Watch livestream of Aussie surf legend Shane Herring’s funeral

"Wow, what a ride…"

The Aussie surf legend Shane Herring, one-time foil to Kelly Slater, and Australia’s oversized contribution to the new school movement of the early nineties, died peacefully in his sleep a couple of months back, aged fifty three.

Herring had fallen down the stairs of his West Tweed apartment block in the early hours of Sunday morning, complained about his sore head, ravaged the fridge, went to sleep and never woke up.

As far as exiting this coil goes, it’s as peaceful as it gets.

Herring, who was from Dee Why beach in Sydney’s north, burned real bright before flaming out although not before famously stomping Kelly Slater at the 1992 Coke event. It was Slater’s first-ever pro final, and it put Herro, for half the year, in the world number one slot.

Shane Herring had been shaking his fist at the ol grim reaper for thirty years, slipping by multiple hits of pancreatic disease and with a joy for the drink that ate up all his teeth.

His death wasn’t unforeseen, you might say. But the fall down the stairs, get up, raid the fridge, go to bed and never wake up was an oddly characteristic way for the lil red bear to exit this mortal coil.

After his death Kelly Slater wrote,

“Shane Herring. He best blended the old school power and pure lines with the new school mentality and speed in the nineties. In the years we spent travelling and surfing together, I always found Shane to be a kindhearted guy and an extremely talented surfer, but he had his demons that limited his time of greatness. He loved the purity in surfing and was uncomfortable with the limelight and notoriety and scrutiny it brought him. He made a bigger mark than he might be known for these days and it hurts to know we won’t get to catch up again. I was really looking forward to seeing and maybe even surfing again the coming months with Shane, whom I haven’t seen in probably twenty-plus years. This clips is the first final we each made on tour and he won in front of his hometown. Ride on, Shane. We’re thinking of ya.”

Yesterday, a who’s who of Australian surfing, at least of a nineties hue, gathered at the Mid Coast Funeral and Cremation Service in Port Macquarie to pay tribute to Shane Kirk Herring.

Justin Crawford, a dear pal of Herring’s, stole the show with a moving speech.

“He strikes the waves like lightning and guides the sun rays travelling at the speed of light,” Crawford began, through tears.

Watch here.