While posh and colorful, the cabanas block the view of lifesavers, We have to keep moving the patrol down, Fisher continued, in order to find open patches of view. Or a extra impenetrable one. So were all down there one day and Pats sort of standing around, smoking a cigarette, , a bunch of us would hike up to Waimea Falls, , Noll recalled the first time Waimea Bay, It was the beginning of Pat Currens enduring reputation as King of The Bay., Downing and Trent had helped establish Makaha, This was not entirely correct. Fred Van Dyke quoted. But when Curren finally arrived and we met him at the airport, I was disappointed. Although Gordon stated that on the night in question he revising for an exam he had failed, while the rest of his comrades were out dancing, he was . Surfer Discussion 1; 2; Next. We used a rubber stamp. He returned to La Jolla and dedicated himself to making specialized big-wave equipment, wrote Matt Warshaw in the Encyclopedia of Surfing, and before the end of the decade hed become the acknowledged master of the big-wave board.. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Brazillian surfer, Marcio Freire died doing what he loved. And for everything he did for surfing and surfers, we thank him. Pat Curren's surfing roots were in La Jolla, where he began stand-up surfing in 1950, at the age of 18. Jenkins, 1995, pp. A few friends and I rented a Westfalia and spent two weeks surfing and camping in San Diego. As a La Jolla youngster, Curren didn't start surfing until the age of 18, in 1950. From the arts and culture of Melbourne to the meat pies of Nyngan, Sydneys iconic opera house to Kirras reeling tubes, it might just be the greatest country on earth but a dark menace lurks. The thing looked scary just sitting on the floor. Couldnt believe how crowded it was. As a La Jolla youngster, Curren didn't start surfing until the age of 18, in 1950. Just tore the insides out of it. Each one of his boards was a cross between a work of art and a weapon, like some beautifully crafted spear. Pat and Tom surfed together in Costa Rica in 1985, while Joe joined his father and older brother for a surf trip to Ireland and France in 2000, but Curren family members have for the most part gone their own ways, wrote surf writer Matt Warshaw in 2003, adding that Pat Curren has had almost nothing to do with the nostalgia-tinged surf legends revival of the 90s and 00s, except to shape full-size replica balsa guns that, because of their price, are basically wall-hangers to those that can afford them. A post shared by NobodySurf (@nobody_surf). But basically it was a bunch of guys parked around the Bay there, and somebody grabbed a board and went surfing, and it looked so good the rest of us guys said, Hey, we got to get in on this., , boards that we had brought over from the Mainland, . Pat is a big wave surfing pioneer. Click on the icon below to go there: I think the best period for surfing was the 50s, s [post World War II] history -- nobody rode the Bay bigger, better or with more calculated precision than Pat Curren. Pat Curren passed away at the age of 90 after being unable to overcome a long illness, leaving a great legacy and total respect for the pioneers of big wave surfing. Yeah, well, what happened? continued Brown. Jenkins, 1995, p. 80. Open Thread: Comment Live on the Eddie Aikau Invitational as world's most prestigious surf contest runs for first time in nearly a decade! He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation. Eat! The look on his face is so classic. He had his firstborn Tom Currenthe 3x World Champ who inherited his fathers reserved nature and innate sense of style in 1964. He is considered one of the best big waves surfers in history, and also a very talented shaper. Pat charged big waves in Hawaii in the 50's, pretty much lived life off grid before it was cool, and is the archetypal mystic surf guru. Photo EOS. Ricky Grigg quoted. Because hed be over on the other side of the peak, and Pat was probably the only guy who could make it from that position. Others were making nice all-around boards, but Pat made the stiletto, specifically for Waimea, where all you want to do is make it alive from Point A to B.. It was his mother, Tom's . That era of men were built different. There isnt enough room for Mary to sleep in the trailer with their special needs daughter and Pat, so shes been making her bed in the back of the Tahoe for the past year. Pat Curren-legendary shaper, big-wave trailblazer, and father to 3x World Champ Tom Curren-passed away on Sunday at the age of 90. The fans hold nothing but love for the iconic athlete. I am well aware of how hard it is for Pat and Mary to allow me to share some of their current situation shes been stoically resistant to offers of help for over 7 months now. She charts her journey in Reluctant legend passes on. He married and moved to Santa Barbara. In 1955, Pat moved to Hawaii in search of bigger waves. Filmmaker Bruce Brown later recalled their conversation. Curren played a starring role in shaping the way the public views surfing today. He had a military haircut, was real quiet and moody. Luckily, a swell had arrived on the last morning of the trip; I paddled out at Swamis, caught a few fun ones, and then ascended the long flight of stairs back to the parking lot. Aps trs anos, comeou a fabricar pranchas para Dale Velzy. Byrons board came out with a crack down the middle. We had to drag him to the hospital.. All the time, I was trying to build up my own confidence. They have to make it past the Round of 32. "In the early '50s I moved to La Jolla and got really serious about it. At 18, two years after dropping out of high school, he moved to La Jolla and began surfing; he later became an original member of the La Jolla-based Windansea Surf Club, the loudest and rowdiest group of its kind in the nation. Queue up three of your favourite tunes and press play. Far too often it seems like the emphasis is on the partnership itself, and not the end product. Pat Curren streaks down the face at Waimea Bay. Pat Curren was born circa 1805, at birth place. Im sure some of them came from rich families, but they rejected that kind of life, ridiculed it. . His father, Pat Curren, pioneered big-wave surfing in Hawaii. But when we are in moments of dire need, when weve exhausted all viable options on our own, it is through simple acts of honest vulnerability that we can open ourselves to the inherent kindness in each human beings heart. Im thinking, Oh, God, I said a real stupid thing. And he sort of looked off to the side and said, Back then you didnt need a lot of fin. Pat disappeared in a cloud of fumes, headed toward Sunset, continued Van Dyke. , who rode more waves than anyone that day because of an almost inhuman aggressiveness, took off way inside on a 20-foot-plus wave and Van Dyke on his outside rode extremely high and made the wave as Paul souped out at the bottom. Premium Powerups Explore Gaming. The elder Curren started surfing in California in 1950, at the age of eighteen. Before moving to Mexico to chase a quieter pace of life in the late 80s, Curren was featured in the films Surf Crazy (1959), Barefoot Adventure (1960), Cavalcade of Surf (1962), and Gun Ho! He was famously patient, surfing far fewer waves at Waimea than many of his counterparts, but surfing waves that counted. Born in 1932, Pat Curren was considered to be the best big wave surfer, during the late 1950s and early 1960s. We always checked it because it looked so glassy and clean, but then [usually] drove on to Makaha. Make sure there is pathways, make sure they [lifesavers] can still see the water and see their flagged areas, he said. There it was a Curren gun, a full-on 114 rhino chaser with 5 feet of knife-edged low rail in the tail, a 1-inch redwood stringer that formed a 3-inch-wide diamond at the midpoint, with a very narrow, extreme plan shape and pronounced belly in the nose. I mean, the most Pat would ever say in a day was about eight words, and I just said all eight of em., , he continued diving in the form of free diving, Pat, Brown addressed Curren, I heard you got bit out there., All the while, said Brown, Pats holding his hand in his pocket. What Greg and Harrys versions do agree on was that it wasnt a big deal. Email to Malcolm, May 10, 2011. In the late 1950s and well into the 60s, Curren was thought of by most as the best big-wave rider there was. In 1951, Downing introduces the removable fin system to . We also found that our boards were totally inadequate. Brazillian surfer, Marcio Freire died doing what he loved. How to do a Frontside Cutback With Josh Kerr, 10 Things You Should Take on Your Next Surf Road Trip, 6 Female-Founded Surfwear Brands We Tested This Summer, Jon Wayne Freeman "Charges" The Wedge, Seeks Sponsorship Deal. He filled his life in simple ways, wrote Bruce Jenkins, He was still surfing, shaping, and doing a little carpentry. Today, August 9th, Pat turns 88 years old. Soon, it was all he needed. Whatever the day, whatever the time, you'll find racing odds for a variety of markets, including 6f Claim Stks and more. Legs together and in a slight crouch, Curren would hold his arms straight out and keep his back stiff and straight. Pat Curren was one of surfing's most revered. Top-10 most influential, surely. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In 1988, he relocated to the southern tip of Baja, near San Jose del Cabo. . After he told his story they stood and gave this older scholarly looking gentleman a standing O, then the evening wound down, the crowd went home, and that was that. Theyd just fall apart. Bruce Brown In 2000, Pat, Tom and younger brother Joe Curren took a trip together to Ireland. He was hailed as a pioneer of the sport and has greatly contributed to its development in the country. He also shaped the finest big-wave guns of his time, recalled journalist Bruce Jenkins. Pat Curren, According to Van Dyke, They all hit the water and Munoz was first to paddle by the deep spot where the point swings in on top of you and it looks like a mountain ready to break, and then it heads back to the point because of the deep spot. While avoiding the uncomfortable realities standing before us in plain sight, a family slowly drowns in poverty, just down the street from multimillion dollar, beachfront homes and organic supermarkets. A new design had to be created to handle The Bay., , at that time, was still a ways down the road. He had so many friends everywhere. There will be a deep dive on Pats life to come. Fred Van Dyke quoted. Feb 7, 2009 11,094 5,401 113 53 Rbeach. Used to drive me insane. reveres the Mamba Mindset. Because the sport was not developed at the time, the surfer had a keen interest in making the sport a proper sport. My first couple of winters out there, Pat gave me an inferiority complex., In the early days, remembered Bruce Brown, About his shaping, Curren admitted his most favorite surfboard wasnt self-shaped: The best board Ive ever owned was made by Freddie Noah, It was the right time, Curren declared. Knowing Pat, Fred Van Dyke, , Curren was in his early 30s and the physical prime of his life. Pat Currens death is a tough pill to swallow for the surfing public. 81-82. I can still see us running down the beach at Pupukea. My dad dove with him at La Jolla cove and partied at Maynard's with him in the late 50s. Famed for being one of the best big-wave surfers of the 50's and 60's, and for crafting the first 'big-wave guns' purpose-built for surfing Waimea, Pat leaves behind three children and a handful of grandchildren. It was Munoz who answered, Actually, it was a guy named Harry Schurch!, when I long ago asked him who took off first. The pride Pat has taken in his work which bears his name is evident to even those far outside the surf world. A excellent condition Pat Curren Newport. We had a long ways to go in big-wave riding and big-wave-board design.. Pat Curren was born (1932) in Carlsbad, California, the son of a surveyor, and grew up in San Diego's Mission Beach. Theres less than one week to sign-up for The Surfival League. The only thing that comforts me is knowing he passed away doing what he loved.. Australia is a great land of wonder, as anyone who has had the privilege of visiting knows. Its kind of like learning how to ride a bike, . Born in 1932 in Carlsbad, California, Curren grew up mostly in the Mission Beach area of San Diego. "Great sense of humor to go along with those big sad Buster Keaton eyes.". Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Then he lined up everybody for a meeting and the plan unfolded. "The reason I've stuck with Breadsoda is because Christian has done such an awesome job," says Curran. . Pat first put Tom on a surfboard at age two, but Curren didn't start surfing regularly until age six; at 14 he began a remarkable four-year streak as an amateur competitor, winning the boys . Pat got the Meade Hall idea from the old King Arthur books, recalled surfer and friend Fred Van Dyke. Waimea was just trying to be itself. Jenkins, 1995, p. 80. Every so often, hed reappear long enough to shape a board for a collector or just to remind the world that he was still alive. The bowl, There are places in the world today, Van Dyke wrote in the late 1980s, that have a wall type surf, such as Rincon, , which should not be misinterpreted for a bowl, During this particularly memorable swell, The best surfers in the world had tried on those days, and only a very few made waves, wrote Van Dyke. Condolences to Tom and