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Silver Surfers: Greg Noll  Greg Noll is considered one of the bravest and best of the big wave riders in surfing history. Known as "Da Bull" by his fellow surfers for his stubborn, straightforward and aggressive approach to the sport, Noll grew up in Hermosa Beach with neighbors that included Hoppy Swarts and Leroy Grannis. He started surfing in 1948 when he was 11 years old and in the early 50's learned to shape balsa wood boards from legendary Dale Velzy at his shop by the Manhattan Beach Pier. In the Fall of '54 he made his first trek to Hawaii, after hearing about Buzzy Trent, Walter and Flippy Hoffman living in quonset huts on Makaha. He was among the first to ride the fearsome waves at Waimea Bay and Outside Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore. Twenty to 30 foot sets at Makaha became commonplace. |
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 In December of 1969, a monster
storm created a day like no other at Makaha, with waves that were alternately described as
30 to 40 to 50 feet high and Greg paddled out. He is credited with riding the biggest wave
ever ridden at Waimea Bay in 1964. Noll in part drew motivation for riding big surf from the camaraderie he enjoyed with his elite and rowdy peers. The other part was desire. "I just wanted to ride a bigger wave than anybody. I wanted to do something none of the other guys could do." Greg discovered Mazatlan as a surf spot and pioneered modern surfing in Australia. From filmmaker and surf shop owner to board shaper, Greg's life has revolved around surfing and all that it offered. Surfing magazine referred to him as the "Chuck Yeager of the surfing world-an accessible hero with a gift for dramatic understatement." |
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