Just a little notice that we only have two weeks left open this year if you want to book a surf trip to come hang and surf with me at my casa in Mexico. Open is Sept 25 to Oct 2 and Dec 5 to 12. I’d love to surf with ya. If you wanna have some fun and ride some perfecto waves email me for info now. corkysurf@aol.com
August 30, 2009
LOCAL TALENT PART 5/ DOHENY
LOCAL TALENT PART 5
By Corky Carroll
This week I am getting back to my little series on what I like to call “local talent.” These are stories about the surf scene at one of our local beaches here in beautiful Orange County at a certain time in history.
Today I am going to take a swipe at Doheny State Park in the early to mid 1960’s, before they built the boat harbor at Dana Point and all but destroyed what was once a great surf spot and the main afternoon hangout for many of the top surf dogs in the area.
Doheny sits in the lee of the point at Dana Point. Because of that it was both cursed and blessed as a surf spot. The fact that the waves had to wrap around the point made them much smaller than the rest of the local areas. But the upside was that the prevailing afternoon westerly winds blew across the point and became offshore at Doheny. When everywhere else was choppy and blown out it was clean and good at “DoHo.” That is what made it an afternoon hangout. We would all surf at Trestles, Cotton’s, San Onofre, Salt Creek or one of the other OC surf spots in the mornings and then head to Doheny for the afternoon.
There were a number of social surf factions on hand in those days. The lifeguards were Peter Van Dyke and Bob Moore. They were kind of the kings of the beach. Lorren Harrison and his family were there and were royalty. Lorren was a classic dude who came from the early days of California surfing in the 1930’s. He was one of those all around waterguys who paddled outrigger canoes, did tandem surfing, body surfing, paddleboard racing, the whole range of surf related water activities. His son and daughter, Lorren and Marion, were both excellent surfers and water people too.
There were the locals too. Joey Severson, younger brother of John Severson who started SURFER magazine, was a afternoon regular. There were two twin brothers named Hans and Rolf Ashauer who, along with Tommy Silstra were the up and coming dogs from the local Capistrano Palisades area. I used to sleep in Tommys garage on the weekends sometimes when I would ride the Greyhound Bus down to San Clemente when I was in the eight grade. There and in the backroom at Benny Merrils house. I loved to surf Cotton’s or San Onofre and then Doheny.
There were also some guys who had moved down to Dana Point from somewhere inland and became excellent surfers and arch locals at Doheny. Daryl Diamond was more or less the leader of the pack. I gave him the nickname of “The Dog” somewhere along the line and it stuck. Doggie was a beautiful surfer with really clean style and pro class moves. He would go on to win a few contests but became more well known for being the delivery truck driver for Clark Foam. He used to plan out his surfboard blank deliveries around swells. If you were a surfboard builder it was good to be on the good side of the Doggie. It was one of the most ideal surf jobs in the industry if you liked surfing all the good spots up and down the coast and getting paid at the same time.
Along with Daryl was a guy they called “Flash.” His name was something like Gary Michael Blash, but don’t hold me to that being exactly right. I really liked that dude and we wound up in Sun Valley, Idaho much later working as waiters at the Chart House and skiing together. I always just called him Flash and so did everybody else. And there was John Newbower and the “Rhino,” Dave Patome. Rhino would charge the North Shore in Hawaii and also would up in the mountains later on.
Ronnie Sizemore was a regular there too. Of course Ron went on to become much more than “local” talent. He was from Laguna Beach and became United States Surfing Champion in 1961 when he was only 16 years old and entered the Men’s division anyway. Ron used to ride his bike up and down the coast pulling his board on the back on a cart that he made. I remember that he was one of the dudes who I would watch whenever he showed up.
The hot girl surfer was Joey Hamasaki. She was really one fo the best women surfers I ever saw and for some reason never gets mentioned when they speak of the great surf chicks. She was one for sure.
There was a kid whose dad was the park ranger too. I can’t remember his name right now, but he was the one who showed us how to sneak into the attic above the girls shower room. There was excellent viewing of all the hot babes when they went for the showers. Hey, at thirteen or so years old, that was pretty cool stuff. Times were different then. Hmmmm, or not.
August 23, 2009
GOLDEN BEAR REUNION
GOLDEN BEAR REUNION
By Corky Carroll
I just got information sent to me about a pair of Golden Bear Reunion concerts that will take place on Friday and Saturday nights, September 25 and 26. For those of you that were not around during the 60’s and 70’s, the Bear was one of the premiere small concert venues on the West Coast. All of the top acts, with the exception of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, in Rock, Blues and Folk music played the Golden Bear at one time or another. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Elvin Bishop, Linda Rhondstat, Jackson Browne, the Turtles, the Tubes, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, on and on and on. It was a cool club to go hear music at. And it was right here in Huntington Beach, about a block south of the pier on Pacific Coast Highway.
I saw so many great shows there and wound up playing there myself a number of times when I was a struggling musician in the 70’s. The place is legendary in music circles.
The Reunion shows are going to be held at the Waterfront Hilton and feature some of the bands and musicians that played the Bear often in those days. On Friday night, the 25th the lineup includes HONK, my personal favorite band. HONK is from Laguna Beach and was one of the most popular acts around here during the early 70’s. They toured with both the Beach Boys and Chicago. You will NOT want to miss them. On the same bill that night are David Lindley, Ray Manzarek and Jack Tempchin. What a great show this will be. Jack is one of the great songwriters of all time. He wrote hit songs for the Eagles including “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Slow Dancing”, and “Already Gone.” David Lindley is fantastic. Most well known as Jackson Brownes sidekick for years but also know as a great headliner on his own.
On Saturday night, the 26th, the lineup is the “Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,” “CHRIS HILLMAN & HERB PEDERSEN” plus STEVE NOONAN. The Dirt Band needs no introduction from me, they are legendary. Chris Hillman was one of the main players in the “Birds.” And Steve Noonan is also one of the great folksingers and songwriters. Another fantastic night of great music. I would recommend going to both nights to not miss any of this good stuff.
There are ticket options that include dinner or no dinner. There is one option that includes appetizers but no dinner and one where you can actually buy a whole table that includes ten seats. Each show will seat less than 300 people, just like the Bear did. As an added plus is that there are both early and late show each night. What a cool event.
All information on the shows can be found at http://goldenbearreunion.com/tickets.
SURF CULTURE INFLUENCE
THE SURF CULTURE INFLUENCE
By Corky Carroll
There is no doubt that the surfing culture has a huge influence on the general population and has had for a half a decade. It has had surges where surfing was more in the national limelight that at other times, kinda like waves. The release of the movie “Gidget” started the whole thing in 1959. The 1960’s saw surfing jet into the national media in a giant way. Like Godzilla rummaging through Toyoko or somethin’. Beach Movies, Surf Music, Surfwear and the beginning of professional surfing.
During the ebb and flow of what would be a number of ups and downs for the surfing industry over all these years there has been a growing “brand name” awareness not only within the surfing community itself, but also on both the national and international front. I am constantly amazed at places I see somebody wearing a surf brand t-shirt or hat or sweatshirt. Surf stickers on cars in the middle of places that nobody could possible really be a surfer. Or maybe surfing has just gotten so popular that there actually are people who surf in those places? Hmmmm, that’s food for thought. With the current crowds in the lineup it certainly seems like everybody on the planet is now a surfer. I saw photos of President Obama bodysurfing in Hawaii. He looked pretty stylish too. Not sure if he board surfs though.
About four or five years ago I was driving through the mountains in the center of Mexico, at least 8 hours from the closest coastline. I looked up and saw a billboard for some sort of Quiksilver appointed car. I’m thinking, “who around here would even know what Quiksilfer is?” But then a bit later, on the same trip, I was in a mall near Mexico City and saw stores all selling not only Quik but most of the other top surf brands as well.
What all this is leading up to is something I saw on television today. We have Dish as our server and due to the fact that my wonderful wife, the Extremely Kool Kika, is Mexican and would rather watch Spanish-speaking programs, we have the “Latin Package.” Kika was watching some show that is kinda like a Spanish version of Judge Judy. People come on who are fighting about something and the judge, who is a Latin chick, makes a ruling and everybody goes away either happy or angry. I normally am doing something else while she watches these shows because my Espanole is not good enough to be able to understand much. But this one got my attention. This dude was asking for weekend visitation rights to see his baby son. He had been in prison when his girlfriend came to tell him that she was 5 months pregnant with his baby and it was a boy and she was going to name him Pablo. The guy was all happy about it and gave her some money and even went as far as to have “PABLO” tattooed across his stomach in huge letters. But when he got out of prison the girl had married some other dude and they would not give him visitation. And the other dudes name was Pablo and he claimed it was his baby and not the dudes that was in jail. What drew me into the show was the fact that the jail guy was wearing a Hurley t-shirt and the Pablo dude was in a Quiksilver. I am cracking up thinking that here are two guys who probably have never been to the beach in their lives fighting it out on Latin television in surfwear. I love this world.
So the debate goes on and the wife claims that she had been dating the jail guy but when he got arrested she started seeing the Pablo guy and it was all sort of at the same time so she is not really sure who the dad is. Then, as happens on these kinds of shows, the judge announces that they have the results of a DNA test and have the name of the father. I’m thinking, is it gonna be Hurley or Quiksilver?
It was neither. It was some dude named Fernando. I was just hoping that he was gonna come out wearing a ‘CORKY” shirt. I woulda been so stoked. But they didn’t bring that dude out. Nobody was real happy. Except for Quik and Hurley.
SURF CITY LIVES UP TO ITS NAME
SURF CITY IS LIVING UP TO THE NAME
By Corky Carroll
The other night I was sitting on the outside deck of the Shorebreak Hotel having drinks with my pal, and Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, his wife Rockin’ Rhonda and my wife, the Extremely Kool Kika. It was a beautiful summer evening and as I was looking out at the new 5th Street area near the beach I couldn’t help but be amazed at how Huntington Beach has really embraced the concept of being “Surf City.” Even the hotel itself has a totally “surf” theme. Hot surf action videos playing huge on the lobby wall and all of the décor surf photos and art. I love this place. If I were visiting this would have to be where I would stay.
It’s not just the Shorebreak Hotel though. It’s all of downtown. When I was a kid this was not such a safe area to hang out after dark and in the early morning hours. I can remember having to step over passed out drunks on the sidewalk and in the doorways on Main Street and seeing used needles in the gutters while trying to make it down to the pier for early morning surf sessions. Not to mention the ladies of the night who hung out in the apartments which where over where Jack’s Surf Shop is now. They were always so friendly, yet scared the poo poo outta me and most of the rest of us gremlins.
In the later sixties the downtown area sort of turned into a surf version of Haight-Ashbury south. We used to refer to it as the “Surf Ghetto.” Surf Shops and head shops. Swirly stuff and paisley as far as the eye could see. I am not sure if it was much safer then either, but at least we didn’t have to step over the drunk guys anymore. Still, this was not your “family” kinda environment.
To say the change has been remarkable would be such a total understatement. Downtown Huntington Beach is not only user friendly in all aspects of the word but it is clean and pleasing to the eyes. I feel very safe taking my 12 and 17-year-old children down there at anytime of the day or night. And it truly is “Surf City.” You have a good mix of surf orientated stores from Fig’s, a small “core” shop up on the third block next to Avilas El Ranchito Restaurant, to the biggies down on the corner of Main Street and P.C.H. Jack’s Surf Shop and Huntington Surf ‘n Sport. There are girls’ shops, clothing and shoe shops, a couple real estate offices and all the places to eat and drink that you could ask for. And now there is the new area on 5th Street with Rip Curl and a number of other new stores. This is a nice place to be. Especially if you are a surfer.
So I am sitting there with Dana and our wives and we are talking about our kids and our new surfboards and that kind of stuff. And the thought hits me, “Geeze, how did I get grown up and become my parents?” I was thinking that I sure wish I could be me at 13 and live here now. NOT that I would trade anything, just a passing thought.
MIKE HYNSONS NEW BOOK
MIKE HYNSON AND HIS NEW BOOK
By Corky Carroll
For those of you who don’t know who Mike Hynson is let me refresh your memory. Mike was one of the two guys, along with Robert August, who stared in Bruce Brown’s epic surfing movie the “Endless Summer.” He was also a very gifted surfboard shaper and designer back in the 1960’s. Earlier in the summer I got an email from Donna Klaasen, who is a long time friend, telling me that she had been working with Mike putting together a new book about Mike’s crazy life. It is being released right now.
I first met Mike in 1964 when the Endless Summer was finished and ready to be shown. Bruce Brown and Hobie Alter, of Hobie Surfboards, put together a promotional tour along the East Coast to premier the film in eleven cities. They got a Mobile Home and stuffed nine of us in it for the trip from Dana Point to New York City, down the coast to Miami Beach, and back. The crew included Hobie, Bruce, Phil Edwards, Mike, Joey Cabell and myself. I was fifteen at the time.
Mike and I hung out a lot on that trip and got to be pals. Over the next couple of years I didn’t see him much as he lived in San Diego and went to work shaping boards for Gordon and Smith.
In late 1966 I was working hard trying to come up with a workable design for a new shortboard. I had been trying a number of different shapes and was close to having it ready. I was on my way to surf Windansea in La Jolla one day and stopped by Mike’s house to say hello. He had a board lying in his backyard that looked pretty cool and I asked him if I could borrow it. I liked it a lot and rode it for a couple of weeks. The nose outline was the part that I liked the best and when I was finishing the design for the new shortboard I tried to make the nose very similar. In those days boards were not as technically sophisticated as today. They all were pretty similar in many ways. I used parts of boards that I liked for the rails, bottom, tail and overall outline. The hard part was making it all work together in a shape that was shorter than what we had been riding. The result was the “Mini-Model.” That was the first shortboard released into the surfing market.
When I had it done I went by Mike’s house, showed it too him, and thanked him for the inspiration for the nose outline. I also did my best to recruit him to come to work for Hobie, who I worked with. I was always trying to get the best talent on board in those days. Surfers as well as craftsmen. Mike was interested but for some reason didn’t want to talk to Hobie himself. So I went to him myself and convinced him to hire Mike as part of our shaping team. I really had no idea there was any history between the two of them other than that Mike had ridden a Hobie board in the Endless Summer. I learned all the rest in Mike’s new book.
For a couple of years Mike worked for Hobie then he moved on to other things. I had many great boards shaped by him and we were always pals. I pretty much lost contact with him in the early 1970’s and had no idea what he was up too or where he went until I read the book.
“Mike Hynson, Transcendental Surf Rebel.” That sums up the story. Mike was more of an outlaw than I suspected. I always knew that he and I lived in different worlds, but until now did not know just how different they were. The book is a great read and tells the story of a guy who definitely lived under the radar. From stealing boards from Hobie way before I met him to international drug smuggling. Mike had adventures that took way more nerve than I ever had. He was a surf criminal really. The only part of the book that I take exception to is that he seems to think that my entire design for the original “Mini-Model” was copied from him and that I got him the job with Hobie out of guilt. NOT TRUE. I got him the job with Hobie because I wanted the best guys on our team. And as a surfer / shaper / designer he was one of the best guys. Other than that I liked the book a lot.
CHRIS HAWK BENEFIT
CHRIS HAWK BENEFIT
By Corky Carroll
Last week I touched upon the fact that one of our local surfers, Chris Hawk, has come down with a very bad throat cancer. Chris is a longtime Huntington Beach surfer/shaper and a friend of many of us who have been around this town for a long time. He and his brothers, Sam and Tom, are part of the roots of the Huntington Beach surf culture, as we know it today.
It was in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s that the brothers Hawk began to make their mark on the local surf scene. Sam was the surf star of the family and gained recognition and respect on the North Shore of Hawaii with many memorable gutsy performances in big and dangerous surf at Sunset Beach and the Pipeline. Chris was also an excellent surfer but his mark in surfing came more as a master surfboard shaper. He worked under the legendary Dick Brewer for a number of years alongside Reno Abellira and Davie Abbott and became “the guy to go to” for many hard core local surfers up and down the California coast for years and years.
As with most of us when these kinds of things happen, Chris and his family were not fully prepared for this kind of bad thing to happen to them. Emotionally nobody is. But financially very few are either. Fighting cancer is very expensive. Very few of us can afford the kind of health insurance that covers all of these costs. Heck, very few of us can afford health insurance anymore period. I know all about that because I don’t have any either. It cost too much.
One thing that Chris has going for him is that he has a lot of friends. People who have known him over the years, people that he has made surfboards for and people that have shared great surf sessions with him here at the pier and other parts of Orange County and Hawaii. A few of them have put together a benefit night for him on August 28th. Starting at 5 P.M. friends are invited to gather at Avilas “El Ranchito” restaurant on Main Street. Then starting at 6:30 the benefit will begin at the new Shorebreak Hotel on 5th Street at Pacific Coast Highway. The evening will include some great music, movies, art, food and drinks. There will also be both silent and live auctions for all sorts of great items, memorabilia, surfboards, art, skateboards, autographed posters and other valuable surf artifacts.
Most important is this is a chance to come to the aid of a sick surfer who needs all of our help at this time. Ticket donations for the evening are $20. Also you are invited to donate further in any amount that you can. Checks should be made out to the Christian Hawk Trust Fund.
The Shorebreak Hotel is offering special room rates for the night. Could be a great way to have a fantastic fun night and help a pal at the same time.
August 7, 2009
FALL AND WINTER SURF TRIPS
We are taking bookings now for fall and winter surf trips to our home in Mexico at this time. There are still some great weeks left but we are starting to fill up fast. Please email us for all information and available dates. We would love for you to come down and surf and have fun with us in our little paradise. Email me at CORKYSURF@AOL.COM Hope to see you soon. Adios, Corky and Raquel Carroll
THE SHADOW OF FAMOUS FATHERS
THE SHADOW OF FAMOUS FATHERS
By Corky Carroll
Our newest surfing superstar in Orange County is young Brett Simpson from Huntington Beach. This dude had one of the biggest weeks of his life when he won both the Orange County Surfer of the Year award and then flattened all comers for the United States Championship a couple of days later. The OC Surfer of the year award was a result of a poll taken by this very newspaper. At the U.S. Open I got a chance to see Brett surf in person for the first time. This guy has got the chops and the attitude to go very far in surfing. After that week he certainly is on his way. I had been hearing about him from friends at etnies, who are his sponsor. One of the things always mentioned was that his father is Bill Simpson. Bill played for the Rams when they were here in Anaheim and I was a fan. I was one of the really angry season ticket holders when they moved to St. Louis. Bill Simpson was a great football player. Stands to reason that his son would be gifted with extraordinary sports abilities.
How is it to grow up in the shadow of a famous father? We have had a couple of those already. The first one that comes to my mind was Rolf Aurness. Rolf was a fantastic surfer, one of the greatest ever. His father is James Arness who played Marshall Dillon on the hit television series “Gunsmoke. ” Big Jim was also a surfer and a very cool dude. That guy could tell a story better than just about anybody I ever knew. Rolf grew up surfing San Onofre, here in California, and Makaha in Hawaii. Jim really loved that boy and took him surfing to many great places and was a great father. They were always very tight as a family. Rolf got better and better and would win the World Championship in Australia in 1970.
Then something very weird and bad happened. The papers all shouted out, “Marshals Son Guns ‘em Down,” and other such headlines. It was all “son of gunsmoke” kinda stuff. At the same time young Rolf started hanging out in the wrong places with the wrong people doing the wrong things. He coped this attitude that, “all I will ever be is my dads son.” What followed was the biggest spiral downward that I have ever witnessed. It was the end of Rolf’s surfing career and the beginning of years in mental hospitals. Jim was a great dad, I saw that first hand. Drugs can do horrible things to good people. It is one of the saddest stories in surfing history.
The next guy that I think of with a famous father is Tommy Curren. Tommy handled it very well though. His dad is one of the big name pioneers of big wave surfing, Pat Curren. Pat was featured in most all of the early surfing movies both in great comedy skits and riding huge waves on the north shore of Hawaii. Tom was one of those kids that got very good very early. In his early teens we all knew that he was going to be something really special in surfing. And he proved us all right too. Tom became the best surfer in the world during his time in the spotlight and was respected as one of the coolest and friendliest guys the whole time. He will go down as one of the all time greats to ever ride a board. I am sure Pat is very proud.