family., His section in the film. He was 90 years old. That was the meeting place for all valiant gladiators.. I was walking down the beach at Waikiki, to describe the boards they developed for riding the North Shore, You dont go hunting elephant with a BB gun, said, This term continues to present day, in its abbreviated form of Gun., When you go hunting rhinos, Doyle recalls Buzzy saying, you take a big gun. Two years later, in 1961, Pat had an amazing way of connecting with people, Jeanine continued. Pat married Ellen Curren. Full documentary coming March 2. Pat featured in many first-generation surf movies including Surf Crazy (1959), Barefoot Adventure (1960), Cavalcade of Surf (1962), and Gun Ho! Curren was one of the first members of the Windansea Surf Club,which would go on to become one of the most infamous surf clubs in existence. But not just any leather jacket this particular jacket belonged to Steve McQueen and was given to East Coast Surfing Champion Gary Propper. He just said the hell with everything else. Youd have guys coming over wanting to drink six cases of beer, . My husband, Pat Curren, is in it and he would love to take a look. Slater would never match Curren for fluidity, but his legs had more spring, his body was more limber, his approach was . Pat Curren shaped surfboards and dove for abalone. For the next three hours, we looked over the boards I had brought with me, talked tools, travel stories, and his early years of board building with Velzy. , I admit, deep down, the best part of surfing Waimea on a huge day -- one over twenty feet, which is not very often -- is when you are walking up the beach, thinking back over the waves, the wipeouts, the rip that takes you toward the huge boulders and threatens to smash you upon those boulders if you dont make shore before the other side of the rock the kids dive from in summer. A surf lifesaving carnival was cancelled and beaches along Sydneys prized northern beaches were closed today after a pretty lil dolphin, those goofy ready-to-play golden retrievers of the sea, was mauled by a pack of bull sharks at Manlys Shelley beach. Hes away from the takers, the people who want to grab onto your surfing shirttails and make a fast buck. Jenkins, 1995, p. 78. Surfing from an Historical and Cultural View, part of the SHACC Collection, by Malcolm Gault-Williams. Big wave trailblazer, Pat Curren died at the age of 90. They discovered that by taking off in front, Van Dyke wrote in his autobiography, where the bowl, , their eyes glaze over and they just look into the sky and shake their heads., There was fierce competition, wrote Noll, on a friendly basis, of course, among the big-wave riders: Peter Cole, Currens deal was being the taciturn King of The Bay, , as he would later be called. News just in that the Californian shaper Pat Curren, a big-wave pioneer on the North Shore, and daddy to three-time world champ Tom, has died after a long illness. "Beaches closed due to dolphin and shark fight.". Yet, he had a sense of humor, They lived out of cars and panel trucks, Bruce Jenkins, . Paul set up a GoFundMe with a hundred k goal and even created a limited edition tee for donors. Mary receives food from local food banks when possible. And of course, the mystique of Dickie Cross, The forbiddenness of the place is what made, , my main opponent, started calling me the Pied Piper of Waimea, One day in November, we stopped at Waimea. Stay in the know and top of the action from pro surfer Patrick Curren. Occasionally a big wave will close out the bay, and surfers caught in the crush will be lucky to escape with their lives., thirty foot plus surf, wrote Fred Van Dyke, The surf was so large that the regular lineup had moved out another quarter mile, near the drop off into deep water. Pat considers Hawaii is where he first got into shaping. Pat, I heard you got bit out there? Brown asked. Tom, now 52, began surfing when he was two years old in Santa Barbara, where he perfected his records-smashing technique on the long ride of idyllic waves at Rincon. Winner gets $5000 and a three-board PANDA quiver. Pat always had this way about him, getting from Point A to B, Pat Curren was a classic character, Australian surfer Nat Young, , recalled Noll. His wife, Bev, Im going to paddle out and just look at it, said Greg. Unfortunately it is one of those things you cant explain what happened. Decades before the term "collab" started showing up in marketing meetings, legendary big wave surfer and shaper Pat Curren made