Paipo Interviews

The Paipo Interviews

Table of Contents

Interviewees: || Devon Aguiar | Dick Ash | Andy Bick | Rick Boufford | Skip Briggs | Russ Brown | Vinny Bryan | Justin Bullock | Jeff Callaghan | Kit Carson | John Clark | Gary Crandall | Brett Curtis | Tony Dawes | John Elwell | John Galera | Paul Gannon | Chuck Gardner | Larry Goddard | Jim Growney | Paul Gross | Bryan Hayden | John Heath | Wes Humpston | Dr. Barry Hutchins | Dave Jackman | Peter Kidman | Buzzy Kneubuhl | John Kovar | Paul Lindbergh | Don Long | Gilbert Lum | Jon Manss | Dennis Markson | Jack McCoy | John "Doc" Milliken | Robert Moynier | Robert Moynier & Malcolm Campbell | Nels Norene | Stan Osserman | Jeremy Oxenden | Ian Peden | Jim Pomeroy | Mick Potter | Barry Regan | Mark Richards (Val Surf) | Ron Romanosky | Bob Rose | Sean Ross | John Ruffels | Richard Safady | Bud Scelsa | Gordon Simpson | Rainer Stegemann | Col Taylor | Leigh Tingle | Mike Shourds | Charl Van Rensburg | Tom Wegener | Richard Whiting | Paul Witzig | Trevor Yamamoto | Steve Zane |

Other Paipo Interviews In Various Stages of Completion:
Several others are in the works and others are always in various stages of formulation. No sooner than we thing the list is winnowing down and several new potential interviewees emerge. We welcome suggestions for additions to: The Paipo Interviews library.

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Devon Aguiar and Family Interview by Bob Green. e-Mail interview completed by Devon and his parents, based on questions by Bob Green. November 19, 2009 - Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA. A family of paipo riders discuss how, when, where and why they ride the paipo and what types of paipos they ride, build and buy.

Dick Ash Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. September 26, 2009. Byron Bay NSW, Australia. Bellyboarding builder and enthusiast, innovator and owner of Okanui surfwear, tells the story of when he started bellyboarding in the late 1950s, and then designed, produced and rode the waves on the Bellybogger.

Andy Bick Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. April 7 and 8, 2011. Cornwall, England. "This man felt the most supreme pleasure while he was driven so fast and smoothly by the sea" - William Anderson, Tahiti 1777. Also experienced today, 234 years later riding my poplar wood Paipo Glide at Saunton - Pete Robinson.

Rick Boufford Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. June 22, 2010. Tustin, Orange County, Southern California. Rick is a restaurateur who makes and rides wooden boards. He describes his return to surfing after years out of the water and of sharing the stoke with family and friends.

Skip Briggs Interview by Rod Rodgers. Questions developed by Bob Green and telephone interview by Rod Rodgers. December 31, 2009. Costa Mesa, California. Skip was a Wedge pioneer. He started riding the waves in 1950, at 6 years old, bodysurfing and then mats, and started surfing Wedge in 1958. His first bellyboard was made of yucca, a wood kind of like balsa, but heavier. He was also an accomplished kneeboarder.

Vinny Bryan Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. Interview organized by Mike "Wild Dog" Williams and photos courtesy of Peter Pope Kahapea. January 26, 2010. Kauai, Hawaii. The story of a paipo board returned to its builder and gifter, Vinny Bryan, after 45 years (as related by Peter Pope Kahapea). Vinny gave this paipo board to a young boy and recently the father of this boy (Justin Bullock, now a grown man) was told to return this paipo board back to Vinny here on Kaua`i.

Justin Bullock Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. January 13, 2010. Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia. This board was made for John Bullock, who suggested the idea to his son, Justin, of returning the board to Vinny. Justin traveled to Kauai to return the board and was later contacted in Australia about the board and its return to Vinny. Justin's side of the story follows. Justin shapes and rides his hand made paipo boards.

Russ "Captain Turbo" Brown Interview by Neal Miyake. April 13, 1998. Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1983, Russ Brown rocked the bodyboarding industry by providing a viable alternative to the colossal Morey Boogie empire--a stiff board that could be custom tailored to suit your riding preferences. Fast-forward to 1998. Though interest in the industry is higher than ever, bodyboarding is currently experiencing its worse sales slump in its history. This year, one of bodyboarding's most vocal proponents is calling it quits.

