Daughter of Jack McCoy leads eulogies to surf god father, dead at 76

“Daddio was not a simple man. Our relationship, like many deep and complex bonds, held both sharp edges and profound love.”

It’s been a week since ol Jack McCoy split this earthly plane, suddenly from my perspective, I’d seen him in action two days before his death, but given his rapidly declining health, no surprise.

Still, man, he died with his boots on, guns blazing. And at the Randwick Ritz showing of the remastered Blue Horizon he reminded surf fans that no one, still, has come close to Jack McCoy for his ability to shoot epic wide-angle water at Teahupoo and, ultimately, create an epic surf movie narrative.

Plenty of fine eulogies followed, Warshaw one of the best, skirting platitudes and feel-good historical rewrites.

“Jack McCoy looked like a leaner meaner version of Tom Selleck, spoke well, amazing voice, and above all had unlimited confidence and ambition. Whatever Jack was doing, whatever the project, whatever he was focused on—he’d just tractor-beam you. He’d just pull you in. He was a force of nature. He was a huge bastard at times too, but I don’t think anybody, in any field, does that level of work, quality-wise, for as long a time as Jack did, without being a bastard.”

Now, his daughter, Indiana Campbell, has come in swinging with a beautiful paean to her daddy Jack McCoy.

This weekend, we honoured the soul, of the extraordinary man; I call Dad—a true force of nature whose brilliance, resilience, and originality left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Though Dad overcame the odds time and again, his passing still came as a profound shock. The grief is raw, and the loss of such a magnetic, visionary man is immeasurable.

Daddio was not a simple man. He challenged us deeply, loved us fiercely, and inspired us endlessly. Our relationship, like many deep and complex bonds, held both sharp edges and profound, unconditional love. I am proud that he knew, without doubt, how deeply he was loved—even in the hardest moments.

To our wider community of colleagues, friends, and leaders—your outpouring of love, respect, and support has been overwhelmingly felt. From the global communities and cultural leaders—you have truly carried us in this time of sorrow. Please know we are reading and receiving every message, even if we can’t respond to them all right now.

The grief is ongoing, but so is the legacy. My greatest honour now is to carry forward Jack’s extraordinary mission, alongside our family and our extended ohana. We ask for your patience and grace as we walk through this unimaginable season of healing.

Rest easy, big fella. Your impact has only just begun.

For those seeking guidance in how they can help- all I ask is you give your people and a stranger a heart to heart embrace, go get a fucking epic barrel, watch one of dad’s falls and get fucking frooooooothin’ for your next surf or shake your good thang to some good ol’ fooo’s.

 

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When the gods come to take my soul I hope one of my kiddos come through with a couple of hundred words that take the living’s breath away.

Question to the below the liners: who else has planned their funeral or who plays mind games imagining the music that’ll be played, who’ll cry the most and what will be the takeaway, as they say, from their funeral?

And the method of disposal? I’ve always favoured a burial at sea or being dynamited, cadaver sat on top of a few sticks of dynamite.

You?