Turn On It, Tune Out, Drop In

SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT.
WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT E WIND 5 TO 10 KT.
WIND WAVES 1 FOOT.
W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

Sometimes one guy sits far outside the pack. Quiet, and letting their acts speak for them. No claiming, chest pounding or boasting...just surfing the biggest and best waves without fear. Not one to surf with the pack, he moves from wave frontier to wave frontier...looking for his own peak and going his own way.

Pat Curren was one of the North Shore big wave pioneers. The image of him walking across the untracked sand of Waimea with huge gun under his arm is one of surfing's indelible moments. He wasn't the best surfer nor the most famous, he didn't train for surfing big waves...aside from smoking cigs and drinking beer. But when it came to guts, Curren had more than most.

Among a group of now legendary big wave riders...Greg Noll, Mickey Munoz, Ricky Grigg, Jose Angel, Buzzy Trent and others...Curren was in many ways the epitome of the all-around waterman. He dove for his food, slept where he could and basically survived off the land...surfing when he wanted and shaping the best boards for riding the biggest waves Hawaii had to offer.

His son Tom is arguably one of the best surfers in history and his fame contrasted with Pat's need for solitude and simplicity. He lived in the jungles of Costa Rica, leaving for Baja when it was discovered and became a surf destination. He still shapes the occasional perfect big wave foil that, sadly, rarely sees the water due to their immense value to collectors.