A long time ago 
Saw it when he did it. So what’s your point??
It had to be 1979, I packed up 2 of my employees before thanksgiving and beat it cross country in 44 hours for a much needed surf trip with points and reefs. We had worked our way from San Diego to Santa Cruz and at the Lane on a nice sizable morning were suiting up for a go out. Jim Wilson was setting up his tripod on the cliff to shoot me and his brother Kurt to record our adventure when he was approached by what must have been a local.
Mr. local said he better put the camera away before he and the camera went over the cliff into the water, the amazing thing was, there were only a half dozen or less surfers out that morning and the hope for the future was the groms, all the older black wet suitted, clear board single fins could barely stand up, let alone ride well
How old are you McDing ?
No secret message or specific point , just an interesting time .
John , Roger Adams and myself went on trip to film a surf movie in 1968 with Fred Windisch :-)
We went all the way to Mexico with no surf to film other than 1 day at the Ranch :-)
John was riding a board I shaped .
Fun memories .
The infamous John Scott. This would have been more like 1970, or so. Maybe '69? Poor guy was tilting at windmills
Funny that you got hassled in '79, Jim. I was in SC in '79 and took quite a few photos. No one ever said a damn thing to me.
I shot the Hook, PP, Rivermouth, The Lane, etc.
I think I remember that rig, too. I’d say around 79 though. Could have been some other colorful local at that time. It’s a colorful place. Or, used to be. Mostly, it’s just crowded. mike
John Scott was right it appears. :-)
I remember seeing that setup too. Reminds me of Dr. Bronner’s soap bottles.
Wasn’t the story that he took that photo of Stockton Ave. that got made into the Surfer poster, and that act of exposure sent him far out the other direction?
He was really pissed he only got 25.00 for it .
I go way back and lived on the Eastside during the '80s - '90s. I saw his rig at the Lane around the time Jim and Mike are talking about. I lived down in SLO Conty during that time frame and made regular runs both North and South.
So what is your age ?
In the late 60’s early 70’s John posted his comments on cardboard nailed to posts across town .
Thanks so much for posting that pic! For me it brings back memories of that time so well. That particular iteration of his message was '81-sih. You can see the wooden railing in the background that was built around then, also the “Just say no” reference…
I remember seeing his car at every contest I would go and see… '79 - '82 ish
His points were and are still valid, imho, if a bit cranky! - I think I can agree that when I “de-pressurize my wave riding”, I enjoy it that much more.
GG - do you know if he is still around Santa Cruz?
I’m 48.
John passed away .
I was in Hawaii at this time , thats why I could not date it myself .
Knowing a posters age is helpful in understanding what they have seen and thier responses , thats all :-)
I heard Keith Melville once say (from memory):
“Making money off surfing ruined surfing.”
So I always assumed he was related to Brenda, but never knew for sure and knew more of them than knew them. Brenda has done well and Hotline is a pillar in SC.
Knowing how old you are is realtive to this misunderstanding .
John and Doc are not the same Scott - Doc was a main force in bringing contests to Santa Cruz .
RIP John Scott - Hope he’s riding a big empty set wave somewhere in the sky…
I’ve made a copy of the posted photo, it really does capture a unique person and a very certain point in our history
True. Many people make this incorrect assumption/connection. John was not related to “Pro Plugs” Doc Scott.
There’s never a shortage of grumpy old bokes willing to tell you about what has “ruined surfing”. It might be competitions, commercialisation, surf-mags, SUPs, the internet, blah blah blah. From my observations some people are just plain negative.
I have a freind who is 72, and has been surfing for well over fifty years. He is basically a 72 year old grommet, and is the sort of person that energises everyone he comes in contact with. He’s as stoked on surfing now as he was in the 1960’s. I want to be like him. I don’t want to be the sad grump complaining about things.
Surfing is what you make it. It’s up to the individual really. Take control. Be thankful for the blessing that is surfing.
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.
So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.
Every year is getting shorter; never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I’d something more to say.