Surfing's Origins - Darrick Doerner
Part 3
About a year ago, I got a comment that said, “This movie should be free, like surfing.” So, I give you all the gift of this movie. It’s given me so much, and I hope it brings you the same joy that it has brought me. Addicted to Joy….the film and all the interviews are now FREE.
I’d been friends with Darrick a few years before I got to meet Tiger, his son. I, being a grom, had no idea of Tiger’s status in the surfing world. I was impressed from our very first meeting. I spoke with him a few times after I arrived in Hawaii, but he was busy and it was just a quick, “Aloha, nice to meet you” passing. I got to spend some time with Tiger at Pipeline later in the week. I took a picture of him as he waxed a 40-pound redwood surfboard next to Bill Hamilton and Kelly Slater. Here’s a shot with Tiger and Billy.
After Tiger spent some time in the surf, we sat down for a formal interview on the beach under some well-needed shade. Leica Camera Group had loaned me the first of their DSLRs that created 4K movies, so I was stoked to use it. As I set up, a pretty healthy thunderstorm blew in and we huddled in the tent. I tried to frame my shot and instantly realized that I had the wrong lens for what I was doing and I had no way to fix it. What came out was a very heartfelt interview with Tiger with him being out of focus in the shot. This was a tough lesson to learn. Later, when I watched the footage, I knew I had no way out but to admit my mistake - I hadn't tested my gear in all situations, a learning experience. I made up my mind if I was going to use this interview, I would have to say “Tiger was out of focus because he was the future”, a nice try, but I had to take my medicine.
Tiger talked about a lot of things but mostly he talked about what his father, Darrick, had taught him. It was moving to see what a fine young man he was. Here’s a link to his full interview ( 16 minutes), and this is where you can see it on YouTube. He spoke about the ocean, growing up on the North Shore of Hawaii, and his respect for his father. To think that surfing is in his hands gives me hope for the future of surfing.
Later that week I got the chance to spend the day with Tiger and Emily Erickson as they both surfed the redwood boards we had brought to Hawaii.
The two boards you see in the above video were twenty and forty pounds respectively, pretty tough on the legs for an extended surf session.
I want to thank Tiger and Darrick for their time and continued friendship. Both have taught this grom much, and I offer my respect and aloha.
I’d like to thank you all for reading Wood Water Soul. We’d like to announce we have moved Addicted to Joy to a new streaming service, we have some very cool things planned for the future, (check out the shirts, and coffee cups, tote bags and water bottles )and we’re excited to share them with you. We will donate $1.00 of the sale of each shirt to SHACC Surfing Heritage and Culture Center.Please share this Blog with a fellow surfer, from or with a friend that needs so Joy in their lives. I invite you to watch, Aloha.