'If you want to stay young, jump your rope.' Jersey Shore boardwalk is octogenarian's fitness center
From his Belmar balcony, Skippy sees a fitness center.
More Stories
We know at least one person who can't wait for the weather to warm up. You can find him just about every day on the boardwalk in Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea jumping rope and staying fit into his 80s.
You expect to see a lot of things at the Jersey Shore, but an 82-year-old jumping rope? That’s just Skippy.
From his Belmar balcony, Skippy, born Kenny Smith, sees a fitness center. We usually call it a boardwalk. It's where he does his daily routine, weather-permitting, since 1980.
Skippy is one of a growing number of octogenarians, the population expected to triple in the United States by the year 2050.
Skippy's passion for jumping began at the supermarket.
“For the box tops! Three box tops from Wheaties, they mail it in, you get a jump rope and that was the start of it,” he said.
At 37 and trying to lose weight, Skippy spotted that Wheaties promotion.
“It was a good jump rope. True. It was a beaded jump rope. It was nice. Orange and white just like the boxes.”
That first jump rope led to a second life of staying healthy
“You can get your walks in. You can do anything there, you know?”
Skippy says his workouts are down to about an hour a day - not too shabby for the 82-year-old. He ends his routine with a visit to his favorite cafe - right downstairs.
“ Never ever ever seen Skippy drink alcohol ever,” says La Dolce Vida bartender Joe Pignatelli.
“If you want to stay young, jump your rope,” said Skippy
