More Surfing Memories

Last week, Larry guest blogged about surfing his most memorable wave.

I used to go to the beach, too, but after trying the sport once or twice, nearly drowning and being hit in the head convinced me it wasn’t for me. Since I chose to go along, I decided my role was to document Larry’s surfing.

I started out using an old wind-up 8mm camera. When the camera wound down, the filming slowed. I could only take a few minutes’ worth before it stopped altogether. From the first camera, we graduated to a battery-operated one. As the batteries started to die, the film slowed down, so the pace changed.

In about 1968 or 1969, we edited the bits and pieces together into four separate films, each about fifteen minutes long. We recorded “soundtracks” on our reel-to-reel recorder off-air from our RCA Wall of Sound stereo. Later we re-recorded the same songs onto audiotape. All the music, except for an updated version of “A Summer Place,” is from the same era as the films.

For quite a few years, we showed the films (with the “soundtracks”) to groups of our friends. We had surfing-themed parties where Larry narrated the movies.

In the late 1990s, I took the films and tapes to a service and had them converted to VCR tapes. A few years ago, I had them converted to DVDs. Unfortunately, Larry’s great narration is missing, but the films are fun to watch, even today.

The first one is of Dana Point in the days before the marina was built. Very few films were made at “Killer Dana,” so these are quite rare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1Wqx_Oc-tA&t=1s.

This one contains some of our very favorite scenes of Laguna Canyon Road and Salt Creek Beach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbmNu5NzIzU&t=47s.

Most of this film was shot when Larry and I were dating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtdIN3A6LL8&t=5s.

The last of the old films was shot after we were married and features Larry’s brother, Casey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QSkZhkFX3Y&t=4s.

Larry now has a GoPro camera he can mount on his board, his head, or his wrist. He edited and assembled these films and selected and added the music. In these, he is surfing with his friend, Bob Schwenck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgxBxvCvs-0

The photos in this video were taken by our friend Richard Zodnik. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ9IBrw1LhA.

This is the most recent of his videos. They are surfing at Doheny Beach.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azqyEoNxwdI.

Hope you enjoy watching these as much as I did taking those I shot and also the ones Larry took with his GoPro.