I’d like to welcome you to ATJ’s 6th newsletter. We have the second part of Tiger Doerner’s interview, “What I Learned from my Father”. Surfing is about respect and understanding, I hope you enjoy the rest of Tiger’s interview. Aloha Bill gives us a history lesson on George Freeth and the origins of surfing in the USA. Let’s get started.
Part 2
Imagine Bill Hamilton riding a nine-foot Donald Takayama shape and Kelly Slater getting tubes, riding a surfboard of wood over 3,000 years old; it was pure magic. Tiger was paddling in, and it was evident that the 40-pound board was taking its toll on his legs. He looked tired, and I figured it was the perfect time to conduct his interview. The weather was blowing in, and we had a small pop-up tent. I figured now was the time. We got comfortable under the tent. I got the camera on a tripod and got Tiger all miked up, and then I looked into the camera's viewfinder. Disaster. As I said last time, it was a brand-new camera design, and Leica had only sent one lens. That lens wasn't wide enough for me to be in the tent and still put Tiger in focus. I didn't know what to do; I didn't have an option except to go ahead and shoot Tiger out of focus. This breaks every rule I've ever known.
I sat there and tried to gather myself. What to do? From somewhere deep in my consciousness, I told myself to get great content and figure out what to do later. I went forward. I pointed the camera out towards the ocean and framed a very out-of-focus Tiger in the left third of the shot...Here we go.
Somehow, I found my center, and I calmed myself down. I had a list of questions and knew Darrick well enough to see where this would take me (even if the main subject was out of focus). Tiger was thoughtful in his answers; sometimes, he put me back on my heels because he was so truthful and profound. Tiger started by telling me the main lesson he learned from his father was respect. We could have stopped there. So many young surfers today are all about "it's my wave," and Tiger was the opposite.
I got to spend a lot of time with him over the next few days, and I left thinking that the future of surfing was in good hands. Tiger had a deep respect for the ocean, his roots, and the origins of surfing. I'll share his entire interview with you. I hope it brings you the same.
Aloha BILL says....
E komo mai (Welcome)!
Before I proceed, I have a short pop quiz for you. So, let’s see how well you know your surfing history.
What was the title of the first surfing movie, who filmed it, and what year was it shown to the public?
Give up? The title of the first surfing movie was “The Ride of Duke Kahanamoku.” W.S. Van Kyke filmed the movie, and it premiered in 1926. The film featured Duke Kahanamoku, a celebrated Hawaiian surfer displaying his surfing skills and popularizing the sport.
A little more history for you - George Freeth, an Oahu-born waterman, a son of an Irish businessman and a well-connected local Hawaiian, was drawn to the ocean and surfing. He rose to greatness in Hawaiian culture as one of the last young men with the ability to ride a surfboard from the crest of the wave into the curl.
Freeth was admired for his surfing skills by a young Duke Kahanamoku. He gave surfing lessons to American adventure writer Jack London and Alexander Hume Ford, an American author, adventurer, and promoter of Hawaii. In 1907, Ford founded the Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki, Oahu.
Aloha for now...
Next time I’ll tell you about meeting the original Gidget and Aloha Bill will dig deeper into surfing history. Sign-up, visit the web site, and watch Addicted to Joy. I’d be honored.
Watch the movie, Addicted to Joy