Jeff Callaghan Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. May 16, 2010. Brisbane, Australia. Surfer and meteorologist. Jeff tells his story of riding the waves in and around Winki in the mid-1960s and later, transitioning from being a bodysurfer to a bodysurfer with an aid (bellyboarder). Now in the mid-60s, Jeff still loves to grab his fins and go out for a surf.

Kit Carson Interview by Bob Green. Questions and phone interview by Bob Green. May 5, 2010, Updated May 13, 2010. Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia. Kirra Point, 6-8’ and inside out on a piece of ply. Early ply bellyboarding in Kirra and Winki.

John Clark Interview by Leslie Wilcox, PBS Hawaii, as part of the series, Long Story Short. August 31, 2010. Honolulu, Hawaii. Keeping Hawaiian Stories Alive. "In this edition of Long Story Short, Leslie Wilcox talks story with a true Renaissance man. John Clark relates how learning to surf at a young age led him to become a waterman, lifeguard, fire fighter, historian, and writer. The author of a series of books on Hawaii's beaches, John Clark took the innate curiosity that we all have and hunted down the source and mo'olelo, or stories, behind the names of Hawaii's surf spots and shoreline landmarks. Find out how this descendent of a sea captain is doing his part to keep Hawaiian stories and characters alive." John has conducted several paipo interviews appearing in the MyPaipoBoards web site in addition to other important contributions documenting the history of paipo boarding and the origins of the term, paipo. You may also click here to listen to the interview audio file [MP3] and read the transcript [PDF].

Gary Crandall Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. November 22, 2009. Highland Village, Texas (USA). Bellyboarder and artist. "A bellyboard is down and dirty with the wave… inside the curl even on smaller waves. And the sense of speed is greater just inches from the water. Feeling the salt spray peppering your face is pure joy."

Brett Curtis Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. January 29, 2010, Manly NSW, Australia. Protypes and ideas. "Paipos are wonderful because you can dream up a shape, cut it out and be in the surf testing it 15 minutes later. They are as fast as anything else in the water and you’re not limited from adding to the design. I like the ability to add something and change it over and over again." Read more about Bretts thoughts and comments on several board design elements.

Tony Dawes Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. October 25, 2010 - Manly, Australia. "Bellyboards were chestboards when we rode them." Tony was one of a group of guys from the Manly Surf Club who rode twin-finned balsa boards from the late-1950s. Tony was also an accomplished surfboat rower.

John Elwell Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. August 9, 2010. San Diego, California, USA. "Continuing the Simmons Legacy." John Elwell discusses the The Simmons Effect and the origins of Simmons's waveriding design concepts that were largely influenced by Lyndsay Lord's book, Naval Architecture of Planing Hulls. Elwell also discusses the Hydrodynamica movie and book project that he and Richard Kenvin have been working on.

John Galera Interview by John Clark. Based on questions developed by Bob Green. September 22, 2009. Honolulu, Hawaii. Read all about John's board, the NoFin, and where he loves to surf in Hawaii. Includes a Honolulu Advertiser article featureing John and a short video interview.

Paul Gannon Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. March 14, 2011. Coopers Shoot (NSW), Australia. "Coming back to paipo." Little Avalon was a favorite spot for bodysurfers and bellyboard riders. Paul was one of a group who surfed Little Avalon before traveling around Australia. He started on ply boards made by Robert Hosking and after many years on other surfcraft has recently begun riding one of Dick Ash's new bellybogger models.

Chuck Gardner Interview by Rod Rodgers. Questions developed by Bob Green and telephone interview by Rod Rodgers. December 23, 2009. Costa Mesa, California. One of the Wedge pioneers, Chuck is remembered in the Greg MacGillivray's narrative in the surf movie, Cool Wave of Color, “there is Chuck Gardner, ‘King of the Wedge,’ getting tubed." Primarily a stand-up surfer, Chuck Gardner loved nothing better than riding Wedge on his bellyboard.

Larry Goddard Interview by John Clark based on questions from Bob Green. Appendix based on e-mails with Bob Green between Sept. 2009 - Nov. 2009. September 22, 2009. Honolulu, Hawaii. Larry's paipo boarding evolution began with the borrowing of a skim board and taking it out into the surf. He was stoked. Next up was a Val Valentine-made Paipo Nui’s, designed by Waidelich, that he bought at the Greg Noll surf shop. Next up were a series of fiberglass/foam boards with a skeg (fin). Then he started designing and building his own boards.

