Age is no longer a viable excuse to not throw a leg over a PWC. Meet Frank Nelson, an 87-year-old Australian man who is still living life to the fullest. To our knowledge, Frank is the oldest current PWC rider in Australia.
Most take it easy and slow down as they come of age, but not Frank! The name on his Yamaha WaveRunner says it all: GOLD. GOLD stands for “Growing Old, Living Dangerously,” Frank said in an interview with Sunshine Coast Daily. Frank doesn’t seem to see age as a limiting factor, like some do.
Frank began his PWC endeavor when he moved from Sydney to the Australian Coast. traded up to his third PWC, a Yamaha FX SHO, about a year ago, and has been in love with it since day one.
“I’ve had boats over the years but I didn’t want another boat so I thought I’d try one of these jet skis. I bought one and I went out and thought, ‘That’s alright’. You’re so close to the water and in hot weather, it’s cool. You get a breeze off the water,” said Frank.
Frank doesn’t disclose the speeds he hits, but he does hint that he is very familiar with the Golden Beach speed limit. Sometimes, Frank will make a forty-minute trip to Bribie Island to get a cup of coffee. Sometimes, he brings the grandkids along for a trip on the ski.
“I don’t come out in May, June, July, August – I leave that – but all the rest of the time,” Frank said. Keep in mind, those are the cold months in Australia.
“I go to a lot of dams. The ones that have got cabins. I don’t camp. Bugger that. The last time I had a tent, it fell on me,” described Frank.
He’s eighty-seven years old, and still riding away. When will he park the ski? Who knows. But he did indicate he had no intentions of giving it up any time soon.
“When I stop, I’ll stop, but until such time, I’ll do as much as I possibly can, and I’m fortunate to be suffering good health.”