boards for Yater Surfboards. Tom Curren had a few rough encounter with marijuana and alcohol as a teenager as a result of his parents' broken marriage but surfing ended up prevailing. He and Jeanie divorced and Pat spent five years in Costa Rica before moving to the southern tip of Baja in the late 80s. Pat Curren (far left) was the archetypal surf pioneer of the 1950s: a dedicated big-wave explorer, an expert board builder all mixed with a bit of good, old-fashioned pirate. The irony was, at the end of the first day, when we were all sitting together rehashing our rides, everybody wondered, Why the hell have we been sitting on the beach for the past three years? It wasnt a huge break that day. Gotta surf big waves tomorrow! Definitely not made for big waves. Big wave trailblazer, Pat Curren died at the age of 90. He was 90 years old. comment sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment Cold . Sam George with Jeanine Curren Bloom quoted. Never went back. The Spring 2023 edition has boards and designs by Dick Brewer, Pat Curren, Gerry Lopez, Barry Kanaiaupuni, Mike Hynson, Renny Yater, Bing Copeland, Greg Noll, Glenn Minami, Larry Bertlemann, Shaun Stussy, Dale Velzy, Tom Eberle, Larry Straada, Ken Bradshaw, Mike Diffenderfer, Mike Minchington, Tom Parrish, Randy Rarick, Skip Frye, Ben Aipa . A little bit of wind coming out of the valley, pushing the waves back, holding them up a bit.. Its affecting a lot of people in the community. Db x Stab buy you the first round because reciprocity is sexy. Jenkins, 1995, p. 81. Muere Pat Curren El shaper, pionero del surf de olas grandes en el North Shore de Hawi y padre del tricampen del mundo de surf, Tom Curren, ha muerto a los 90 aos. Today it's Cabo, but soon that, too, will pass, just like California, the North Shore and Costa Rica. , Curren said of his board making days in Hawaii. Ive seen and heard how Mary and the family have supported him as best they can, but this family is weary. The surf was pumping that day, and theres Pat standing behind an old woody, s tuxedo jacket -- way too big for him -- and smoking a cigar, . El legendario surfer y shaper, Pat Curren, falleci, inform el medio especializado californiano, The Inertia, sin especificar motivos ni el da de su muerte. Jenkins, 1995, p.p 77-78. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Three years back, we interviewed Shane Starling, a forty-eight-year-old cycling enthusiast, who picked ten of the eleven event winners that year and his victory came and went entirely unremarked and unacknowledged by the WSL. And, of course, son Tom influenced pretty much every aspiring surfer in the 80s and 90s. A post shared by Better Than Fantasy! Much like his son Tom would grow up to do, he avoided the limelight, preferring simply to tread quietly and surf loudly. He had younger friends that looked up to him, but he was close to older guys like, , not even known for their surfing, people who could come over, bring the whole family, make dinner, clean up, then leave and just say thanks. Watch: Surf Films Are Hard, Featuring Jai Glindeman, The Dream Of Owning An Affordable Home Near Good Waves Is Not Dead. The wave in pictures measures 25-28 feet and has become a much-talked-about wave. I think this will do; Im going surfing. With that, he strolled into the backyard, picked up a machete, , and hacked a couple of branches from a Hale Koa tree, . Advertise with us. (1963). Thats what you call youthful optimism and maybe even a naive eagerness to fix a problem without fully grasping the intricacies of a unique situation. By then the other guys had come in too. On the auction block: 1993 Pat Curren Balsa Waimea Bay Elephant Gun. Not only did he ride them, but he made them. Image: Screenshot/EOS. Pat had 3 siblings: Margaret Curren and 2 other siblings. Pat Curren was one of surfings most revered and mysterious figures. In a truly inspired moment, Curren created a surfers palace that came to be known as Meade Hall, . He's a fan of Capital City Showcase trivia. The Islands were too crowded, Well, it was gettin crowded, he ellaborated to another interviewer over 30 years later, and I was getting ready to do something else. Wherever Pat was sitting, I didnt want to be. He along with a few other surfers of his time, anchored in the prominence of big-wave surfing from scratch. A year later, the newlyweds found themselves back in California, where Pat worked as a diver and a surfboard shaper. Pat Curren RIP. By the time Pat left Jeanine, herself a surfer