Gerry Lopez
There are few images as iconic as Gerry Lopez calmly slotted on a perfect, eight-foot day at Pipeline. After redefining the art of tube riding on the North Shore of O’ahu, his focus turned to Indonesia, where he pioneered legendary spots like Uluwatu and G-Land. Now based in Oregon, he surfs, writes, shapes, and shreds powder days near his home in Bend.
A trip to Amami Ōshima, Japan, transports Gerry Lopez to a familiar feeling on a distant land.
Gerry Lopez recalls surfing O‘ahu’s Waimea Bay for the biggest contest purse ever offered (at the time), circa 1974.
Gerry Lopez first surfed Uluwatu in 1974. The fabled Balinese wave was pristine, magical and empty (more on that below). Forty years later, he returned to host a yoga retreat, get a few waves between classes and help preserve Uluwatu for future generations. In this short film, Gerry uses Uluwatu and surfing as metaphors for change—and…
by Gerry Lopez, photos by Abe Blair Josh Dirksen is a very social, genuinely friendly person with a lot of close friends all over the world. He has been a well-respected and well-traveled professional snowboarder for his entire adult life – a top competitor, free rider and now, for the past 6 years, as an…
I spent a lot of time surfing a spot in Indonesia called G-Land. Remotely located on the edge of the Alas Purwo National Park, on the southeastern tip of Java, it was, relatively speaking, far from civilization. Actually, as the Indonesian sea eagle flies, it was only about 15 kilometers from the nearest village but…
Our board shorts line has a new addition with a long history. The Patagonia Organic Cotton Canvas Boardshorts, or Palaka shorts as they were originally known, come with a special heritage in not only the surf world but old Hawaii as well. When I started surfing in the late 1950s, Palaka shorts were one of…
The Talkin’ Pipe video series concludes with Gerry and Jock riffing on Kelly Slater and Backdoor. If you’re new to the series, visit the Talkin’ Pipe page at Patagonia.com to watch parts 1 – 5. And while you’re there, consider picking up a copy of Gerry’s new book Surf Is Where You Find It. Sadly,…
by Gerry Lopez Yesterday I scored big. It was one of those rare days which left me so pumped up when it was over I knew I was going to have trouble falling asleep last night. [Editor's note: This story was originally written in November 2007] I figured I better write it down before the…
by Gerry Lopez Except for his rather large collection of blues records, there were not, in a material sense, a lot of other things Buddy Dumphy considered important or worthy of much thought. Even his surfboards were considered transient – tools to be used and sometimes abused – only stepping-stones to the next board. We…
by Gerry Lopez I have been asked many times what it’s like being inside a tube. My short answer is simple, “it’s great.” The long answer is quite a bit more involved. To get inside a tube long enough to have time to think about what it’s like requires a long list of factors. Luck…
by Gerry Lopez The telephone rang on a lazy day, there wasn’t any surf so I was just relaxing on the couch doing nothing. “Gerry, this is Randall Kleiser calling, I met you once with John Milius, and he suggested I call you. I’m making a movie about surfing, and I’d like you to be…
by Gerry Lopez Jock Sutherland was my first and foremost hero at the Pipeline. It somehow seemed destined that my first time out on a small empty day as a sophomore in high school, Jock would paddle out and give me a key tip on how to surf the difficult place. It would be the…
by Gerry Lopez Since it’s gone, I guess there’s no reason to keep the secret any longer. What we had was a pretty neat surf spot almost 200 miles from the ocean. For the last three years, it’s been double top secret. Even so, like everything else in the surfing world, the word got out.…
by Gerry Lopez Surf heroes become recognized for accomplishments that set them apart. Kelly Slater and Andy Irons battled fiercely for world championship titles among a field of surfers of extraordinary ability. Laird Hamilton rode bigger and more dangerous waves than anyone had before, which paved the way for others to make their own big…
Learning big-wave safety lessons the hard way. As I hurried towards the baggage claim at the airport in Kahului, Maui, I noticed the stillness and the very warm air with a distinct salty taste to it. Only Kona winds from the south produce these conditions. I recognized the salty taste. It was mist that is…
The Talkin’ Pipe video series continues with Gerry and Jock reminiscing about the Expression Session of 1970. Definitely some classic stories in here. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 are available for those new to the series, and there’s more to come. Thanks again to Devon Howard and the crew at Patagonia’s Cardiff Surf…
The Talkin’ Pipe series continues with Gerry & Jock reminiscing about the ’70s. They discuss a few of the breaks that prepared them for Pipeline, the board designs from that era and some of the masters who rode them so well. If you’re new to the series, take a gander at Part 1 and Part…
On November 10, 2007, Devon Howard and the Patagonia Cardiff staff hosted a very special event at the shop. Here’s Devon to tell you more: Storytelling in any form has always fascinated me. Whether penning a tale, shooting photos, helping make a surf film or just leafing through a good read, I always become completely…
By Gerry Lopez Inspired by his good friend Don King – who is making a documentary about his son who has autism – Patagonia ambassador Gerry Lopez recently participated in the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) Paddle NYC White Water fundraiser to raise money and awareness for autism. The event consisted of the first-ever 28-mile surf…