89-year-old Japanese man named world's oldest surfer

March 31 (UPI) -- An 89-year-old Japanese surfer who has been practicing his hobby for under a decade was named the world's oldest person to surf by Guinness World Records.

Seiichi Sano, 89, was 88 years and 288 days old when Guinness World Records verified he rode the waves on July 8 of last year, Guinness World Records announced.

Sano said he was inspired to take up surfing shortly after he climbed Mount Fuji at age 80.

"I work with a bank manager who has a really tanned skin. I thought he may be a golfer, but when I asked him, he whispered to me, 'I surf,'" he told GWR.

Sano went surfing for the first time three days later, he said. He was instantly hooked, and now surfs year-round.

"People tell me surfing is dangerous, but I had far more scary moments in a car than on a surfboard," he said.

He said he had a system to make sure learning didn't leave him frustrated.

"You do it for three days, then you take a break, and you do it again for three days, and so on. If you go into new things with a mindset that you don't have to continue trying forever, I think most people actually continue for a very long time," he said.