Pete Dennison
Ralph Dennison is a serious man. He grew up on an Idaho farm as one of six children. His father, a physically intimidating, no-nonsense type of guy stood 6'6" and weighed 260lbs. Mean, strict, hard-working, all business. Pop Dennison ran the farm like a well-oiled machine. When Ralph hit puberty he grew into a giant. One of those physical freaks. Naturally ripped, impossibly strong. Ralph was also blessed with coordination and speed. In rural Idaho, like many other podunk towns, high-school football ruled. Ralph soon became a star. Played both ways. Took his team to State Championships three times. He received scholarship offers all over the place but decided on Stanford because of its balance of academics and athletics. At Stanford Ralph also excelled. He played tight-end and was known for his stickum hands and deep knowledge of the game.
At Stanford Ralph was captivated by a tall, lithe, jovial swimmer named Alice Reed. Unlike Ralph, Alice was more free-spirited and experimental. But she was also a totally bad-ass swimmer who later made the olympic team in the 100 backstroke and the medley relay. At first Alice was turned off by Ralph's gruff demeanor and no-nonsense approach to life. "Why are you so stern and grim all the time" she often asked him.
Ralph later went on to play pro football for the Rams. He made it to a few pro bowls and enjoyed a highly successful 8 year career, after which he and Alice moved to a pimpin' house on Point Dume. Soon after a few kids came along.
Pete, the oldest, took a lot of harshness from his dad. Ralph's expectations were high from the beginning and Pete grew up feeling like he could never live up. Luckily for Pete his mom Alice was more cruisy and the two of them shared a love for swimming and the ocean. Pete inherited his dad's physique but not his aggressiveness or fire. He was more of a technician, like his mom. His dad pushed him into football as a youngster but it never stuck. Pete didn't like bashing into other kids and hurting them. When he refused to play junior-high football Ralph took it personally and a strong rift began between father and son. Pete excelled at swimming and water-polo and loved playing both. But.. soon.. a neighborhood friend convinced Pete to come down to the beach for a surf. The two of them went up to Zuma and Pete was hooked from the first ride. Within a year Pete was a shredder. By highschool Pete looked like Pancho Sullivan on steroids. Big, tall, muscular and radical. His athleticism and ease in the water allowed him to advance quickly. It also helped that he had a semi-private point break right in his backyard. Soon Pete was kicking ass on the NSSA and getting barrels at Supertubes. His dad did not approve.
Ralph's disapproval of surfing had never been a secret. Even before Pete started doing it Ralph would ridicule those, "lifeless, druggy losers wasting their lives!" every time he saw someone with a surfboard. "It's an insult to society!" Ralph would say. "It's wasteful and irresponsible." "Fucking hippies!"
But Pete was unperturbed. He knew what he liked. He liked getting barrelled. He liked punting giant airs and blowing minds with his unprecedented power attack. His physical bearing alone but him in another class. Before Pete's time the best surfers were mostly smaller guys. Little guys. Their quickness and lightness allowed them to flit around on waves like agile little birds. Pete just blew doors on that whole paradigm. He used his size and strength to do things on waves that had never been done before. He manhandled waves. Fast, strong, loose, powerful, and just a tad crazy. He took chances. He had supreme confidence in his ability. He felt deeply at home in the water. Pete killed it and in doing so inspired legions of bigger and taller guys.
The final straw came when Pete graduated from Brentwood high school. He turned down a waterpolo scholarship to Stanford to pursue pro surfing full time. Ralph actually lost his control and slugged his son right in the mouth. That moment created a permanent wedge in the family but also strengthened Pete's resolve to follow his dream.
3 world championships later Pete still remembers that punch with horror. His masterful wave-riding and unprecedented skill in slaying waves still do little to assuage the pain of a father who never accepted him.
Mark Hagen snapped this photo of "Lindonesia"
lets give it up one more time for blazin hazen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnjp6OMaHIk&eurl
Posted by: sd riderHeck, I'll post it again. I vote for beach signs at the precise spots you are in danger of getting swept outside from the beach.
