David surfing at Topanga Beach, just south of Malibu.

My Surfing Story

I got into surfing a lot later in life than most people (age 35) when my 2 boys were involved in the local "Junior Lifeguard" program. They were about 8 and 9 years old, doing the summer program at Will Rogers Beach (Santa Monica, CA). One day they came back from a session all excited about the surfing lesson they had. "Dad, you’ve GOT to try it!" But let me backtrack a bit...

I always loved the beach, and as a kid used to go to Playa del Rey to bodysurf and boogie board (at that time it was just canvas/rubber rafts). Our family had very little money, so a surfboard was out of the question, and our house was about four miles inland. I couldn’t get to the beach very easily on my own.

Cut to 1965. I dropped out of college after one year, and got a job playing 1st chair oboe with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, on a 43-week tour of the US, Canada, and Mexico. FANTASTIC experience for an 18-year-old kid. But I lost my student deferment—during the opera tour the draft age lowered to nineteen. I had a choice of going to Viet Nam for two years, or trying to get into a military band. So I auditioned for West Point, and got papers guaranteeing a permanent three-year station if I enlisted. No brainer.

West Point turned out to be a blessing in many ways. I’ll save the details for another time.

After doing military service I planned to go back to school, but a couple of symphony jobs were open for audition. I hooked on with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and college became a thing of the past.

1973 - job opening in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. I was there. Tough audition - 70 players competing for one job. I lucked out. It was great being able to come back to California for so many reasons. Musically, although not yet considered in the top echelon of international orchestras, the Philharmonic was an excellent orchestra, with a dashing young conductor in Zubin Mehta, and great potential, as history has shown! Family issues were another big plus -- having both sets of grandparents nearby as my kids were growing up. And, of course, THE BEACH!

1978 - I bought a 14 foot outboard motor boat and kept it at Santa Monica Pier. Loved to fish. Got to know the captain of the Baywatch rescue boat, Tom Zahn -- the same guy who was the champion tandem surfer in Hawaii in the ‘50’s. He played the trumpet too, and enjoyed coming with me to Philharmonic concerts. Tom kept telling me about surfing, and that I should try it some day. But I was too busy spending my free time with the kids, and photography, and fishing.

Then in 1983 "the" big El Nino storm destroyed Santa Monica Pier (and smashed my boat to smithereens). Tom said "Forget replacing the boat—let’s go surfing." He took me down to Old Mans at San Onofre and did the tandem number for about an hour. We’d try to paddle in sync, then "get up" and he’d grab my elbows and lift me up. Jeez did I feel like a wimp. But it was great. Tom gave me a couple more lessons, then I was on my own. One of Tom’s friends, Norton Wisdom (veteran Malibu lifeguard) also started coming to concerts and helped me a little with my surfing.

A few months later, Mike Doyle donated a 9’ soft board for a Music Center weekend fundraiser. The highest price bidder would get the board and a free lesson with Mike. Sunday afternoon came. Before the matinee concert I looked at the merchandise still out there for "sale." The board was still there. After the concert the board was still there! Nobody had bid on it. As I was standing there thinking about it, one of the ladies in charge said "Take it—you can have it for $100."

Another no brainer.

So I called up Mike, told him I was the lucky "winner" (no doubt he was hoping it would be some cute female). But a deal’s a deal, and he ended up taking me to lunch and then out for a surfing lesson at Salt Creek. When he learned I was friends with Tom Zahn, he got excited about a reunion at a Hollywood Bowl concert. A couple of weeks later, Mike and one of his girlfriends came up and met me with Tom and his wife Dagmar, and we all went to the Bowl. I can’t remember the program we played, but they seemed about as stoked as you can get about classical music :-)

I saw Mike only a couple of times since then. Pretty much have lost contact now. I guess he spends most of his time down in Cabo(?).

I remarried in 1986. My new wife’s mother owned a penthouse level studio apartment in Waikiki - right near the corner of Kalakawa and Kapahulu. GREAT location, fantastic view from the sundeck (in the Waikiki Grand Hotel, one-half block from the beach). I believe that Steve Pezman stayed in the same unit once in a while.

We started going to Hawaii at least once a year. Got to know George Downing quite well. Bought some boards from him, one to keep over there, and the rest are here in LA. In May of 2001, we bought the place from my mother-in-law, and put in about $25,000 to remodel and completely refurnish it. It is now 450-sq. ft. with fully equipped kitchen, large bathroom with full-size tub/shower, lots of closet/storage space, free local telephone, and free wireless hich speed internet connection. It came out looking just great, and now when we’re not occupying it, we have an outfit called Queenssurf Vacation Rentals who manages it for us. It is located on the quiet end of Waikiki (closest to Diamond Head) overlooking the zoo, Kapiolani Park. Just a half-block walk to the beach, and paddle out—to the left to get to Publics, right to get to Queens. Straight ahead is Kuhio beach with the boogie board concession right there ---by far the best boogie boarding in all of Waikiki. Note the photo taken from our sundeck, on a day when the waves were somewhat larger than on an average day.