80's Surfing and Cultre

Oh shlt I remember that! Doug was definitely a ripper. I linked up his his brother Dave a few years ago on Facebook. You always knew it was on at the hook when Ellie and Wayne would pull up with Dave and Doug in the back seat.

 

Yeah it's amazing what happened to the hook. I was a local urchin back then, a permanent fixture between the cove and sewers. I think Doug and I are the same age, not sure what happened to him, maybe got into drugs? Too bad either way both of those guys ripped. I told Dave on Facebook what a legend they were to me as a kid, he just laughed it off, but they seriously were. The first time I ever saw them was probably 79/80 chest high tropical swell late august at second jetty. It was the first example of modern surfing I had ever seen and really humbled me. Before that I was convinced I was the king, after that I realized I was a complete kook.

 

Good to hear!

 

Pepe, oops I mean Archy check this out, 2 seconds in google I find this

 

I love the most influential surfers, Derf and Rol. Wait it says mentors, that makes sense

 

Mark Richards.. enough said.

late seventies and early eighties are what shaped Pro surfing and the culture.

going from single fin to twin fin and then trifin was what pushed the sport to where it is today. The wetsuits really sucked compared to today. Had to use duct tape in the winter and vasoline gel to help with the neck rashes.

[video=youtube;SDdBobNlEck]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDdBobNlEck[/video]

 

O Barry.

 

I graduated HS in 1989, but I am a latecomer to surfing and didn't start until 1992, winter, Sea Isle City NJ.

So, while I didn't grow up in the 80's surf culture, as I got immersed in surfing, a lot of the videos, etc. I watched were from the mid to late 80's. I can only imagine what it must have been like to live through that.

I find, now, I appreciate the 80's so much more, all around not just surfing.

 

Scott, Derf and Rol are all still regulars. Rol, in particular, is still killing it. I can pick out his style a mile away.

The Cove surely isn't what it used to be, but it's still one of the best waves around when conditions are right. I moved up here in '95, just after the first round of replenishment, so I really don't know what it was like. But from the stories I've heard, and from what it's like now, I can only imagine it was literally a world class wave back in the '80s.

Still... The Hook holds some gem waves at times throughout the year, and there's still good surf locally if you do your sand reconne.

 

Graduated HS 82. Started surfing and partying religiously in 78. Surfed Hatteras when it was Hugh the week after graduation on my favorite 5'6" twin fin NA. Favorite board ever. Started playing in a band getting paid and getting laid. 80's where awesome!

 

Yeah south swell was tough on the cove, it was tough on all of Sandy Hook. We would sit up there all summer waiting for waves, we could never get a ride south. Once we got a car and could drive ourselves we left the hook on a knee high day and went down to the white wall in long branch and were shocked at how much swell there was. Remember that short jetty that sat between the two right out front? Well no kidding, the first time I saw that wave Doug Hopper was sitting in front of that pile of rocks and just killing these waist to chest high rights. I was lik "oh shlt, no wonder he's so good, while we were sitting on our asses all summer he was surfing, no fair!"

The hook as it once was

 

^^^That was when I first moved here. The water went right up to the wall at high tide, and those rocks right down in front always seemed to have a little wave. Might have had a few pilings too?

The best wave in that area was the loooong jetty in North Long Branch. What did they call that? USO? Keirnan? Gaskins? That was before my time, but I like hearing about it... I moved here in early July and got it good a few times... but then they destroyed the jetty... and the wave.

There was a surf shop... North End Surf Shop?... that sponsored contests. Was it a Hobie shop? And there was supposedly an ice house there, too... fish packing? A train used to run to it, I'm told.