FITTED HAWAII

Not many people can say they’ve single-handedly changed the course of a sport. Fewer still have done so with all the casualness of a cat licking its haunches. Gerry Lopez not only made Pipeline the world’s most important wave, he made the tube the ultimate prize in surfing.

The Rubberman opened the door. Arriving amid a period of flux, he demonstrated that no limits exist beyond our imagination. He didn’t invent the shortboard; he just showed us how to ride it. No one had a greater influence on the way people surf — from the best in the world on down — than Larry Bertlemann.

Boards were plenty small by the ’70s, but surfers had yet to make sense of the new equipment. Ideas of what could be accomplished on a wave were changing with each passing swell. Staying ahead of this revolution meant paddling into every session with an open mind, an ability to erase all preconceived notions. The leading force of change was a pack of young Hawaiians, none more exuberant or spontaneous than the one they called Buttons Kaluhiokalani.

(more…)