This thread is interesting for me. I went to James Campbell with Herbert Pruse in 1963 and 1964. Surfed Officers a lot and Iroquis Capehart housing beach. Surfed with Kevin Johns a lot. Was there when Rick Johns died surfing… Herb mostly picked on me a lot along with Winchester Panoke. They were lots bigger than me then. I was a skinny haole. But strangely enough as a Chaplains Assistant (Army) in Texas Herb walks in for “help”. He didn’t recognize me, but I knew immediately who he was and stood up. It was funny, took him a long time and I did not make it easy for him, but he did finally remember me.
I still go back to the islands for surf, being old and gray is a benefit nowadays…LOL Steve
E Steve! Herb was from EB RD where Paul, myself, MG, Lester E., Butch P., Doug Kingsley, Nate Moody, John Sadowski, Charley M. were from. There others too. Winchester Panoke lived across the street from me. Norman Nauka, his cousin lived with me and my family. its a Hawaiian thing. Kevins brother was Rick Johns who passed in 63’ surfing. Herb had issues when we were young and it caused me many situations in high school. However, as a Chaplins Assistant you knew the importance of forgiveness. As an Associate Pastor I too ad too forgive many. No Herb never picked on me cause I was one big hawaiian that never take crap from anyone but, when I was really young older neighborhood kids use to beat me every day. I mean I was like 4 and they were 3rd and 4th graders. Needless to say it formed some lasting scars. This happened when I lived in Kalihi. Today I’m a better person for it. Its not what happened but what we choose to do about it.
An den we had Doze, rememba, and bottle tops. And bumbuchas and peeries. Eggets. I think it was Naky that had the metal top. All da rest of us had wood. U no could split his top…Paul…
Steve! Unless you freguented Ewa Beach Rd I don’t think we would have met unless of course surfing. I attended Kamehameha since 5th grade so wasn’t at the schools in EB or Ewa. Herb also lived on the Road. He still surfs as do a bunch of us. I’ve been livingon Maui since 71-72. Kevin moved there around 66-67. My moms family is from Maui, Lanai, Molokai. Dad from Hawaii Island. My father like many other neighbor Island people moved to Oahu for the opportunity of finding better work. Since the Illegal Overthrow of our Kingdom it became increasingly harder for kanaka (Hawaiians) to find good paying jobs. We weren’t allowed to practice our culture, traditions and our language was banned. Statistics dictate that once a people lose those very important things you pretty much lose who you are. A plan used by many to assimilate orginal peoples into another peoples culture.
the way I heard, it was at Chun s Reef North shore. No real answer as to why …Either hit by his board or the bottom. I was going to Confirmation classes with Rick Johns to Gloria Dei Lutheran church at the time.
It wasn’t Chun’s that Rick died at, but one of the little coves to the west of Waimea bay, the surf was rather small and he dove off his board and hit a rock head first
It wasn't Chun's that Rick died at, but one of the little coves to the west of Waimea bay, the surf was rather small and he dove off his board and hit a rock head first
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There is a spot now called Alligators, which was originally named ''Doc's Rocks'' that has a decent smaller wave, over a dangerously shallow bottom. As I recall, it's the last parking area makai of Kam Hwy, just before you get to Waimea, from the Chun's area. Sounds like the kind of spot you are describing. I surfed it once, with Doc White, and did not feel comfortable there because it was so shallow.
Saw Albert Ferrera today. Talked a little but after I remembered Jimmy and Cathy Lavine. What ever happenned to them? Have’nt heard about them for about 40 years. And what about Oogy, lived Fort Weaver Road side across from Albert?
Hey Paul. Next time you see Albert tell him I send my aloha. Thanks. I hung quite a bit with Oogy back in the days. His mom remarried a guy in the military, sold their house and I think they left Ewa Beach before he graduated from Campbell, or shortly after that. He would have been a 73' grad, I think. I never heard from him again. Trying to think of his real name? Portagee or Spanish name? Albert might remember. We all hung out together.
Paul. I remember Oogy's name: Nick Pedro. He had a younger sister too. And do you remember Bill Gerrad? He used to ride with us. He lived between my house and Albert's. Did you check your e-mail? I sent a bunch of Bali/Indonesian photos. Laters, Mike
Hey Mike. Yes I do remember Bill. Remember Terry Adams from Haubush side and Mike Hubbord.? Terry had a Husquvarna and Mike had a Penton. My first introduction into exotic dirt bikes. I was still riding my 69 Kawasaki BushWacker. Everytime I took a jump my footpegs would fold under the frame. I welded a pipe across the bottom of the frame to keep them straight. We used to ride Waipahu dirt track and Kaneohe Motocross Track. After riding Terry’s Husky, my mind was set. But before I got my Husky, I went through a 71 Yamaha 175 Enduro which went to Herb Pruse and a 72 Bultaco Matadore which went to Nate Moody. Then I got my 73 Husky 250 WR. Best bike I ever had. In our days Mike, we saw lands of Hawaii that will never be seen again. Just lucky I guess. …Paul…
“There is a spot now called Alligators, which was originally named
‘‘Doc’s Rocks’’ that has a decent smaller wave, over a dangerously
shallow bottom. As I recall, it’s the last parking area makai of Kam
Hwy, just before you get to Waimea, from the Chun’s area. Sounds
like the kind of spot you are describing. I surfed it once, with Doc
White, and did not feel comfortable there because it was so shallow.”
In the late 70’s I would surf Alligators. Super shallow however there were some good days to be had. I can see were you can get killed there!
Hey Ding, I think that spot you talk about was called uppers. There was a large opening along the road where you could park. Rocky shoreline so you needed to know how to get in and out. We surfed there a lot from about '73 through '76. My brother’s classmate had a family shack up the hill from there so we called it Keahi’s. That spot was usually a right, but there was a short left. There are natural lava rock jetties on both sides of this spot, but I don’t remember it being really shallow, at least not where we were surfing which was outside. On big days you could see way down past Waimea and down towards Chun’s. Sometimes it was better to paddle in at Marijuanas because there was sand, but there was a mean rip that would run along the beach then out along the jetty.
The next spot down was called Marijuanas, and it was very shallow there, but it had a nice sandy beach. That was a really good left, very much like pipe. We had another friend who’s family had a house at Marijuanas, so we called that Lisa’s.
All along that section of road there were houses until you get down to Alligator rock which was the next spot, and it was a right. Leftovers is just down from there.
There’s a lot of houses on the cliffs between Uppers and Waimea now, so it’s possible that there may be another spot closer to Waimea, but I’ve never surfed it.
There is beach access to Alligators and Marijuanas and some parking along the Hwy. When you go down the path…A.'s is on the left and M.'s off to the right. Surfed M’s a couple times…good place to get away from the throngs.
Aloha Mike! Mahalo for the info concerning Kevin, already on the coconut wireless calling Maui guys and responding to his daugthers.For those of us that are still here it helps us to realize that life is but a fleeting momment. Best we make it right for ourselves now and not let time slip and its too late.
Those were good days Paul. Riding was an extention of surfing for us all I think. We were the only ones exploring the Wainae Range on dirtbikes then. You pretty much blazed many of the tracks we found. I loved my Husky too; I had Robbie McDonald's 250 WR. I bought from him after he bought the CR for racing at Kahuku track. I'm now riding a 200cc KTM 2 stroke, and a 750cc Africa Twin, Honda, which wqas made specifically for the Paris to Dakar rally. Both great machines. Not sure how many more years of riding I have in me, but still going! Indonesia is amazing!