Newcastle folk hero and famed sex pot
“Mullet Lord” saved from certain death during catastrophic wipeout
by twenty-year-old surf helmet, “I’ve had this Gath since I was
eleven and a mate left it at my house! My chin was folded into my
neck!”
By Derek Rielly
"I'm a thrillseeker but I've kids, a wife and a
bunch of businesses so I need my head.”
The air becomes naturally
electric around Mullet Lord aka Daniel Brown, cafe owner, espresso
martini mix wholesaler, sex pot and wild slab hunter.
Brown self-describes as “a thrillseeker. And my wife
knows what happens when I get in the surf when the surf’s up. If
I’m going when it’s big I have to wear a helmet. I’ve got kids, a
wife and a bunch of businesses so I need my head.”
In the wave wave pictured below, a secret below-sea level
bone-crusher on the NSW South Coast, Brown was “launched out in
front of it. I thought I’d be exploded back up with the whitewash,
but I was drawn down so fast I hit the back of my Gath on the reef.
It bent my head down and folded my chin into my neck. It hit my
upper spine as well.”
The helmet was a leftover from when he was a kid and his pal
forget to take it home one day. Brown moved from the neighbourhood,
never saw the kid again, and kept the Gath.
“The Gath actually took the impact so
well. My head was fine. It was just my neck getting
pressed into the chin and the pressure of my neck bending so much.
But, my actual head, no bruise whatsoever. It’s an old Gath but
it’s served me well.”
Mullet Lord’s busted Gath.
The day before he’d had worn one of his Billabong impact vests.
He figured it was a little smaller the following morn so didn’t put
it on. What he didn’t take into account was the long-period swell
as masking the eight-to-ten-foot bombs that were hitting the
reef.
“Wish I’d worn it, especially when I hit my spine. I deadset
thought I’d broken my back and when I came up. I had hair sticking
out through the cracks in my helmet, I got a mad mullet cranking,
and everyone was laughing. I said, ‘Yeah, I just cracked my head on
the reef.’ Their smiles turned to frowns. I got someone to touch my
spine, to see if there were any broken vertebrae.”
A few minute later, an even bigger set loomed.
“There’s eight-foot slabs and you could get the wave of your
life,” he says. “There was no way I was going in. It was a proper
bomb and I was in the right spot. But that wave was so big it went
mutant.”
Brown can sure feel his away around a folding sandwich,
something even Kelly Slater approves of, liking this video where he
cavorts at an extraordinary ledge.
“I used to work in hospitality where you have to have
collar-length hair. I started my own thing and now I don’t have to
shave, I can have a mo, a mullet and no one’s telling me I can’t.
It’s a good reminder of not taking anything too seriously. If I’m
depressed, I look in the mirror at my head and have a good laugh,
like, what are you taking so seriously? We’re here for fun
and games! In my head, I’m just an Aussie bogan and this is the
haircut that chose me.”
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Visually, of course, the story is a triumph.
Undeveloped hills and valleys, perfect surf, empty
lineups. But LaRue’s article is something else entirely—a
sales pitch wearing a Gestapo jacket pretending to be a
conservation statement. | Photo: Jeff Divine and Brad
Barrett
The “hard ugliness” behind mythical Santa
Barbara surf Valhalla The Ranch, “(It was) a sales pitch wearing a
Gestapo jacket pretending to be a conservation statement!”
By Matt Warshaw
"We have a security force. These men are all
deputized by the County of Santa Barbara, and we strictly enforce
the trespass laws."
Most surfers, for different reasons, think of the
still-private (for the moment) Hollister Ranch as either
half-mythical or past tense or both.
“What is paradoxical about the Ranch,” as Paul Gross put it a
few years back, “is the place it occupies in our minds.”
Gross continues:
When it became world-renowned, there were thousands of
surfers dreaming about a location that, A) they had never been to
and, B) was nowhere near as consistent or uncrowded as they
imagined. The existence of the Ranch satisfied a spiritual need in
surfers. It became a Valhalla of sorts.
