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Surfer's Unite
America
is a great name for a country, but the United States
of America is even better. The key here is united. When
people unite for a common goal, dreams become reality.
It was a team of surfers who first rode waves larger
than 15 feet at the famous Waimea Bay in Hawaii. It
takes a united team to build surfboards, win basketball
games and put a man on the moon. When people work together
in harmony, fantastic things happen. It's said when
one person works hand-in-hand with another, they are
11 times stronger.
Not too long ago, 15-foot waves were considered the
maximum size for most surfers. When larger waves came
in, surfers wouldn't even consider going out. Many thought
it beyond human capabilities to paddle into waves this
large and survive.
Hawaii is known as an international testing ground for
surfers to showcase their skills and bravado.
In the early days, California surfers would shell out
the $99 it took to fly to paradise, a land where waves
are as plentiful as stars in the sky. Most of the surfers
preferred to surf the south and west sides of Oahu where
the waves were generally more manageable than the wintertime
monsters of the North Shore.
Back then, there were very few people who surfed, and
most of the surfers knew each other. Surfers Fred Van
Dyke, Peter Cole, Greg Noll, Mike Stange, Buzzy Trent
and Rusty Miller had the waves all to themselves. When
surfers did venture over to the North Shore, it was
mainly to surf the smaller waves off Haleiwa or, if
they were really brave, the bigger waves at Paumalu,
or Sunset Beach.
In Hawaii, waves can rise rapidly sometimes to 20 feet
or more. Back then, there was no way of accurately predicting
when a massive swell would hit. One time back in 1947
on a sizable day at Sunset Beach, two brothers from
Santa Cruz decided to give it a go. Paddling out into
the 12- to 15-foot waves, the Cross brothers, Dickie
and David, along with a surfer named Woody Brown, were
not prepared for the impending onslaught of rising waves.
What started out as a surfer's dream session quickly
became a nightmare when the waves doubled in size almost
instantly. Without an exit plan or knowing what to do
in this perilous situation, the surfers decided to try
and paddle west to Waimea Bay where they figured they
would have a chance of making it to the beach safely.
As things turned out, they never made it. David and
Woody were washed ashore by the huge pounding surf and,
unfortunately, Dickie drowned that day and was never
found.
Big-wave riding continues to be a big deal for surfers.
More than winning contests or doing the most radical
maneuvers, big-wave surfing commands respect and is
the ultimate conquest for mankind and surfers alike.
For the first surfers to attempt Waimea Bay and break
the 15-foot barrier, it took a lot more than courage
and faith, it took a team. It was not until later, in
1958, that anyone attempted to actually surf Waimea
Bay.
With waves reaching up to 18 feet on a beautiful sun-filled
day, a team of surfers decided to see if it was possible
to ride Waimea. No one wanted to go it alone. Together,
five surfers united with a common goal to ride the world's
largest surf.
Encouraging and supporting each other helped them work
up the confidence needed to face the challenge ahead.
An intrepid team of young men hell-bent on the challenge
of going where no man had ever gone before mentally
prepared themselves. Pat Curren, Harry Church, Buzzy
Trent, Mickey Munoz and Mike Stange made history that
day and raised the bar on human achievement, proving
to themselves and the world that surfing waves over
15 feet was humanly possible.
Even though surfing can be considered an individual
sport, it's when surfers get together that breakthroughs
occur. Master surfboard builders rely on a team of surfers
for feedback on designs and to stimulate innovation.
Big-wave surfers use jet skis to ride waves larger than
50 feet. This requires a team of a driver and surfer.
To put on a surfing contest, make a surfing video, or
develop new technology; all require a united group effort.
No man is an island.
See you in the surf
The
Willis Bros. are surfing experts recognized for surfing
the worlds largest waves and teaching thousands in Hawaii
and California to surf.
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