"The price of those decisions was the life of a 20-year-old man and that is a price no one should ever have to pay."
Eleven months ago it was reported here that Kolby Aipa, the twenty-year-old grandson of legendary Hawaiian shaper Ben Aipa and son of Sting revivalist Duke Aipa, had died due to injuries suffered in an e-bike accident in Huntington Beach.
(As reported then, and for historical context: If you have any skin in the surf game from any part of the world you will know the name Aipa. Grandpa Ben invented the sting model surfboard. Its winged outline was influenced by the hull of hydroplane speedboats. It was the first of it’s kind, and most say the precursor to Mark Richards’ refined version of the twin-fin. Barnstormers of the blueprint included Larry Bertlemann, Michael Ho and Buttons Kaluhiokalani.)
And now the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has announced Friday that 21-year-old Brandon Scott Soleau has been charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in Aipa’s death.
Soleau faces up to six years in state prison if found guilty of the charge.
Soleau is scheduled to be arraigned July 23 at the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center in Westminster.
Details are emerging from the fatal night of August 2, 2025. KTLA5 reports that on August 2, 2025, Soleau picked up eight passengers in his 2015 Toyota Tacoma following a movie premiere in Huntington Beach.
Aipa was riding alongside the truck on an e-bike when he asked Soleau if he could grab onto the vehicle and “car surf,” prosecutors said. Soleau allegedly gave him permission. Aipa then held onto the truck by putting his arm through the open front passenger window while continuing to ride the e-bike.
Prosecutors allege Soleau then merged onto southbound Pacific Coast Highway at approximately 50 mph while a passenger recorded video of Aipa holding onto the truck. After traveling more than a mile, near Seapoint Street, Aipa lost control and fell from the e-bike. He was not wearing a helmet.
California law prohibits people riding bicycles, motorized bicycles and similar devices from attaching themselves to moving vehicles on a roadway. Investigators said impairment was not suspected at the time of the incident.
“This tragedy cost the life of a young man with his entire future ahead of him and will forever impact a young man who will have to live the rest of his life knowing that he killed his friend,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
“This is a stark reminder that every action and every decision have a consequence, and in this instance the price of those decisions was the life of a 20-year-old man and that is a price no one should ever have to pay.”