Long Bow Race SUP Review (Narcy)

Long Bow Race SUP Review (Narcy)

NARCY LONGBOW SUP REVIEW

our SUP Team rider Narcy has been riding with us since our very inception he was one of the first people to try every one of our sups and helped create and refine many of o our designs today. Narcy has been stand up paddle boarding for many years with his entire life devoted to the water and open ocean being a kitesurf and windsurf instructor for many years. paddle-boarding was always a passion for him and since 2012 has been training every day improving his skill enough to compete in the European tour. Narcy has been using our longbow since 2015 and has spent more time on this sup than any other person. he has helped us refine it for the open ocean as well as downwinding and catching waves. it really is the perfect open ocean racer

 

Narcy made this video above talking about the features he likes on the longbow Race SUP and how that transfers in to performance and particular conditions especially of the island of Fuerteventura   

What Narcy Said About The Longbow

 

“The rocker of the board allows the board to not stick when riding big or small waves”

 

“The really thin nose allows you keep a lot of speed when you paddling upwind and doesn’t catch a lot of wind when we have side wind”

 

“when you rising this wave up to the line up its cutting this wave like a knife”

“Don’t be shy about 24 1/2  and 25” wide with the bottom concaves and the small “V” on the tail You will find all the balance you need.

“The 2 different handles one in the centre and one on the bow allow you to bring this strong and light board were ever you like whether it is walking down to the beach or in a beach race”

 

RACE SUP

The Longbow race sup has been our star performer in the racing world as its one of the only fully carbon race sups that are under half the price of what other companies are putting out. our longbow has been redesigned and improved to give you the most updated version of our ultimate open ocean race we can, don’t believe us feel free to book in for a demo and try for yourself.

1 + 2 =

THE LONG BOW

We designed the Long Bow for advanced to elite level paddlers, as a stand-up paddle race competitor. We know having the right equipment is crucial for your success and having a board that can deal with anything from massive chop to side wind conditions is hugely important.

This board has some incredible features to help it glide through the water, firstly its modified rolled nose and hull help provide lift and get you up to planning speed, its bottom contours feature a concave in the centre opening up into a slight V shape in the tail to help better release and maximize stability when paddling even in the harshest conditions. This will give you all the comfort & stability of paddling a much wider board but without the extra width. The tail width and outline help to provide float and a stable surface to control in turns as well as make rail transfers in downwind sessions or on waves a piece of cake.

If you’re looking for the ideal board for speed in the open ocean, whether it’s flat water speed racing, downwind cruising or riding waves in the surf this board does it all. It’s our pro race board with outstanding features for elite level performance.

FEATURES

  • Carbon fibre construction 

  • Sleek design to accelerate through the water with ease

  • Dropped deck for better stability and cadence

  • High volume to help propel you forward and minimise drag 

  • Race handles positioned perfectly for water entry and exit

  • Open ocean rocker to help catch waves downwind

  • Concaves to help funnel water towards the tail

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SUP Surfing The Wittering On The Navigator

SUP Surfing The Wittering On The Navigator

The Surf was pumping and the sun was out what more could you want on a February weekend. This weekend was one of the best swells we have seen on the south coast all winter and was an absolute score for waves with 17 second swell period ad 2-3 foot it was perfect conditions to take out the Navigator 11’6 and catch some waves .

Loving on the south coast in west Sussex and being a paddle boarder means having a lot of patience for swells and also getting fully gimped out to go Stand up paddling in the winter. we are pretty lucky as we have the wittering right n our door step with a variety of breaks to chose from the car park at Bracklesham to the dotted peaks at east wittering all the way down to the sandy beaches of west wittering with its outer sand bars for catching long mellow rides perfect for bigger boards. Stand up paddle boarding has taken of around the Chichester area with more  and more local people using local water ways and canals to get out and sup, No where is this more evident when we get a decent swell and the whole world descend to a 2 mile stretch of coast and the wittering becomes a sup mecca for the day.

