Ok, first of all, to me, this is all bullshit. In 1968 we had just moved back to Hawaii after being on the mainland for ten years, it was 1968, I was 11 years old, and my dad Joe Quigg took me out to uncle Buzzy Trent's house at Makaha, and we were cruising around out there and saw this kid, absolutely ripping this new style of razzle dazzle at extremely high speed. This kid could bend into any position he needed to pull off these manuevers like I've never seen before. Not anywhere in California, not in anywhere in Hawaii. He was young, less than 12, and he could bend around like rubber. I asked the other guys on the beach, who is that guy? And they said that's rubberman. He was surfing like Kelly Slater in the year 1968, 30 years before Slater. So then my dad and I, who were board builders, were asking who makes his boards. And they said, Ben Aipa. So we followed Larry Bertleman's career, and Joe already knew Aipa, so we talked board design, and Ben lit up like a Christmas tree. He was so into high performance board design. Well we saw Larry's career progress from a young skinny lanky rubberman, to a huge thick part Samoan hulk of a surfer, and his style wasn't the same anymore. But the media kept trying to push his image as "Rubberman". That's when the media glombed on to him, still calling him rubber man, But nobody except Hawaii's local surfers realized that he wasn't rubberman anymore. But those who were here and grew up in that era new... But Larry, in his early years, in my mind, was one of the first of the, Buttons, Mark Liddel, Andy, Bruce, upper echelon high performance surfers of all time. So before the media got ahold of his image, with lame ass movies and skateboard footage, I saw the real rubberman, along with all the local Hawaiian surfers of the late '60's, very early 70's when he was inventing his new style of what I like to call, whipper snapper, upside down figure eight carving, as the true rubberman of his pre-adolesent youth. And I need to add, that he is one of the heaviest surfers in the history of all time, hands down. He is one of the greatest surfers of all time.
wow.what a humble person.i like how he said it wasnt style it was necessity.so true.thats my guitar and music style.i do whatever i can to pull it off.same as my martial arts.no style just necessity.and skating.i never heard it put in such a simple non ego manner like that.truly a real human being.i wish bruce lee were still around.those 2 would probably be best friends.2 icons that influenced a revolution
All inner city youth up & coming basketballers wanna have their Nikes to be like Mike , if they could be like Mike .... us KANAKA GROMMZ from MAOLI OIWI UNIVERSE IN DOWNTOWN HAWAIIAN HOMESTEAD NANAKULI wanted to be like Braddah Larry Bertleman & we also had James Bird Mahelona a close frenn from Larry & in da early 70's I impressed da fahq outtah demm doing my Larry / Bird Mahelona rendition out @ Smoking ass peeling , barreling rights Northwesterly swell by NANAKULI TRACKS a spot way outside called GREENHOUSE & wuz chereh with rides ending by warm water KAHE POINT ELECTRIC PLANT ..... Da professional braddahz wuz gawking & wanted to touch my 6'6" Bonzer surfboard..... other than David Nuuhiwa , I wuz da adah unknown underground solid rippah
I was fortunate enough to meet Larry yesterday at a local charity event; what an amazing guy. He was so down to earth and appreciative of all the fans who stopped by to say hello. He is a legend; someone who changed surfing forever yet he is so humble. Larry is the man!
So happy to have found this vid. I've admired this guy since I was in my teens but this is the fist time I've ever heard his voice. Thanks for posting it.
Great to see a Polynesian brother sharing his knowledge with the world - and to have it well received. Honor and blessings to you uso... Alofa tele, jp.
Thanks for posting this. What a wise man, great story of teaching there on being yourself. Florida surfers class of 80 remembers the Rubberman...awesome.
What people forget is that he was also one of the first ones, if not the first one (?) to do an air on a surfboard; back into the wave. Check the cover of the March 1984 issue of Surfer magazine.
Larry, Great interview glad to see that you are back in publics eye.back in 1976 i had a kneeboard shaped after that stinger you rode. i still use Stingers and still looking for that First wave!aloha! Darryl
1530 people and only 3 comments! what a great guy, nice message too....be yourself. Thanks Larry, would love to see more stuff on some of the skateboarding too. have fun, from oz