The actual experience of surfing the Ranch today is a
balloon of high expectations constantly being punctured by reality.
Access is limited to those who either boat in or own a parcel of
land there. The result is boaters with the zeal of buccaneers
sharing the lineup with property owners who are expecting a country
club experience. Further discord festers within the parcel owners
themselves because they are a mix of well-off surfers [who bought
in later], and the original old guard Santa Barbara Surf Club
members. The politics are brutal and persistent. Like a depleted
gold mine that yields just enough treasure to keep prospectors
hooked, the Ranch will always lure surfers. But the place in time
that made it truly special has passed.
I held the Ranch fantasy near and dear. Everybody did. Between
those heavenly 1966
Ron Stoner photos, a set of
gorgeous Jeff Divine shots a few years later, and that
eye-popping Cosmic Children footage
of J
Riddle at Razor Blades—how could you not? And, most
incredible of all, this Edenic state-of-nature preserve is just a
short drive north of the crowd-infested lineups at Malibu and
Topanga. Fantasizing about the Ranch was the one thing our
fractured California surfing community agreed on during the late
1960s and ’70s.
The beauty of the place was not overrated. Neither, on the best
days, was the level of wave perfection.
But there has always been, even during the “truly special” times
Gross mentions, a hard ugliness just below the surface at the
Ranch.
Justin Housman called it “legal localism,” and it runs
through the entire 60-plus years of Hollister surf history, and
let’s pull out just one example and see what it looks like up
close.
In 1972, not long after Ranch ownership was transferred to a
Wisconsin-based development company who in turn divided the
property into 135 100-acre parcels, the sales and marketing job was
given to a former Texas cattleman named Dick LaRue, who took the
title of “Ranch Manager.”
Dick LaRue with Ronnie and Nancy
Reagan.
It is unclear whether LaRue reached out to SURFER or the other
way around, but that same year a magazine-organized series of Ranch
trips was dispatched. Jeff Divine and Brad Barrett got the photos,
LaRue himself wrote the copy, and the resulting 12-page feature,
“The Ranch Reality,” was published in the July 1972
issue.
Visually, of course, it is a triumph. Undeveloped hills and
valleys, perfect surf, empty lineups. But LaRue’s article is
something else entirely—a sales pitch wearing a Gestapo jacket
pretending to be a conservation statement.
Sometimes this is low key: “What we’re doing with the land will
preserve it in its natural state for many, many years. The good
Lord made it this way, and we’re not gonna change it.”
Sometimes it is not: “What we’re doing is creating a
controlled atmosphere at the Ranch.”
And halfway through the article LaRue opens his jacket and shows
us the Luger.
We have a security force. These men are all deputized by the
County of Santa Barbara, and we strictly enforce the trespass laws.
The Ranch is only for owners and their guests, period! There just
isn’t anyone else that will be allowed. I might stay on that for a
minute because, in the past, due to articles in your magazine and
because of previous lack of security on the Ranch, a lot of surfers
have come in to surf the beach, and I’d like to get the message
across that the Ranch is closed. There just isn’t going to be a way
to get in here. We’re not here to hassle the kids or give them a
bad time, but we are going to protect our rights and keep everyone
off the Ranch, except owners and guests. [Those who are caught], we
do have them arrested and will prosecute to the limit of the law.
The judge they go before is in the local area, and is also a
[Ranch] property owner.
Incredibly, and you have to respect it as a marketing pirouette
for the ages, LaRue then flipped the SURFER article into a Ranch
print ad.
“There are only a few such places in the world,” reads the
header. “SURFER magazine said it. And you know it’s true.” To
SURFER readers, in other words, LaRue’s message was “KEEP OUT.” To
prospective buyers—rich people—the message was “As seen in SURFER
Magazine!” Most of the ads were printed in Central California
newspapers, but
one actually ran in SURFER itself.
