Aloha, Ben Aipa

I heard about the passing of Ben Aipa at the same time that most people did, when the news broke six days ago. His death is a strange one to process. I never actually knew the man personally, having only owned and ridden one of his shaped boards and admiring his surfing from afar. But the loss of Aipa created both a vacuum within the surfing world, as well as the solidification of his legacy as one of the most influential and admired surfers and shapers in history. 

My first memories of Ben Aipa come from the channel at Ala Moana bowls, but his influence is rooted even further into my childhood. Before I was a scrawny twelve year old dodging the locals and picking off insiders at Bowls, I was a scrawny five year old getting pushed into waves at Ma’ili Point on my 8’4, Aipa shaped swallow tail. The logo– big, bold, and forever burned into my memory, staring straight up at me as I lay frozen with anticipation, waiting for the first few waves to scoop me up and carry me towards the shore. 

By the time I could see my teens looming on the horizon, I was spending nearly every weekday evening (or should I say “school-day” for old time’s sake?) and every Saturday morning paddling across the mouth of the Ala Wai canal towards the lineup at Ala Moana Bowls. 

Had it not been for the accompaniment of my best friends and the picture-perfect left handers that had my goofy-footed ass salivating, I probably never would have paddled out to a spot like Bowls. The crowd, as intense, local, and progressive as you can find, was terrifying. Because of this, I made it my number one priority to not step on anyone’s toes and therefore found myself doing a lot of watching in relation to surfing. 

Despite being a breeding ground for top (especially south shore) surfers on O’ahu, it was often the older crowd that stole the limelight at Bowls. Surfers like Micah and Isiah Moniz, Buddy Wiggins, Ha’a Aikau, and E’ala Stewart could be seen on any given day tearing the spot to shreds, but when one of the old timers paddled out, everyone sat back, watched, and admired the mastery at work. 

Surfers like Mike and Derek Ho, Terry Ahue and Bryan Amona (two huge men that surfed in tiny speedos), and, of course, the great Ben Aipa. These surfers demanded respect without asking for it, and none did it better than Ben. 

Smiling and chatty, Aipa’s personality in the lineup was in complete contrast to the way he rode waves. With powerful movements and a heavy frame, Aipa would dig into the deepest backside bottom turns before displacing countless gallons of water in a smooth, sweeping cutback back to the bowl. He was intimidating to watch, but far more approachable than most (although I regrettably never did). The balance of his lighthearted nature with his downright destructive style of surfing was enough to make him one of the most loved, admired, and respected surfers to date.

Outside of his south shore kingdom, Aipa was best known for his ingenuity and skill at surfboard shaping. Despite his late start (having first tried surfing at age 22 and shaping shortly after), Aipa took the surfing world by storm with his innovative “Stinger” design. Aipa has since credited the inspiration for this outline to the hydrofoil boats that ripped up and down Ke’ehi lagoon. 

It took a while for the rest of the surf industry to catch on. The growing Californian surf majority were hesitant to try out the seemingly abstract board design. Luckily for Aipa, and surfers everywhere, Hawaiian icons like Larry Bertlemann, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, and Dane Kealoha took a chance and fell in love. In nearly all of the footage of these three surfers that pop up on YouTube and random corners of the internet, that classic Aipa logo can be spotted just above their feet. 

Larry Bertlemann on an Aipa Stinger.

Larry, Buttons, and Dane changed progressive surfing forever, and they did so courtesy of Ben Aipa and his surfboards. There is a photo on the cover of Surfer Magazine of Mark Liddel and Buttons on rocks of Kaiser Bowl, two Aipa stingers in arm. Soon, his boards were (as I assume kids said back then) “all the rage.” 

Similar can be said about fin boxes, which Aipa was an adamant ambassador of. People complained that they would cause too much drag and slow the board down, but Aipa insisted on the importance of moving fins forward and backward depending on the size of the surf and style of the surfer (Buttons loved his fins all the way to the front of the box). 

Some could then consider Aipa a part of the mainstream, but really, he had left the mainstream behind. First the Stinger, next the fin boxes, and eventually a keel finned thruster, Aipa was living in the future and dragging the surfing world along with him. 

Surfing and shaping aside, Aipa was a true embodiment of aloha. His pride in his Hawaiian culture, blood, and upbringing are clearly displayed in not only his boards, but in his words. In an interview, Aipa explains “I got a Hawaiian name, I’m proud of it, and I want it in the surfing world.” And that’s exactly what he did. 

Aipa’s body was made for balance and carves, his boards were made for powerful Hawaiian surf, and his spirit was made to spread aloha and share stoke. We will miss you, Ben. Your contribution to surfers, the surfing world, and the Nation of Hawai’i are appreciated and will live on through waveriders everywhere. Like your logo, you’re big, bold, and forever burned into our memories.