 

On this February Sunday afternoon it was no different solid swell perfect for paddle boarding all along the wittering mean it was the perfect time to get a few clip of Ben on the 11’6 Navigator. Ben chose this shape because of the wave size as well and the swell period of the day, the 11’6 navigator mean Ben could paddle the board out through the waves easily catch waves earlier and quicker than most other paddlers and with its width and outline shape  makes it super stable and relay easy to turn on the wave meaning more waves and more fun on the Navigator SUP

 

Navigator 

The Navigator is a great SUP for paddler looking for a first time sup or for some one looking to catch some waves on a sup. living on the south coast we designed the navigator with the south coast wittering waves in mind. a board you can use of flatter days to paddle long distances and cruise around but when the waves are pumping you can use it to surf for hours of fun 

 

The Navigator has most of its volume in the centre and with its allaround outline helping to keep you stable this board is so easy to paddle. catching waves at the wittering was a doddle as you can see in the video a few paddles and it was planning and cruising along and because of its length and volume  the 11’6 navigator s a great option for the larger paddler who still looking to catch a lot of waves  the Navigator can still catch even smaller waves 

Navigator Points

  • All round design – (Flat water – Waves)
  • Very stable & easy to paddle
  • 2+1 Fin set up for waves or flat water
  • Medium rocker for surfing waves
  • Can take up to 105 kg rider
  • Extra strong Bamboo reinforced Deck
  • Thinner tail and rails to help with turns
  • Ideal Beginner SUP -intermediate paddle board for flat water  or Surfing

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Stand Up Paddleboarding Chichester Canal

Last Saturday We had the pleasure of meeting up with Tony and Gemma from TJ Board hire who run local SUP lessons and rentals as well as trips and excursions around West Sussex. We met up to trial our first SUP Race Session designed to encourage paddler looking for that next step and wanting to learn to compete as a team and progress into races around the UK. should be the beginning of a pretty epic new joint venture in the local Chichester and surrounding area.

Tony and Gemma run their stand up paddleboard classes from the canal as well as surrounding areas like Bognor beach and other waterways and rivers but in Chichester, the canal is a sup magnet and a hub of activity for those that like to train year round or just get out for a leisurely paddle. Its the perfect place to paddle in a safe and controlled environment.

with its perfectly situated on the South coast with the wittering just a few miles south and neighbouring seaside towns like Bognor Regis and Hayling island perfect for paddling its no wonder that Chichester has become a bit of a SUP hotspot

Chichester is perfectly situated for stand up paddle racers who are looking to train year-round with its long waterways easy parking and sheltered waters it’s usable year round and perfect for those looking to compete in sup races to get their training in.

 

With this in mind, Tony and Gemma have put together a Local race club to supplement their beginner classes and their social paddles, with their base at Chichester canal, Stand Up paddleboarding with TJ board Hire at the Chichester canal.

We had the fleet of race and touring SUP out on the Chichester canal this weekend with Tony And Gemma for 

This was the first of many new events they will be offering with weekly SUP racing social paddles as well as training and demo days for paddlers looking to improve their skills on a SUP and progress on to a race or touring SUP.

TJ boards have a full selection of our finest Race SUPs as well as flat water cruisers ideal for any beginner paddler looking to learn the basic of more performance boards

If you have never paddled a Race sup some times it can be a daunting feeling not knowing how to paddle it or the techniques required or the availability to try before you buy, this is were TJboards steps in with their SUP Race evening looking to help beginners and novice paddler progress in to racers in a safe environment with plenty of support and access to our top of the line Race and touring sups.

The TJBoards Quiver of Sups included
x2 SBS Longbow 14 ft carbon Pro Race Sups
x2 SBS Longbow 12’6 ft carbon Pro Race Sups
x2 SBS Don 12’6 ft Touring Sups

All our sups were designed for competent paddlers looking for something a bit faster than a traditional all-around especially our carbon fibre SBS long Bow Race SUP model which is designed for longer distances on the sea or flat water as well as lakes or rivers.

