Tom Curren. Sunset. Photo: JS CALLAHAN / TROPICALPIX.COM
JS Callahan was kind enough to share with PostSurf these iconic photographs from an era passed, along with his recollections:
"15 images of Olde School North Shore Power Surfing.
Men were men, waves were big and mean, and turns were done with the rail buried. Nary a little kid, an air nor a tailslide to be seen.
Lunatics like Marvin Foster went left at Waimea for attention and photos.
Promotional video was in its infancy, auteurs sweated and toiled with cumbersome 16mm film cameras, cursing sun-blocking overcast and clouds; blown tube rides that wasted precious film stock were roundly cursed."
Bragging rights go to the reader who first identifies all surfers below.
For more of Callahan's work, check out and .
Speaking of eras passed: The ASP Brazil event kicked off this morning. So far, it smells like a musty 80s grovel throwback. Retro is in. Live feed
Tom Curren is the man. Still every single time I see photos of him it just blows me away.
carrol
kealoha
burns
mark richards
foster
kealoha again
curren
johnny boy
horan
hamilton
elerkton
sunny
curren
keoni watson?
speaking of Brazil, Slater looked average, again.
Carroll, Kealoha, Ronnie Burns, Mike Ho, Marvin Foster, Dane again, Curren, Johnny Boy Gomes, Martin Potter, Todd Chesser, Laird Hamilton, Gary Elkerton (Post Kong), Sunny Garcia, Tom Curren (again), Shawn Briley.
That’s it.
Looking at the iconic image you realize that aside from Curren, Carrol and maybe a handful of others, most of those photographed were, and continued to be arrogant thugs. A slideshow of ex pro’s who spent much of their careers victimizing others and then spent their post careers trying to maintain some level of exposure while supplementing their incomes/egos through illegal activities and generally reprehensible actions. Pretty sad to see a culture that so many seek to emulate and that we are so wishing to place on a pedestal be in reality such a negative and unhealthy lifestyle.
Regarding the Brazil WCT event, we have boring, lumpy waves today. Plus, the English languague broadcast sucks. The real treat is the Brazilian broadcast team with former WCT’er Fabio Gouveia and Julio Adler. Julio is a Brazilian version of Lewis Samuels: fuckery-spewing jewish surfer-blogger, minus the hair.
the coverage in brazil sucks. nssalive.com is way better. fucking stupid brazilians can’t get nothing right!
Saw Sunny and some other Hawaiian moron knocking out two guys in front of skygarden in Kuta…Sunny actually knocked the one guy out, just cause he was saying “to take it easy” guys…two hawaiians on one and then as the Security gets involved sunny runs away…
Wardo and Davo look to be …lost at all, more like right at home in Brazil, 8.0 and 9.57!
DON’T look to be …lost. Sorry. Got distracted by Mick’s 7.27!
Those Brazilian nuts are calling Freddy P “Freddy Pistachio”. Sweet Jesus, I’d even tolerate GT at this stage…
Killer post Lewis. That CLASSIC Curren bottom turn at the Marui Pipeline Masters is as silky as it gets. I like the nary a kid, nor an air or tailslide reference by Callahan. Can’t be put any better than that. Is that Todd Mitsui in the fourth box? Ronnie was and always will be my Idol for life. I watch Pump at least 3 times a week on my combo DVD~VHS piece in the bedroom. His perfect exit out of the water at J Bay mirrors his whole style perfectly.
dave, didn’t Davo get dumped by …lost a while back? Did they pick him back up?
Why was Slater riding one of Fred’s Pyzel’s? Looked like perfect conditions for The Blender type of sub 5′6″ surfboard. Slater pimping Bud Lite stickers don’t look right. Bad Karma.
Slater’s boards didn’t arrive. And dare I say that’s a decent photo of young Laird?
@richbzz I watch Pump once a week. Occy at St Leu with an acoustic guitar and offshores. The double bottom turn lip launch…. could watch that on continuos loop. Perfect style, perfect hit, no recovery just another sick hit.
Ronnies butter tube high up the wave at Supers no handed….
Too bad the new movies don’t appreciate entire wave sequence’s. Seems that editors get in the way.
Thanks, Richbzz, I’m gonna play the tape now.
Opening sequence of In the Wind is pretty killer too, CB going nuts.
Cheese & Ronnie Burns, great to see.
@seppo1: Think you got them all except third before last isn’t Sunny. I think it’s Marvin Foster, again.
Ocean Beach goes off!- Yes this afternoon was California dreaming, 4-6 peaky faces because the nw groundswell w/small southwest- no wind and glassy. I pulled up to vfws, no one out at the splitting left/right peak. After approx 2 mths of crap the beach is finally shaping up.
Stu,
Davo in …lost ad in latest Surfer. So, he must be back on…
Great photos Lewis. Saw the majority of them as a grom.
And I knew you fuckwits would clarify the Bud Light logo. Thank you.
P.S. Ocean Beach doesn’t get that good. (Wink.)
How did Slater and the other guy in the booth not see that interference? (Alves/Weare) WTF? They went silent for 5 or 6 minutes. That was creepy. The guy in the box with him is a dud. Double interference or what? Those two don’t even know whats going on. Go U.S.A. even though I hate yard fairy ball kicking.
WTF!!! DANE LOSES AGAIN???? To Tiago Pires in the loser’s bracket?? Seriously? It’s time to pull the plug…. no more excuses. He’s a great surfer, absolutely, but he can’t win a heat to save his nuts.
occy
dane kealoha
matt kechele
michael ho
marvin foster (not sure)
dane again
tom curren
johnny boy gomes
mark richards
beaver massefeller (honestly no idea)
laird hamilton
gary elkerton
marvin foster (probably wrong)
tom curren
shawn briley
Bottom left is Arsene Arehoe from Tahiti.
Stu Smith - June 27th 9:22am
Chuckles.
Congrats to Ronald Nixon for tha Arsene Harehoe identification - he is correct. Arsene is a Polynesian gentleman, and a fantastic tuberider from Tahiti.
We’ve been on the south coast of Haiti for several weeks, now back in Paris - where there is internet, as well as water and electricity. Haiti is not for wimps, but the waves are good and there is no one surfing.
The suppose to be essential for people, which would like to ground their business. In fact, this is comfortable to receive a bank loan.