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RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
NOV. 15, 2013
SURFERS REMEMBER LONGBOARD LEGEND DONALD TAKAYAMA SAN CLEMENTE — Surfers are remembering legendary longboard surfer and shaper Donald Takayama in a memorial museum exhibit a year after he passed away last October at age 68. The idea to exhibit Takayama’s surfboards and personal memorabilia at the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center began with his wife Diane’s suggestion. She approached Barry Haun, museum creative director and curator and family friend, and said she had “all this stuff sitting in storage that needs to be seen in public.” Diane Takayama loaned the museum the majority of items for the exhibit, including family photos, surf trophies and the teriyaki sauce Donald Takayama made and marketed. Once word got out that there were plans for the memorial exhibit, surfers and surfboard collectors offered to loan the museum boards shaped by Takayama. The exhibit includes a variety of early longboards and short boards Takayama shaped and surfboards that were in production when he passed away. “Joel Tudor was kind enough to share his
key in reviving the popularity of traditional longboard surfing in the 1990s after short boards made a hit. Together Takayama and Tudor brought back the graceful fluid style of longboard surfing. The “Tribute to Donald Takayama” exhibit will be on display through Nov. 16. The final day of the exhibit a remembrance party will be held. The day also marks Takayama’s birthday. “It’s a more freeform type of thing,” Haun said. “We don’t plan on having a podium. We’ll get together and celebrate his life.” In Oceanside Takayama’s family will dedicate a beach bench to Takayama in a private family ceremony. The Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center is located at 110 Calle Iglesia, San Clemente.
lines including Velzy, Jacobs, Bing and Weber. The David Nuuhiwa noserider and the Weber Performer were two of his most popular surfboard models. Takayama also won five U.S. Surfing Champion titles. He went on to open Hawaiian Pro Designs surfboard company in the late 1970s. He lived and worked in Encinitas and later moved to Oceanside. Haun said Takayama went through a brief dark period in 1980s and added that is not what people remember about him. “He was really recognized for being one of the best shapers around,” Haun said. “He was also a really, really good surfer. Usually you’re one or the other.” Many consider Takayama and world longboard champion Joel Tudor
By Promise Yee
Legendary sufer and shaper Donald Takayama is being remembered in a memorial exhibit, one year after his passing in October 2012. Photo by Glenn Sakamoto
pipeline gun and his favorite longboard for the show,” Haun said. “Donald’s family provided many photos and personal items including his classic surf mobile — a 1963 Plymouth Valiant.” The “Tribute to Donald Takayama” exhibit will also include a memory book in which people can write
their sentiments about Takayama. “The overall feeling is he is very missed and left way too soon,” Haun said. “He was a fun, lovable, loving, caring person, filled with the aloha spirit.” Takayama grew up in Waikiki, Hawaii, and began surfing and shaping boards at a very young age. While
still a youth he met legendary shaper Dale Velzy who noticed his board design and casually offered Takayama a job in the U.S. At age 12 Takayama saved up enough money for a flight to the mainland and showed up on Velzy’s doorstep ready to work. Takayama shaped boards for top surfboard
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