 

Check out more on our range below 

The Don

The Don in our Classic Cruiser Designed for touring over long distances and ideal for fitness. its got a wide stable surface and bow displacement nose meaning it cuts through the water with ease and feels really stable iven for novice paddlers. 

The Long Bow 

The longbow is our super fast open ocean and flatwater racer designed to be incredibly fast in both wavy and flat conditions. Its sleek carbon fibre design and race outline means it’s fast really fast and requires the skill of an intermediate paddler to paddle it. 

If you would like to test any of our SUPs or arrange a DEMO day give us a message below and book you FREE Demo with us.

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10 Reasons – Stand Up Paddleboard is better than a kayak

 

1) Perspective:

On a kayak, you sit. On a stand-up board–you stand. From standing you can just see so much more. Wildlife in the water around you, waves coming in on the horizon—standing just gives you a better perspective. And, if you are tired you can just SIT down, or even lay down. You can do yoga poses on a SUP. Can you do downward facing dog on your kayak? I don’t think so.

2) Overall Workout:

With a stand-up board, you have to balance. Just the simple act of balancing engages all of your core muscles (think: abs, butt, legs). Once you add in the paddling aspect, you are then working out your upper body–arms, waist and obliques. The standing and the paddling combined gives a workout of your complete musculature system. Any type of SUPing you chose, flatwater, racing, or surfing will be fun and a great all-around workout.

3) We already sit too much.

Research shows that sitting is very bad for our health. We sit in our offices, our cars, in our homes—do we really want to sit while exercising too? Like I mentioned, in points, #1 and #2, stand up paddling gives our muscles a workout but gives us the flexibility to take a break when we need.

4) Surfing!

Yes, you can surf with a kayak but it is nothing like traditional surfing. With a SUP, you can catch smaller waves quicker–giving you time to make the first section, allowing for longer rides. And, for places like the Gulf of Mexico, where bigger waves are few and far between, the SUP can be used to hone your surfing skills for when the waves arrive or your annual surfing trip to Hawaii. From standing, you can also see the sets rolling in much better (and farther out) than from sitting. Surfing on stand up board is amazing!

5) You can do it anywhere!

Just like kayaking, SUPing can be done anywhere there is water. There are people who do whitewater SUPing, SUP surfing, long distance SUP, and more. Right now flat water SUPing is popping up all over the place–lakes, rivers, swimming pools, bays–in Alaska, Patagonia, Hawaii, and Sarasota–everywhere.

6) It is much easier to get going.

Most SUP boards are light enough to be carried by yourself. Grab your board, your paddle and your leash and get in the water. By the time the kayak folks get in the water, you will be halfway done with your workout.

7) Gaining in Popularity

It has been said that SUP is the fastest growing water sport in the world–and for good reason. And, because of the popularity, there has been lots of research into the technology behind it. The equipment is getting better and better and the sport is being tested in new and interesting places.

8) Racing

SUP races have been popping up all over the place. And, why not jump on a SUP to do a paddling race? Not only will it be fun, you will likely meet some interesting and like-minded people.

9) If you fall off, its easier to get back on a SUP.

First, a disclaimer–of all the people we have recently taken out SUPing in flatwater–NONE of them have fallen in. This includes kids, older athletes and scared old ladies. However, if they had fallen off they would have been able to easily get themselves back up on the board. The same is not true of a kayak. Once you roll a kayak, it is very difficult to get back in–especially if you are by yourself.

10)Fun!

We are big believers in the idea that your workout should be fun. You shouldn’t dread getting outside and moving around. You should be super excited about it. SUPing will give you that. I know that kayaking is also fun–but with all of the lugging the kayaks around, getting set up and organized–the fun factor gets watered down. A stand-up board is easy to handle (#6) and gets you out on the water for an amazing workout (#2) with excellent visuals (#1) in no time.

