The best surfers I ever saw:
(and where I saw them)

1. Mike Tabeling
Lake Worth Pier around 1971, cold front waves scrapping off the bottom of the pier. Perfect with brisk off shore NW wind. Tabeling riding a Webber Pig board carving S-turns for 200 yards all the way to the beach and then running back to paddle out next to the pier.

2. Mike Purpus
Trestles, Calif. Around 1973, hurricane somewhere off Mex throwing in long wrapping lines with offshore winds. Purpus on a board with foot straps , getting way out in front of the break , then cutting back into the hook , going virtually upside down and hammering another hard bottom turn and repeat 3 or 4 times per wave.

3. Gary Propper
Sebastian Inlet Around 1970, very good SE swell with no wind pre dawn. GP riding a twin fin , taking off at the peak of first peak and side slipping way out on the face , prior to putting the fins to it and bottom turning to the top , only to side slip all the way down again.

4. The Matre d' from the Don HO show
Canoes South Shore Oahu May 2003, very nice clean head high swell, this guy is a very slightly built Hawaiian , he is riding a classic long board shape and is goofy foot and going left. He takes off way behind the peak, Hooey offs the crowd takes incredible bottom turns, trims, cuts back, cross steps, nose rides and paddles back out twice as fast as I can. The classic longboard surfer.

5. Jeff Crawford
Late 60s early 70s , this guy was amazing, Good clean head high day at Sebastian, takes off on first peak gets tubed , weights and unweights to the shoulder and does several rocket off the lips, goes down to third peak and does the same thing coming back the other way ( He switch footed !!! )

The Rest:
Hobgoods at RCs, Our guides from Punta Mango in El Salvador, Regis Jupinko at 2nd light, Doug Deal at Sunny Isles & Boardwalk, Doug Wright Haulover jetty, DCB Sharks pit, McCranels at Reef. Clay Bennett at Jax North Jetty. Rhoades at tables



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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Can't say who was the best I ever surfed with/saw, but the guy that sticks with me the most was in Kauai in 1983. He was our busboy at a nice restaurant the night before. Hanalei bay was the place and this guy was doing super smooth whirlybirds to the nose in screaming, double-overhead++ waves, without batting an eye. I tell you, that guy was an inspiration. I had switched back to a longboard in 1975 for anything 3 ft and below. But after watching that, I came home, put my shortboard in the garage rack and never surfed one again - been strictly a longboarder since. Saw some pretty good surfing at the Hang Ten contest at the inlet in the mid-80s too. The star of that day (in my mind) was Corky Carroll. He couldn't participate in the contest because he was doing Miller Lite commercials. (You had to be a retired athlete to do them, for some reason.) He was announcing, but took a board down to second peak and picked out a couple of very nice lefts during the contest. My eyes were on him - The guy can surf!

Good job Jdbman...

I would add.

Bill Johnson at Picnic Tables in a shin-high ESA contest, flying down the line, spraying 6 foot fans.

Richie Rudolph at 2nd Light, one evening at "In-Betweens" shredding the long lefts with five or six off the tops with huge spray mixed with three or four floaters.

Bill Hartley going vertical at RC in double overhead waves, with huge backside snaps that sent spray 15' in the air.

Charlie Broughton at 2nd light -huge, closed out, 100 guys out, and he got all the waves and massive tip time.

Early September 1979 16th Street South. I lived right across the street. Hurricane David had just brushed Florida and I had evacuated inland to a Melbourne friend's house with my wife and infant son. The storm had just passed and my friend and I decided to try and make it over Pineda Causeway before the wind calmed down enough for the Sheriff to block access to the beach. We succeeded! We first went to my apartment to make sure all was well (it was) and walked over to what is now the South Beach Inn (aka Ocean Star). As it turned out Dane Kealoha and Larry Bertleman were staying there, in town for the old pro contest that was held at the Inlet. Those guys had NOT evacuated and were out already in WELL overhead howling overshore wind. Just Giant peaks coming from the south. Their performance was jawdropping...I had seen and surfed with many of the local hot guys...but NEVER saw anyone eak INSTANT speed, right after the takeoff like Kealoha could. Just inspired the hell out of me and my buddy. The paddleout was not pleasant but we made it. Shouted out a few hellos to the Hawaiians who responded in kind. Said they were actually happy to see a few others out. After awhile and particularly brutal paddle back out, Bertleman asked me "Man...where's there a break that has channel to paddle out?" Supressing a laugh I said "You're surfing in it!" Of course I was in my early-mid 20's but watching those guys surf inspired the hell outta me, I never surfed better in my life. This was also the day I broke the only board I've ever broken in Florida.

By the next day it nearly flat.

