In 1974 I was 8 years old, I saw the ocean for the first time at Gunnamatta Beach Victoria, my father drove my Sister, older brother, and my self to slide down the sand dunes on cardboard. We got to the second car park, walked along the back of the dunes to the highest one we found, could hear the ocean, got to the top, looked out over Basstrait. I had never seen the ocean or heard of surfing or seen a surfboard. What I saw for the first time, all in one hit, to me it was looking at another world, time, space, dimension ! Estimating the size of the waves now 44 years later, 10-12 feet with bombs. To the left 2 miles away at Cape Shank, right, to the west coast of Bells Beach, as fare as your eye could see, off shore perfection. Straight in front of us looking down from the dunes out in thoes big waves sitting behind a large sand bar with a left & right hand solid sand bar peak that would rival Pipe Line were 6 soul surfs taking off dropping into those huge barrels running down the long deep channels & being spat out of the foam ball, all on single fin short boards charging, I was in awe ! Within a month I got my first board at a garage sale $30.00, 7,2 Mark Warren pin tail single fin ! I think the short board refinement was happening much earlier in Vico in solid cold heaving waves ? I feel truly blessed to have had that as my introduction to the Ocean & Surfing ! Only a Soul Surfer knows the feeling !
Several decades ago, an older guy who'd been surfing since the 50s told me that Phil Edwards is the indisputable best surfer ever. I hadn't really heard much of him at that time but, after seeing video of Edwards' poise in small to big surf, I have to agree.
The "Dora Saga" in instructive: There was no doubt he was the greatest I had ever seen surf Malibu and Rincon. I know becaue I started surfing Malibu and Rincon in 1963 and skateboarding West LA 1960 and saw him in action. He was a prick as he almost injured many "kooks" (including me) that "got in his way" as if he had that right. He was an "elitist" from a rich family in Montecito. Revealing dark attitudes of his class. I look at Miki like a "Great White Hunter" from the 19th century.The enemy of our increasingly "homogenized" globalism - Dora is a relic of a bygone era.
I was in those waves with you too. Dora's better influence is still at C street, Ventura . still knew paddling gracefully,,respect to both of them from East Sac - HOSHI REEF SURF TEAM
Joel and Family lived across the street from me in U.C. HUGGINS STREET. Joe,his Dad was a friend. I moved away 35 years ago so Josh n Joel were very young. GOOD TIMES IN CALI
Though he never really saw anyone of them surf, except on film, there were guys who he never, ever heard of who were red hot. A lot of things made up surfing before the magazines and movies and contests started stamping out the cookie cutter heros of today. Wayne Lynch changed the world and left the spotlight because of a war that Joel only saw hollywood versions and Butch Van Artsdalen wasn't called Mr. Pipeline for nothing,
was unaware tudor had ever been disrespectul of takayama, and i've never heard him say anything derogatory towards his "elders" (edwards, dora, young, noll, nuuhiwa, frye, etc...). he definitely has strong opinions on what longboarding should be, but, if anything, it shows his solidarity w/ the likes of the men mentioned above. care to expound on your comment(s)?
Yeah, and I doubt Dora would have pushed Noll if Noll dropped in on him. Dora was a great surfer but a total dick. So easy to howl about the commercialization of surfing when you never had to work a day in your life and you get to be a "pure" surfer on Dad's dollars. Now THATs a kook.
Between 9 and 11 y.o., I used to surf San onofre, I thought I was the hottest 11 y.o. at the beach with a life of respect and popularity in the surfing world, when I was 12 my family moved to Santa Barbara, when I saw Tommy Curren surfing Hammond’s reef for the first time it was a huge reality check and I started skateboarding instead.. Talk about natural talent!!!!!
Dora pushing off surfers who dared cut him off was great, like they thought it was ok to just stand there and Dora is going to just let them get away with it. And Dora looked a little like Burt Reynolds at the end of the video when Reynolds was in that movie Boogie Nights.
Freddy Pfahler, Dora told Dewey, When the So Bay guys come to Malibu on a good day and Freddy is there, he gets out to watch Freddy. The best through the period!
4 Yanks!!! - don't neccessarily disgree but...Nat, MR, Terry Fitz... ok - Lopez the Tubemaster but little more... Curren and Dora - no argument, but Dora fits more in a set with Greenough, Nat, MP...iconclasts. In saying that great surfers are great surfers, and joel is a great. aloha!
I'm from so.cal new port beach, it's all a life style. Wsl is about a check book, no love for the surf. The best fuxxer from CA. Is not going to be on tour without $$$ backing....
Sorry but to not include Nat Young is a travesty in any recollection of the history of surfing the man basically introduced the short board era and how about Simon Andereson the man who brought the modern thruster into the world.
Wait... Dora ahead of Simmons, Velzy, Greenough, MR and Anderson?!?! Seriously?!?! Simmons innovated modern fins. Velzy figured out that if you want the board to turn, you put the wide point aft - in the 50s!!! Greenough gave the Aussies a head start on the short board revolution. MR invented the performance twin based on an offhand comment from RB, and then won 4 world titles on it. How many world titles did Dora ever win? No forget that, did Dora even win ONE SINGLE CONTEST in his entire life? Natas Kaupas won more contests than Dora, and he's a skater! Then... Simon Anderson invented the thruster so Tommy and Kelly could ride them. And you could even throw Hobie and Dave Sweet in there too. The REAL innovators ALWAYS built and rode their own equipment. I guess you could say Dora had the cat, but all the top surfers of the 60s had a model with some unique feature, and Dora probably stole the step idea from Greenough anyway, considering the nose of da cat looks like a Greenough spoon. They're both from Montecito, so for sure Dora knew Greenough. Nobody else was doing flexible surfboards besides George. Pretty sad that Dora's only "innovation" was copied from George's spoons.
Anyone that doesn't recognize the greatness of Tudor on a longboard is daft. Not to minimize Edwards, Dora, Nuuhiwa, or Nat, but Tudor built on what they established with skill arguably greater than any of them. Nat himself seems to hold this view. Sounds to me, Billy, like you have an axe to grind.
My feeling about duck tape turd boy are based on personal experience... not opinion. And like Dora... I have a problem with affectation. Oh and Nat Young really has nothing to do with quality longboarding so his opinion is meaningless in this situation.
"...Nat Young really has nothing to do with quality longboarding.." This might the most ignorant comment I've seen online and I don't throw around insults. At least it's in the running. Billy. you can take that distinction to the grave with you. I've surfed with Joel also, and he couldn't have been nicer.
Maybe it sucks to know that you'll never see Nat Young at the top of anybody's (but yours) list of the 60's best longboarders? So I feel for you and I'm sorry you have to experience that.