It’s the weekend (well it’s almost over now) and while you’re relaxing and wishing away your mental stiffness in preparation for the ol’ 9-5 tomorrow, this thought-provoking topic will help ease you into the workweek! (I totally wrote this on Sunday and forgot to publish it, OOPS.) So, sit back, fix your eyes to that computer screen and let me take you on this week’s mental maze.
What is the overarching principle that guides virtually every one of my posts? Is it that I want our oceans to be riddled with novice behavior, derailed foam boards, and shaka-fueled entitlement? Not. At. All. But your right, It’s true, I advocate for the learning surfer and I believe that mama ocean is the only force that can truly tell you: “Hey Barney, BEAT IT!” Be cautious however, (think of my last post—damn 50-year-olds) and be vigilant out there. My goal is to help truly passionate newcomers feel like there is space for them in an aggressively crowded, froth-infected surf world. With that said, I don’t want to provoke more barn-behavior—hence my tagline, “learn from my mistakes”. But the reason for today’s all-knowing surf scripture is to help bring a little fuck it to your approach! If this is your passion, fight your way up the local hierarchy by showing you know what you’re doing, that you’ve done your research, and that you are in this surf thing for the long haul.
Now for the meat and potatoes! The reason why I bring this up is because last week’s post about localism had me thinking about who is worthy of sharing a lineup and how the surf world defines “worthy”. Like, what gives some surfers wave privileges over others? So I began to do some research and ask some questions. It’s really just about resources, isn’t it? And if that’s so, playing the local card is an easy and logical solution. But can previously land-dwelling folk climb their way up the ranks? Let’s take it a step further and ask these questions with some of surfing’s greatest innovators in mind. Do all icons of wave-riding start their journey by turning left at the fork in the road toward the persuasively blue swell lines rather than veering right toward Ms. Wheaton’s 3rd grade lecture on times tables? Nope! As much as the local Ebenezer Duude (see what I did there) will tell you, “I’ve been surfing here for 40 years”—thanks for the resume Ebenezer—realize that with practice, patience, passion, and some fuck it, heroes can rise from the ashes of inland communities, drift with the Santa Anas to the shoreline, and even start surfing later in life. With that said, let’s talk about three nearly mythical surf characters that once gazed upon the surf with novice intrigue in early adulthood, yet still managed to say fuck it, and become infinitely more influential than any Ebenezer could ever dream.
Tom Blake
Blake is regarded as the OG waterman-surfer-craftsman that altered the predetermined course of surfboard design. Without his innovations there is no telling where we’d be today—probably on land?
Where was he from and when did he start surfing?
In 1902, Blake was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and later lived in Detroit as a teenager. Wait—that’s 2,000 miles from Southern California, Barn! Yep, great observation! It wasn’t until he met Duke Kahanamoku in Detroit as an 18-year-old that he decided to move to LA to give the ocean lifestyle his love and attention. He didn’t regularly start surfing until his early 20’s. Sound familiar?
His legacy?
This list is as long as some of his replicas of the Olo—a sometimes 15-foot board that was ridden by Hawaiian royalty. Let’s see here. Him and an accomplice were the first to ride the now ultra-crowded, culture-defining point called Malibu (that’s one), he was the first non-Hawaiian to be accepted into the Hui Nalu surf club of Waikiki (that’s two), he paddled from San Pedro to Catalina (a 26 mile sendarino—that’s three), he was the first surf photographer (that’s four), and he was also credited as being the first person to put a fin on a surfboard (that’s five). And there’s surely more. Not bad Mr. Blake!
A Kookalita watercolor depiction of Tom Blake and his camera.
Bob Simmons
Bob Simmons is a forefather of surfboard design who, before his early death at the age of 35, made a mad dash to designing the fastest surfboard ever ridden at the time. He was the mad-scientist of hydrodynamics and was certainly infected with the stoke virus—pre-pandemic.
Where was he from and when did he start surfing?
Simmons was born in Pasadena in 1919, but was raised in LA. He didn’t pick up his first shred-mobile until his late teenage years as a result of trying alternative ways to rehabilitate a broken elbow.
His Legacy?
He was truly infatuated with oceanic properties, and how (mathematically) his surfboards could relate. He was an early-adopter of fiberglass and resin, invented a shorter, wider two-finned surfboard design that reached Formula 1-esque speeds, and experimented with neater rail lines, and board curvature.
A Kookalita watercolor depiction of Bob Simmons surfing Malibu.
Ben Aipa
Ben Aipa was a powerful yet graceful, god-like figure in professional surfing in the late 60’s and early 70’s. He went on to become one of the most influential board builders to ever step in the shaping bay.
Where was he from and when did he start surfing?
Aipa was born in Honolulu in 1942—and unlike Blake and Simmons, he was born in and around the beating heart of surfing. However, maybe due to a burly physique, he was more interested in going full speed and head first into other football players than with the reefs of the North Shore. In his early 20’s, due to an ankle injury that squandered his semi-pro football career, Aipa picked up a surfboard and surfed at an above-average level almost immediately. Apparently it was in his blood!
His legacy?
It’s hard to sum up in a paragraph. His surfing was immaculate; he was a mentor and coach to many top-level surfers throughout a 40-year span, he introduced the swallow tail and sting design, and reintroduced longboards to later generations of surfers. I mean, talk about a role model for today’s up and coming watermen. R.I.P. 1942-2021.
A Kookalita watercolor depiction of Ben Aipa draining ocean waters.
I know, I know, these were very short excerpts; these surf personalities are more than worthy of full-on high-budget documentaries—but I hope I got the point across. I will leave the detailed biographical information to Matt Warshaw of eos.surf (If you haven’t gone on the Encyclopedia of Surf website to learn more about the heritage of our brain-dampening endeavor, you’re truly missing out.) Anyway, these guys were in our shoes (actually, they probably weren’t wearing shoes). These guys were barefoot, watching intimidating walls break in shallow waters from a cliffside, with equally pupil-minded dispositions, nearly 100, 80, and 60 years ago. They still managed to fuckin’ charge and become entirely immersed in riding waves, surf culture, and board design, despite having started later in life. It takes some huevos, an inquiring mind, patience and an absurd, body-wrinkling amount of time in the water to become a proficient surfer—but hell, that’s the fun of it. So fuck it, think of these guys whenever Ebenezer is barking at you, and go big or go in!
As always, please like and comment below, and join our email list to get all the latest posts from the Barn!! Shaka!
-Barney Beadette
Great Article!!!
Thank you Barney.
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