SURFERMAG ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
SPOT ON SPOT - A Revisionist Glance at Historic Surfing Locales: Malibu
AKA:
Surfrider Beach, The 'Bu.
From east to west it divides into First Point, Kiddie Bowls, Second Point and Third Point. First Point is a popular longboard wave, while Second and Third Points are better for shortboarding.
Notorious Locals:
These days, Malibu is ruled mostly by chaos. Because it is so easy for anyone to paddle out there, it mixes surfers of all abilities in a way that doesn’t work when the surf gets big. The good surfers are outnumbered by beginners, but these days the likes of Allen Sarlo, Andy Lyon, Josh Farberbow, the Marshall Brothers, Carla Rowland try to maintain some order. But they are like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike.
The most notorious local of them all was Miki Dora. A Los Angeles resident who came from a troubled childhood, Dora drowned his sorrows in the perfect Malibu surf of the 50s – a time he called The Golden Years. But when the movie Gidget ignited the surf crazed culture of the 60s, Dora looked at Malibu and its waves like the American Indians looked at the plains and the buffalo: overwhelmed by outsiders. This made Dora more than a little bitter and through the 60s he became infamous for pushing outsiders off “his” waves, at the same time becoming notorious for stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down.
Before Dora’s time, Malibu was home and training ground to some of California’s best surfers, shapers and stylists, including Tom Blake, Sam Reid, Bob Simmons, Matt Kivlin, Joe Quigg and Buzzy Trent. It was the desire to master those beautiful green walls that forced the evolution of the modern surfboard from the 11-foot, 80 pound hardwood planks of the 30s and 40s, down to the lighter and faster balsa boards and then foam, fiberglass and resin boards of the 50s and 60s.
Over the years, Malibu has produced a rogue’s gallery of surfers and characters. During the 50s, Malibu was home to Kathy “Gidget” Kohner, Tubesteak Tracy, Billy Al “Moondoggie” Bengston and others immortalized by the movie Gidget.
The 80s and 90's were perhaps the peak of localism around Malibu. Third Point was ruled by a clique of Colony Kids lead by Matt Rapf, Ian Warner and Andy Lyon. Their antics were captured in living Super 8 color by Morgan Runyon and Ray Kleiman, who bootlegged whatever music they wanted and packaged it all in the Runman series of movies.
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READER COMMENTS
Tue Jun23, 2009, 12:45 AM
I started surfing Malibu in 1966. I pretty much stopped getting in the water there around 1978. The problem? Assholes: Very young, very rude, very entitled. They made sure the vibe changed to match their conceit, and that same attitude has insured that Malibu surfrider outshines all southern California surf spots in ugly intensity. Mickey Dora? I remember him well. He hardly surfed. He was a drug addled little thief,(though he could still surf like a bastard when he felt the urge)and it was because of his confused state of mind and a clear personal frustration that he fucked with other surfers, not because he was some cool surf pioneer that was robbed of "his" waves. As to surfing etiquette at the points being non-existent, I say, good. The assholes out there started the trend 40 years ago. they're all just surfing in the Kharma of their own shitty medicine.
Sat Jul11, 2009, 8:17 PM
Why is it that degradation of 3rd and 2nd point is never mentioned.Two of the finest hollowest swell south spots on the coast.If you can find old footage you will see it is NOTHING like it used to be .There is more than a water quality problem.The wave is disappearing more each year .Check out the coastal records project of surfrider beach from 1972 to 2009 the beach is gone and so are the perfect waves.Those 2 points were machine like winding quality .This year the bottom of 2nd you might catch a couple of shoulders. pat conway
Fri Jul24, 2009, 8:51 PM
If there is one spot in So Cal that I would have loved to grow up at in the 30's/40's, it's Malibu. I've been surfing there since I was 8 and even though I live 20 minutes away in Venice, I'd rather surf the pier. The vibe there sucks now, a bunch of straight legged old men, "Soul'd Out" groms about 10 years behind in thier fashion statements, and even the girls who can't surf to save thier lives seem to be snakes these days...
Mon Aug 3, 2009, 10:30 PM
TomR sizzles! His steaks are the best. Decker Creek still drums the vibe.
Wed Sep30, 2009, 6:01 PM
Malibu has a few things going for it that ruin it. Easy access, and an easy tame paddle out and soft friendly surf. there are so many better surf experiences to be had around the world, but not many where you can surf in the morning, chillax in your house and grab some grub, and then be a sell-out in a suit by noon. Selling real estate, or an image to movies and print. Sarlo? come on that moron snakes everybody with his over-amped gorilla squat barking all the way down the line. Wow that sounds like fun, snake three guys then yell at people the rest of the wave cause you think they are going to snake you. Total Combat. As for Matt Rapf, he might be a decent realtor and decent guy, but surfer? ah no-- he pretty much sucks. No where is it written that this thing they call the united states will live in perpetuity. Malibu was majic before that dumb bitch so called "owned it" in the early 1900's.
Sun Oct 4, 2009, 11:49 AM
So it is true, bodyboarding isn't allowed? What a piece of &@#§. I've never seen this. Pipeline allows it, but not 3 feet Malibu? Oh well, they can keep their over rated, over crowded, over cool attitude and snake themselves in "peace".