OK. I’m enjoying Solo’s power surfer thread. So here’s an extension of that theme. The first that come to mind for me are Gerry Lopez, Dane Kealoha, and Saun Thomson. MikeLopez and Thomson on rounded pin singles. Dane could probably do it on anything. Mike
Butch, and Jock.
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OK. I’m enjoying Solo’s power surfer thread. So here’s an extension of that theme. The first that come to mind for me are Gerry Lopez, Dane Kealoha, and Saun Thomson. MikeLopez and Thomson on rounded pin singles. Dane could probably do it on anything. Mike
Rory Russell, Rabbit, Cheyne, Lopez, Tomson, M. Ho, Carroll, Crawford, Dunn, Buttons.
greenough had a habit of getting pretty deep…
MP
Davey Miller, Backdoor Pipe, 5-fin Bonzer by Malcom Campbell. late 80’s-early 90’s.
Glad I got to see this show in person. Hard to believe some of the beasts he’d pull
it up on.
Mike
Besides the aforementioned greats, I’ve always admired those unsung rippers, known only at their home breaks, but surfing on a different level than most of their peers. I had this one friend, James O., a short stocky little Japanese guy much like myself that had this knack to pull into and squeeze himself into some really tiny tubes. Although they werent epic, inside reef Pipe barrels, it was still amazing to watch, how he could fit himself in those tiny, gutless tubes was beyond my comprehension…I thought that took a lot of talent. He shaped his own boards too…little 5’4" single finned diamond tails, circa 1972.
Derek,
I know what you mean about the unsung. In the 60’s, there was a kid at Sunset, named Alton Taveras, that flat ripped, in a smooth flowing, yet powerful style. I don’t think his skill was ever recognized outside that local area. Tiger Espere was a contemporary of his, that did get the recognition. I used to let Tiger ride my board, before he had one of his own.
Hmmmm. Surfers & the boards (and where) that road the tube better than their peers ?
Butch van Ardsdale & his log at Pipe / Greenough & velo at the Ranch and in NSW / Michael Peterson & a semi egg in Queensland / Rabbit & a single fin at Kirra and in Indo / Lopez & a “Bolt” at Pipe / Michael Ho & single fin at Backdoor / Shaun Thompson & another forward foiled single at JBay and on the North Shore / MR & a twinny at Off the Wall (remember “Free Ride” with Thompson & MR in the tube together …) / Tom Curren & twinny, thruster, and any other tweaked device he waxed up and put his feet into at Rincon, Backdoor, Indo, & SW France / Tom “Tubey Coral” Carroll & a single fin and a modern thruster in Indo and at Pipe / Shane Dorian & modern thruster & tow boards at Pipe, Backdoor, & Teahupoo / Bruce & Andy Irons & modern thruster on Kauai as groms and at Backdoor, Pipe, Cloudbreak, Restaurants, Teahupoo, SW France (these guys have been and still are exploring so deep it’s ridiculous - ditto one Kelly “Freak Tube Rider” Slater) / Dean Morrison & modern thruster in Queensland and South Pacific reefs (often times overlooked but an amazing tube rider forehand and backhand - just ask Slater about his duel with him in the Chile WCT or Andy Irons about heats with him at Teahupoo) / Kelly Slater & modern thruster anywhere (try to recall the show he put on at Restaurants in a CT two years ago) / Bobby Martinez & modern thruster in the South Pacific / and very honorable mention to Fred Pattachia, both Hobgoods, and Cory Lopez on modern thrusters.
I guess it could be a little off to mention so many of the current CT guys as the question was “better than their peers,” but how can you deny any of those mentioned some credit. Anyway there are so many extra surfers these days that I suppose the list of present surfers who ride the tube better than their peers could be extended a little bit.
Any comments or input on what designs ride the tube best past and present from Swaylockians ? I believe “relatively” shorter thrusters (for the given conditions) with adequate rocker seem to get pretty deep and do a great job of steering through multiple deep hollow sections. The shorter boards help guys park themselves pretty deep right from the start and keep them deep longer as they don’t tend to outrun the wave as a board with a longer rail line would.
Jamie O’Brein
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Davey Miller, Backdoor Pipe, 5-fin Bonzer by Malcom Campbell. late 80's-early 90's.Glad I got to see this show in person. Hard to believe some of the beasts he’d pull
it up on.
Mike
Ahh. That was my era out there. Davey, Marc Price, The Johnston brothers, Paul Dunn, Dane Johnny Boy, Curren, Tom Muramoto, the Foster Brothers. Two stand out above them all, though. Head and shoulders.
Dane and Bird. Film can’t do them justice. You had to have been there. Seen where they took off and what they did so deep in the barrel. Dane and Bird.
All the best barrel riding boards I’ve had had certain things in common. I’m talking real barrels here. Not setting up some little doubleup section, or stalling for a coverup. I mean impossibly deep full speed drive, floater on the foamball, full extension driving and weaving, no room for error, all completely invisible from shore barrels. In my case Backdoor and OTW. The boards:
More volume, softer rails, lower rocker, a little bit more length.
steve coletta at sewers
Greenough and Steve Lis
Neal Purchase Junior. Ask anyone in Coolangatta who the best barrel rider is and they will say him. Backside at Kirra and the Superbank he stands out in a town full of amazing tuberiders. i think you could make a good case for him being the most barreled surfer in history.(if you’ve seen the Suberbank in full cry you’ll understand why I say that…20 second tuberides are not uncommon). His father makes his equipment and all his boards seem to have widepoint forward of centre.
bambam- lay off the “R” word…it does two things: 1. it demonstrates that you are socially “r”
- it offends many here on this site and some significant people in the surfing world-( i don’t think you would want them knocking on your door to explain)-those of us that have siblings, sons/daughters, significant others with disabilities.each of whom, are shining starts in their own way.the “r” word to us is like using the “n” word to others.
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Neal Purchase Junior. Ask anyone in Coolangatta who the best barrel rider is and they will say him. Backside at Kirra and the Superbank he stands out in a town full of amazing tuberiders. i think you could make a good case for him being the most barreled surfer in history.(if you’ve seen the Suberbank in full cry you’ll understand why I say that…20 second tuberides are not uncommon). His father makes his equipment and all his boards seem to have widepoint forward of centre.
I’ll second Lennox’s post after personally surfing with Neal. One of the best I’ve seen…
The guy’s from a local shop that had Neil Senior’s boards and now Neil Jnr’s told me that Neil Snr is no longer shaping due to ill health. I had a Neil Snr widowmaker which I sold just recently and Neil Jnr’s new boards look really good and fast.
Good one Matt.
Its very nostalgic to read the two threads most powerful best tube rider ect…if the magazines and contest are a measure of that then you got it right,but the world is full of waves and surfers and the stories that could be told about local legends world wide that could hold their own against anyone even if it was only a small frame in time would be staggering.and if you are there to expeirence those moments then you were very blessed.at this very moment someone you never heard of is blowing minds in their local areas that you will never read about does it make them less valid or all a mute point,ask all those guys you mentioned and they will mention some else, the chain keeps us together. aloha…
OK. I’ll add a couple of local boys stories. First, down in San Diego. Nate at the Jetty. In a mini tube for 7 or 8 seconds with his lips turned up toward the roof of the tube sucking air as it went on and on. Second, here in my current locale. R. in the tube in a ‘pig dog’ stance. The tube was heaving and changing shape from round to oval, over and over, and R. was changing the shape of his body as the thing breathed. Unreal tube riders. Both of them. Mike