11) You Look Cool

I know I said 10 reasons but 11 is kinda cool for a good reason when you’re on a crowded beach and you see someone out in the uncrowded ocean having fun, personly I’m jealous and I think that’s cool working on the tan good fitness and you look cool, who doesn’t want to be the cool person at the beach? exactly!

There is a reason that SUPing is considered the fastest growing water sport in the world. You have to try it!

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!!! TOP 10 Most Influential Surfers of All Time !!!

!!! TOP 10 Most Influential Surfers of All Time !!!

Top 10 most influential surfers of all time

 

From surfing’s early beginnings as the “Sport of Kings” in Hawaii, it has held a certain sway over spectators and participants alike. While estimates of the number of surfers worldwide vary wildly (from 5 million to 23 million), there are a select few that, for one reason or another, have left an indelible mark on surfing. The interesting thing is that in most cases, it’s not so much for the actual act of surfing, but for what they did to significantly alter the course of things to come. From the Duke to Gidget, this is a list of Ten of surfing’s most influential people.

 

#10. Bruce Brown

 

Bruce Brown, creator of the surf film. Photo: Lucia Griggi/Lensbaby.

 

Bruce Brown did more to bring surfing to the non-surfing public than anyone else. Producer of surfing’s most influential and famous movie, The Endless Summer, Brown was born in 1937 in San Francisco. He made his first surfing movie at the age of 18 in Honolulu while he was in the navy, and made one every few years until 1964 when The Endless Summer was released.

 

Brown, along with Mike Hynson and Robert August, set out to film the perfect wave and ended up with 95 minutes of what would become a big part of surfing’s backbone in the years to come. In 1965, Bruce Brown showed the movie in Kansas, a landlocked state, and it outsold My Fair Lady, a film that won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. After being transferred to 35-mm and re-edited, Newsweek called it one of the 10 Best Films of 1966. Almost thirty years later, Brown filmed The Endless Summer II with his son, Dana. The sequel was an attempt to recreate that initial film, featuring Robert “Wingnut” Weaver and Pat O’Connell as they try and follow in the footsteps of Hynson and August. It missed the mark, ironically, largely in part to the evolutionary fire under surfing for which the first film was kindling.

 

The Endless Summer portrayed surfers differently than any other film before–not as lazy, beach-bum types, but as something a bit more passionate: people in search of perfection, and willing to go, literally, to the ends of the earth to find it. Bruce Brown also was the first to film the Banzai Pipeline. The groundbreaking footage he took of Phil Edwards that day in 1961 was featured in his fourth film, Surfing Hollow Days. 

 

#9. Sean Collins

A moment of silence for Sean Collins at his memorial paddle-out. Photo:Shawn Parkin

 

Sean Collins changed surfing forever.  Without him, modern surf forecasting wouldn’t be where it is today, leaving thousands of would-be surfers in their homes, wondering what to do with themselves. Born in Pasadena in 1952, Collins began surfing in the ’60s and took a serious interest in how waves were made, where they came from, and more importantly, where they were going to be. A college dropout with no meteorological training, Collins was a testament to passion: his love for surfing pushed him to learn something that eventually changed his life and the lives of millions of others like him. According to The Encyclopedia of Surfing, he packaged data from ships, NOAA charts and satellite photos to building his own surf forecasts. Early ’80s Baja trips turned into somewhat of a science experiment, with Collins plugging a fax machine into his car battery and throwing a hundred-foot antenna wire out and collecting satellite images of the Pacific before choosing the beach he was heading to.

In 1984, word of his wave-predictions had spread, and he joined Surfline, a new company that, before the arrival of the Internet, allowed people to get rough surf forecasts over the phone. In 1987, he left Surfline and founded WaveTrak, a service that did essentially the same thing as Surfline. In the early ’90s, the two companies merged, and began their takeover of the surf-forecasting world, keeping the name they still have today. In 1995, Surfline moved to the Internet, a previously uncharted territory, and turned the corner to what the company looks like now. In 1998, he bought the operation outright, then sold it in 2000 to Swell.com, but maintained his position as lead-forecaster.

