It’s interesting how in surfing, people get sort of “categorized” in one way or another.
But I am not talking about personality stuff here, I and talking about surfing styles. There are surfers who are known for being “smooth,” for instance. Like Billy Hamilton, Skip Frye, David Nuuhiwa and Don Craig. There are those who are typed as “small wave specialists” – Gary Propper comes to mind. That dude could rip a 1-foot wave better than anybody.
And, of course, “big wave riders.” Greg Noll, Mike Doyle, Eddie Aikau, George Downing, Pat Curran and others. There have been “all around watermen,” like Doyle, Laird Hamilton and Kai Lenny. Some surf “pretty” and others “flamboyant.”
Today, I would like to toss out some love for some of the great “power surfers” I have known. These are surfers who might, or might not, fit into one or more of the other types, but their overall vibe is that of surfing with sheer power.
The first who comes to mind is the great Barry Kanaiaupuni. Man, this dude could out and out “shred” a wave. His bottom turns at places like Sunset Beach, on the North Shore of Oahu, were state of the art and amazing to watch. Sheer flat-out speed and style to boot.
Another standout in the power zone was the first “Mr. Pipeline,” Butch Van Artsdalen. Butch grew up surfing the reef breaks around La Jolla and took to the big surf in Hawaii like a dog to a steak bone. His early exploits in big waves at the Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay are legendary – going for it to the max all the time. That was sort of the way he was in life, too.
Australian Nat Young could be tossed into the mix on this one, as well. He was just so ultra-aggressive in the water and was one of those “never give an inch” kinda dudes all the way around. His surfing was very powerful. He would just ride over, around and through anybody and everybody. I give him credit for starting the short board…
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