Jim Growney Interview by John Clark with photos by Bud Scelsa, based on questions developed by Bob Green. August 10, 2009. Honolulu, Hawaii. Development of a board... where they surfed, how they surfed, how the board was made and in the beginnings. Historic documentation for the word, paipo.

Paul Gross Interview by Jamie McClellan. E-mail interview based on questions by Bob Green & Jamie McClellan. December 20, 2009. Central California, CA (USA). Surf craft innovator & builder of the Fourth Gear Flyer surf mat. Paul's first response in the interview begins, "The strengths of prone ridden surf crafts are legend. They are simpler and more direct to ride. The learning curve is lightening quick. There is no heroic standing or “ego-based style" to either blur the wave riding experience -- or displace it completely." Pauls goes on to cover his experience and involvement in the surf mat and paipo boarding world, including the Roger Kelly and the "El Paipo Grande."

Bryan Hayden Interview by Bob Green. e-Mail and phone interviews based on questions by Bob Green. January 13, 2010. Torquay, Victoria, Australia. Surf Coast bellyboarder before the crowds and legropes. Bryan talks about the growth and revolution of waveriding in Austarila during the 1950s, including bellyboards. It all started with the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club; surfing at Bell's Beach and Winkipoop; the pinnacle of bellyboards at breaks before leg ropes; and "it's all about speed."

John Heath Interview by Bob Green. e-Mail interview based on questions by Bob Green. April 18, 2011 - Perranporth, Cornwall (UK). U.K. bellyboard rider. John prefers to ride a style of bellyboard that has been referred to as a "coffin lid." At 70 years old he still has the "bug." In addition to ridiing a bellyboard his family hardware firm diversiified into making bellyboards and selling surf gear. John also shares some of the techniques involved in riding an English bellyboard, a tradition carried on by his sons and others, young and old.

Wes "Bulldog" Humpston Intervie w by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. October 31, 2009. Oceanside, California, USA. Skater, surfer and creative artist. Wes discusses the boards he and his buddies designed, painted and rode; the transition from fiberglass/foam to wood and back again; the distinctive wooden handles on the boards that he and his Dogtown friends rode; and the continuing evolution of belly/paipo boards.

Dr. Barry Hutchins Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. November 30, 2009. Perth, Western Australia. Bellyboarder and scientist. Over the years Barry has ridden his paipos on Australia's eastern, southern and western coasts. Growing up he started surfing the rubber surfoplanes during regular visits to Cronulla Beach with his family. He made his first bellyboard in 1963, after seeing surfers riding them at Cronulla, a crude plywood board with no fins, before building over 40 redwood and balsa paipos.

Dave Jackman Interview by Bob Green. Written reply to questions received May 2 & June 23, 2011. Follow-Up Interview of November 5, 2011. Muriwai Beach, New Zealand. Big wave pioneer and paipo rider. Dave grew up at Freshwater Beach, where in 1915, Duke Kahanamoku rode a board he made from local sugar pine. Another piece of history is located nearby at the legendary Queenscliff Bombora. In 1961, Dave was the first to ride this wave on a surfboard, the same year a Who's Who of Australian surfers visited Hawaii. It was in Hawaii that Dave was exposed to paipo boards. He carried the design he saw ridden at Waimea in his head for many years. Once he built a paipo based on this Hawaiian design he rode his board all around New Zealand. Dave described himself as still hooked on riding paipo.

Peter Kidman Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. April 11 and 12, 2011. Terranora, NSW (Australia). Why buy a board when you can make one with handlebars? Peter is the father of Andrew Kidman and great grandson of Captain William Frazer Milne, the Arctic whaler who assisted Amundsen in finding the North-West passage. He has lots of projects on the boil including one to enhance the number of indigenous teachers, doctors and nurses. However, this interview is about Peter surfing in the late-1950s on a curved, shaped board with a set of handlebars mounted on the front.

Buzzy Kneubuhl Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. April 15, 2011. Pukalani, Maui, Hawaii. The Story of a 60’s Surfer. Many children growing up in Hawaii in the 1960s rode simple ply paipo - Buzzy was no different. He soon progressed onto riding stand-up at Ala Moana and other South shore spots. Later on Maui he windsurfed and more recently has been kitesurfing. He has again caught the paipo bug and speaks of his re-connecting with paipo boarding. The boards are no longer ply but the same stoke is experienced.

John Kovar Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. December 8, 2010 - Canberra, A.C.T, Australia. Geometry, tubes & the Malaroo. John began making and riding bellyboards at a time well past the peak of bellyboard riding in Australia. Originally developed as bellyboards his boards have been also been ridden standup.