Collins’ forecasting opened doors to waves like Cortes Bank, a seamount a hundred miles off the coast of San Diego that changed big-wave surfing forever. When Sean Collins died in December of 2011, thousands of people honoured his life and his contributions to surfing in a paddle-out at Huntington Beach.

#8. Gidget

The original Gidget novel, created by Frederick Kohner in his 1957 novel "Gidget, The Little Girl With Big Ideas"

Kathy Kohner was born in Brentwood, California. In the mid-50s, the diminutive Kohner began frequenting Malibu and became somewhat of a mascot for the local contingent there, including the likes of Terry “Tubesteak” Tracy, Johnny Fain, and Miki Dora who helped paint the landscape of California surfing.

According to David Rensin’s All For a Few Perfect Waves, it was Tubesteak that gave her the name “Gidget” when he called her a girl-midget. The name stuck, and her father, a screenwriter, took on her story as a book project in 1957. In a month and a half, the novel was done and full of his daughter’s stories from the beach.  The book was turned into a movie in 1959 and turned into a phenomenon. The quiet perfection of 1950s Malibu was stormed by armies of inland surfers, all desperate for a piece of the lifestyle that was depicted. This was the true beginning of surf culture as we know it today: Surfer Magazine was founded the year after, and the Beach Boys began their meteoric rise to fame. The 1960s saw many more Gidget novels and films released. Interestingly, Gidget’s happy-go-lucky demeanour came hand-in-hand with Miki Dora’s angst-filled rhetoric against the crowding of his home break–two completely different outlooks on surfing and the lifestyle that goes with it born on the same beach at the same time in history.

#7. Jeff Spicoli

Hey bud, let's party. Jeff Spicoli.

For a non-existent person, the character played by Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High has had a larger influence on how the non-surfing public views surfers than any other person, real or fake. Jeff Spicoli‘s role in the hugely successful Fast Times single-handedly threw the surfer-stoner blanket over the heads of everyone that stepped on a surfboard, which to the chagrin of many, is still something pervasive today.

Released in 1982 by Cameron Crowe, Fast Times at Ridgemont High became somewhat of a defining film for many surfers. It increased the numbers in one of surfing’s sub-cliques, and through its popularity in the American masses, did almost as much for the perception of surfers as Gidget. Fast Times at Ridgemont High was selected by the U.S. National Film Registry for preservation in 2005, being deemed ”culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

6.  Nick Gabaldon

This is a scrimshawed portrait of Nick Gabaldon from one of the few photos that exist of him. Art: Peter Spacek

Nick Gabaldon was surfing’s Rosa Parks. Born in 1927, Gabaldon taught himself to surf in the 1940s at a segregated section of beach in Los Angeles called “The Inkwell,” located 12 miles north of Malibu. Sometime in the late ’40s or very early ’50s, Nick, not owning a car, made the long paddle to Malibu, surfed all day, then paddled all the way back. After following the same routine for nearly a month, some of the local surfers began giving him a lift, quietly speaking volumes and defying conventions in an America that, by enforcing racist lelegislation that weren’t formally dismantled until 1965) prevented many blacks from entering the ocean or swimming pools.

On June 5th, 1951, Nick Gabaldon surfed a solid south swell at Malibu. He was killed after riding into the pier. On February 7, 2008, a plaque in Santa Monica was dedicated to Gabaldon’s contributions to the sport of surfing, and June 1st was named “Nick Gabaldon Day.”

While not much is known of his early childhood (probably because of society’s view on race at the time), Gabaldon was a student at Santa Monica High. The barriers he broke were indicative of the direction America was moving at the time, and his hands were on a small part of a larger wheel.

 

5. Laird Hamilton

Dave Kalama dropping off Laird Hamilton at Jaws. Photo: Tim McKenna.

