Surfing's anti-hero Mickey Dora!
When BeachGrit’s Derek Rielly and surfing’s grand vizier Matt Warshaw get together laughs, and knowledge, flow like a river. Their last tete a tete, titled Who’s the World’s Most Overrated Surfer had me doubled up on the floor. If you missed, please, give yourself a gift here.
The two started in the present, bandying about names like Matt Banting, Italo Ferrari, Glenn Hall. Funny but the juices really got gushing when the conversational turned historical. Derek asked, “In history, and according to your readings, who is the most overrated surfer of all time?” Matt responded, “Not a chance.”
They continued, with much, hilarity but didn’t really or truly land on a name. I wonder if it is because Matt has so much knowledge that it is difficult for him to be definitive? Complete certitude about something subjective is a game for historical novices.
Well, I am a historical novice. And so I say, with complete certitude, that the most overrated surfer of all time is one Miklos “Mickey” Dora!
Mickey was smooth, true, but so is Joel Parkinson (the second most overrated surfer of all time). He was handsome, yes, but handsome amongst surfers is almost a non-starter (hello, Ron Blakey). No, the reason that Mickey is propped up, or so it seems, is his rebellion. His flaunting of tradition. His too-cool-for-school lurking on the fringes. Matt Warshaw posts The London Times Mickey Dora obit in his Encyclopedia of Surfing entry. It reads, Mickey was the “West Coast archetype and antihero . . . the siren voice of a nonconformist surfing lifestyle.” And this is at what I take offense. This is bullshit.
Mickey’s rebellion involved whining about Malibu’s overcrowding while, at the same time, appearing in the Beach Blanket Bingo films responsible for surfing’s exploding popularity as an extra. I love self-contradiction, don’t get me wrong, but only self-contradiction on a grand scale. He probably got paid tens of dollars for being in the background of these films. He should have starred in them.
His rebellion involved check and credit card fraud, both low, impersonal and weak forms of crime. My cousin robbed 2o-some odd banks a few years back and he surfs. Mickey should have gone on a wild, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid bank robbing spree through California, France and Australia before being brought low under a hail of bullets in Bolivia.
His rebellion involved not working, living instead off the largess of his friends. There are many stories floating about how this “living” often involved stealing from them. And son of a bitch. If there is one trait that stinks worse than all others it is narcissistic selfishness.
The nonconformist, anti-hero, outlaw narrative has been accepted as fact. The Inertia listed Mickey Dora as the second most-influential surfer of all-time writing, “Miki Dora is, in large part, responsible for the rebel-side of surfing.” Which is exactly the problem. If The Inertia thinks something is rebellious then it very clearly ain’t.
chas , can you write an article about slater and currens secret love affair . thank you in advance .
Dissociative identity disorder must be a bitch.
Must it be? I think it’s awesome. Can I up-vote myself? If I could I’d never leave the room. Dora Lives!!
BFD. The most dangerous trait was the result of taking off in front of him. He would throw his board at your head but fu?k it. If you wanted to ride you had to claim yourself and outride him. The passion of surfing eclipses him immediately but he was a trip. He was wonderful and he rode Waimea very well. If you care about all his exploits maybe he means too to you. Mickey was Mickey and outgrow it already. Love him or leave him don’t diafy him. Yuk!
Maybe not as much as the”Miki Dora” posting above William.
No way… that guy rules. Keeping the legend alive. Dora lives!!!!
Dont you find that it’s a little bit odd to be up-voting Miki’s posts…
Maurice, Nick, Shearer, Warshaw, Chas and Dora…
May i have another beer or two, please ?
Just can’t believe Dora’s still alive and writing comments like a Franciscan friar.
It is very exciting times…
Christ this is like listening to a bunch of drunk men in a bar.
Sooo many surfers are overrated, but I’ll tell you one who’s underrated. Margo Godfrey Oberg.
Whoops I forgot you’re not supposed to mention the chicks.
