As the book starts to close on 2017, we wanted to take a look back at some of the people the surf world lost this year. There were some very influential legends of the sport that passed on to that big wave in the sky, and we wanted to pay tribute to all of them before we look forward to 2018. Ride in Peace.
John Severson, Jack O’Neill, Zander Venezia and Bruce Brown. Photos: Courtesy of Instagram and O’Neill Jack O’Neill (1923-2017)
Jack O’Neill. Photo: Courtesy of O’Neill The original surf pioneer, Jack O’Neill is credited with inventing the wetsuit, creating one of the first major surf companies and opening one of California’s first surf shops. His 94 years on Earth were spent dedicated to surfing. John Severson (1933-2017)
We are deeply saddened to report that the founder of SURFER magazine, and the father of modern surf culture, John Severson, passed away last night at the age of 83. An incredibly talented surfer, writer, editor, filmmaker, photographer, and artist, Severson was surfing’s original renaissance man, and one of the most influential surfers of all time. His endless passion inspired generations of surfers, writers, and artists alike, and he will be dearly missed. Our deepest condolences to the Severson family. Rest In Peace, John. Photo: Ron Stoner A post shared by SURFER (@surfer_magazine) on May 27, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT
The founder of SURFER, John Severson envisioned a world long before it came to be (just like Jack O’Neill). He published a 36-page magazine to promote his film “Surf Fever” in 1960, which he called “The Surfer.” This later became “Surfer Quarterly” and eventually grew into the SURFER we know and love today. Bruce Brown (1937-2017)
I remember the day I saw Endless Summer for the first time. I was a new surfer at the time. I watched it at a friend’s house. His dad put it on the VHS player and left the room. As the movie played we soaked it in. I don’t think we talked, but we laughed as we went on the journey with those classic longboarder dudes. At the time I was ten and I felt surfing was the same like baseball or soccer. More of an activity and a fun sport. After watching the film a light bulb went off. Surfers weren’t just athletes but they were authentic, light-hearted, cool, travelers and they enjoyed life to the fullest. I want to be apart of that tribe. That movie confirmed it: surfers were cool. I wonder how many people he inspired through his films? I would guess millions were impacted by Endless Summer alone. The cool thing is he was just making a movie to stoke out surfers. Just like all surf filmmakers are still trying to do. Yet all surf films after that have lived in the shadow of that epic. Endless Summer was a massive mainstream success. When you think about it, having Bruce doing press talks all around the US during the release must have been classic. Especially the landlocked states. How lucky were us surfers to have Bruce back then as the spokesperson for surfing? Someone with his wicked sense of humor and a down to earth world traveler. I’m sure in Ohio or New York in the ’60s they were tripping on that swell rider fellow. I can see him playing it up but in a subtle way that would fit a scene from the movie itself. A couple days ago we lost one of the true legends of surfing. Yet unlike other legends, we can pop on his movie and hear Bruce’s voice tell us a joke. Tribes used to tell ancient ancestor stories around a fire to teach and entertain the young. Basically, lessons passed down from generation to generation on how to live. Endless Summer will be doing that for many more generations. Thank you, Bruce Brown for finding your passion and sharing it with us. Rest in Peace. A post shared by Taylor Steele (@taylorsteele) on Dec 11, 2017 at 7:39am PST
Bruce Brown gave the mainstream world the first legitimate look at surfing and surf travel with his legendary film “The Endless Summer.” He was a true surf film pioneer and can be held directly responsible for launching surf trips and surf film careers ever since. A legend the likes of which we’ll never see again. Dick Catri (1938-2017)
The Surf world lost a Legend. Rip in peace Dick you were rad #dickcatri #eastcoastsurf #surflegend And yes that’s Dick Catri Team rider @kellyslater circa 1982 #captaindickcatri #surfing A post shared by Ace Coffee (@acecoffeeco) on May 15, 2017 at 7:22am PDT
“The Godfather of East Coast Surfing,” Dick Catri was the first East Coaster to surf Pipeline and Waimea Bay. Catri helped establish a true surf industry on the East Coast in its infant days, which led to opportunities East Coast surfers have enjoyed to this day. Zander Venezia (2001-2017)