Paul Lindbergh Interview by Bob Green. Phone interview and questions by Bob Green. February 25, 2010. Big Island, Hawaii. Keeping the lineage going. Paul discusses the evolution of the HPD, from the original ply paipos built in high school shop class, the evolution to John Waidelich's delta shape design, including Val Valentine and Jim Growney and the "paipo nui," to the moden HPD that is made of fiberglass and foam, using a semi-vacuum bag process. And much more!

Don Long Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. January 30 and February 21, 2011 - Colorado (USA). Father and son riding paipo. Don and his son, David, both ride paipo boards. Now living in Colorado, Don skis in winter and fly fishes in summer. He is a collector of not only paipo boards, but also swim fins and snow boards.

Gilbert Lum Interview by Neal Miyake. July 18, 1998. Honolulu, Hawaii. Gilbert Lum, innovator. Gilbert is a Honolulu-area paipo boarder that has been experimenting with an attached hydrofoil for many years.

Jon Manss Interview by Kim Green. Interviewing by Kim Green based on questions by Bob Green. December 5, 2009 - Santa Cruz, California (USA). Kneeboard pioneer and paipo rider. Jon talks about the early days of kneeboarding and paipo boarding in the Santa Cruz area. Check out the excellent video of rare 1960s footage.

Dennis Markson Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. January 25-26, 2011 - Auckland, New Zealand. Dennis and friends body-surfed, dived and rode what they called skimmers - small ply paipo. Living overseas Dennis made and rode boards when he got the opportunity in locations from Gibraltar to the U.S.

Jack McCoy Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. June 1, 2010. Avalon Beach NSW, Sydney Australia. Jack grew up in Hawaii and like many youth of the time rode a paipo. Like many of his peers he moved onto riding a standup surfboard, however, unlike many of his peers he has spent more time behind the lens documenting the surfing life. Jack pays tribute to a stand-up paipo rider, Valentine Ching, and also describes his recent experience of riding paipo again. Interview is forthcoming.

John "Doc" Milliken Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. December 5, 2009. Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Kneeboarder, paipo rider and knowledgeable guy talks about his 40 years in the water, design concepts, dabbling in a little physics, and having fun in the surf.

Robert Moynier Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. July 5, 2010. Cambria, California, USA. "From Curl Curl to Cambria." From growing up riding the shorebreak at Curl Curl Robert has returned to riding prone boards, but with a few twists. He has spent his surfing life looking for the connections between the paipo/kneeboarding experience and high performance stand up surfboards.

Robert Moynier & Malcolm Campbell Interviews by Bob Green and Robert Moynier. Questions and e-mail interviews by Bob Green and Robert Moynier, September 22, 2011 and October 24, 2011, respectively. Cambria and Oxnard, California, USA. "The Bonzer paipo: two classic designs revisited." Robert Moynier was interviewed a year ago and at that time was riding stand-up and at times prone, on bonzer boards ranging in length from 7'8" to 9'. In his collection he had a short paipo from the 1980s made by Gordon Thiesz. He decided to revisit the design of this board with the assistance of Malcolm Campbell. The result: two bonzer paipos. Robert describes his surfing experiences and thoughts on these new boards which, while modern designs, also have strong links to the past, going back to Wally Froiseth. Malcolm provides insights into his board design experience and Moynier's boards. See Part I of the Moynier paipo interviews above.

Nels Norene by Bob Green. Questions and e-Mail interview by Bob Green. March 16, 2010, updated June 8, 2010. Ventura County, California, USA. Publisher and editor of vagabond surf amongst other things. Nels tells us, "What influences my choice of method [of surfing] on any given day: surf x crowd x transportation vehicle x weather x what else needs to be accomplished that day. I am subject to a myriad of influences, practically everything except cell phones and peer pressure." Nels's waveriding modes include bodysurfing, using a handgun, mini-paipo, paipos of different styles and shapes and kneeboards, and... well, you guessed it. Read the interview and learn more!

Stan Osserman Interview by by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. November 1, 2010. Kailua, Hawaii. "Knee riding paipo on a taro leaf." Stan makes and rides his own style of paipo which he has been refining for many years. He shares his construction method as well as offering recollections of riding paipo. Stan's motivation for surfing in contests wasn't about winning.