Its that lippy transvestite in the back corner of the bar again…
Negatron, you bitch! You know you want me.
so so true
It always cracks me up that the go to insult for Miki is that he complained about the crowds but worked in surf films. I say big deal? Money is money and we all know Miki (like everyone) liked money. And if some film crew is going to come take over your beach wouldn’t you want to get in on some of that Hollywood cash? Of corse you would. Does that mean you can’t still dislike the crowds? Of corse it doesn’t. You also have to look at the time frame this was going on. You can’t blame the guy for being in surf films because the real damage created by Gidget and other films like that wasn’t even apparent for some time after. And who was instrumental is pointing this impending doom for surfing out to the masses? MIKI DORA WAS! He saw it coming, he called it for everyone, and then he had the balls and the ingenuity to leave Malibu and So-Cal behind and never look back. You need to remember Miki was there before the crowds, he gained the right to comment by his having been there before the rush. That gives him the perspective and the right to complain about it… as he did so well. It’s easy for true fringe dwellers (surf “journalists”) to focus on all the negative stories about Dora but as Maurice Cole so eloquently put it… many of them are just that…stories. Myths and legends many of them over exaggerated. And the ones that are true were fucking genius. The guy flew around the world (many times) for free. And you think he would have been a better guy had he robbed banks? That’s some ignorant stuff you’re spewing there Chazzy. You would have rather he pulled out a gun and put lives at risk then scam his way into some free surf trips? You seem to be forgetting that he was a surfer first, not a thief. His surfing was better than most surfers, his writing was better than most writers. His advertising campaigns were hands down the best ever in surfing. He signed autographs with invisible ink. He avoided the spotlight whenever possible and maintained control of his own identity… he never sold out to big business like so many do today. Now putting all the personal stories of Dora’s life outside surfing behind what you’re left with is his surfing. Now Chazzy you can deny history all day long to write a fluff piece if you so choose but if you were to go back and ask Dora’s contemporaries they would no doubt enlighten you as to his skills in the water. It’s common knowledge. The guy surfed great. We all know it, history knows it, and you should have known it as well as known better than to reach so far as to try and downplay a true legend of surfing. His skill is well known and documented from stories photos and movies back in the 60’s by people like Greg Noll and Bruce Brown to contemporary accounts by guys like Maurice Cole and Derek Hynd. Ya wanna know my choice for historically overrated surfers? I say Bob McTavish. And as far as Tom Blake goes you guys are high. Again context!!! You can rip on the hollow board all day but it was innovative in it;s search for lightness. Lots of inventions don’t work yet still lead to improvements as many of Toms inventions did. The guy was a first and firsts can’t be overrated.
I enjoyed every word of that but Bob McTavish?
Go eat a bag of dicks.
Ha ha… that’s great Steve. These so called Australian “legends” don’t make the Who Cares list often enough in my opinion. We all know Californians (with the help of a few Hawaiians) created modern day surfing, the attitude, the look, the whole thing… it’s all California and guys like Miki. And every one of you have been trying to act like a California surfer your whole life. As Miki said, you’re not you anyone, you’re someone else, you’re the guy in the movie or the photo and you’re simply a copy of someone else. And since these kinds of lists or statements are only made to piss people off… mission accomplished! I don’t think Mark Richards was all that good of a surfer either. And Mark Occhilupo looks like an albino pigmy Umpa Lumpa surfing. So what bag of human appendages should I eat now? Dora Lives!!
can you buy a bag , or do you have to go and see the IS ….or maybe that’s head? s
CHAS – THE GUYS NAME WAS MIKI – SHOT FOR MIKLOS – ITS GREEK. The only time you got it right was when you copied and pasted a quote at the end of the piece. Did you not notice it was spelled differently. Did you even proof read this thing. Don’t be so sloppy. The guy was not named after a mouse.
I take all my surf history from Matt Warshaw. Read his entry for the man and learn too!
I did but you and Warshaw did not: .” In the early ’90s, he asked that he be referred to as “Miki,” the correct diminutive spelling of Miklos, rather than Mickey.”
I stand corrected. Clearly Dora did not check with Matt Warshaw on the spelling of his name. BTW single sourcing an article is generally considered journalistic malpractice. If Inertia had an editor he/she would have told you that.
surf the wave as safe as possible.
Ok so I get that the basis of this entire article has people super upset, but can we talk about the placement of commas in the first sentence?
No commas when ‘and’ is used.
No, you may not. May the Oxford comma live on in all its glory!
chas you are complete and total fuckwit to listen to rumor and innuendo about Mikilos , you’re so full of yourself and an opinion based on other fuckwits stories . stealing from people, narcissisitic selfishness , impersonal weak low because its cheque/credit card fraud, yeah didn’t burn anyone except banks and credit card Co’s , he ripped off the establishment , but you’d rather him have had a gun and gone off on the workers ,maybe you are the son of a bitch of a banker !
