

A true surf hippie is hard to come by these days. With the sport’s development and increasing commercialization, a lot of people say that it's not what it used to be. But there are still those that eat, breathe and sleep surfing just for their pure enjoyment of the sport. Bruce Gold is one of those people–a ture, authentic surf hippie. This South African surfer is 69 years old and still manages to surf everyday, and usually more than once. Gold quit his job as a policeman in his 20’s to move to Jeffrey’s Bay in order to pursue is passion for surfing. Gold moved to J-Bay in the ‘60s, before it was one of the most recognized surf destinations in the world. 

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Gold has managed to survive without a job since he moved there. He picks up oysters on the beach for meals, and lived out of a tent for a good chunk of time. He believed that homelessness was worth it in exchange to surf one of the best breaks in the world on a daily basis. 

He admits that it can be hard to be a hobo, but that it definitely has its rewards. He manages to sustain his bohemian lifestyle by flogging shells that he picks up on the beach, bartering and from the generosity of others. Gold never has trouble finding a hot meal in J-Bay.

J-Bay was considered a hippie hangout in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but now it seems that Gold is one of the last hippies of the area. The Gandalf lookalike currently resides in a house right by the beach with his dog Scootergirl, and has no plans on leaving anytime soon. You can spot him shredding on  his single fin longboard with a red Power Rangers helmet on his noggin in the lineup. 

It seems as though Bruce Gold has a heart of gold, and an inspiring outlook on life. He made some big compromises in his life in order to pursue what was most important to him, which was surfing. It is highly likely that this 69 year old has more style than you do, and probably the most friends out of anyone in J-Bay. If you every go to Jeffrey’s, you’re almost guaranteed to run into this character, but I assure you that you won’t see him on land when there’s offshore winds.