Posted by: klooi volunteer to be the park employee who constantly analyzes (on my surfboard) the location of the constantly changing rip currents and indicates to the sign carrying guy at which precise spot he should hold the sign up.
seriously though, some signs that inform beach goers how to handle a rip, like the black box at bottom of the illustration, might not be a bad idea. though no one reads the signs anyway. also, not much help if you can't really swim.
Posted by: steamwandI've always thought that the city or GGNRA should do a huge media campaign every Spring to let people know how dangerous it can be to even wade at Ocean Beach. The signs at the beach are not enough.
Posted by: JimmieResearchers surprised to find no link between marijuana, lung cancer
Posted by: eStudy's findings apply even to heavy pot smokers
Add that to the red wine and chocolate studies, zing-a-ling. Big ups to the niceness and SF scene:
the art of Jeremy Fish, SF stylee
Posted by: Ancient JettiesI actually surfed with Pete one day at County Line. He was, as expected, ripping. I was happy to make a turn and he was pulling back side 3's with remarkable grace and ease. He's incredibly limber for being at least 6'4" and 200lbs. Seemed like a decent guy in the water.
Posted by: toadBefore you get too "fired up" bout the no cancer news, you may want to research emphysema. It will make those hold downs seem soooooo much longer.
Posted by: DennisHi all. My friend Nathan is up for an award, but needs needs some votes. He's a really good photographer. You can see for yourself here:
http://www.musarium.com/photoannual2006/websites.lasso?-skipRecords=11
So, please help him out and vote for Nathan Perkel on that site!
On another note, at least it's not windy today...
Posted by: ianwould have preferred the story if Pete ended up being a middling-good pro on the tour for a year or two and then ended up selling insurance but loving his life anyway... but hey, I read it all!
Posted by: reefboyTen comments??
Okay... Locals SUCK!
Posted by: klooGreat story again E! The fct that after the first opening sentaqnce I feel drawn in to the yarn is testimony to your writting skills. Bravo!!
Posted by: antmanShit 2 days off this weekend and wife gone...no surf on the horizon, man why does it always seem that the surf is better when I 'm busy and crap when I have time?
yo niceness crew
greetings from Lagos, Portugal. there is some surf here but it is small at the clean spots near Sagres (the tip Southern Tip of Portugal where Henry the Navigator set up his school) and a bit messy at the chest to head high spots ( the Lagos jetty which is very similar to the HMB jetty). At least there are waves. I also got some waves up in Peniche but it was for the most part blown out when the swell hit. I decided against brining my board since it would have cost USD 250 round trip and this wasent a surf trip. My rental is a thick hard epoxy 6-7. Not very responsive but it works. Hope your all getting some better waves then me.
Peace out.
Traut
Posted by: trautforgot to mention, supertubes wasnt working while I checked it every 4 hours for 3 days.
Posted by: trautfuck man - what;s this city coming to? LIved a 21st and valencia for a number of years, moved away but tonight went to "Medjool" on a suggestion regarding their rooftop patio. rooftop patio was dope but the rest of the joint was a frikken pit. felt like I was in vegas but without the hot hookers. marina/santa row in the Mission? What the hell? and they want to put a 1000' building downtown? who's who trying to impress here? This is SF, we're not LA and proud of it. Someone explain what the hell is happening here.
On a brighter note, the night is still, without a trace of wind mid-city. Although I got some other shit tomorrow, hope someone has some fun out west.
Negative spring tides for president!
Posted by: obroHE GOT BIG FISH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfLe2LhI2Os
Posted by: tonemanhe got big fish
Posted by: tonemanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnjp6OMaHIk&eurl
if anyone had their boards stolen this weekend, i just saw two clearly homeless dudes cruising around market and turk with 2 new-ish looking shortboards in boardbags. it was a pretty weird scene to say the least. i was gonna call the cops but there was a cop right in front of me who drove by 'em and did nothing.
Posted by: bbrI had someone respond to a craigslist post of mine and refer to here. My truck was broken into, and my boards were stolen on 9th and mission this weekend. two of them w/ board bags. Two Taylor shortboards that were blue w/ some custom paint jobs. This is kind of eery to read, and I'm pretty certain those boards were mine.
I'm not that hopeful of getting them back, but if anyone else sees anything that might be them, thanks for the tip. Please msg me if you know anything. I can offer a small cash reward.
Thanks again.
Posted by: cfletch