I surfed with Mickey , when no-one else would paddle out , in 10 barrels on outer banks just 2 of us, he dined with us and never bludged a thing , he did tax people who wanted to say they could hang out with him and use him. he was a gentleman , a great surfer , had balls , didn’t steal fro anyone I know since the 60’s , but for gullible fuckwits like you yeah he would have charged you in one way or another just to get within 20′ of him, as low life so called journalist were certainly at the bottom of the tree ,or gutter dwellers as we call them.
I know you love writing controversial crap as you wouldn’t get a paycheck , will be interesting to see how history see’s you, oh that’s right you wouldn’t get a mention because you are a nobody!
Make that Maurice Cole and Shearer are right on this one.
as usual I fired up on someone once again , as never really read any of CS’s articles, fuck it! So I went and read a few , and fuck it , I like what he wrote on fast eddie etc , and his history….I have just got a totally different view of MD as we hung out for years together in france , made bds went surfing , so I have some really personal insights into MD, outside of of all the BS that is constantly written about him. so Chas ya got the BS version of him and I actually fucken like who you are and what ya write….ouch!
Welcome and stay tuned MC cos heres the only place you will get the truth. Its just that its sometimes covered in a frills and a floral neck tie…
…oh Maurice, how wonderful it is to have you here! Welcome! Welcome!
I deserve every lash of your tongue. The defense of a friend is, maybe, the noblest of traits…and I want you to be right! Surfing needs Mickey Dora more than any other character…… Thank you for the insight!
one day we might get together and I can tell ya some real stories of Mikilos…4 years of even getting paid for bds for him …by cheque!
I would be honored to buy you a drink…
Don’t back track Maurice. Chazzy is the Jerry Springer of the surfing journalist world and he truly needs your criticism if he’s ever going to be a “real” writer. Honestly his skills would be better utilized writing for the national Inquirer or doing pieces on DNA testing surf stars like Coco Ho to find out why her hair is blond.
Oh Maurice…don’t count me out yet! I have a third act!
and a 4th act, I hope, one trick ponies just don’t cut it anymore!
Kidman?
Word up, Parko is garbage.
It’s more than just wave-riding. Thats fucking obvious isn’t it?
Dora’s work outside the water> than anyones. Also a magnificent writer, maybe the best. Never afraid of the grand sweeping statement, the over stretched metaphor; had the vision of the Greek tragics, and was, by and large, correct with his vision. That over-rides the hypocrisy, excused by the necessities of continuing the scam into old age. Died loved at home. How perfect and the ultimate statement as to the moral worth of the man.
And Tom Blake? You’ve lost it Warshaw. Over-rated on what criteria? Make an argument. Blake begat Simmons in terms of icebreaking eccentric vision and intellect into our stupid little crusted over pastime. Hawaiian Surfriders. Didn’t become a whinging old bitter man, just turned his back on it all and went back to Lake Superior. Greatest kick out of all time. Best and most enduring rebuttal to surfing commercialisation ever.
But what, Steven? There was no grand sweeping statements. He was a small time hack, a bad check passer. Really, nothing more.
You’re dog whistling Chas. Something pioneered and mastered by Dora. Fact is, without Dora there couldn’t be a Chas Smith.
Your ‘shuck and jive’ writing style is enjoyable but clearly you have no idea what you’re talking about when it comes to this subject matter. Miki Dora’s contribution to surfing (the side-slip), the fact he could handle small Malibu and Waimea Bay with equal aplomb, his wanderlust and love of the ocean and simply riding waves made him unique. Despite his anti-social behaviours, “Da Cat” had his own inimitable style in and out of the water. He actually did write some classic articles for Surfer from time to time. The fact that Harry Hodge took it upon himself to look after Dora in his later years in France was because of some of what was mentioned above. Shearer’s right on this one.
Simmons hated with a dark-purple passion the hollow surfboard. Stove a few in with an ax under cover of night as a matter of fact. He made boards to expressly to advance things beyond the tippy flippy lameness of the Blake-invented hollow surfboard. So there’s that. Simmons also had no interest in making boards for lifeguards, in presenting the sport to mainstream, in doing all the hearty PR stuff Blake did so assiduously for so many decades. Made board for the LA Ladder Company, and two or thee other VERY commercial non-surf American companies. Blake begat Simmons? In my hole.
Your being a horrible, horrible pedant here Matt, and you know it, trying to bait and
switch the specific for the whole impression , the defining characteristic.
No one remembers Blake for the hollow surfboard , we remember him for the fin and the church of the open sky….that template, that attitude is what begat Simmons, the similar solo searcher, another odd bod with a trail of orange peel behind him.
You still didn’t make a case for Blake being overrated.far as I can see your case against is because of the hollow surfboard and that he made a buck out of surfing.