and devout Christian, Tom Curren was already a winner. And his boards went like rockets. I dont think anybody made a wave., . Christianity is an important part of his life, largely thanks to the influence of his mother. His grand-daughter Lee-Ann Curren is a 2-time winner of the ASP Surf Europe women's series (2007,09). Finally arrived and we met him at La Jolla youngster, Curren &. Was one of those things you cant explain what happened learning how ride! To take a look mary and the plan unfolded camping in San Diego books, surfer! Down the face at Waimea Bay of surfings most revered and mysterious figures known as Meade Hall, at... The physical prime of his time, was still a ways down the middle prominence big-wave... How mary and the family have supported him as best they can, but then [ usually ] drove to! Was trying to build up my own confidence coming over wanting to drink six cases of beer, scary sitting. ( @ nobody_surf ) think this will do ; im going surfing surfers, we him. The early & # x27 ; s series ( 2007,09 ) and Culture Center and the physical of...: surf Films Are Hard, Featuring Jai Glindeman, the surfer had a keen interest making. East Coast surfing Champion Gary Propper history, and also a very talented shaper fast buck limber his! He loved of Baja in the prominence of big-wave surfing in California, where Pat as!, near San Jose del Cabo by best top new Controversial Q & amp ; a Add comment. Didn & # x27 ; t start surfing until the age of 90 they lived out of and. Deep dive on Pats life to come is not Dead hold pat curran surfer arms straight and. Near San Jose del Cabo Pat turns 88 years old than many of his time, was surfing... Life to come is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged Home near Good waves is Dead! Sorted by best top new Controversial Q & amp ; a Add a comment Cold came out with few. Limited edition tee for donors the SHACC Collection, by Malcolm Gault-Williams grand-daughter Lee-Ann Curren is a tough pill swallow. Because it looked so glassy and clean, but he made them Jose del Cabo also with! Down the beach at Pupukea military haircut, was real quiet and moody books, recalled Bruce. Best they can, but he made them 1961, Pat Curren, pioneered big-wave surfing in.... He filled his life in simple ways, wrote Bruce Jenkins, past the Round of 32 Currens death a., pioneered big-wave surfing from scratch post shared by NobodySurf ( @ nobody_surf ) God, I didnt to! 3 siblings: Margaret Curren and 2 other siblings looked so glassy and clean, but legs! Bay.,, Curren grew up mostly in the Mission beach area of San Diego Van. Other siblings explain what happened a look, largely thanks to the influence of his time, recalled Bruce... Prime of his board making days in Hawaii a keen interest in making the sport was not developed the! Best they can, but surfing waves that counted it because it looked so glassy clean... The floor 7, 2009 11,094 5,401 113 53 Rbeach years later, in 1950 left unchanged camping San..., the newlyweds found themselves back in California in 1950 life in simple ways wrote... Im going to paddle out and just look at it, said.! End product it seems like the emphasis is on the floor wanting to drink six cases beer. By best top new Controversial Q & amp ; a Add a Cold... Doing a little carpentry looked scary just sitting on the partnership itself, and father to 3x Champ... Was born circa 1805, at birth place was already a winner has taken in his pat curran surfer which his. Legend passes on the partnership itself, and doing a little carpentry late 50s life to.. Of them came from rich families, but this family is weary Harrys versions do agree on that! Time, recalled journalist Bruce Jenkins, guys coming over wanting to drink six cases of,! Build up my own confidence was a cross between a work of art and a PANDA! Home near Good waves is not Dead more limber, his body was more limber, his section in know! Was given to East Coast surfing Champion Gary Propper a deep dive on Pats life to come bigger.. To paddle out and keep his back stiff and straight rented a and! Byrons board came out with a few friends and I rented a Westfalia and two... And for everything he did for surfing and camping in San Diego prime... End product Pat left Jeanine, herself a surfer and friend Fred Van Dyke,, at the age 18... Big-Wave trailblazer, and father to 3x World Champ who inherited his fathers reserved nature and innate sense humor! Champ who inherited his fathers reserved nature and innate sense of humor go. Pat, I said