Jeremy Oxenden Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. August 23, 2011 - Jersey, Channel Islands (UK). "Surfing is fun no matter how we do it." Jeremy's grandfather, Nigel 'Oxo' Oxenden, was surfing in Jersey from the 1920s to the 1940s. Jersey developed a lively surf culture which has continued to this day only halted by war. Jeremy has continued the family tradition on a variety of surfcraft.

Ian Peden Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. September 20, 2010. Coomba Park, New South Wales, Australia. "Bodysurfing to bellyboarding." Ian was a bodysurfer from Maroubra in the 1960s who began riding and experimenting with ply bellyboards. Along with some of his friends he was featured in a 1965 Surfing World article, one of the few articles with bellyboard content.

Jim Pomeroy Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. December 23, 2009 - MinersvilIe, Utah. Jeffrey Dale Surfboards: Surfing for Fun. Jeffrey Dale Surfboards were made by Jeffrey Wilson and Dale Schleusener. They also made boards for Val Surf and Jack's Surfboards. Jim Pomeroy managed the Jeffrey Dale store in Anaheim, California, and also worked at Jack's Surf Shop as a ding fixer.

Michael Potter Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. August 14, 2010. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Experimenting with fins. Michael or "Mick" as he was known then was one of a group of guys who rode plywood bellyboards at the southern end of the Gold Coast in the mid- to late-1960s. Whereas everyone else rode a twin fin Mick experimented with single fins.

Barry Regan Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. August 10, 2010. Ballina NSW, Australia. Hollow ply boards, recollections from the 1950s-2010 and Colin Harper's restored paipo. Barry started surfing on wooden boards in the 1940s, before progressing to a malibu board. In recent years Barry went back to building and riding hollow ply boards. His interview also contains the story of an old paipo board that was being restored. Barry tracked down its owner, Colin Harper.

Mark Richards Interview by Rod Rodgers. Questions by Bob Green and e-mail interview by Rod Rodgers. December 12, 2009. North Hollywood, California (USA). Mark Richards, son of the founder, answers a few quetions about the bellyboards sold by Val Surf in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Ron Romanosky Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. October 8, 2009. Newport, CA, USA. Bellyboarding at Wedge in the 1960s, the ‘El Paipo’ and the Transition to Kneeboards. A Leading Kneeboarder’s Perspective.

Bob Rose Interview by Bob Green. Questions and phone interview by Bob Green. December 25, 2010 - Bilambil, New South Wales (Australia). Surfing a door with a handle. Originally from Sydney, for a time Bob shared a fibreglass bellyboard with his brother-in-law. After riding standup for several years he became fascinated with a friend's ply bellyboard. Since that time he made and rode a ply bellyboard, and then a boogieboard, until health and crowds made surfing difficult.

Sean Ross Interview by John Clark, based on questions developed by Bob Green. November 9, 2009. Honolulu, Hawaii. Paipo Boarding at Waikiki, Pipeline, and elsewhere and how he started riding the Paipo Nui shape.

John Ruffels Interview by Bob Green. Telephone interview by Bob Green. October 24, 2010 (revised March 6, 2011) - Newcastle, Australia. Riding on Air in the Surf: The Story of Dr. Ernest Smithers and the SurfoPlane. John Ruffels developed an interest in the story of Dr. Ernest Smithers, a man with an inventive bent and perhaps most widely known for his invention in the early-1930s, the surfoplane. Smithers’ surfoplane was the forerunner of the modern surf-mat and was marketed around the world.

Richard Safady Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. March 4, 2010. Torrance, California. "Stand-up, to kneeling to prone." Richard describes his devolution to prone riding: "Knees - because I was not a good upright rider. Losing the board often. Refused to wear a cord. Prone - close to the curl. View, great! My hand is on the rail for stability. Higher percentage of waves makeable proneing, at a southern Baja low tide location." Learn more in the full interview about Richard and his 9 foot prone board.

Bud Scelsa Interview by Bob Green and John Clark. e-Mail interview based on questions by Bob Green and interview organized by John Clark. April 9, 2010. Honolulu, Hawai`i. "Paipo knee-rider." Bud Scelsa grew up in Newport Beach, California, where he did some stand-up board surfing, became a body surfing regular at the Wedge, as well as trying to build “belly boards.” The first time he rode a paipo was about 1966, at Makapu`u and Sandy Beach, borrowing boards from some of the locals. In 1968, he ended up in Hawaii with the Coast Guard. He started riding paipo boards "knee-down" style in 1968-9, and has built over 30 beautiful wood boards.

