A series of instances set a Hawaiian on an unforeseen journey to become one of the most iconic individuals in surf history. Born on August 17, he grew up with his uncles, who influenced him to become a man of steel. As a teen, he relocated to Oahu to support his mother and siblings working in pineapple fields and polishing shoes in downtown Honolulu. The son of Hawaii had no idea that diving at Aloha Tower to collect coins left behind by cruise ship passengers would mark a turning point for him. The son of a sugar plantation worker was a fierce competitor in swimming, weightlifting, and football in school.
Although he continued to play semi-pro football, an ankle injury set him squarely on the path to his glorious legacy. He spent the entire year of 1965 and the next year in the therapeutic bliss of the surfers’ haven in Hawaii. During the free-form age of inventiveness in the late ’60s, he carved his invention to dominate the industry.
Surfing revolution that made a man an icon
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Ben Aipa was a surfer, instructor, and innovator who designed the swallowtail and sting surfboards in the 1960s. Aipa died two years back on January 15, at the age of 78, following complications related to a stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. The community reflected on the lasting impressions he left behind, as this Thursday he would have turned 81. It all started in 1966 when he won the Hawaiian Inter-Island Championships, his first significant victory as a competitor. At Sunset Beach, he also advanced as the finalist in the Duke Kahanamoku Classic.
Although Aipa was a great surfer, people around him took notice of his board-shaping skills straight away. His name gained prominence when Hawaiian Fred Hemmings won the 1968 World Championship, riding a surfboard created by him. Aipa acted on what he believed in, “surfboards need to change if surfing is to change.” He didn’t waste time and in just two years founded his own company, Aipa Surfboards. Hence, despite being a fierce surf competitor, their 43 years as a sharper/designer became his most notable contribution to surfing. He made the double-ended swallowtail and the Sting (popularly known as Stinger) model reported Surf Simply.
In an earlier interview with the Surfer, he said, “Surfing for me is very spiritual, it keeps my spirits alive.” He was a major figure in the ’90s, Longboard Renaissance, and a top surfer throughout that time. Securing first place in the Grandmasters division of the US Surfing Championships in 1989 and the Legends division in 2000. In 1992, he was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame and kept shaping and surfing as he entered his golden years. Apart from his notable contributions and titles, he was also a sensei to many illustrious names in the surfing world.
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Surfing legend coached up fellow surfers in the community
The legendary master board shaper who influenced today’s top board builders was also a great coach to some champion athletes. Many professional surfers like Sunny Garcia, John Shimiooka, Brad Gerlach, Taylor Knox, the Irons Brothers, Bethany Hamilton, and countless others trained under him. In 2004, the Top Ten Shapers of All-Time list issued by Surfing magazine featured him. Additionally, he was added to the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Sadly, he spent his last few years battling his deteriorating health like the fierce Hawaiian warrior he has always been. Aipa was a man with unwavering devotion to his art and sole love for his surfboards. Best summed up in his son Duke’s words, “he was a legend shaper, coach, surfer.”
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