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"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." -- John Kenneth Galbraith

Edited: 10/02/2009 at 09:03 AM by eibla

Tabeling, Propper, Fletcher Sharp, Dick Catri---Inlet during late 60's to the mid 70's. Surfed the Inlet with Midget Farrely and Nat around the Easter contest in 71, and surfed with Butch Van Artsdalen at the pier during the contest, and he used my board for the contest (Design-1 team), his board didn't make it in time so Dick asked me if he could borrow it. Mine was a Hemmings model, but it was close enough.
A few years back Hampton from LB House called and asked if I wanted to go surf with Tyler and his friend from Cali----Twist my arm!!
A way cool guy to share waves with!!

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"The problems we face today exist because the People who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for their living."

Balsa Bill...behind his shop!!!!

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Under promise, over deliver!

Quit suckin' up for a discount!


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"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." -- John Kenneth Galbraith

60's Hobie teammates ... Gary Propper, Mike Tabeling, Dick Catri, Bruce Valluzi, Fletcher Sharpe; Dick Pollack

60's Hansen Teammates ... Mike Doyle, Rusty Miller, Margo Godfrey

80's Ocean Avenue Teammate... Brian Hewitson

60's SurfJet Design1 Teammate ... Butch Van Artsdalen

'77 fun AlaMoana sesh and evening with ... Jerry Lopez, Rory Russell

grew up with ...Buddy Pelletier, Mike Marsh

Neighbors, friends ... Claude Codgen, Richard Salick, Tommy McRoberts, Charlie Kuhn, Todd Holland, Kelly Slater, Mike DeTemple, Justin Quintal, Tony Salvagni, Jeff Crawford, Greg Loehr

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... positioning and selection

The greatest display I've ever seen is a man named Johnny surfing at a place called the Hole, going backside through sections that would make most capable goofyfooters shake their heads in dismay. I've seen many others get incredible waves, but he is always there and is consistently taking off deeper than any other regular foot. How I lust for one of those days again!

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I don't avoid women, Mandrake, but I do deny them my essence.

. Oed? Futch? Johnson (RIP)? Seen 'em all blow up back bay.

Edited: 10/11/2009 at 04:11 PM by Igoyoustay

Name dropper!!!



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Under promise, over deliver!

surfnb ... "name dropper", you say???

bite me, I say

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... positioning and selection

I say..no sense of humor today!



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Under promise, over deliver!

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... positioning and selection

OK, the sense of humor is back! Now, drop some more names.....You didn't list me!



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Under promise, over deliver!

1 Brian Hewitson, boardwalk, one of first sessions after I moved to Brevard
2 & 3 . Kelly Slater & Rob Machado, Pipe, both on old school twin fins
4. Baron Knowlton, doing a snap which broke the tail clean off
5 & 6. Parko & Fanning at Snappers
7 & 8. Tommy O'Brian & Danny Estes at Pavones
9 Mike deTemple, 1st peak
10. Chris Ward, Brazil

Edited: 10/20/2009 at 06:25 PM by nickvolume1

best surfer I surfed with is Dale Cormican back in the mid 80's.  I was just starting out and he was helping me out. he was just coming back from 2 broken ankles and was rippin it.

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Brian

Billy Mystic - Boston Bay , Copa Jamaica.........Bobby V- St Johns County.........Ace (not the one above) - RC's, Brevard county & Nica.............Brian Christiansen (R.I.P) - County line, Ventura

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And Bob will ALWAYS be my numero uno. -Tiffanys


Edited: 12/19/2009 at 06:59 AM by bob3000

Slater on his white QF's at NSI when he was 8yo back then. I knew on his 1st off the lip I saw that he was the chosen one. His fins 1st landings to a 1st peak blast were always rad. And Kech doing the same on the lefts. Speaking of Cormicans, I always enjoy seeing Gorkin flying 360 4ft above the lip at Ponce and NSI. Always enjoyed seeing Todd Holland during his prime at the pier powering through rail turns with lots of speed. Hartley at 1st peak. O'Connel at Salt Creek Martin Potter and Brad Gerlach at Oceanside in 1988. 1st time I ever saw surfers with a surf coach videoing and Gerlachs dad/coach who I hear was an Olympic swimmer did not even surf himself I heard. Kuhn upside down backhand snaps at RC's Tiptime at Wabasso when I'm crapping myself and he is charging waves I'm pulling back on. Hewy back in his grom days was so fast down the line. Lika a goofy Mick Fanning.

eibla and bob, its col. and yall know spring/early summer 77 was firing @ 14th-16th streets were on fire, i was 8, and surfed good and the best july session i ever saw was late july 77 between 14th-15th and it was david balzerak, bruce valuzzi, max roever( krystals bro), and a teenage tom black, on semi modern, 6-7 foot single fin pintails and surf inspired by the likes of liddell, buttons, and bertleman. it was surreal and 4ever etched in my mind! best noseride i ever saw live was CC @ my peir in 82. from outside the s. side 2 past the s. parking lot after waiting over 3 hours for one wave, then he packed up and left. gotta love CC! dont get me started on history in this town or ill make enemies of friends!

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tubes, doobs, and boobs: thats the american way and id rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy!