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Another Kemp Aaberg Sighting!

Malibu transplant, Kemp Aaberg, dropped by again recently with this gem. It's a Rick Griffin original sketch Rick did of Kemp's famous "Soul Arch," taken way back when, by John Severson. The Severson photo became Surfer Magazine's logo for decades. We love Rick's minimalist approach to this timeless image. photo: Linda Michael.

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Kroll Surfboards



This winged pintail board was donated by its owner, Steve Hops who originally purchased it back in the mid-1970s. He only rode it once or twice and so it’s in pristine condition.

After surfing around the internet for info on shaper Steve Kroll, I was only able to pick up these few tidbits. Kroll was a board builder from the Dana Point area and at one time or other shaped for Herbie Fletcher, Blue Cheer, Graphlite, Rick James, and South Shore as well as his own label. Apparently he was roommates in San Clemente with surf photographer, Ron Stoner at one point as well.

And this comes from theshaperstree.com: At the time, all of us 'underground shapers' wanted to gain experience and the only way to do that was to grind LOTS of boards. This was that chance for me. Over the next couple of years I shaped SO many boards. At one  time, during the first twin fin era, we had me, Steve Kroll, (a fantastic master shaper form Dana Point), and the legendary Ralph Parker all grinding. Kroll  and I lived in our cars right in the parking lot of the factory and did an honest 10 twins a day,  EACH, 7 days a week, for 6 months solid. —Mike Perry, circa 1970s

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Memories of Butch



Just a little background on Dick Brewer’s Surfboards Hawaii contest at Haleiwa....
        Dick Brewer (affectionately known as RB to those who know him) started shaping surfboards in Haleiwa in about ‘61 or ‘62 under the name Surfboards Hawaii. With his background in aeronautical design from building remote-control balsawood airplanes in California, he translated that design knowledge to hydrodynamics and quickly became the “man” for getting great surfboards for the North Shore’s challenging conditions. I was blessed with the opportunity to be on his Surfboards Hawaii surf team starting in the winter of ‘63-‘64, along with Jeff Hakman and Freddy Hemmings, fellow Punahou classmates as well. RB came up with the idea to hold a surfing contest to generate even greater interest in his boards, and he stipulated that you had to ride one of his Surfboards Hawaii boards in order to enter. This wasn’t a problem for anyone, as in the early 60’s the North Shore surfing community was a lot smaller and friendlier scene compared to what it became in the decades that followed. All you had to do was borrow a board from a friend to use in your heat.  For judges, he got Jose Angel, Kealoha Kaio, and I think Peter Cole, three already legendary big wave surfers themselves. This contest was the first one RB held, although Gary Chapman’s website mistakenly has a picture of the finalists in one that was a year or two later. (By the way, Gary Chapman became one of the hottest surfers in Hawaii during Brewer’s “pocket-rocket” era in the late 60’s and lived with Jock and Jeff in a house right inside backdoor Pipeline. His brother Owl seemed to get all the press, but Gary was the one who really had talent!) The surf at Haleiwa Beach Park that day was big (8 to 10 foot Hawaiian scale) but unfortunately had an onshore wind that made the waves extra challenging.           
    Now, about Butch......I don’t have to tell you that alcohol was Butch’s “drug” of choice.  Whereas for a lot of young surfers, pakalolo and psychedelics were the experience preferred both in and out of the water, at least starting a few years later. Butch was an just an old-fashioned drinker (and brawler). Stories about him drinking at the Seaview Inn (drinking with friends, brawling with them, make up and drink some more!) were almost as legendary as his surfing. There was a time in the 70’s when we would stop by his Ehukai lifeguard tower to “talk stories” with him when he mentioned he was on the wagon. We all loved Butch (everybody loved Butch!) and hoped it would last....unfortunately it didn’t. Anyway, the day of the Surfboards Hawaii contest, Butch was “relaxing” in a car in the parking area (dirt and scrub brush in those days) with Harold Bloomfield (as gnarly a character as you could ever find!) and fellow competitor Alton Tavares. “Relaxing” being drinking pineapple “swipe” (they told us it was seasoned with a bit of gasoline!) and chasing it with bottles of Primo. When we were called to paddle out for the Final, Butch had to drag his board by the nose, using the tail dragging in the sand as a “keel” to keep himself walking in a straight line.......and Butch did what Butch always did...surfed great!...and won the contest (and got “Best Wipeout”, no surprise). Butch never seemed to worry about his image or what people thought about him. He lived his life on the edge, devil-may-care, he was who he was, and our surfing world is somewhat less for his absence. I hope I haven’t droned on here too much, but I guess it’s what happens when you get an old-timer reminiscing.
    Aloha,
        Kiki Spangler (Eric) (written in a message to Butch's sister, Annette Lucas)





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Greatest Surf Team Ever

Back in the 1980s, Herbie Fletcher put together "The Surf Team" for an Astrodeck photoshoot. Just about every big name surfer was gathered together for the original shot taken on the North Shore and 20 some years later he recreated that shot. Some of the original participants like Rory and Buttons were present along with "New Schoolers" Kelly and Rob, underground chargers like Bruce, Aamion, Fuller, and Reef and the next generationers like John John and Kolohe. Artist and director, Julian Schnabel shot this remake. Good lineage. Herbie dropped this off earlier this week for our archives.

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Joyce Hoffman Surfboard


Joyce Hoffman was the first female surfer to get her own signature model surfboard. Step-daughter of Walter Hoffman and niece of Flippy Hoffman, in 1964, Joyce wins the Makaha contest and her first Surfer Poll Award. The next year she wins her first World Championship and will dominate the women's division for the next 3 years, making the cover of Life Magazine and getting profiled in Sports Illustrated, while doing so. In 1968, she also becomes the first documented female to surf Pipeline. In 1969, the Los Angeles Times names her "Woman of the Year", the only surfer to ever hold this distinction. She takes 4th at the 1970 World Championships and wins the 1971 United States Championships, but surfing soon falls to other competitive passions. She picks up motocross racing and later auto racing before a crash sidelines her aspirations on the track. Joyce was inducted into the Huntington Beach Walk of Fame in 1994.
Don Granata recently donated a Hobie Joyce Hoffman model along with a fin signed by Joyce. The board was signed by its shaper, Terry Martin as well.

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Digital Watermarking of our images – Public Notice

As part of our commitment to protecting our image donors, the Surfing Heritage Foundation has begun using digital watermarking on ALL of our images, including those images seen on our website. This watermark is not visible to the eye, but is easily seen by many computer programs such at Photoshop and other image editing programs. In addition, we have also purchased a “watermark spider” that crawls the Internet specifically looking for any images that contain our SHF watermark. The Surfing Heritage Foundation is prepared to take the appropriate action should we find any illegal or unlicensed usage of images from our files.