User:Sugar Molina/sandbox

Gary Linden
Gary Linden is a legendary American surfer and shaper of Austrian decent. He was born in El Centro in Imperial Valley California to parents Rudy and Elaine Linden on Dec. 11 1949. Surfing culture in California began to imerge in the 1950s. Hawaii is Mecca for surfing. In 1952, Rudy and Elaine Linden moved the family from El Centro to Clairmont to help alleviate Gary’s childhood asthma by being closer to the sea.

Education
Xxxx: Fields Elementary Xxxx: Whitman Elementary Xxxx: Alcott Elementary 1961-1963 (12 yo): 6th grade Einstein Junior High School -Last year he played baseball and learned about the wall of injustice while in Pony 	League. Learned that he was not being judge by skill and the role of nepotism. -Learned how to surf after attending a 4th of July picnic in Carlsbad and borrowed a 	surfboard. Started making skate boards. -Began surfing at 12 years old, began working with a paper route, bought first surfboard 	for $20 which was Balsa wood surfboard that weighed 50-60 lbs and he weighed 80 lbs 1962-1963 (13 yo): 7th grade Einstein Junior High School

1963-1964(14 yo): 8th grade Einstein Junior High School. -Summer of 1964, end of 8th grade went on first trip was to Hawaii on airplane with 	father and mother. Meets Mr. Nii of Makaha shorts who makes a pair for young Gary. He 	later uses these orange stripped shorts in Mazatlan trip. 1964-1965 (15 yo): 9th grade Madison High School. -Started contest directing. -Around age 15 met first love Camille while in high school. Relationship lasted for four 	years (1964-68) until the first year of college. Break up solidified Gary’s commitment to 	surfing and surf culture. -Summer of 1965 went on second trip was to Mazatlan with father and best friend Rick. Took Gordon and Smith 9ft board. 1965-1966 (16 yo): 10th grade Madison High School. -Las Olas Surf Club (1965-66) -Makes top 20 in country for Juniors and named in Surfer Magazine -Summer of 1966, went on third trip was to San Blas with father and friend. -Christmas vacation from high school of 1966-67 Gary turns 17 while in Hawaii for a 	second time (fourth trip) while on a trip with Las Olas Surf Club. Helped to sponsor and 	organize this trip. Met Ben Ipa who was one of the best Hawaiian shapers at the time. 1966-1967 (17 yo): 11th grade Madison High School. 1966: Started shaping surfboards at 17. -Skip Frye loans an 8ft board to Gary to ride in Ensenada and San Miguel. Skip Frye 	made a replica and gave it to Marty Fitch. Marty Fitch loaned a tester surfboard to Gary 	to ride during the High School Surfing Championships. Threw his chances of winning 	away by riding the Skip Frye noserider and advancing to make an impression. Later took 	the board and got a blank form Surfboards La Jolla for $25. Took the blank to girlfriend’s 	house and had her little brother help him shape his first surfboard with a purple tint, his 	favorite color. Start of surfboard career. 1967-1968 (18 yo): 12th grade Madison High School. -Learned about marketing from John Sevenson director of the Windansea Surf Club. -Placed in charge of the San Diego High School Surfing Championships. -Went to Mesa College for Political Science and learned about benevolent dictatorship 	 	  while attending high school. -Windansea Surf Club (1967-69), received signature from Skip Frye to get entry to surf 	  	  club -Between end of Senior year 1968 and first year of college fall of 1968, Gary goes to 	Hawaii for a third time with friend Andy, goes on a wild adventure, and gets arrested. This is his fifth overall trip. Ends up having his Hawaiian Punch surfboard 6-7 foot  	surfboard sold through Select Surf Shop and begins learning about selling boards. 1968 (18 yo): First year at University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). Vietnam War era -Breakup with Camille -Riots a UCSB -Surfed El Capitan - Between first and second year of college went to Australia and shaped with Bob 	 	 	  McTavish 1969 (19 yo): Second year a UCSB. Era of big computers in universities. -changed major to Religious Studies. Took two classes that had major influence: History 	 	 of Jazz and History of Buddhism. -Rented an old barn with another guy to make surfboards in Toldeo -concerts from: Ace of Spades, Carlos Santa, Greatful Dead, Angela Davis comes to 	    	 campus during riots, students killed at Kent State 1970 (20 yo): Left UCSB -Went back home in Clairmont, had a part time job at night cleaning a garage for     	  	  Cadillacs -Mother tells him that he can not stay at home and must get his education from travelling 	 abroad. 1971 (22 yo): Went to France to shape with Mike Diffenderfer and made friends with Michel 	Barland (father of computer shaping). 1972 (23 yo): Took old boat to Brazil and met Wendy at 23 during Carnival? 1973 (24 yo): Married at 24 1976 (27 yo): Natalie Linden (first daughter) born in Brazil during Carnival? 1980s: Read about Che Guevara’s military tactics called guerilla warfare which was a model for 	Gary’s surf business philosophy. -Went through major financial hardship which took at least a decade to emerge from 1981 thru 1994: went to Japan an average of 3 times per year to shape Xxxx: Opened surf shop in Oceanside, Ca 1984: Went back to France and saw computer shaping by Michel Barland (father of computer 	shaping). -Made friends with Francoise Barland daughter of Michel Barland. 1990: Went to Japan and shaped 181 boards in 24 days 1991-1993: on SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturers Association) Board of Directors Xxxx-xx: Held various positions President/ Vice-President with ASP (Association of Surfing 	Professionals) Xxxx: Tour Director U.S. Professional Long Board Championship series Xxxx: Red Bull So Africa and Big Wave Challenge. Big Wave Culture Developed Xxxx: Todos Santos 52ft wave XXL Billabong Big Wave Award Finalist 2005 (55 yo): It was Gary’s year where he rode the biggest wave that anybody ever paddled into that year while everybody else was being towed in. He got the Best Tube that was featured in a picture that now hangs on his wall at the factory and made front page of a magazine. 2009?: Pioneered and created The Big Wave World Tour as a sport. 2010-2011: Lost favorite balsa wood, washed up 60 miles North 2 weeks later -Judge at Mavericks Invitational (2010-present) 2013, Oct: Goes to Australia to try to establish another location for consideration on the BWWT. 2013-2014 (64 yo): Robbie Meistrell of Body Glove and Gary work together to help sponsor 	Mavericks Invitational which is an event in The Big Wave World Tour.