Hello one and all: I’m trying to reach Fred Van Dyke for a story I’m doing about surfboard leashes. Phone/e-mail would be most helpful. He was a big wave surfer here at Ocean Beach (SFO) back in the day. Surfed without a leash, which would be unheard of today. Thanks, JD
my e-mail is
talk to Bill Hickey, Hal Satler , Rodger Meindinger,Van Dyke moved away so long ago because ocean beach had such a high mortality rate… the heavily settled santa cruz…talk to the sustaining members…hickey knows… the guys who still doesnt wear a leash I bet the no leash guys are still there … and maybe they went to highschool in the citty too…Wheres Mike Kearney he surfed adobe reef with Skip Crudo … ambrose …the truth is out there…What about Mojes of Frank Matlin , he sold me a balsa gun in 1963 before I knew what a gun was,those guys were guards for the city and surfed
by the way surfing in the city started at Fleishaker’s, good swimmers became surfers 'fleishaker’s was the largest outdoor salt water heated pool in the world…mayor Feinstein filled it in with hte rubble from the old great highway…Many life guards at fleishakers were Hawaiian surfers…Eddie Ukini and Cliff Kamaka…taught my mom to swim…they altered generations of san francisco children including the van Dykes… ambrose …second generation working on the debt…
ambrose, I’m gonna see Bill Hickey in about an hour, got any messages? BTW, Van Dyke’s daughter lives in town, he comes through regularly. http://www.blakestah.com/fins/
JD, There’s still a few Carps who surf OB without leashes, even on the really gnarly days. One guy out there, a guy my friends and I refer to as “twin fin guy” (because he rides a giant, homemade twinfin) is ALWAYS leashless. He’s a legend. Rumour has it Renneker was out on a really large day being photographed for some article or something and along comes twin-fin guy. He drops into a huge one and pulls a spinner off the bottom with the wave shacking around him – leashless of course. Funnily enough, I met Fred in the parking lot at Sloat one winter day about seven years ago. I pulled up on one of those marginal days and there here’s this old timer definitely taking it all in. He looked very familiar but I couldn’t place it. We struck up a conversation right away. We talked about all sorts of stuff including how he used to surf OB without a wetsuit, and how he and his friends were the first to surf Four Mile and so on. He was a super nice guy. No hang ups. Before i parted, he gave me his business card: Fred Van Dyke “Big Wave Pioneer” I still have it – I’ll send you the info. mp
JD’s question reminds me of a funny story. One of the young FL pro’s came back from a winter in HI walked into my shaping room and related to me a harrowing story. His leash broke at Sunset and he had to swim in. This was on a 10’ day and his life flashed before him many times during the swim. Without a doubt the most frightening experience of his life. I then had to share with him the fact that before about 1975 we all swam in, everyday, all day long. He was somewhat shocked. He never knew anyone had surfed without a leash in HI. Wait a minute… the Duke had one… didn’t he?
tell bill I was thinking of him the other dat I was laminating a 12’8’’ tandem board when i saw that beadof resin escape surface tension and run away accross the top of the resin pool not yet soaked into the glass…aloha from waipouli …ambrose… always in line behind Bill Hickey
had the pleasur of meeting and talking with Mr. Van Dyke about 12 years ago-a true gentleman and of course waterman…
Can’t wait to read your story on legropes.
I Talked to Fred Van Dyke at the Lobero Theater as he was touring with some of the documentary film subjects from the movie “Surfing for Life”. He seemed like a true gentleman and regular guy. The film maker will be able to point you in the right direction. Good luck in your search. David L. Brown can be contacted by email at Docmaker1@ aol.com. His mailing address is 274 Santa Clara St., Brisbane, CA 94005. Phone: (415)468-7469.
Bill thought that was very ambrose, he also told me an ambrose story about your pivotal role in the shortboard revolution in Northern California…touching, really. http://www.blakestah.com/fins/
I had the privilege of meeting him in person. Knowing of his ongoing exploits in big surf, I had to ask how he did it - what was his secret? Was he on some specialized diet? Did he have some sort of training regiment? “Easy!”, he said - “Read this book. It changed my life.” The book had a rather corny title and an even cornier red, white and blue cover. I picked up a copy though and read it. If you’re reading this Fred - Thanks! Oh yeah - “Diet For a New America” by John Robbins (heir to the Baskin/Robbins ice cream throne.)