I am a tad too young to understand the full impact of a guy like Dale on surfing culture – but without a doubt it was huge.
I never met him. I wish I had. He seemed like a happy, funny, intelligent, interesting, and purely American legend.
Here’s his biography on Legendary Surfers.
Here’s a short video of him working recently in Japan.
Here’s some photos sent to me from a variety of sources.
We’ll miss you Dale.
“Old Shapers Never Die, They Just Plane on a Higher Level”
Hey Mike,
That’s a great little video short on Mr. Velzy. In the Video, there’s a guess who? Could that be Jim Phillips? Great shot of the wood fin and tail. I pulled that one for the archives. Thanks!
I believe that’s Johnny Rice.
Over here memorial day is winding down
saw yer star wars this afternoon
at dawn as well as the better part of this week
thoughts av’ been of memorializing…
the number of passed on influential people in my life cannot be Ignored,
you get old enough an their numbers are bound to increase
so any how in the predawn light it smells like it ,surf that is,
the bouy report was on last nite as I went to bed
phoning everone dont stir a sole
and my dear wife martha says ,heck I 'll go !
whata deal
so As Im loading up the implements of illumination the final stop is the place where I meditate with a surfers Journal
.popular with Martin Luther as well I’m told.
And low and behold
by the glory of Pezman ,from the book of Stecyk,volume one #3 page 40
Pete peterson many hands down
relates the tale of the ruler edged 7 foot south malibu
and barbed wire no less blocks the access
and who is running up the beach but our seed ,Dale of Velzy.
these are the things of which repeated stories become legend and proportions mythical
to this I am fed Psycho spiritually
and ready to venture off on my memorial quest.
the days of this life can so easily take on mystical tones.
the old radio tape I’m playing is a deceased disc Jocky playing Miles and the quintet with Coltrane.also on the list of passed respected
so I am led to the surf niche where the maddening crowd chooses to overlook in favor of other ideals
and paddle out alone to these memorial tones in my head and the modulation of the waves takes me to its bosom
the sets are far enough apart that the bump characteristic of this spot abate
and I conduct the riding of a couple cool ones
alone for the first four or five is testy :
a way out spot
where the current is running hard
and the surge is likly to take the board without a leash far away. subsequently a couple of kindred spirits arrive and partake but dont chose to surf the way up and out peak where I warm up and contemplate these days with out the likes of passed creative ,benevolent spirits,
the likes of will not soon be replaced
so its slowing down
and the temper and timber of the sets is losing something
I just watched whats the bleep an Im still in this quantum frame of mind when
I think… to myself sitting way outside…
this would sure be a lot better If we were all catching waves
the three of us sitting with out a ride for a while
and then we all three nail one of the shifting peaks a-piece
swell
so then It comes ,the clean one…
this one is worthy
this one is for all those passed over that had an influence on me surfin…
of which Velzy is the latest addition.
In time we all will be added to the roll call
one after another.
ship man Velzy DWARFS em all
keep Elvis in memphis
malcom an martin and jack and Ike and dick and all the rest who comes first when you take off?
Try Duke then go straight to Velzy
HECK O SLOVAKIA
we are so lucky to have walked in the trail of the effect of the Velzy comet passing through our lives.
…ambrose…
Thanks ambrose. I felt like I was there.
history is passing it’'s left to the younger people on here to write the next page(s) with people like velzy iam a sure that we will all plane on a higher level.
Mr. Dale Velzy I never knew you ride a few waves for me in your afterlife.
o.k. shapers tree, who’s Catamaran is that?
Did Velzy have Cat history? Inquiring minds wanna know…
or is zat micky Munoz or kevlin’s or what …in all the scuttle butt I have never heard the velzy catamaran story why is it omitted? did he have a less than legendary success?
or was it too hot?
is
that
the
one That was in the dream I had about 8 years ago?
standing in the wheel house listening to a velzy line?
now might be a good time to start constructing some “stretchers” as Sam Clemens used to call them to augment the tower of tales to be errected to velzy…is there a buzzy trent story?..
…ambrose…
the Independent newspaper in the UK carried a double page spread on Dale’s passing in today’s edition.
this is something almost unheard of. The Independent is one the UK’s leading ‘quality’ papers, carrying such an article is, surprising to say the least.
I always knew they were left-field, now I know by how much!
unfortunately the article does not seem to be on the website, yet.
Thanks for the video. Dale Velzy is clearly one of modern surfing’s founding fathers.
