Meet Juanjo: The octogenarian who took up skateboarding in retirement

Meet Juanjo: The octogenarian who took up skateboarding in retirement

The 88-year-old started skateboarding at the age of 70, partly because it was cheaper than his beloved snow sports

Never too old to thrash

Grinning mischievously, Juanjo Albizu dons a baseball cap, tucks his T-shirt neatly into his sweatpants and adjusts the velcro straps on his elbow pads before positioning his skateboard on the bowl's edge, ready for the "drop". Albizu's attempt at a gnarly trick draws stares because the athlete is a sight to behold, wheeling around the unassuming skate park in northern Spain having just turned 88. [Reuters; ungated]

From the streets of Bilbao to the most viral corners of the internet, Juanjo is an 88-year-old Spaniard, he has become a sensation thanks to his passion for skating.

Mundo, Apr 23, 2025 (ATB Digital).- The Bilbaín skater, Juanjo Urbizu, challenges age stereotypes and explains how he stays healthy In a skateboarding rink in northern Spain, surrounded by young skaters dressed in loose urban clothing, Juanjo Urbizu, an 88-year-old man, dazzles those who observe him performing tricks with his skateboard from the edge of a graffiti bowl. His safe and jovial attitude, along with his skill in this extreme sport, ha…

On a skating rink in northern Spain, surrounded by young skaters dressed in loose urban clothing, Juanjo Urbizu, an 88-year-old man, dazzles those who watch him performing tricks with his skateboard from the edge of a graffiti bowl. Urbizu recalls that his love for skateboarding began at age 70 as a more accessible alternative to snow sports. “I started because it was cheaper than my beloved winter sports,” he confessed to the half Reuters with …