Jeff Divine
Dane Kealoha
Jeff Divine
Mark Occilupo
Barry Kanaiapuni
Johnny Boy Gomes
POWER ROOTS Ask Sunny Garcia when power surfing began, and he’ll point back to Dane Kealoha. Matt Warshaw’s Encyclopedia of Surfing refers to the Hawaiian as someone who was groomed for nothing but power: “At 5'9", 185 pounds, with thighs like a fullback, Kealoha was a born power surfer,” the entry reads, with contributions from Scott Dittrich, Bill Delaney, Gary Capo, Greg Weaver, Spyder Wills and Tom Servais. “He rode in a wide stance, slightly hunkered over, pressing his board into deeply chiseled turns and cutbacks.” “For me everything started with Dane,” says Sunny. “When I first started surfing, I didn't find out about the Barry Kanaiaupuni and the older guys until later. When I was 13, T&C sent me to a contest in Japan and I flew up with Dane. For me, I was in heaven, with my favorite surfer going to first professional event. I remember the first day we got there we surfed this River mouth just barreling. Watching Dane surf was incredible.” Kelly Slater agrees that Dane was on the forefront of the power movement. “When you think of real power surfing, you think of surfing in Hawai’i with Barry Kanaiaupuni, Jeff Hackman, the Eddie Aikau’s of the world,” he says. “Then generations of Johnny Boy Gomes and Dane Kealoha. Those are probably the first two names that come to mind when you think of power surfing originating, they were the first true power surfers.”
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