Surfing's Origins - Kenny Tilton

During the over 45 interviews for Addicted To Joy, Kenny Tilton was one of my last and I have to say one that made a huge impression on me. He really helped define the film. As little background, Kenny was a surfer and a surf board shaper. Growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, he began surfing in the early 1950’s and his first board was redwood. If you are familiar with Wood Water Soul, you know I mentioned Donald Takayama. He and Kenny were best mates, crushing the waves and shaping boards when he was on shore. Kenny was also close friends with Rabbit Kekai. Kenny built three tribute boards to Rabbit. Here’s Jim Phillips to tell you a little about him.

Kenny’s career really took off when Dale Velzy, while on a surfing trip to Hawaii, met Kenny and Donald Takayama while they were shaping boards on the sand.

What brought Kenny to Santa Cruz the first time, besides the waves, was the opportunity to work with Doug Haut. The water in Santa Cruz was just too cold for his blood, so he returned to Southern California soon after visiting. Kenny’s resume included work for Hap Jacobs, Reynolds Yater, and finally Larry Fuller. You can see Kenny shaping the rails on one of the three boards here.

Besides being an in demand shaper, Kenny also embodied the surfing lifestyle. He spent his time between the mainland, Hawaii, and the Philippines, where his home overlooked his favorite break. He was inducted into the Surfboard Shapers Hall of Fame in 2010. He was an innovator in his designs and pure poetry in the water.

He passed around the first of the year in 2022. Born on July 16th, 1942, he lived a full and meaningful life. Working with him and around him, I found him to be one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. He always greeted me with a smile and an Ahola, I think of the things he said every day. His interview helped shape ATJ, and his spirit helped shaped mine. I’ll let Kenny close this out with his impression of when he began surfing and what it has become. Rest in Aloha Brother.

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 )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.