Despite the grumblings of a few in the surf community that Laird’s contributions to surfing have done more harm than good, the mark he’s left on it is undoubtedly a large one: his innovations have shaped the way people surf.

Born in San Francisco halfway through the ’60s, Laird Hamilton‘s father left the family to join the Merchant Marines when Laird was five months old. His mother took him to Oahu and married a man named Bill Hamilton. Laird began surfing at a very young age, largely in part to his mother’s new husband. Sometime in the early ’90s – accounts vary on the matter – former world tour pro Buzzy Kerbox and Laird Hamilton decided to try towing into waves from behind Kerbox’s boat. Tow surfing was born, and in a short period of time, Laird, along with a group of wildmen, had started a PWC-powered revolution, with its headquarters at Maui’s Jaws.

Hamilton excelled at much more that surfing, though: in 1990, he and Buzzy Kerbox crossed the English Channel in just under six hours. He held a European speed record in the mid-’80s after reaching a speed of 36 knots on a sailboard. He invented foil-boarding – which was not exactly an original idea, but the application to surfing was. Although foil-boarding never really took off, it is an reminder of Laird’s dedication to breaking boundaries.

On August 17, 2000, Hamilton broke more of those boundaries when he surfed what was then the thickest, heaviest wave ever ridden. Dubbed the Millennium Wave, his ride at Teahupoo cemented his already solid roll as surfing’s premiere big-wave surfer and rocketed him to an almost legendary status.

 

#4. Doc Paskowitz

Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz. Image: Art Brewer

While he would never agree, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz can be considered one of the earliest pioneers of the shape of today’s surf culture. He spent nearly 25 years on the road, living in a succession of used campers. It is, quite possibly, the world’s longest surf trip. He and his wife raised nine children in those campers, soaking them in the ocean and their idea of how life should be lived.

He and his family have been referred to as “The First Family of Surfing.” Born in Texas in 1921 to a Jewish family, Doc graduated from Stanford Medical School at the age of 25. After a successful stint as a doctor, he packed his wife, Juliette, into a used camper van and started what would become one of the most interesting surf-centric lives ever. He and Juliette ended up raising nine children in a number of different vehicles, always on the move. His take on education, health, and how humans should spend their time didn’t mesh with society’s standards, and his children were steeped in his ideals – which, for the most part, drew few complaints.

Surfing’s slant on searching for waves can be, in part, attributed to Doc. What became a lifestyle that was slightly molded by the ideals found in such films as The Endless Summer was something that the Paskowitz family was unapologetically living, despite the public’s view of how things ought to be done.

 

#3. Kelly Slater

There is no surfer with more titles or fame than Kelly Slater. Photo: Aroyan

There aren’t too many people in the world of sport that even come close to Kelly Slater‘s accomplishments in surfing. As one of the winningest athletes ever, Slater’s victories span his entire career, starting from his rookie year. In ’91, he took home the Rookie of the Year award. In ’92, he took home the World Title after cementing it at Pipe. The 1990s saw Kelly Slater register possibly the most dominant performance of any athlete in any other sport. Banzai Pipeline was a major part of that dynasty, as he won the Pipe Masters in ’92, ’94, ’95, ’96, and ’99. Not to mention a few Backdoor Shootout titles. For perspective, imagine if Rookie of the Year, Nat Young, won the World Title next year, then continued to win for the next decade. By the time he was twenty, he was the youngest ever world champion.

Slater is from Cocoa Beach, Florida. Born in 1972, he began surfing at the age of six. By the time he was eleven, he was so far ahead of his competition it didn’t seem fair – winning four consecutive United States Surfing Championships. At eighteen, he turned professional and started on the road to where he is now: the best competitive surfer the world has ever seen.

In 1992, Slater took the role of Jimmy Slade on the hugely popular Baywatch, effectively rocketing him into star-status – and bringing surfing to the masses in a way that no one had before. After winning his sixth world title in 1998, Slater retired from full-time contest surfing. He started a band (which didn’t do very well, unlike almost everything else he touches) with Rob Machado and Peter King, fittingly and somewhat unoriginally called the Surfers.