Each Ranch parcel cost between $100,000 and $400,000, roughly
$720,000 to $2,887,000 in 2022 dollars, and as one 1975 newspaper
article noted: “There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that the
Hollister Ranch is only for the wealthy. Ranch owners are
high-salaried individuals or people with inherited wealth.” The
article then quotes none other than Dick LaRue, who plays up the
raw beauty angle. “This place isn’t for everybody. Many people in
this income bracket would be more comfortable with golf courses and
yacht basins.”
There is a lot of shit to shovel through here.
SURFER cut off a piece of its soul for a two-day Ranch pass, to
begin with, but that’s small potatoes. The big issue is that
private beaches exist at all in a state that, decades ago, mandated
“maximum
public access” to California’s entire 840-mile coastline. Not
helping things are all the fence-sitting surfers, like me, who have
forever both-sided the public-private debate when it comes to the
Ranch—everybody doing the same mental gymnastics, which is
basically a version of how do I get in there while
everybody else is locked out and not feel like an asshole.
Which of course is where the “conservation” part comes into
play—the Ranch is the last piece of undeveloped Southern
California coast and must preserved at all costs—and I won’t
change anybody’s mind here by saying it, but I myself am giving up
on this line of nonsense.
Open up the Ranch. Limit access, charge a fee, patrol the
beaches—whatever has to happen in order to limit or mitigate the
environmental wear and tear that comes with allowing people in.
There will be more mess, and possibly some environmental
damage.
But that’s us, that’s our low-budget democracy, and even if
trashcans overflow at the end of the weekend or if some big-truck
assholes go offroading now and then, that is so much better than
fantasizing about Vahalla over the hill and behind the gate, and
there you are stuck on the wrong side without a key.
(You like this? Matt Warshaw delivers a surf essay every Sunday,
PST. All of ’em a pleasure to absorb. Maybe time to subscribe to
Warshaw’s Encyclopedia of Surfing, yeah? Three bucks
a month.)
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Tale of former world number eight Todd
Holland’s harrowing escape from enraged Brazilian surf fans
resurfaces ahead of Oi Rio Pro: “Armed police, with guns drawn, did
their best to clear a path on the beach before escorting him to a
jail cell for his protection.”
By Chas Smith
Passion!
Any true surf fan will immediately recognize
the name Todd Holland. Cocoa Beach’s other favorite son was a
mainstay on the professional surfing circuit in the 1980s through
the 1990s. Described as “baby faced” by surf historian Matt Warshaw
(subscribe here) and “a scrappy
pug” by surf journalist Steve Barilotti, Holland was the only east
coast American top 16 pro for a solid handful of years, P.K.
(pre-Kelly).
Pure red, white and blue though Holland also had the most
eventful, exciting escape from the green and gold in professional
surfing’s grand history, thus far, and the story has resurfaced
ahead of the hours-away Oi Rio Pro where enraged Brazilian surf
fans have promised to let their displeasure in recent judging
decisions be felt.
But let us jump in our time machine and revisit the scene, told
wonderfully by Hillard Grossman in Florida Today.
In the fall of 1993, just outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil,
Holland was looking for one good finish in a World Qualifying
Series event. That would have enabled him to rejoin the world tour
the following year — and also would have allowed him to return to
Cocoa Beach to see the birth of his son.
Instead, things got wild — and scary.
Holland was called for a paddling interference against
Victor Ribas, one of the top Brazilian surfers.
“When you get a paddling-interference call against you,”
Holland explained, “the only way to win is to get one called on the
other guy. So I just sat on him, trying to grab any wave in front
of him.”
Then, the contest announcer began inciting the crowd to turn
against Holland. Suddenly, people were chasing Holland in the
water.
“A guy jumped on my back and another hit me in the head,”
Holland said. “I got hit on the beach a couple of times. The whole
crowd tried to get me.”
Armed police, with guns drawn, did their best to clear a
path on the beach for Holland, and they escorted him in a van to a
jail cell, where he spent a few hours — but only for his
protection.
“They told me to shave my beard off right away,” he said.
“Then, later that night, another surfer came by and sneaked me onto
his floorboard and then onto a plane. Basically, they sneaked me
out of the country.”
