As for spectators at the early events, "you had the guys hanging off in the bushes, smoking dope and calling bullshit on the whole thing."
Every Sunday afternoon, east of the international date line that is, Seattle-based former surfer Matt Warshaw emails subscribers to his online encyclopedia a thoughtful summation of a certain event or epoch in surfing.
Today is Pipeline Masters themed, and the email links at the end to an interview Warshaw made with the father of the Pipe Masters, and pro surfing, the former Republican senator, Fred Hemmings.
Oh, reader, it’s thunderbolt after thunderbolt.
“I wanted to develop a format that would look good on television so I could market surfing to a larger audience—to the average schmuck watching TV in Middle America,” says Fred.
“I didn’t kiss the surfing establishment’s ass. I was an outspoken critic of drugs, back when that wasn’t cool. ‘Do your own thing, man’ —all that stuff. Well, a lot of my friends died as a result of doing their own thing.” FRED HEMMINGS
On why he chose Pipe over Sunset or Makaha.
“I went back and talked to people in New York, TV people, business people, and surfing was a really hazy thing to them. I’m sure they wouldn’t have really understood what was going on with a guy riding a 10′ wave at Sunset or Makaha. Seen one wave, seen ’em all; this guy looks just like that guy. That kind of thing. So I wanted to sell them on something a little more challenging—and dangerous, to be frank. The Pipeline is so different from other spots. And back then, as a contest site, it was virgin ground. The reason I just had six guys in the first contest was because I didn’t want to create a situation where someone was going to get in over their head.
Why the surf media ignored his event, at least initially.
“I didn’t kiss the surfing establishment’s ass. l didn’t play ball with Drew Kampion and the rest of them. I was an outspoken critic of drugs, back when that wasn’t cool. ‘Do your own thing, man’ —all that stuff. Well, a lot of my friends died as a result of doing their own thing. Anyway, I didn’t see things the way the magazine folks saw ’em, and my contest was a victim of that.”
And the spectators?
“I did the best I could to hype the thing, but I doubt if there were any more than a hundred people on the beach—probably not even that. And then you had the guys hanging off in the bushes, smoking dope and calling bullshit on the whole thing. But we just went ahead and ran it, and all in all, I think it was pretty exciting.”
put down the foil bruv, go to fleahab
they should have the next pipe masters at the bubble bowl. sick pits and sections. its why they call it bubble bowl
This article has pants!
The Hawaiian events were a curiosity at best. On the mainland, the WSA was seen as a joke. Then the two clowns from ozzie showed up with their system surfing and it was seen as a joke. If Tom Curren had not entered into that light, it would have remained dark until Kelly easily. Ian and PT owe Curren for everything.
At one point there was a contest at Malibu. The anger locally was profound. I heard so many off the cuff threats. At one point, Ben Aipa was confronted in the parking lot… I heard a fight ensued. All the warring factions came together over a common hatred of that contest. Everyone was impressed by Mark Richards, but consensus was Sarlo owned the entire tour.
I escaped to more open pastures and quiet wind. Avoided it like the corona virus.
J Riddle over Sarlo any day(or any back in the day).
I honestly didn’t know about the whole being up in the bushes smoking dope thing until now. Do I need to wear camo to blend in?
all concrete now man, you’re good.
I think DIRK and the Wsl will be calling Fred shortly–seems a match made in Heaven. Maybe he could take over Elo’s job. And another one, and another one, and another one bites the dust?……………..
Cunts like 90..
In his mid 70’s
A mate of mine was in the 1968 world champs and traveling on the same plane to Puerto Rico with him and some of the other competitors.
He swears that Hemmings had a hand gun in his carry-on luggage and was showing it ’round for some of the others to see. No shit.
Don’t think he’d still carry one though…
Well, you know, with metal detectors and all—- he could have a CCW. permit though.
Yes indeed
But just the fact that a surfer was showing other surfers on a plane that he was carrying a gun is the thing that was a bit out of the ordinary.
Especially cos the other surfers were not that way inclined…
Well, you know,…….. it was Fred…….. ya, can’t see Lopez or the others packing heat……..
Yes it was ’68 and the others were mainly anti Vietnam stoner types and considered him a dick
Being an outspoken critic of drugs still ain’t cool brah. Meet me in the bushes.