CONTRIBUTOR – PROFESSIONAL SURFING
Gerry Lopez
In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Mr. Lopez is credited with setting the standard for riding deep in the tube on a short board at the Banzai Pipeline.
Mr. Lopez’s performances at the Banzai Pipeline in 1972 and 1973 were legendary and earned him the Banzai Pipeline Championship crown. In honor of his legendary command of the Pipeline, the contest from 1993 to 1997 was known as the Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters.
In 1971, Mr. Lopez co-founded Lightning Bolt Surfboards and the company surfboards quickly gained a reputation for surfboard shaping and high performance, and the Lightning Bolt surfboard was known as the “board of choice” among competitive surfers.
Mr. Lopez was inducted into the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame in 2000 as a pioneer of the sport.
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