My good friend Thomas "The Cosmic Dog" gave me a copy of Gerry Lopez's autobiography 'Surf is where you find it'. Skimming through it, I'm yet to find any reference in there regarding his travels to Australia.
I know he did go, based on anecdotes and boards like this he shaped at the Bennet factory in Brookvale. Guessing by the shapes I'd say around 73 - 74.
Tim Ellis told me the legend of how Gerry surfed massive, maxing out, Little Makaha off Long Reef on Sydney's Northern Beaches, alone, some time in the 70's. But I'm yet to find any record of his exploits in my collection of Australian surfing magazines from the time.
The man is an enigma. Mysterious and puzzling.
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| Gerry on a wind swept Australian headland some time in the early 70's |
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| Long Reef headland showing Little Makaha reef to the left and Butterbox to the right |
Check out Gerry Lopez's mission statement he wrote for SRF (Surf Realization Fellowship). It puts another prospective on the "legend."
ReplyDeleteSurfing world ran an article on Gerry and Roy mesker doing a trip to Cactus in the early 70s.
ReplyDeleteDid Gerry ever surf Bells? - by the look of vegetation the overcast sky and the fact that he's wearing a sweat top - it looks like the southern coast
ReplyDeleteMy big brother met Gerry and snapped a pic of him at Narrabeen in 70s,he said he surfed Northy like it was mini Pipeline.I shoulda ditched school that day cause i did most uva daze.He really is a GOD!
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