Pipeline : Kyle Beatty
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“Kyle is going through a major just-reached-puberty growth spurt with his new Fonzi haircut and winning smile on every wave.”
At 5’7” and 135 lbs, 15 year old, Redondo Beach High School freshmen Kyle Beatty looks kind of like Ron Howard somewhere between Opie and Richie Cunningham with his bright red hair and freckles is no longer surfing in his brother, Connor’s shadow.
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For his high school surf team, he has followed his brothers footsteps by ripping in all three divisions, short board, long board and body board, in the South Bay High School Surf League. Kyle is going through a major just-reached-puberty growth spurt with his new Fonzi haircut and winning smile on every wave. His brother Connor was the South Bay High School Surf League all around champion for two years before graduating and moving to San Diego for college. This is his year to break through on his own.
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Kyle learned how to surf when he was 5 years old just down the street from his Redondo Beach home at Rat Beach on one of his brother’s, Connor, old boards.
“I was really small but not worried because my dad was right next to me the whole time,” he said.
Photo by Mike Balzer
Kyle’s dad, Chad Beatty, is a partner and co-owner of the highly successful Adventure Sports Tours where surfers can live out their fantasies staying at surf camps in Mexico, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Kyle and Connor have stayed at all three locations calling them “A dream vacation for any surfer.”
At ten, Kyle got his first surfboard, a 4’10” Angelo Ferrara Shape.
“It was the smallest board I ever rode,” he said. “Now I ride a 5’10” Beach Buggy Model by Lost Surfboards shaped by Matt Biolos. I also have a playful 5’9” for the fun days.”
Kyle is a born contest surfer going into every heat with a successful plan getting a few good safe waves then tearing the lip off the last couple of rides in the heat. He started surfing in all the South Bay Boardriders Surf Contests when he was 12 years old climbing to finish as last year’s champion.
“It’s going to be a lot harder next year surfing in the 15 to 18 year old division,” he said.
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Kyle actively competes in the Western Surfing Association as well as the Volcom contest series. Last year he won the Zuma Beach Volcom Contest.
Torrance Beach is his local spot while three times a week he surfs before school at the Hermosa Beach Pier with the rest of his High School Surf Team. Redondo surfing coach Duncan Avery considers his team twice blessed with Kyle surfing his way up the ladder like his older brother racking up points. Kyle claims Rincon as his favorite wave on the coast.
“The wave allows sick, deep tubes, radical cutback sections, and perfect ramps for his big airs,” Kyle said. “What’s not to like about Rincon. It’s the perfect wave.”
Kyle has been to Hawaii a few times and loves North Shore’s Haleiwa
“Even when it gets big it’s still a hotdog wave where you can uncork your small wave repertoire,” he said. “ You just have to watch out for the current if it’s overhead so you don’t get caught inside.
Surfing the Gold Coast of Australia is where Kyle had the time of his life.
“It’s got to be what surfing heaven is like. Point break after point break like Rincon, California Street, Trestles and Malibu with warm water,” he said, “When the point breaks are flat Duranbah is a beach break that’s just like Torrance’’s Burnout on a good day.”
Sponsored by Dive N’ Surf, Body Glove, and Spyder Surfboards, Kyle Beatty can’t get enough sick barrels and considers deep tubes the ultimate surfing experience.
“I’m working on my roundhouse cutbacks if I make it out of the tunnel”, he said. “My favorite surfers are Alex Gray and Dane Reynolds because they have no fear when going for the impossible.”
Kyle considers Hudson Richie his best friend in and out of the water. Hudson is a 15-year-old, 6’, 135 lbs, blond baby face heart throb that’s the perfect Ying to Kyle’s Yang. Hudson is a good shortboarder and a great old school longboarder with his Rolls Royce hood ornament pose perched on the tip cruising down the line while Kyle works on his big airs going the other direction. They compliment each other perfectly. Kyle with his outgoing personality is the perfect wingman for the shy Hudson. They could start their own band called “Two Directions” but then they would be too busy signing autographs with girls lined up around the corner to surf. DZ