Mike "MrMike" Shourds Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green and from postings on the MyPaipoBoards Forums. October 26, 2009. San Diego, CA, USA. Mr. Mike discusses designing, building and riding wood paipos. Tons of tips in this interview by an expert craftsman.

Gordon Simpson Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. December 28, 2010. Sydney, Australia. "Waimea on a bellyboard." Gordon was a standup surfer who also rode a bellyboard. During a 1961 trip to Hawaii he was talked into riding on his bellyboard at Waimea, after earlier breaking his standup board at Haleiwa. It wasn't until years later that Gordon learned that his ride was featured in Bruce Browne's film, Surfing Hollow Days.

Rainer Stegemann Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-mail interview by Bob Green. July 10, 2010. Santa Cruz, California. "Past and present paipo recollections." Rainer began riding paipo in Hawaii in the 1960s, with John Waidelich and Paul Lindbergh, before getting hooked on a 10'6" Greg Noll gun. In addition to classic photos, Rainer talks about some of the technique used to surf paipo above and below the water.

Col Taylor Interview by Bob Green. Phone interview and questions by Bob Green. June 5, 2010. Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia. Prawn trawlerman and surfer. A long-time stand-up surfer, Col discusses the links between bodysurfing and bellyboard technique. For Col, riding ply was bodysurfing "assisted by wood." He also mentions the need for fins on the board to stay in the wave.

Leigh Tingle Interview by Bob Green (accomponied by Leigh's Story of His Trip to Hawaii in 1964). Based on questions developed by Bob Green. September 14, 2009. Australia. Development of a paipo board based upon the viewing of a 1957 surf film. Leigh has ridden the same board since 1958. Leigh briefly made Barracuda Bellyboards. Includes pictures and board specifications.

Charl Van Rensburg Interview by Charl Van Rensburg, Autobiographical magazine interview. October 2009, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. My Life In Water. Charl discusses his introduction to surfing, the stoking feeling he found for riding prone while watching a surf movie, Follow the Sun, riding his local spots and taking regular trips to Jeffrey's Bay and Cape St. Francis, drifting away from surfng in early adulthood, and then rediscovering his love for waveriding during bodysurfing sessions. The desire to ride prone on a wavecraft prompted him to start riding paipos and surf mats, and regularly building new wooden paipos to enjoy and experiement my modifying designs and test riding in differing wave conditions.

Tom Wegener Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. May 1, 2010, Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia. Relearning ancient wisdom. Originally from Palos Verdes, Tom moved to Noosa Heads, Australia, where he established a board building business. Over time he began experimenting with wood surfboards, both the long Olo and the shorter paipo style board. Tom's boards have been inspired by boards he saw in the Bishop Museum, Hawaii.

Richard Whiting Interview by Bob Green. Questions and e-Mail Interview interview by Bob Green. July 23, 2011 - Portreath, Cornwall (UK). Modern moves on a traditional ply bellyboard. Richard has been surfing a traditional English bellyboard for many years. He likens riding a minimalist wood bellyboard to bodysurfing.

Paul Witzig Interview by Bob Green. Questions and telephone interview by Bob Green. July 27 and August 13, 2011 - Maclean, NSW Australia. Surfing film-maker and bellyboard rider. Paul has described three phases of prone surfing during the course of his life. This last phase was prompted by his desire to stay in the water and to keep surfing. More than a "geriatric surfing aid," prone surfing has allowed Paul to continue to take off deep, riding an innovative bellyboard with horns.

Trevor Yamamoto Interview by Bob Green and Kim Green. Questions and e-Mail Interview by Bob Green and Kim Green. December 4, 2009. San Francisco, California, USA. Surfer of many craft rediscovering paipo. Trevor discusses riding the paipo as a youth in Hawai`i and later as an adult in the San Francisco Bay area.

Steve Zane Interview by Kim Green. March 25, 2011. Palo Alto, California, USA. From 'barn doors' to Paipo Nui. Steve recalls his teenage years in Hawaii. He started out, like many other kids, on a home-made board before buying one of Val Valentine's Paipo Nui boards. Steve kept riding a paipo while his friends moved onto stand-up boards. On a recent trip to Hawaii he came across the Paul Lindbergh's Hawaii Paipo Design boards, a modern version of the Paipo Nui.

Also see my Bibliography for Paipo Research and
General Acknowledgments, Sources, Places, Citations, Contributors...

Feel free to send me suggestions for additions to: The Paipo Interviews.

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Last updated on: 01/27/12