Swaylockers,
I just wanted to let all of you know that Tuesday, 2 Dec 08, will be Tulie Clark’s 91st birthday.
Tulie, founding member of both the Palos Verdes Surfing Club (PVSC) and the San Onofre Surfing Club.
Tulie, Moe Minie, Fenton Scholes, and Leroy Grannis are the only living members of the PVSC.
He was a paddleboard contemporary of Pete Peterson, who beat Pete on a 12’ Meyers Buddy paddleboard in 1935 at Venice Beach.
Surfboard designer who worked along side Bob Simmons and the kids; Joe Quigg and Matt Kivlin.
“Blackie” August and Loren Harrison were two of his many lifelong friends.
Tulie, a famous home builder during the 50’s-80’s, built, and lived in, the 2nd house from the Malibu Pier in the late 40’s. He sold that house because none of his friends wanted to come up and surf there with him. For their style, the wave was too fast.
Founder of the early 60’s International Surfing Magazine.
He was surfing well into his 80’s, and at 91 with Alzhimers, can still tell you where the best surf on the Palos Verdes coast is during a strong WNW swell.
Over the past 5 years, he has had to sell most of his surfing life: PVSC jacket, Simmon’s balsas, all 30’s-40’s paddleboard trophies, original Grannis and Doc Ball photography,… etc to pay for his board and care.
I have the pleasure of being his friend who loves listening to his amazing stories of California surfing history.
If you are in the LA South Bay area of Redondo Beach on any Tuesday at noon, drop into Hennessey’s on Catalina, to join Tulie, Moe, and Fenton for lunch. Lunchers include writers Joel T Smith and Matt Warshaw, Hap Jacobs,and other historic South Bay shapers and surfers.Nat Young has joined us as well, updating his surfing history book.
Thanks for reading this post and joining with me to wish Tulie a happy birthday.