A post shared by Louis Venezia (@louis_venezia) on Sep 22, 2016 at 11:08am PDT
This one particularly hurts because of how young Zander Venezia was. While surfing a shallow break near his home on Barbados called “Box by Box” during Hurricane Irma, Venezia was caught inside by a big set and slammed into the reef. Venezia was a promising young pro junior already making a name for himself on the North America circuit. His passing is a truly tragic one. Sophia Tiaré Bartlow (1991-2017)
A post shared by Sophia Tiare (@sophiatiare) on Jan 12, 2017 at 11:36am PST
A rising queen of the paddle world, Sophia Tiaré Bartlow was the 2014 U.S. SUP Surfing Tour champion. She tragically passed away in a car crash with her boyfriend on the island of Oahu. As the daughter of World Champion surfer Jericho Poppler, Bartlow’s bright future in the surf world was imminent. Jean da Silva (1985-2017)
Jean. Thanks for showing me the ropes when I first came to Brasil. Thanks for always being kind and open. Thanks for being one of the best house guests we ever had at home. Thanks for sharing your love for life and surfing with me. And for always having the time for my parents and sister. I’m so sorry I never got to tell you this in this life…but I’ll see you in the next one. A post shared by Adrian Buchan (@acebuchan) on Nov 25, 2017 at 1:02pm PST
WQS veteran Jean da Silva was a bright and cheery surfer who constantly made others laugh. But he struggled severely with depression, and ultimately took his own life. It was a gut-blow of a loss, and one that is going to hurt the surf world for some time. Oscar Moncada (1983-2017)
RIP my brother Thoughts and prayers to all his family and friends in Mexico and around the world. A post shared by Jamie Mitchell (@jamie_mitcho) on Nov 25, 2017 at 11:53pm PST
Happening just days after he paid tribute to Jean da Silva’s passing, big-wave surfer and local Puerto Escondido standout Oscar Moncada was killed in a car crash in Mexico. He spent two years on the Big Wave Tour and consistently set the standard for high-performance riding at the Mexican Pipeline. Paul Burke (1958-2017)
Paul Burke. Photo: Courtesy of GoFundMe A California surfboard shaper and former professional surfer, Paul Burke was hit and killed by a car while riding his bike to his surfboard factory. Leaving behind a wife and four children, this was a tragic loss for the Southern California surf community and his friends and family.
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As the book starts to close on 2017, we wanted to take a look back at some of the people the surf world lost this year. There were some very influential legends of the sport that passed on to that big wave in the sky, and we wanted to pay tribute to all of them before we look forward to 2018. Ride in Peace.
Jack O’Neill (1923-2017)
The original surf pioneer, Jack O’Neill is credited with inventing the wetsuit, creating one of the first major surf companies and opening one of California’s first surf shops. His 94 years on Earth were spent dedicated to surfing.
John Severson (1933-2017)
We are deeply saddened to report that the founder of SURFER magazine, and the father of modern surf culture, John Severson, passed away last night at the age of 83. An incredibly talented surfer, writer, editor, filmmaker, photographer, and artist, Severson was surfing’s original renaissance man, and one of the most influential surfers of all time. His endless passion inspired generations of surfers, writers, and artists alike, and he will be dearly missed. Our deepest condolences to the Severson family. Rest In Peace, John. Photo: Ron Stoner A post shared by SURFER (@surfer_magazine) on May 27, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT
We are deeply saddened to report that the founder of SURFER magazine, and the father of modern surf culture, John Severson, passed away last night at the age of 83. An incredibly talented surfer, writer, editor, filmmaker, photographer, and artist, Severson was surfing’s original renaissance man, and one of the most influential surfers of all time. His endless passion inspired generations of surfers, writers, and artists alike, and he will be dearly missed. Our deepest condolences to the Severson family. Rest In Peace, John. Photo: Ron Stoner
A post shared by SURFER (@surfer_magazine) on May 27, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT
The founder of SURFER, John Severson envisioned a world long before it came to be (just like Jack O’Neill). He published a 36-page magazine to promote his film “Surf Fever” in 1960, which he called “The Surfer.” This later became “Surfer Quarterly” and eventually grew into the SURFER we know and love today.