In 2002, he returned to competitive surfing, and after a brief warm-up for the first year, Slater ran into Andy Irons and started surfing’s most-watched rivalry. By 2011, he had broken every pro surfing record. His home state of Florida has a Kelly Slater Day and a 10-foot tall statue of him. GQ Magazine called him one of the 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time, Surfer Magazine called him the Greatest Surfer of All Time, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution honoring Slater’s competitive achievements, and one of his surfboards is in the The National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian. Not bad for a guy that slides around on top of the water on a piece of foam.

 

#2. Miki Dora

Miki Dora in a magazine ad for his "Da Cat model." Photo: Pat Darrin

Miki Dora is, in large part, responsible for the rebel-side of surfing. The undisputed king of Malibu in the 1950s and early ’60s, “Da Cat” rode with what is possibly the most definitive style in surfing’s history. On and off the waves, Miklos “Miki” Dora carried himself in such a way that attracted throngs of followers and hangers-on, much to his very apparent disdain. Thought of as somewhat of a walking contradiction, Miki seemed to often seek out attention, then that is whoever gave it to him. For all of his fame and press, Dora remains today one of the least known surfers. While much of his personal life has been exposed on paper and in countless books, one thing that remains constant in almost all of them is his aura of mystery, who some say was slightly affected in an effort to stay in the public’s eye. He spent much of his life as a loner, not for lack of people in his life, but for his own personal dislike for most of them. “I don’t expect everyone to live my life,” he said in an interview. ”Why should they? It’s pretty lonely.”

Born in 1934 in Budapest, Hungary, Dora’s parents divorced before he was ten. His mother married a surfer named Gard Chapin from California, who, according to David Rensin in All For a Few Perfect Waves, drank heavily in his later years. Chapin was regarded at one point, as California’s best surfer, and introduced Miki to the sport at a young age. As a teen, he spent most of his time bouncing from San Onofre to Malibu, and frequented spots in between. As he grew older, though, he spent more time at Malibu, eventually mastering the wave in a way that no one had before, or has since. He turned his back on the Gidget-era, horribly disappointed with how Hollywood’s intervention on his beloved lifestyle changed it forever, but conflicted at how easy it was for him to make a quick buck in it,  part of the epicenter of the movement.

Dora died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 67, after a troubled few decades. A warrant was issued for his arrest in the early ’70s, which was quickly followed by a few more. By the mid-7os, he was on the run, and stayed that way until 1982, when he spent most of that year in jail. One of the most fitting descriptions of Miki Dora came from a London Times obituary that described him as a “West Coast archetype and antihero . . . the siren voice of a nonconformist surfing lifestyle.”

 

#1. The Duke

The Duke, Waikiki, around 1912. Photo: State Library of Queensland

Duke Kahanamoku is hailed as the father of modern surfing. A full-blooded Hawaiian from Honolulu, Hawaii, the Duke is responsible for spreading a view of surfing that has since soaked into the masses and stuck fast. Born in 1890, the original Beach Boy was the first of five children, all of which turned into extraordinary watermen in their own right. Kahanamoku however, was head and shoulders above them all. At the young age of 20, he broke the American short-distance swimming record for the 50-yard sprint and the beat 100-yard world record by almost five seconds. The next year, in 1912, he set another world record at the Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1920, he won gold in the both the 100 and 400-meter freestyle relay.

All this acclaim brought him–and his surfing–to the forefront of the public’s perception of watermen.

After a disc jockey from Honolulu became his manager in 1961, the Duke became the face of a litany of businesses that used his surfer image paired with the now-popular Hawaiian lifestyle.

At the age of 77, Duke Kahanamoku died of a heart attack, after a lifetime of piling the building blocks that would become modern surfing. He was named Surfer of the Century in 1999, and the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp honouring him in 2002.

 

originally posted on the Inertia Managing Editor by  Alexander Haro

 

 

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