Having a famous father probably has its good and bad points. On one hand I am sure that it opens a lot of doors. On the other hand I can see that it would also be a weight to have to carry around. Always being compared to what ever it was that your dad did. Like having an older brother who was the star in sports and got great grades in school. A hard act to follow. Rolf did not handle it well. Tommy Curren did.
From what I have seen, heard and read, it looks like the Simpsons have nothing to worry about with Brett. His father is behind him 100% and I think that Brett is proud to be Bill’s son. That’s a winning combo. It’s good to have a hometown boy to root for. The world surfing tour will be much more interesting for us here in the O.C. in the coming years with this kid on the rise. Go Brett.
CITY AT SURF
CITY AT SURF
By Corky Carroll
This is the huge and final weekend of the monster biggie surfing contest and extravaganza being held at the Huntington Beach Pier. The Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing.
Not only is this a surfing contest, but also it’s a whole surfing “scene.” They have built a small city on the south side of the pier with booths and displays of all sorts of surfing products and other things. Plus there is a stage with live music going on in the afternoons. If this were the 60’s they would call this a “happening.”
I was laying in bed this morning thinking about heading down to the pier to check out the action. I like to see the new guys surf, who I have only heard about. The upside of that is I get very motivated when I see good surfing. The downside is I always wind up walking away thinking, “Geeze, I wish I could do that.” When I was a little kid I would already be thinking about how I would learn the new moves I had just seen. Now I am just stuck with the, “Geeze, I wish I could do that,” Humph.
Huntington Beach has a certain vibe about it that is different than most beach towns. When I was thinking about the little city they built next to the pier I realized what it is about Huntington Beach that is so different than all the other towns along the shore in Orange County. It’s more like a “City” than a town. There is a lot of concrete and big buildings and Pacific Coast Highway is right there running above the beach. It’s like Chicago goes surfing or somethin’. The feeling there has kinda always been like that, like it’s bigger there. Take San Clemente or Newport Beach for example. The highway is inland and the surf scene in those towns, which is also near the piers, is more remote, smaller and much more intimate and “local.” Seal Beach too. Laguna doesn’t so much have a surf scene as it does a “beach scene.” Frisbee dogs and body surfers and art, along with some surfing. Huntington Beach is truly a “Surf City.” So, in that matter as well as that it is more or less the center of the known surfing world, “Surf City” is the perfect nickname for it.
One thing I always remember from my years of competing in this event was the huge crowds that showed up to watch. It was such a “big” event. It was such a different experience surfing in front of that many people watching you. The people on the pier were so close they could yell stuff and you could hear them. And when a set came, and you were going for it, the announcers would come to life and make it seem sooooo big and exciting. The crowd would be going crazy and you were not sure if you were doing anything all “that” great or not. But it sounded like you were anyway. It was both exciting and scary at the same time. The announcers back in the early days were amazing at making everything that was going on seem way more exciting than it was. Hev’s McClelland and Jim Irwin, God love ‘em. It would be totally glorious when you got a good ride and those guys would have the crowd in a loving frenzy. But you DID NOT want to blow it. I can remember falling off and trying to stay underwater as long as possible so I didn’t have to come up and face the crowd. They would be yelling and hooting for you and when you ate it there would be this huge “Oooooooooooough!” Kinda a cross been a “oh” and an “ah.” But like the painful form of both. Dentists hear those sounds a lot. It’s not something you want to have 100,000 people directing at your blunder.
I was reading the press releases and they are expecting record crowds down there today and tomorrow. Also it looks like there is going to be some good surf. And, it’s free. If you are a surfer, or just wanna so see what it’s all about, this is THE time to do it. Get there early and bring plenty of sun protection of all kinds. Hat, sunglasses, sunblock and covering in case you start to burn. You are pretty much guaranteed to see some of the best surfing you might ever get to witness in person. Not to mention a virtual bevy of hot babes. It’s an extremely visual experience.