Bruce Brown (1937-2017)
I remember the day I saw Endless Summer for the first time. I was a new surfer at the time. I watched it at a friend’s house. His dad put it on the VHS player and left the room. As the movie played we soaked it in. I don’t think we talked, but we laughed as we went on the journey with those classic longboarder dudes. At the time I was ten and I felt surfing was the same like baseball or soccer. More of an activity and a fun sport. After watching the film a light bulb went off. Surfers weren’t just athletes but they were authentic, light-hearted, cool, travelers and they enjoyed life to the fullest. I want to be apart of that tribe. That movie confirmed it: surfers were cool. I wonder how many people he inspired through his films? I would guess millions were impacted by Endless Summer alone. The cool thing is he was just making a movie to stoke out surfers. Just like all surf filmmakers are still trying to do. Yet all surf films after that have lived in the shadow of that epic. Endless Summer was a massive mainstream success. When you think about it, having Bruce doing press talks all around the US during the release must have been classic. Especially the landlocked states. How lucky were us surfers to have Bruce back then as the spokesperson for surfing? Someone with his wicked sense of humor and a down to earth world traveler. I’m sure in Ohio or New York in the ’60s they were tripping on that swell rider fellow. I can see him playing it up but in a subtle way that would fit a scene from the movie itself. A couple days ago we lost one of the true legends of surfing. Yet unlike other legends, we can pop on his movie and hear Bruce’s voice tell us a joke. Tribes used to tell ancient ancestor stories around a fire to teach and entertain the young. Basically, lessons passed down from generation to generation on how to live. Endless Summer will be doing that for many more generations. Thank you, Bruce Brown for finding your passion and sharing it with us. Rest in Peace. A post shared by Taylor Steele (@taylorsteele) on Dec 11, 2017 at 7:39am PST
I remember the day I saw Endless Summer for the first time. I was a new surfer at the time. I watched it at a friend’s house. His dad put it on the VHS player and left the room. As the movie played we soaked it in. I don’t think we talked, but we laughed as we went on the journey with those classic longboarder dudes. At the time I was ten and I felt surfing was the same like baseball or soccer. More of an activity and a fun sport. After watching the film a light bulb went off. Surfers weren’t just athletes but they were authentic, light-hearted, cool, travelers and they enjoyed life to the fullest. I want to be apart of that tribe. That movie confirmed it: surfers were cool. I wonder how many people he inspired through his films? I would guess millions were impacted by Endless Summer alone. The cool thing is he was just making a movie to stoke out surfers. Just like all surf filmmakers are still trying to do. Yet all surf films after that have lived in the shadow of that epic. Endless Summer was a massive mainstream success. When you think about it, having Bruce doing press talks all around the US during the release must have been classic. Especially the landlocked states. How lucky were us surfers to have Bruce back then as the spokesperson for surfing? Someone with his wicked sense of humor and a down to earth world traveler. I’m sure in Ohio or New York in the ’60s they were tripping on that swell rider fellow. I can see him playing it up but in a subtle way that would fit a scene from the movie itself. A couple days ago we lost one of the true legends of surfing. Yet unlike other legends, we can pop on his movie and hear Bruce’s voice tell us a joke. Tribes used to tell ancient ancestor stories around a fire to teach and entertain the young. Basically, lessons passed down from generation to generation on how to live. Endless Summer will be doing that for many more generations. Thank you, Bruce Brown for finding your passion and sharing it with us. Rest in Peace.
A post shared by Taylor Steele (@taylorsteele) on Dec 11, 2017 at 7:39am PST
Bruce Brown gave the mainstream world the first legitimate look at surfing and surf travel with his legendary film “The Endless Summer.” He was a true surf film pioneer and can be held directly responsible for launching surf trips and surf film careers ever since. A legend the likes of which we’ll never see again.
