| Big wave surfers are always
hunting for the largest possible rideable wave.
But when trying to surf waves larger than 25
feet they are stopped by a simple rule of physics:
it's impossible to surf these giant waves, because
even the strongest surfer can't paddle fast enough
to catch or position himself in the rideable
part of the wave. To overcome this barrier, a
small pioneering group of Hawaii's big-wave surfers
began a new sport: tow surfing, aka: extreme
surfing.
Unlike surfing, which is solitary, tow surfing
involves strategy and teamwork. The towed surfer
and his wave runner driver must work in concert,
traveling together at high speeds to make split
second decisions, while sets of six-story waves
crash down around them. The surfer's feet are
attached by straps to the surfboard, and the
surfer, holding onto a ski rope, is pulled by
the wave runner into the position the team anticipates
will be the wave's most rideable spot. At the
optimum moment, the surfer lets go of the rope,
and is on his own to perform on the largest,
fastest, moving stage any surfer has experienced.
Tow- surfing is illegal to do in under 25-foot
surf, and always has been, but Hawaii has now
designated certain areas for training when the
swells are smaller.
 ROBBY
FRANGIPANE
FRANGIPANE (pronounced: fran-ji-pawnee)
(meaning: plumeria flower in Italian)
Robby
is more motivated than most.determined,
and crazy enough to make it!"
-Ken Bradshaw
Robby was born in New Jersey in 1969 and has
25 years of surfing and motor cross experience.
With over 50 dirt bike competitions and enduro
cross races under his belt, he started training
to tow surf in the summer of 2002, and now, with
only 2 seasons of towing under his belt, he is
partners with Bradshaw.
On
the ESA All Star Team with Kelly Slater at
age 12, invited to the US Amateur Surfing Championships
at 16, and then surfing in the PSAA tour from
17-19 years old, Robby's first real taste for
big waves came when he was 20, surfing Todos
Santos. At 23, he was hooked, and moved to Hawaii
to surf the best in big waves. He started climbing
80-foot coconut trees to train (and to pay his
bills). While exploring the outer reefs in search
of bigger and less crowded waves, he found Mavericks
in California and the outer reefs in Hawaii to
be his favorite. Robby caught his biggest wave
ever on Jan 28,2002, at Outside Log Cabins.a "30-foot
Hawaiian" (equivalent to a 60-foot wave any where
else!). This is the same day history was made
at Jaws on Maui. Robby has hydrofoiled
Avalance (outside Haleiwa) under the full moon
(sharks and all) and is currently training to
hydrofoil from Moloaki'I to Maui.
Robby
considers one of his biggest accomplishments,
aside from his 7-year old son, has been training
others and sharing his knowledge about tow surfing.
He is infamous for taking people "to their edge.and
pushing them off!", as Robby likes to put it
(with a big smile on his face).
 KEN
BRADSHAW
WORLD FAMOUS BIG WAVE RIDER
RODE 85-FOOT MONSTER ON JANUARY 28, 1998
Born
and raised in Houston, Texas, Ken started surfing
at the age of 13 on Surfside Beach, Texas in
1965. After many youthful experiences
in and out of school, Ken had to choose between
academics, school sports or surfing. To
his parents disapproval surfing won Ken's heart. For
the next year, Ken threw himself into surfing
100%. Searching for better waves, he moved
to California in 1969 and finished high school
in Encinitas. By 1972 he was ready to master
the big waves of Hawaii and decided to move to
Sunset Beach.
Ken
mastered big wave surfing on Oahu's North Shore,
not only Sunset, but also Waimea. Through
the late 1970's and early 1980's, he gained nicknames
like Ken Kong, The Shaw of Sunset, and Planet
Crusher. His rise to media coverage was
all but meteoric; his first big win in professional
surfing was the ABC Wide World of Sports, Duke
Kahanamoku Surfing Classic in December 1982. During
this time he was sponsored first by Sundek clothing
1979-1986, then Quiksilver clothing 1986-1992,
both of which used him extensively for advertisements
and personal appearances on all three coastal
areas in the USA and also in Japan and Australia. His
promotional tours have taken him to every surfing
community in every state along every coast in
the USA. Since that time, he has surfed at every
well-known surfing spot around the world, which
includes Europe, Indonesia, Japan, Australia,
Puerto Rico, Peru, Mexico, and South Africa.
Numerous
articles referring to Ken as the "Legendary
Big Wave Rider" have been written in major magazines,
such as Surfing, Surfer, Surfers Journal, Smithsonian,
Outside Magazine, Rolling Stones, Vanity Fair,
The Village Voice, and Penthouse, to name a few.
Bradshaw
has worked hard to refine his knowledge of
big-wave surfing and surfboard design, shaping
boards for himself and others. His dedication
to good health, nutritious foods and exercise
is of utmost importance to him in his drive to
be the best. His conditioning is Olympic
in nature; he does not drink, smoke, or take
any drugs. Ken's courage and devotion to
his sport is exceptional. He trains constantly
by swimming long distances and free diving through
lava tubes and caves, rock running.all to help
his confidence level for even greater comfort
in giant surf
Ken's
devotion to big-wave surfing took a turn when
he was determined to paddle out and ride the
larger waves which were about 1 to 2 miles
offshore. Realizing he needed the help of something
like a boat or a personal watercraft (PWC) to
get him into these monsters, he was one of the
first few to master the tow-in-surfing. Today
tow-in-surfing has become a sport of its own.
On
January 28, 1998, Ken rode the biggest wave
ever ridden in history on the North Shore of
Oahu, Hawaii at an outer reef known as Outside
Log Cabins. This wave was considered to
be in excess of 85 feet. That same day
he also rode another 20 waves between 40 and
65 feet to make this the largest day ever ridden. Ken's
dream has always been the same, to be one of
the best big wave riders, and possibly the best
big wave surfer in the history of the world. It
looks like his dream may have come true.
Ken
has been on major TV shows such as Dateline
NBC, 8/2/98 and 7/95 "The Ultimate Wave"; 20/20;
ETV, 3/98; ABC's Out There, "K2 Challenge"; ABC
Wide World of Sports many times; BBC's "Walking
on Water" and National Geographic "To Catch a
Wave"; Outdoor life, 1/10/96; KABC Channel 7
News Special "El Nino" 2/5/98; Beach Beat NBC;
H3O Surf News; Board Stories, Fox; and an IMAX
release called "Extreme" on 12/98.
Today
Ken is a Co-Director of the World Tow Surfing
Association. He works with the
Coast Guard, Hawaiian Life Guard Association,
Honolulu City, County Life Guards, The State
of Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources
and Boating Division to help set guidelines,
rules and regulations for this new fast developing
sport in Hawaii.
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