Legendary North Shore and California waterman, shaper and friend, Pat Flecky died yesterday in Pismo Beach, CA. 06.09.2012
RIP Flecky. We will always miss you. Pat’s Memorial Facebook page is at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/PatFleckyMemorialPage
Paddle-out is scheduled for Saturday, June 23rd at 3pm - Pismo Pier North-side
Rest in peace my handsome brother with the big heart! I love you and I miss you soooo much! <3
Rest in peace my handsome brother with the big heart! I love you and I miss you soooo much! <3
Everything i know about Glassing a surfboard Pat taught me.Pat knew that i loved surfing more than i knew myself. A few years back Pat actually worked in my garage over on Nice ave in Grover Beach,my children loved Pat very much,they always asked him to stay for supper. I still have one of Pats shaping stands and i have a couple of templates of boards he shaped. The last i spoke with Pat was at Park Street during The Memorial Day Weekend, Pismo Beach.Pat was always in the "woodwork" if you will, pretty hard not to run into him.I Loved Pat for who he was and he always encouraged me to "glass more blanks" and to surf "Pretty" and keep it smooth.I certainly will keep the expierience of his close frienship and craftsmanship im my heart.
I'm still in Shock. Pure and simply in shock over this sad news. I'll admit to being in tears as I type.
I first met Pat in 1971 I was just out of the Army and living in my Van in Encinitas. he befriended me an unknown guy getting back into the water after two years without surfing.
Over the years he shaped a great many boards for me. Some of my all time favorite rides were made by Pat. We were friend, roommates and he and did some work together. To this day some of my favorite memories are surfing with Pat. I can recall with clarity an evening at Swamis. I watched as I paddle out as pat took a late drop, pulled into the pocket and was backlit by the setting sun. Like a classic surf photos. It was a magic moment burnt into my memory. there were more sessions then I can recall. there was a time that pat and Sid Madden were the two dominate forces at Swamis.
Pat and family stayed with me at the Vulcan Ave House for a time until they could find a place. That House was a home to some colorful people,Bill Heal, Sader Toth, Chris Ahrens all lived there for a time and then there were 2 surfers guys from Wales came to dinner and stayed there for a about 3 months. But they are part of other stories.
Around 1976 I was living with Pat his then wife Jackie and their Son Jason in Carlsbad. We were surfing warm water jetties in Carlsbad. Pat was pulling into these tubes one wave after another just ripping! I took a nasty wipe out hit my head on rock and floated face down to the surface Pat rushed to the hospital I had a nice gash and a mild concussion. Thanks Pat you may have saved my life.
It was around then that Pat and Mike Croteau opened a shop in Carlsbad, they made some very Progressive boards for that time. The first bat tail I ever saw came out of that shop. I sold some boards for them in NJ and airbrushed Boards for Pat over the years. He was a one of a kind. A true free thinker and always looking to improve his boards. I saw some good times with Pat and yes was there in some hard times.
We lost touch for way to long just a few days ago I got his phone number we talked for about 2 hours he recalled that at a low point in his life i loaned him some money and gave him an old sander polisher. after 20 years he felt a need to repay me We had made tentative plans to have him shape me a board. Pat my old friend you did not need to repay me. I'm so glad that we had that Phone call I just wish that we could have had one more surf session maybe get a new Flecky under my feet. Your friendship was more then I could ever repay you. If anything I owe you. So here is my salute to you from that kook you befriended at Swamis. Aloha my friend the world is a lesser place now. You are missed .
Thanks for such a sweet remembrance of Pat. If wish you to, please share your thoughts on his memorial facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PatFleckyMemorialPage
There are some amazing tributes and images of Pat there too. So much love for such a sweet and gentle man.
The memorial and paddle out info is there too…6/13 3pm Pismo Pier.
Take care,
Judith
!?!?!? I can't believe this. Pat was a life force. He got me involved with the Ampsurf Org. What a loss!!
I'll be at the paddleout.
R.I.P. Pat. Really going to miss you.
Great looking Board, Jack was also an old friend from way back when he first started surfing on Long Beach Island, Beach Haven NJ.
The Board looks like it is in very good condition. With a little touch up and polishing that board could really shine again.
Pat shaped Country Surboards boards for us in the back shaping room of our surfshop, the Surf Hutt in the early 80’s on hwy 101 in Leucadia. He was a true
waterman, craftsman, and intervator…RIP
Pat was a friend and an inspiration to build surfboards far beyond the norm!I met Pat in Oceanside in 1984. He showed me some truly innovative boards and challenged me to do the same.Did anybody else see the board with a PVC pipe filled with water in it? He told me the water rushed forward to help propel the board forward when catching the wave. Wow! Anybody who knew him and has seen some of my creations, can surly see some of Pat in my creations. The surfboard industry needs more people like Pat! RIP my friend, Barry
I am sorry I missed this back in June. Was off line alot and generally don't pay much attention to the In Memorium page. After JG left Pismo; Pat should have emerged as "the" shaper on the Central Coast. Don't know whether he did or not as I left for Maui and never looked back. Glassed a few of his blanks at the "Chicken Ranch" in Los Berros. Had some good times with Pat and his buds Roger and Rodney. They had a small do it all shaping room in the ghetto by the sewer plant in Oceano. He told me once that he had a daughter on Kauai that he hadn't seen in years. His life was a bit of a struggle, but he did get respect from those who knew him. Wish I could have done something to help him back then, but I had my own problems. Still have a few "Flying Flecky Surfboards" lams and a few of the "Jack Haley" lams. Pat tried that one with Mike Haley's blessing, but Jack Jr. objected. I think Pat did an add once in the "board Forum" of Longboard Mag for the Jack Haley boards. If someone has the pic. it would be nice if you could scan and post it here. The board I riding currently sports a cutaway center fin that Pat foiled and gave to me. I think I still have a few "Black Fly" lams as well. No I don't think I'll give any of them away, but with the right printer I may make a few copies. I hope he found some happiness and long deserved recognition in his latter years. Lowel
Pat was a great friend to my family and myself. Pat will ALWAYS be in our hearts. He was great at everything he did even ding repairs. I had always fixed my own, but there were those ones that I just didn’t want to do. I had one that I had given to him one Monday eve. He called me up on Weds. and asked if he could come by to get some money so he could buy some materials. He showed up about 6:30 pm with my board. I couldn’t beleive he had finished it so quick, he said that he pushed my board ahead of everyone else cause he needed materials. He also had a bunch of trophies and told my kids that he wanted them to have them. That follwing Sunday I received a phone call early in the morning saying that Pat had Passed. R.I.P PAT. WE LOVE YOU.
So sorry to hear this, I didn’t realize this until months later. Sad news and was always good to see him in the water. thoughts and prayers to his family and friends
