The Albany Over 50’s Recreation Association ‘Granny Grommets’

Granny Grommets

The Albany Over 50’s Recreation Association ‘Granny Grommets’ are a fun loving bunch of enthusiastic converts to the surfing scene, with a philosophy of ‘ageing with attitude’ and breaking the ‘granny’ stereotypes placed on them by others!

Since their beginnings in early 1999, over 60 women have taken part in four-week ocean awareness and body-board course, by local surfing guru Tony Harrison. They have been page 3 pin-up girls in the Australian and West Australian newspapers, dined and surfed with the ‘Surfing the Menu’ lads, chatted with George Negus and chased after Ray Martin!

They meet every Friday morning at Middleton Beach and surrounding beaches, for a weekly dip in the southern ocean. They have developed their skills of body-boarding, with some getting ‘out the back’ to catch some ‘gnarly sets’, while some stay closer into the shore and catch ‘the soup’.

The group of women have a yearly surfing safari where they head off for a weekend of body-boarding to some of Western Australia’s pristine beaches.

The women of Granny Grommets are members of the Albany Over 50s Recreation Association, which provides regular physical activity opportunities for older adults. The Over 50s has a membership of around 500 and are involved in weekly activities such as cycling, walking, ballroom dancing, bocce and table tennis, in addition to the more unusual ‘granny grommets’.

Though the group has warmly welcomed anyone over 50 to their group, there has only been one male to brave the waters. The women frequent the surf shops (even asking for seniors discount), are taking on the surfing culture and being able to converse with their grandchildren on the surfing conditions and language.

In December 2004, as part of the ‘Generations Together’ Grant, the Albany Over 50s Granny Grommets shared the waves with Year 5 students from Albany Primary School, for two weeks of fun, learning, breaking some stereotypes and ‘wicked surfing’.

The laughter and unpretentiousness of the women out in the surf, doing something which is completely creating a new and true definition of ‘ageing’ has seen the women recognised locally as living legends.

Thank you very much to Kim for telling the Seniors Portal Community about this wonderful group, thank you to the Albany Advertiser Newspaper for the great images, and enjoy the waves Granny Grommets!