I always liked him and his pioneering of surfing big boards.
RIP Ben. Thanks for keeping bigger guys surfing
RIP Ben. Thanks for keeping bigger guys surfing
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RIP ben aipa.
- Thread starter bonzer5fin
- Start date
Totally agree on his ability to keep bigger guys surfing. I have had many years riding shapes from Ben and was blessed by the connection we had. My orders were so easy to make, just give him the basics of what I was looking for, as in length and design and he would take it from there. Guns, short boards, step ups, longboards, and mid lengths from him all worked. Since our size was relatively the same, he told me that he always shaped my boards like he was shaping each board like he was shaping the board for himself. Ben will be missed.
Crowded Bowls, set comes in, I hear a booming voice yelling, "GO BEN GO!"
It's Ben yelling himself into waves.
Very effective, he got every set he wanted.
It's Ben yelling himself into waves.
Very effective, he got every set he wanted.
Oh wow. So sad to hear this. RIP Ben.
Had 2 different personal experiences with Ben on mainland 25 years or so apart.
First was at the Sunkist Malibu Pro/Am back in '79 and again early 2000's at Lowers.
From my post 6 months ago when word of his dementia decline was making the rounds......
------------------------------------------------------
The one in Malibu was kinda special and will never forget. It was just before the finals of the contest (a buddy and I entered the Am portion but we didn't advance far. But we hung out for the total beach party scene that ensued, Sunkist really tried to capitalize for marketing purposes, commercials made and all). So, they had a 1/2 hour break between the semi's and the final. The swell was building to slightly overhead sets, so my buddy and I hearing during the semi's that a break was on, grabbed our boards and paddled out at the semi's final horn. They didn't really have contest patrol back then, so we and a couple other like-minded surfers, maybe 4-5 of us total, had overhead set 3rd point all to ourselves for a 1/2 hour, with 100's of people on the beach cheering on the sets. It was unreal. We only got a few waves each, but the scene was other-worldly as people on the beach cheered on the better waves.
But it had to end, and we get called to get out right away. So, I take a close-out up top 3rd point to straighten off in. It's low tide and cobble rocks showing everywhere inside. I didn't have a leash (hated those things the first few years they came out), and when my whitewater wave dwindled to nothing, I fell back and my board went in with it. I see finalists, Buttons, Mark Liddel and Ben doing the rock dance getting ready to paddle out. My board washes in right to Buttons and he grabs it to keep it from getting bashed on the shoreline rocks. They're all smiles knowing we scored some fun Malibu all to ourselves for a 1/2 hour. Throwing shakas and all. I thank Buttons and shake hands with both him and Ben. Buttons then asks me if I have any wax. I said "sure". Hand it too him, he adds a bit of fresh coat, not much and offers it back. I tell him to keep it. He thanks and paddles out to win the Sunkist Pro doing spinner 360's on overhead sets and blowing minds. It was a next level of performance surfing not seen much in So Cal, and the rest is history.
Trestles re-meet up was not as classic, but still pretty cool. It was a big hurricane swell day at Lowers. Solid 2x plus, glassy late morning. Almost too peaky for Lowers, but still going off. All the pros were out, Irons bro's, Sunny and a few others. Ben was out too. I had to paddle up to Ben and ask him if he remembers the day at Malibu back in '79. He casually goes, "ya, I remember that day, that was you?" It was a cool moment. Sunny was sitting next to us and mentions he remembered seeing that contest as a little kid and that Buttons was going off. Ben was still surfing well and charging the sets at probably near 60 or over.
A couple days later into the contest a big So Hemi swell fills in behind the hurricane swell and it's even better. I think Kelly won, but not sure? Edit: Googled and I think it was the first Trestles ASP pro in 2000 and Andy won, but not 100% on it.
Had 2 different personal experiences with Ben on mainland 25 years or so apart.
First was at the Sunkist Malibu Pro/Am back in '79 and again early 2000's at Lowers.
From my post 6 months ago when word of his dementia decline was making the rounds......
------------------------------------------------------
The one in Malibu was kinda special and will never forget. It was just before the finals of the contest (a buddy and I entered the Am portion but we didn't advance far. But we hung out for the total beach party scene that ensued, Sunkist really tried to capitalize for marketing purposes, commercials made and all). So, they had a 1/2 hour break between the semi's and the final. The swell was building to slightly overhead sets, so my buddy and I hearing during the semi's that a break was on, grabbed our boards and paddled out at the semi's final horn. They didn't really have contest patrol back then, so we and a couple other like-minded surfers, maybe 4-5 of us total, had overhead set 3rd point all to ourselves for a 1/2 hour, with 100's of people on the beach cheering on the sets. It was unreal. We only got a few waves each, but the scene was other-worldly as people on the beach cheered on the better waves.
But it had to end, and we get called to get out right away. So, I take a close-out up top 3rd point to straighten off in. It's low tide and cobble rocks showing everywhere inside. I didn't have a leash (hated those things the first few years they came out), and when my whitewater wave dwindled to nothing, I fell back and my board went in with it. I see finalists, Buttons, Mark Liddel and Ben doing the rock dance getting ready to paddle out. My board washes in right to Buttons and he grabs it to keep it from getting bashed on the shoreline rocks. They're all smiles knowing we scored some fun Malibu all to ourselves for a 1/2 hour. Throwing shakas and all. I thank Buttons and shake hands with both him and Ben. Buttons then asks me if I have any wax. I said "sure". Hand it too him, he adds a bit of fresh coat, not much and offers it back. I tell him to keep it. He thanks and paddles out to win the Sunkist Pro doing spinner 360's on overhead sets and blowing minds. It was a next level of performance surfing not seen much in So Cal, and the rest is history.
Trestles re-meet up was not as classic, but still pretty cool. It was a big hurricane swell day at Lowers. Solid 2x plus, glassy late morning. Almost too peaky for Lowers, but still going off. All the pros were out, Irons bro's, Sunny and a few others. Ben was out too. I had to paddle up to Ben and ask him if he remembers the day at Malibu back in '79. He casually goes, "ya, I remember that day, that was you?" It was a cool moment. Sunny was sitting next to us and mentions he remembered seeing that contest as a little kid and that Buttons was going off. Ben was still surfing well and charging the sets at probably near 60 or over.
A couple days later into the contest a big So Hemi swell fills in behind the hurricane swell and it's even better. I think Kelly won, but not sure? Edit: Googled and I think it was the first Trestles ASP pro in 2000 and Andy won, but not 100% on it.
