Posts by Mike Purpus
Hermosa Beach surfer Pete Briggs ‘rode the nose’ ’til the end
Pete Briggs had a smooth, Kemp Auberg style with a beautiful drop knee cutback while Ronnie and I went after the Dewey Weber hotdogger look. Last summer, at 68, Pete was still walking the nose at San Onofre.
Read MoreA Purpus Endless Summer: 60s and 70s surf star Mike Purpus is inspired by Bruce Brown’s “The Endless Summer”
In the early 1960s, surf movie posters were hung in the windows of all the hangouts. Hermosa Beach’s Foster’s Freeze, Winchell’s Donuts, (both long gone) and Mickey’s Deli (still kicking) and Stan’s Liquor Store in Manhattan Beach (also long gone) were just a few of the establishments with posters in the window. I was a…
Read MorePoznik loved spearing white sea bass, riding white sharks
I first met Taras Poznik about 10 years ago when my next door neighbor Bob Carlson
Read MoreFog, big surf add drama to ET/South Bay Boardriders contest
The December South Bay Boardriders’ contest was canceled because the waves were too small. The January and February contests were canceled because the waves were too big. Then Saturday morning, the fourth contest date in the six contest series looked like it might have to be aborted because, as SBBC president Mike Balzer said, “Hey, we have waves. You just can’t see them, yet.”
Read MoreRatopia Surf Contest: South’s Browning rips at Torrance Beach
By Mike Purpus and Ed Solt The 11th Annual Ratopia Surf Contest got underway in 1 to 3 foot frozen zippers last Saturday morning at Torrance Beach. It was so cold judging the first heat that the judges thought we were up in Big Bear waiting for the chair lift to open. “The water is…
Read MoreHermosa Hotdoggers Championships Longboard Surf Contest Presented by Subaru Pacific
In the ‘60s Hoppy Swartz with the help of Leroy Grannis and the Kerwin brothers put on The Hermosa Beach Surfing Championships for The United States Surfing Association as part of The International Surfing Festival. It was one of the biggest surfing contests of the year. Eddie Solt wanted to bring it all back and did just that last Saturday on the South side of the Hermosa Beach Pier.
Read MorePipeline: West and Beck Adler [PHOTOS]
In this year’s South Bay Boardriders Surf Contest season, Beck Adler had total control over the Grom Division and was a consistent finalist in the Boy’s Division. Beck’s older brother West was in every Longboard Division Final. I met the Adler brother’s dad, Gary, at the SBBC “King of the South Bay” contest and told…
Read MoreSurf community mourns for Bay Cities Surf founder ‘Griff’ Houston
Bay Cities Surf Club founding member and former Jacobs Surf Team rider Tommy “Griff” Houston passed away from an apparent heart attack at his Hermosa Beach apartment last Saturday night. He was discovered by his landlord Bob Reinhart, collapsed inside his apartment. He was 67. In the early ‘60s, Houston was a smooth, but radical…
Read MorePipeline: Nathaniel Harris
Five years ago my cousins, Rick and Paula Bickford, came up for one of their bi-monthly photo shoots. The Perfect Day Surf Camp was in session right next to our photo shoot. I noticed a skinny, nine year old that looked like the late Buttons Kaluhiokalani learning how to surf trying to catch a…
Read MoreSurf Karma in the emergency room at Torrance Memorial
The kid had a look on his face that said, “Oh my God. I just killed Mike Purpus.” I said “It wasn’t your fault. But I need you to paddle as fast as you can to George, whose on the big red surfboard and wearing a hat. He’s a paramedic.”
Read MorePipeline: Prunauer credits Torrance neighbors for surfing inspiration
Andy Prunauer is a young local shaper who is making waves with his progressive designs, “Proper Surfboards.”
Read MoreBarela, Benevidez the Yin Yang of Hermosa Surfer’s Walk of Fame
You can’t put Chris Barela on The Hermosa Beach Surfer’s Walk of Fame without Mike Benavidez at the same time. They are yin and yang. They are closer than brothers. In the ‘70s one couldn’t have survived without the other. It was the winter of ‘72 and Doc had recently bought the pro surfer Dru…
Read MorePipeline: Cody Purcell Interview
15-year-old Mira Costa Surf Team member Cody Purcell is one of the area’s rising talents. Mike Purpus interviews Purcell for the latest issue of Drop Zone LA.
Read MoreBack to Japan: Nothing lost in translation
Four decades after last visiting Japan, former pro surfer Mike Purpus returns for an emotional reunion with the Japanese surfing community.
Read MorePipeline: Purpus’ Sweet Marie Account
Purp’s first surf at Malibu in 31 years happened to be during the biggest he seen it in 55 years of surfing.
Read MoreColton Sarlo: Wave Killin’ It.
My old friend, red hot 70’s and 80’s surfer, and Malibu’s head haunch for the last 35 years, Allen Sarlo strolls up my apartment stairs with his son Colton close behind. Alan’s presence is intimidating with his stocky varsity wrestler build while Colton has to duck coming in the front door. My first impression of Colton; is this the junior Sarlo or “Big Brawny” from the paper towel commercials.
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