©2002 ChuckBassett.com | chuck@chuckbassett.com | Last Update: Spring 2010

All stories are true events and the characters are real people. These are Chuck's friends and acquaintances who grew up surfing in the early 1960's in Orange County. Some are still surfing and some are no longer alive. Many were good people and others were not. Nicknames are used so as not to embarass their families and survivors.

The Raging Bull at Waikiki - Summer 1966

Story submitted by the 'Infamous Soop Macres'

     So here we were, best friends fresh out of high school at the very same beach where the popular TV series "Hawaiian Eye" was filmed in front of those famous Waikiki Beach hotels. Our surfboards had somehow gotten lost on the flight over from LAX a few days prior and the waves were a perfect three to five feet. Digging deep into our wax pockets we were barely able to gather enough coin to rent a tandem surfboard for a couple of hours, as this was much cheaper than renting two regular surfboards. A tandem surfboard is about 12-feet long, weighs about the same as a 1962 VW bus and can float a train load of teenagers with no problem.    

   Paddling out for the first time in paradise, with its 75-degree water was quite a contrast to our Doheny Beach experiences back in California. In just a few minutes we thought we had tandem surfing wired. There were several other tandem surfers in the water for us to watch. I almost forgot to mention, there were also about a million other surfers out there too. 

   Suddenly, I recognized one of the other surfers in particular. He was the world famous, larger-than-life, world champion wrestler LORD BLEARS! He was always on TV in the 1950's and early 1960's, so he would be hard for anyone to miss if they ever saw him in public. This guy stuck out like a sore thumb due to his intimidating size, dayglow white hair and dark suntanned skin. And he could surf like a star! 

   A bigger set came through and most of the other surfers had taken off on the first two or three waves. That left me and the Goon, together on our tandem board, and the famous Lord Blears sitting outside looking at more approaching set waves. Considering how big and strong the Champ was, we let him have the next wave, acknowledging his presence with our nervous smiles.  Wow, the Champ took off and rode that set wave like a pro!

   Now it was our turn with only one more set wave approaching. We had only ridden a few smaller waves thus far, but now was our moment of triumph! Paddling and paddling with all the strength we had, me and the Goon caught this incredibly perfect head high wave and were now dropping in fast with increasing speed, faster and faster we went. The Goon was in front of me and for some reason I thought it appropriate to try putting him on my shoulders. I wanted all the glory and have the other surfers see us. Suddenly, I envisioned myself as the muscular and handsome Robert Conrad! And the Goon, he was the beautiful and slender Connie Stevens, but with a few pounds added for ballast! Here we were riding tandem at Waikiki! Before I knew it the Goon was on my back, struggling frantically to get on my shoulders. Did I mention how fast we were going? "Hawaiian Eye", we have arrived! Keep the cameras rolling! This is a take! We are the new surf stars in the line up!

   The faster we went the more out of control we became. Suddenly, we heard a loud THUD just as the surfboard came to a sudden stop. It felt like we had a hit a parked truck! The Goon and I were flying through the air with the surfboard dead in the water behind us. What was happening, I wondered, as we splashed down and finally surfaced gasping to catch our breath. Then we knew. OH, IF THERE IS A GOD, PLEASE TAKE US BACK TO CALIFORNIA!  

   There before the two of us treading water was the famous, larger-than-life, stronger and bigger than a parked truck and mad as hell and getting madder LORD BLEARS! He must have wiped out and lost his surfboard and apparently we had run over him while he was swimming in to retrieve it. Lord Blears had one hand on the back of his bleeding head and the other reaching for our throats. We were face to face with a raging bull!. The look on his face was absolute anger. As for me, I was barely able to swim at the time but the Goon was a good swimmer and could hold his breath forever. The Goon immediately took a deep breath and disappeared underwater. By the time I realized he was gone, the Goon had already hit the beach running, sprinting for his life.

   Meanwhile I'm getting my just punishment as I was on the receiving end of the loudest roaring voice ever heard from a human.  He said alot but I had no idea what. Perhaps it included something like "you kooks should never attempt surfing again, you two deserve to be held underwater in a strangle hold"! But I'm not sure exactly what he said as I was scared as hell and trembling, about to be mauled by a very large predator.

   Somehow I made it back to shore with all of my teeth and immediately took off running as fast as I could without ever looking back. When I reached our humble cockroach-ridden one room studio apartment on Alawai Boulevard I tried crawling under the bed to hide in case Lord Blears had followed me home. But the Goon was already there hiding. i still can't believe we made it off the beach alive. And with our teeth still intact.

     For the next three weeks whenever we went surfing, by the way our surfboards finally arrived from the mainland, we surfed at Ala Moana every day instead of Waikiki. Both the Goon and I were constantly looking over our shoulder to ensure we weren't under attack from The Raging Bull.        

"Today's Top Surfboards"

     Rod Sumpter, a 1960's era champion surfer who was featured with Robert August and Mike Hynson in Bruce Brown's epic surf film "Endless Summer, has written another book titled "Today's Top Surfboards". This colorful 165 page coffee table collector book illustrates contemporary surfboards from around the world. Rod devoted fifteen pages to Chuck Bassett Fine Balsa Wood Surfboards. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, click on www.amazon.com. This source for the book is the best price available.

Pacific Life Television Commercial

     In July 2007, Chuck was invited to participate in the filming of a television commercial in Hawaii for Pacific Life. This is the insurance company with the breaching whale in their advertising. Chuck is convinced the only reason they chose him is due to his white hair and sun damaged skin and not his mediocre surfing ability. With Jeannette Prince of Cardiff, California and Quicksilver President and CEO Bob McKnight, these three surfers were filmed at 'Maili Point', just down the road from Makaha. The whole operation had them in Hawaii for five days, with three full days devoted to actually being in the warm water surfing, paddling and smiling for the camera. The production company had a permit so the beach was shut down to anyone not involved in the filming. Basically, they had it to themselves and a breaching whale was superimposed on film to appear just offshore from the surfers. Most everyone involved in the production were put up in an exclusive hotel overlooking Ala Moana Yacht Harbor and Waikiki Beach.

   The commercial ran for about three years and is now collecting dust in some agency film vault, or more likely has been tossed out with the trash. Chuck says "it was a good thing to be paid to surf, especially if the waves are good and your fed well afterward." Although, he would have done it for free and paid his own passage to the islands, he would have been just as happy. Having the waves to themselves was the real reward. Below is the thirty second 'directors cut' version and the televised ad will be added soon. The waves were not epic and the rides are by any means anything special; just three people doing what they love to do. Turn your speakers on as there is sound.