I haven’t been online for a few weeks and hadn’t heard. I’ve been in a bit of shock. I did meet him and talked to him a few times at various events(Seymours’ auctions, the Longboard Collector Club etc.). The first time I saw him was at the pre-release of “Endless Summer II” at Gaviota School. He was was walking up the aisle shaking hands and being recognized by the many surfing elite that were in attendance. The moustache and broad smile were infectious. I was in awe. Surfer, Shaper, cowboy, ladys-man, hotrodder all rolled together in one package. He was THE MAN. Everything any self-respecting MALE surfer could ever want to be. He was at one of Allen’s auctions once and I remember seeing him go back to the bar to order a drink. I can’t remember what exactly, but it was either scotch and water or bourban and water. He downed it and went into the john. While in the the john I noticed “Wingnut” rolling off paper towels and handing them to Dale to dry his hands. I thought to my self “We ought to all bow and scrape a little to this awesome human being” , because 99% of us wouldn’t be doing what we are doing today if it wasn’t for DALE. Lowel
I was in Hawaii when I received an evening email from a friend regarding Dale’s passing. The news put me in a reflective mood as I’m sure many of you experienced. I stayed awake that night thinking of life, meanings, memories, purpose, etc. As a 60s surfer Dale was of course “THE BOSS” to all of us. Is there any living surfer that is more our “Dad” than Dale? If the Duke was the father of modern surfing, perhaps Dale is and always will be “The Chairman of the Board”.
After that somewhat restless night of reflection I paddled out at dawn to join the regular coffee club crew and relayed the message I had heard of Dale. There was a long period of silence and no one even thought about catching a wave for a while. Not much conversation, just a long pause like life just slowed down for a period. Finally a little set approached. One of the guys broke the silence as he turned his board and began to paddle and said, “Dale would probably want us on this one”. We all began to paddle. What would ordinarily have been a party wave was more appropriately a tribute wave of sorts. Just a gentle little wave with about six guys gliding along side by side with the sun glowing up over the mountain. I’ll always remember that ride a couple of weeks ago, and of course Dale will always be a part of the ride we’re all on.
The board I ride most often is a 9-8 Velzy. It’s a modern board and he didn’t shape it, but somehow his logo showing up through the wax just helps me enjoy the ride.
Aloha,
Richard
My departure for a quick trip to a family event in Oregon was delayed by a day, allowing me to read of the death of Dale Velzy before I left. This also, alas, gave me one hell of a long drive to ponder this sad news among the other events of life. Early the following week the Portland Oregonian ran an obit of him complete with photo.
Having just completed the long bloody drive back to Southern California, a mind-numbing morning to night jumble of input, I am left with a few thoughts. They mean little or nothing to the world at large, but I’m sure most who frequent these pages could join me in saying “Who cares?”.
When Dora died surfing really had an “end of era” experience. Surfing is no longer a “young” sport…you can draw the usual analogy to life stage experiences. When the “young” rebels pass naturally there is no longer a valid way to deny the passing of time. Attitude and whatever accompanies that mental framework blow away with the winds of time, a normal phase being over.
With Velzy, whom I did not know either, it was his life that marked an era. Any of us over 40 certainly came in with knowledge of a certain surfer archetype from a simpler time before the dollar sign was a conceivable aspect of surfing, if not the dominant goal and validating aspect of the experience. Who is that if not Dale Velzy? Read anything about the man, hear any firsthand reminiscence, and it is apparent. Somewhere in the mental archives is an old surf mag tale, told by someone who once worked for him, to the effect that “you could write a book about any afternoon in Dale Velzys life and it would be the best book about surfing ever written”.
It’s hard to imagine spending literally an entire life in surfing and being able to smile that much. The photos posted earlier here really do the man justice. Heck, they do the sport justice, in ways not often seen anymore. I see them and hear the old song lyrics “living what you love, and loving to live”…
I was camping at Doheny from Sunday to Tuesday this week and I was lucky enough to be at the memorial and see the paddle out for Velzy. There was a ceremony and speakers that talked about his life for an hour and then there was a paddle out and an honor circle for him and I watched from the Dana Point Jetty, I had never seen one of these circle in person but it was huge when people were paddling out it seemed as if the line of them would never end, there were photographers and helicopters flying over the circle, it was a wonderful sight. Also while the ceremony was on people brought their Velzy boards, there were all differnt kinds of them; longboards, paddleboards, bellyboards, some shortboards, and some boards with his V fin. I couldn’t believe all of the Velzy boards that were there, there had to be over a hundred. All of his friends brought there woodie wagons to the memorial and the had his logo on their tire covers. There was also a pot luck luau after the paddle out.
I’s sad to see such an innovator of surfing leave us.
Sean
I was camping at Doheny from Sunday to Tuesday this week and I was lucky enough to be at the memorial and see the paddle out for Velzy. There was a ceremony and speakers that talked about his life for an hour and then there was a paddle out and an honor circle for him and I watched from the Dana Point Jetty, I had never seen one of these circle in person but it was huge when people were paddling out it seemed as if the line of them would never end, there were photographers and helicopters flying over the circle, it was a wonderful sight. Also while the ceremony was on people brought their Velzy boards, there were all differnt kinds of them; longboards, paddleboards, bellyboards, some shortboards, and some boards with his V fin. I couldn’t believe all of the Velzy boards that were there, there had to be over a hundred. All of his friends brought there woodie wagons to the memorial and the had his logo on their tire covers. There was also a pot luck luau after the paddle out.