Dick Catri (1938-2017)
The Surf world lost a Legend. Rip in peace Dick you were rad #dickcatri #eastcoastsurf #surflegend And yes that’s Dick Catri Team rider @kellyslater circa 1982 #captaindickcatri #surfing A post shared by Ace Coffee (@acecoffeeco) on May 15, 2017 at 7:22am PDT
The Surf world lost a Legend. Rip in peace Dick you were rad #dickcatri #eastcoastsurf #surflegend And yes that’s Dick Catri Team rider @kellyslater circa 1982 #captaindickcatri #surfing
A post shared by Ace Coffee (@acecoffeeco) on May 15, 2017 at 7:22am PDT
“The Godfather of East Coast Surfing,” Dick Catri was the first East Coaster to surf Pipeline and Waimea Bay. Catri helped establish a true surf industry on the East Coast in its infant days, which led to opportunities East Coast surfers have enjoyed to this day.
Zander Venezia (2001-2017)
A post shared by Louis Venezia (@louis_venezia) on Sep 22, 2016 at 11:08am PDT
A post shared by Louis Venezia (@louis_venezia) on Sep 22, 2016 at 11:08am PDT
This one particularly hurts because of how young Zander Venezia was. While surfing a shallow break near his home on Barbados called “Box by Box” during Hurricane Irma, Venezia was caught inside by a big set and slammed into the reef. Venezia was a promising young pro junior already making a name for himself on the North America circuit. His passing is a truly tragic one.
Sophia Tiaré Bartlow (1991-2017)
A post shared by Sophia Tiare (@sophiatiare) on Jan 12, 2017 at 11:36am PST
A post shared by Sophia Tiare (@sophiatiare) on Jan 12, 2017 at 11:36am PST
A rising queen of the paddle world, Sophia Tiaré Bartlow was the 2014 U.S. SUP Surfing Tour champion. She tragically passed away in a car crash with her boyfriend on the island of Oahu. As the daughter of World Champion surfer Jericho Poppler, Bartlow’s bright future in the surf world was imminent.
Jean da Silva (1985-2017)
Jean. Thanks for showing me the ropes when I first came to Brasil. Thanks for always being kind and open. Thanks for being one of the best house guests we ever had at home. Thanks for sharing your love for life and surfing with me. And for always having the time for my parents and sister. I’m so sorry I never got to tell you this in this life…but I’ll see you in the next one. A post shared by Adrian Buchan (@acebuchan) on Nov 25, 2017 at 1:02pm PST
Jean. Thanks for showing me the ropes when I first came to Brasil. Thanks for always being kind and open. Thanks for being one of the best house guests we ever had at home. Thanks for sharing your love for life and surfing with me. And for always having the time for my parents and sister. I’m so sorry I never got to tell you this in this life…but I’ll see you in the next one.
A post shared by Adrian Buchan (@acebuchan) on Nov 25, 2017 at 1:02pm PST
WQS veteran Jean da Silva was a bright and cheery surfer who constantly made others laugh. But he struggled severely with depression, and ultimately took his own life. It was a gut-blow of a loss, and one that is going to hurt the surf world for some time.
Oscar Moncada (1983-2017)
RIP my brother Thoughts and prayers to all his family and friends in Mexico and around the world. A post shared by Jamie Mitchell (@jamie_mitcho) on Nov 25, 2017 at 11:53pm PST
RIP my brother Thoughts and prayers to all his family and friends in Mexico and around the world.
A post shared by Jamie Mitchell (@jamie_mitcho) on Nov 25, 2017 at 11:53pm PST
Happening just days after he paid tribute to Jean da Silva’s passing, big-wave surfer and local Puerto Escondido standout Oscar Moncada was killed in a car crash in Mexico. He spent two years on the Big Wave Tour and consistently set the standard for high-performance riding at the Mexican Pipeline.
Paul Burke (1958-2017)
A California surfboard shaper and former professional surfer, Paul Burke was hit and killed by a car while riding his bike to his surfboard factory. Leaving behind a wife and four children, this was a tragic loss for the Southern California surf community and his friends and family.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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