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Spike Gladwin in a Necky Rip. Spike has been an early wizard in the rot molding industry. His home is in Vancouver and he is one of the few inventers of surf kayaks. He is the first to take surf-kayaking designs and make a white water kayak company. Most manufacturers do it the other way around.
© 2000 - Grace Iannotti
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This is Kris Soderman in a Spike Gladwin “Sting Ray” surf kayak design.
© 2000 - Grace Iannotti
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This is the Alamax surf kayak. It was one of the first rot molded surf kayaks. The first was an early design, “Das Boot”, by Dick Wold presented to Perception in the 80’s. The surf kayaks in this material are hampered by weight. This is a good beginning surf kayak in that they can bash rocks without injury.
© 1997 - M. Weyerhaeuser
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Dave “The Wave” Johnson demonstrating the move he made popular, the “Karate Chop”. It is a cut back into the white water with a quick release of the tail, rotation of the body, slashing the kayak around to reverse the direction back to the clear water.
© - Jonathan Paul
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Dennis Judson in Merv Larson’s “Taco”. It was the modern day surf kayak produced after the “Shoe” designs in the late 60’s. Merv, the inventor of the wave ski, is noted for his finless free style shapes. The “Taco” has the 3-plane bottom that makes all his wave skis perform. The “Taco” was very fast but difficult to keep on its best lines.
© - Jonathan Paul
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Preston Holmes in his “Boogie” design manufactured by Riot kayaks. The “Boogie” is probably one of the first successful surf kayaks made out of mass production materials.
© 2000 - Patrick O’Keefe
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Keith Chapin in a Squirt Boat showing the maneuverability that can be achieved by having squashed bow and sterns. This design allows these parts to pass through the wave without getting captured by the wave.
© - Jonathan Paul
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Dan Crandall in a “Tico Lite” by Mega Kayaks. It is a light International Class design of the 3.5-meter era. New International Class designs can be 3 meters in the 2003 worlds. Dan because of his strength and his long experience with this craft makes riding big waves at Steamer look easy. He was the leader in the High Performance Division in 2000 due to his elegance. It spurred the controversy that long boats should not be allowed in HP.
© 2000 - Patrick O’Keefe
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Ed Martinez in a “Mini Mako” by Mike Johnson. This demonstrated that shorter, more maneuverable kayaks can be a better vehicle for bigger waves.
© - Adventure Sports
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Merv Larson, the true inventor of our sport, in a Wave Ski at Steamer Lane. Merv is a symbol of surfing and epitomized the bohemian life style of that this sport engenders. He was featured in Surfer Magazine and the early surfing flic, “Endless Summer”. Merv is an impeccable craftsman in whatever he attempts, and a consummate inventor. He, like other individuals who have changed the course of history, exhibits a mind that can encompass many ideas from many disciplines. We thank Merv for sight and energy.
© - Adventure Sports
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Mark Pastic surfing the “Steamer Lane” by Mike Johnson. There where 2 significant design periods in the 3-plain bottomed free style surf kayak. The 1st was the “Taco/Steamer Lane” period. Fast, long planning surface, little rocker, and hard-edged kayaks. They were very slippery but no user friendly. The Next period, the “Mako” series had more rocker, less volume and softer edges.
© - Adventure Sports
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Mike Johnson in first Taco. Mike was Merv Larson’s sidekick. Merv, like many inventors, was way before his time. We who knew the “Taco” design say potential in it. However, there were only a handful of us. It became obvious that this sport would not support a designer on it’s own. Mike, a retired fireman, took the staff form Merv, bringing the free style concept to its present state.
© 1993 - Paul Bousquet
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Keith Chapin, notorious in his first contest at Steamer Lane in his excellent use of a squirt design, came to the Santa Cruz contest in his second attempt with his own surf kayak. Here he is surfing backwards in a tube off the Surfing Statue near the judges’ stand.
© 1998 - Grace Iannotti
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Here is the Alamax, roto molded production surf kayak. The designers of this craft lived in the harsh open ocean area of Moro Bay. They hired a surfboard shaper to design the bottom and all cooperated to craft the top.
© - Jonathan Paul
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Kim Sprague in an early river Rodeo kayak showing that riverboats do indeed surf. It has been discovered that planning hulls, hard carving edges, squashed bow and sterns, and shorter kayaks allow for more control of dynamic water.
© 1997 - M. Weyerhaeuser
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Rick Starr, the 2001-2003 Chairman of the World Surf Kayaking Committee, showing his strong smooth style on a cut back at Steamer Lane. His rational approach to meetings has helped the sport grow.
© - Jonathan Paul
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Dennis Judson in Mike Johnson’s first International 3.5 meter kayak, the “Steamer Lane”, at Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, California.
© - Adventure Sports
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Rick Starr in a “Super Mako” demonstrating a move, only possible in a free style kayak without fins, of releasing an edge, allowing the kayak to slide sideways to drop under a section.
© - Adventure Sports
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Ken King with his smooth, stretched style enacting a cut back in a “Super Mako”.
© 2000 - Patrick O’Keefe
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Diane Bacon, a top women performer and member of several US Teams in her early Jester Kayak by Mega Kayaks.
© 1998 - Grace Iannotti
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Dave Johnson finishing his signature “Karate Chop” off the white water cut back.
© 1999 - Grace Iannotti
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Rick Starr finishing a tube ride into a section with his “Mini-Mako”. This was an 8’6” design to appease the smaller surfer after the “Mako” High Performance design.
© 1999 - Grace Iannotti
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A rodeo kayak under a big shelf at Middle Peak, Steamer Lane.
© - Adventure Sports
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A classic picture of an early International Class 3.5 meter kayak, designed by Malcolm Pearcy of Mega Kayaks. This is his “Tico Lite”, the next generation after the “Jester” series.
© - Adventure Sports
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© - Adventure Sports |
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© - Adventure Sports |
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It takes many people to make the SCKSF a success. One of the most crucial positions is the staging boat where contestants receive their colored jerseys for their next heat. The staging boat, run by veteran Adventure Sports Unlimited SCUBA Instructor and ocean rescue expert, Scott Tims, is in constant communication with the judges’ stand and can relay last minute information to contestants. He and his rescue divers are the first extraction boat for in water rescues.
© 1997 - M. Weyerhaeuser
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The symbol of the Steamer Lane, Light House Point in Santa Cruz, California.
© 1997 - M. Weyerhaeuser
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The surf frolic at La Push Washington, St. Olympic Peninsula in January. It is a free for all contest in the gnarly.
© - Joel W. Rogers
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Neil Baxter of Scotland exhibiting a bottom turn with ½ of his own design kayak, the “Screamer”, out of the water. This shows the extreme rocker of this international class kayak acting like a High Performance kayak.
© - Adventure Sports
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Ken King in a “Super Mako” 3.5-meter International Class kayak by Mike Johnson dropping in at Middle Peak, Steamer Lane.
© - Adventure Sports
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Dan Crandall in his 3.5-meter International Class kayak, the Mega “Titan”, dropping in at the critical section at middle Peak, Steamer Lane.
© 2000 - Grace Iannotti
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Dave, “the Wave” Johnson showing the start of his signature move, the “karate chop”. He is doing this maneuver in an International Class 3.5 meter “Cyclone” kayak by Mega.
© - Adventure Sports
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