i was at pipeline the other day and seen this interesting sign right in the front of the walkway heading to the famous pipeline. seems like it’s been there for a while but i haven’t’ gotten a good look at it before.
walked up to take a closer look. it was a sign noting names of famous surfers that have died right there at pipeline, and also names of famous surfers that died on the north shore.
i was looking at the list of famous surfers that passed away. then i took a better look on the top of the list and noticed that someone had written by pen a name in. Jose Angel? who’s Jose Angel?
let me introduce you to Jose Angel. i can write a book about this wonderful surfer, waterman, teacher, diver, and father. a man that went missing after a diving accident back in 1975 and was never to be found. was known as the most fearless surfer and most respected waterman in the world. guys like Greg Noll and Eddie Aikau looked up too and had the upmost respect for Jose. the only surfer to do a backflip off a 40′ wave at waimea bay. the first surfer to get the cover shot on the very first issue of surfer magazine. Jose surfed big waves, wrestled turtles, killed sharks, saved many of lives, and most importantly, taught the next generation his waterman skills. now who is Jose Angel? Jose Angel was my step-father. like i said, i can write a book from my youth spending time on his boat, watching him hand line in fish, spearing ulna’s, watching him bring up 6′ branches of black coral, watching him roast lobsters on a bbq, watch him sitting as a principal of Haleiwa Elementary School, watching him save tourists at 20′ sunset beach, and the most memorable, remembering catching my first wave with him at haleiwa when i was only 7 years old. that was a very long ago but those memories will last forever in my mind. just looking at this photo of Jose pulled me back 40 years and made me feel i was right there again. i guess you can say that could have been a turning point in my life.