Got a link for that story Dora wrote about Africa? That might shut Chas up.
No bait and switch! The hollow board is the first thing people think of, when they think of Blake. The fin is up there too, but for reasons we can only guess at, the fin did not catch on after Blake introduced it. Years passed. I have no real surf history grudge against Blake, but being as that he was such a loner, and that a lot of Hawaiians actively disliked him, and that Pete Peterson dismissed him as a preening attention seeker, and yes that the hollow board was a dud, I DO think Blake’s surf world importance is overstated. And his “chuch of the open sky” bit — that wasn’t a remark surfers at large knew about until the ’60s, with “Voice of the Atom.” Steve, you obviously identifiy with Blake. Others do as well. The “solo searcher.” I don’t knock that. But I identify more with those who sought and enjoyed a surfing fellowship. Whitey Harrison, Doc Paskowitz, Kivlin and Quigg from the next genration, and especially Velzy. Oops that’s a lot of name dropping. I am a horrible horrible pedant!
The hollow board is in no way the first thing people think of when they think of Tom Blake. It’s the fin hands down. You better do a poll on this fact so your blanket statements can be more accurate… especially coming from your EOS page.
“over-rides” or “overrides”, I personally prefer “surpasse”
Okay first, I totally called out Tom Blake! Everybody’s #2 guy, behind Duke, on Surfing’s Mount Rushmore! Calling out Blake is like calling out Thomas Jefferson!
Second, other people join you in feeling that Dora is overrated. I am not one of them. Surfed like a jazzman. Full of weird and interesting contradictions. Vicious sense of humor. Black-haired (like Italo!) and handsome and had a tux in the trunk of his car—he crashed parties professionally. Of all the surfers from that age, he was the one that you, Chas Smith, would most of have like. Loved.
Dora? Underrated!
I fail to understand what his antics out of the water contribute to his standing as a great surfer! I read David Rensins book and I thought “meh, did the guy ever even get tubed?” What did he change? How can Blake be overrated when he was the first to put a fin on a board? What did Dora do? I have read your History of Surfing – which is great, but I really don’t get the fascination with this Dora guy – at all! Please explain – on this point I seem to be very slow!
People who don’t feel the Dora frission — I would never disagree with that point of view. I certainly don’t admire him or wish I had more of his traits. As far as I can tell, his was a life without love and intimacy. But I am and alway have been impressed by Dora’s magnitism, by his style, by the surf-fueled transgressions which seem to be bigger bolder more consequential versions of the rest of our surf-fueled transgressions. The glory and tragedy of a hardcore surfing life. That’s Dora, for me.
“frission.” A new word intro’d to the surf peanut gallery. Well done Seattle guy.
the word is frisson
Oh Coq!
You read a book? No wonder you are slow. Special Ed is calling. So is the real world.
You should have been able to conclude from my comment that I have read at least two books. If Special Ed is calling maybe you should answer!
So you agree that the Inertia is overrated?
Who the fuck gave the inertia a high rating?
Mostly yoga dads longboarding mush somewhere in LA County and New Jersey transplants to La Jolla.
I’m confused by this comment on multiple levels… Firstly, I assume the second part is in reference to me (or it’s the weirdest coincidence ever?), in which case how do you know who I am? Second, I am a vehement opponent to anything Inertia (except zoltan miklos’ world tour write-ups), in which case I don’t get why you would choose to flex your confusing knowledge of me in such a circumstance. Who are you Mr. Landa and what do you want??
You’ve confused me good sir. What the hell are you talking about?
The New Jersey transplant to la Jolla comment… Was that NOT about me? If so that was one of the most coincidental comments of all time
I’m gonna immediately go put $1000 against Rutgers and USC for next week if 1. you’re an NJ tranny to SD (one of thousands, I suppose) and 2. you use your real name on surf site comments. Must be a sign. How many points is Utah getting?
1. Yes, but LJ specifically 2. Yes (anonymity, despite being the way of the Internet, is pretty soft). 3. Utah? What?
I google many things, sir, but until this instant I had not googled you. Turns out you are indeed paying out-of-state tuition to attend UCSD and wear neon wetsuits.
I got bets to go place.
It rates?!?!
Doubled up on the floor? More like bent over and presenting. I’ll give you Dora, but now Parko owes you a punch in the mouth as well.
Finally someone said it! I was thinking Dora myself but didn’t feel like sticking my head above the parapet. Enjoy the abuse Chas, but you are right god damn it!