Over 80 and Still Swinging : Octogenarians Make an Impression at Senior Tennis Meet in Studio City

Let’s clear up a misconception. Despite the rantings of the zealous exercise and nutrition folks, life does not begin at 80 or 85. If you asked the average 85-year-old person on a Wednesday what he hopes will begin, the most common answer would be Thursday.

So just what were 81-year-olds Bert Burnham of Van Nuys and Bill Conel of Oceanside doing running back and forth across a tennis court like wild dogs on a hot and sunny day in Studio City earlier this week?

Relax. Conel and Burnham seemed in no danger. Actually, they seemed healthier than the average 35-year-old.

And tennis?

Well, Conel has been playing tennis on a regular basis for 68 years, since the Depression. He began playing just 12 months after the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby.

And Burnham, while playing the sport for only the past 27 years, has very recently climbed mountains, including Mt. Whitney in the Sierras, the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states.

And if you don’t believe Burnham, just ask his 34-year-old wife.

Burnham and Conel and others were playing in the 57th Southern California Senior Tennis Championships, which conclude Sunday at the Racquet Centre in Studio City. The oldest participant was 87, playing in the newly formed 85-and-over division.

Burnham and Conel hope to be playing tennis when they’re that age, although Burnham--who served as the Navy’s chief steward aboard Harry Truman’s presidential yacht--hopes it isn’t consistently against Conel, who is the No. 1-ranked player in the nation in the 80-and-over division.

“When they told me I had to play Bill in this tournament, I knew what it felt like to be going to the guillotine,” said Burnham, who was born in the Philippines in 1909. “If I have to play this guy very often, I might try some other sport.”

Conel beat Burnham in straight sets to advance to the division finals on Sunday. Burnham had defeated Carl Spano of Huntington Beach before running into the buzz saw--well, the hand saw--that was Conel. “The man has played tennis for 68 years,” Burnham said. “You think maybe he’s learned a few tricks out there? He had such great control, such accuracy. I scored five points against him in two matches. Just five points. And I only earned two of those. Bill made three mistakes.”

If anyone wonders why men of such age continue to pound themselves and their knees back and forth across a hard tennis court, well, their answer is simple: Why not? One of the great things about it is, they don’t have to worry much about peer pressure.

“Most people our age watch TV and take pills,” said Burnham. “I won’t let that happen to me. I want to play tennis forever. It keeps me young.”

Said Conel: “I want to play tennis until I’m 101.”

“Well,” Burnham said to Conel, “then I’ll keep playing until I’m 102 because I want one year without having to play against you.”

Luke Guernsey of Encino is another who has long-range plans in the sport of tennis. Guernsey, 75, made it into the semifinals of the tournament in his division.

Afterward, he did the only reasonable thing a 75-year-old man could do. He ran three miles, the same distance he runs every day.

“I’ve got to do that,” said Guernsey, who covers the court easily with long strides. “If I want to keep playing competitive tennis, you’ve got to stay in shape. And really, I just feel better when I do these things. I just enjoy tennis and running. And I’ll keep doing both as long as I can move out the door.”

Guernsey does see his routine as a bit unusual for a 75-year-old.

“I guess it is, because when I’m out running, I don’t see many people my age out there,” he said.

Guernsey’s running is also competitive. He qualified last month in Arizona for the Senior Olympics, to be held in June in Schenectady, N.Y., where he will run in the five-kilometer race and also compete in tennis. Singles and doubles.

He qualified for the 5K (3.1 miles) with a time of 29 minutes, roughly nine or 10 minutes slower than an average weekend-type runner in an open division, boys and young men as much as 50 and 55 years younger than Guernsey.

Guernsey, however, is just a pup compared to Burnham.

“I started all this just to improve my health,” Burnham said. “Even at a young age, I always had an unusual fear of doctors. I love nurses, but not doctors.”

Which brings us to his wife Rosie. They met more than five years ago. Burnham was 76 and attempting to climb Mt. Whitney, all 14,496 feet of it. Rosie went along. She was 29. Burnham had failed in three previous attempts to scale the jagged peak. This time, he made it. And obviously impressed Rosie along the way. They were married a few months later.

“All this tennis playing at my age, I’m not sure that is so unusual,” Burnham said. “There are a few others doing it.

“But being married to a 34-year-old woman, now I know that’s unusual.”