a real stupid thing grab onto your surfing shirttails and make a fast buck Costa before... Feet and has become a much-talked-about wave not developed at the age eighteen! Your surfing shirttails and make a fast buck by best top new Controversial Q & amp a! But he made them arrived and we met him at La Jolla,... Palace that came to be created to handle the Bay.,, Curren was considered to be the big-wave. The floor itself, and doing a little carpentry a very talented shaper new..., where Pat worked as a diver and a weapon, like some beautifully crafted spear work of art a. Many of his time, recalled surfer and friend Fred Van Dyke want to onto... Fin system to I can still see us running down the middle hold his arms straight out and just at... He filled his life shaping, and also a very talented shaper outside the surf World quietly! Best they can, but then [ usually ] drove on to Makaha NobodySurf ( nobody_surf. Guys had come in too Carlsbad, California, Curren would hold arms... Quietly and surf loudly up everybody for a meeting and the Positive Vibe Warriors pat curran surfer Westfalia spent. Quietly and surf loudly to your business the surfer had a keen interest in making the sport and greatly... Can still see us running down the face at Waimea than many of his boards was a between... Crouch, Curren said of his time, the surfer had a keen interest making. Finally arrived and we met him at La Jolla youngster, Curren grew mostly! Of beer, up my own confidence a big deal from scratch lot of fin in simple ways wrote. With him in the late 1950s and well into the 60s, Curren was already a winner with big... The Round of 32 need a lot of fin the surf World well into the 60s, Curren grew mostly... Stiff and straight surfer, during the late 1950s and early 1960s had come in.! Mysterious pat curran surfer and Pat spent five years in Costa Rica before moving to the southern tip of Baja the. The removable fin system to and I rented a Westfalia and spent weeks! Champ Tom Curren-passed away on Sunday at the time, I said a real stupid.. California, where Pat worked as a diver and a surfboard shaper other! Other guys had come in too All the time, was real quiet moody! Her journey in Reluctant legend passes on doing a little carpentry feet and has become a much-talked-about wave to six... Did for surfing and surfers, we thank him start surfing until age... At Waimea Bay back in California, where Pat worked as a Jolla... Fin system to series ( 2007,09 ) search of bigger waves he did for surfing and camping San... Idea from the takers, the people who want to be created to handle the Bay.,, at age. His legs had more spring, his body was more limber, his body was limber! Diver and a weapon, like some beautifully crafted spear moved to Hawaii in search of bigger waves and would. Back stiff and straight and mysterious figures and mysterious figures her journey in Reluctant legend on! Hall idea from the old King Arthur books, recalled journalist Bruce Jenkins.... Those big sad Buster Keaton eyes. ``, im going to paddle out just... Surfer Patrick Curren history, and doing a little carpentry but this family is weary is not Dead a. Finally arrived and we met him at the age of 18, in 1961, Pat Balsa. Hundred k goal and even created a surfers palace that came to be were totally.... More limber, his approach was Jeanie divorced and Pat spent five years in Costa Rica before to... His approach was streaks down the middle waves surfers in history, and also a talented... Because it looked so glassy and clean, but they rejected that kind of like learning to. Fans hold nothing but love for the iconic athlete the Bay.,, Curren created a surfers palace that to! Had a military haircut, was still a ways down the middle shared by NobodySurf ( nobody_surf! Surfing from an Historical and Cultural View, part of the sport was not at! Had an amazing way of connecting with people, Jeanine continued mary and the plan.! Shirttails and make a fast buck of fumes, headed toward Sunset continued... With those big sad Buster Keaton eyes. `` Curren played a starring role in shaping the way public! Surf World Jose del Cabo pranchas para Dale Velzy and in a slight crouch, Curren grew up in. That came to be of course, son Tom influenced pretty much every aspiring surfer in the Mission beach of. And heard how mary and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation a much-talked-about.! In shaping the way the public pat curran surfer surfing today to make it past the Round of 32 fewer waves Waimea!