If he had made it through that heat with Ribas (both were
eliminated), Holland would have seen his son born. Instead, it was
on to Hawaii, where he requalified with ease.
But the memories still haunt him.
“It’s something that should have never happened,” he said.
“If I went back there, I know it would not have been safe. But I
really never had any desire to go back.”
By 1995, his pro career was virtually over. Because he was
forced to skip the big-points events in Brazil, it was nearly
impossible to qualify for the world tour.
Passion.
Extreme passion.
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Paternalism.
Surfing great Kelly Slater quietly left out
of Oi Rio Pro draw continuing brutal legacy of thumbing nose at
proud nation of Brazil!
By Chas Smith
World Surf League approved.
The Oi Rio Pro gets underway in fourteen hours,
at time of writing, with a thrilling wave forecast that matches
promised drama on the sand. We know certain standout surfers will,
unfortunately, not be present. John John Florence publicly
announced that his knee surgery would render him inactive and Tyler
Wright came clean on a certain “transit visa” issue that would keep
him away. The World Surf League has published accounts of both
withdrawals and, as a rule, reports which surfers shall not be
reporting to duty and why.
Except, of course, when it comes to surfing great, and
fifty-plus year-old, Kelly Slater.
The 11x world champion was listed as “injured” ahead of El
Salvador, though spent a seemingly wonderful time surfing much on
Bali. Throwing tail high air reverses etc. like a man less than
half his age.
Ahead of Brazil? Slater’s name is nowhere on the heat draw and
there has also been lack of official mention detailing if/why he
will be absent.
No “injury,” no “illness,” no “lousy travel agent.”
The many-time Pipeline Master has made his disdain for Brazil
well-known throughout history, generally opting not to surf the
country’s waters, using the event as a “throw away.” His legacy of
nose thumbing legendary.
The odd thing, I suppose, is how the World Surf League supports
his animosity. It would be thought that Brazil is very important to
the WSL’s future of CEO Erik Logan’s promised 300% – 650%
year-over-year growth and that he would ensure the country felt
respected but apparently the League offices do not care.
Is it because the WSL imagines that Brazil should feel lucky to
have an event at all? A classic, though very out of fashion, sort
of paternalism?
A white man’s burden?
Troubling.
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Fiery mob (pictured).
World Surf League’s official forecast
partner delivers blistering report ahead of the upcoming Rio Pro
creating potential for fireworks in water as compliment to promised
riotous mob on sand!
By Chas Smith
Big in Brazil.
The Oi Rio Pro gets underway tomorrow minus
Tyler Wright and Kelly Slater but plus the most exciting potential
guest of any World Surf League event since the US Open of Surfing
2015. A riotous mob! As you know well, by now, Brazilian surf fans
feeling robbed after the recently wrapped Surf City El Salvador Pro
have promised to deliver vengeance upon the League by staging
vigorous protests on the sand.
It will be thrilling to see what sort of forces Brazilian
Instagram warriors will be able to muster. Thousands? Hundreds of
thousands? It will also be interesting to see what sort of banners
are flying above the assemblage. “World Shame League?” “Yanqui Give
Us Scores?”
Well, while most eyes will be on the beach, some should maybe
turn toward the ocean waves as the World Surf League’s official
forecasting partner, Surfline, has just delivered a
blistering report for the start of the window.
Thursday, Surfline declares, will see 6ft – 8ft faces with just
a puff of offshore winds. Friday will back off, lightly, to the 5ft
– 7ft range before Saturday explodes to a whopping 6ft – 10ft.
Quality.
Now, a question for you. What if Saturday sees a reprise of the
El Salvador Pro final, Griffin Colapinto vs. Felipe Toledo in the
promised “1ft to 2ft overhead” monsters? Will the energy from the
mob allow Toledo to put his head down and paddle into the great
scary or will he be richly rewarded for brave shoulder hops?
And what of Colapinto? If he can steel his nerve, face down a
potential stoning and win in Brazil should he just be gifted the
2022 crown?