Porn Valley- During the course of a conversation in which I extended Robert Lombard an invite to come on my Wednesday afternoon KSEX show, Lombard accepted. But we got on a totally different tangent.
Lombard, who at one time was the road manager for Van Halen, is singing a different tune these days. Surfin' USA, in fact.
Lombard, who casts softcore movies for Cinemax et al, at age 62 has taken up a new sport.
"I started surfing," announces Lombard, www,creativeimagemgmt.com.
"In all honesty at 62 I'm sitting here and searching for something," he continues.
Lombard is basically saying, in his line of work, he has to deal with his share of ding-a-lings. Imagine.
"I'm coming into work every morning with a stomach ache wondering who's going to be late and who's not goint to show up."
Lombard proceeds to tell the latest story of an otherwise reliable female performer flaking on a shoot, although she did finally show up. She over slept.
"She did finish the movie," states Lombard. "But back to the surfer-thing, I've been sober 17 years. The first time I went out on the water and sat on that board, I'm struggling like crazy. Because I had no upper body stength whatsover. This is harder than one thinks. You don't just go out there and stand up."
Lombard's laughing about having to get around on a cane with a neck brace on.
"And I'm loving every moment of it," he laughs. "The guy who's training me is a pro. He's from Pizzelle Surfboards, and he's got me on an exercise routine. Now I'm motivated to exercise during the week. He's got me on stretches first for ten minutes then I've got to do sit ups and push ups."
Lombard explains that he also trains on a type of cylinder which simulates a board in the water and helps your balance.
"Going down to Huntington Beach, the minute I introduced my last name, I get the double take and guys go are you involved either in the sex business or the erotic business?
"I go, yeah. They go your name's on Cinemax every night. I've got a whole group of friends down there I never knew existed. No pot smoking. No tattoos from head to shoulder. These guys are good-looking, nice, straight handsome and friendly. Not on of them has asked me to hook 'em up.
"They all know Evan Stone, of course. They ask what is he like? I go, a child."
Lombard began his new recreational pasttime in early August and has been going to the beach every weekend.
"I was thrashing around like a fish out of water then I started taking some lessons. It really makes a big difference."
"Aren't you at that stage of life where you say to yourself leave well enough alone?" I ask Lombard.
"No," he says. Not when I need something else. I was sitting here crawling out of my skin."
With a wife a house and a nine year-old, Lombard said he had to find something that wasn't going to drain his pocketbook.
"Now I'm looking into buying a surf shop!" he laughs. "I've got a tan now and my wife looks at me and goes, 'Ah, you're starting to get some muscle.'
"I'm getting a little bit of upper body tone. These guys are telling me they don't know of anyone who started this sport at 62. They go this is awesome, man. Even the girls find me attractive which is very rare."
