Surf Blog

Memorial Day tribute

My father, standing on the right. Airforce bomber crew during WWII, was shot down over Germany during the war. He jumped out with a parachute, was captured by the Germans and put into in a POW camp, and lived to tell the tale, and take me and my brothers to the beach and teach us about the ocean and waves when we were little kids. Born into it because my father survived WWII.

Way Back in Time at the Bay of Biscay

People often ask me where is my favorite place to surf.  And I have to say, that I have a favorite place AND TIME to surf, which is the Bay of Biscay, a spot called Boucou, in the 1970's in France. Boucou means (phonetically anyway) "very much."  This place we called Very Much.  It was … Continue reading Way Back in Time at the Bay of Biscay

Sidney Madden – Encinitas original

Sid Madden grew up right up the street from Swamis, and was a super star of local surfers, though a very humble guy, and always friendly to all.I have been getting surfboards from him since the 1970s, and now have three.   (In the 1970's, I used to get rounded pintails from him.  I probably got … Continue reading Sidney Madden – Encinitas original

The story of losing Dickie Cross in big surf at Sunset Beach in Hawaii in 1943

As told by Woody Brown in Legendary Surfers .com special thanks to Legendary Surfers.com for this interview http://www.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/woody.shtml#dickie_cross122243 This is an account of the death of big wave hawaiian pioneer Dickie Cross, when Woody Brown and Dickie Cross paddled out at big Sunset in 1943, as told by survivor Woody Brown. WOODY BROWN: "In the … Continue reading The story of losing Dickie Cross in big surf at Sunset Beach in Hawaii in 1943

Extreme old school – Surfing without a wetsuit!

  THE FIRST WETSUITS IN SURFING   The only westsuits were for skin diving, and usually were very uncomfortable and gave you a nasty deep rash in the sides of the neck and the armpits, so that you could barely move.  It was a toss up between being freezing cold in 57-58 degree waters, or … Continue reading Extreme old school – Surfing without a wetsuit!