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MIKE DIFFENDERFER: 1937-2002
The legendary shaper/surfer dies after a long battle with a series of brain tumors |
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May 19, 2002 Legendary gun shaper/North Shore surfer Mike Diffenderfer died on Oahu last Thursday after a long battle with a series of brain tumors. He was 65.
Diffenderfer was born in Beverly Hills but soon moved to La Jolla, where he began surfing at the age of 12. Within a few years, he was tagging along with Windansea kingpins like Pat Curren Del Cannon and Al Nelson, learning the shaping trade and the technique of big-wave surfing. After graduating from La Jolla High in 1956 (and dating Raquel Welch in the process), Diff moved to Hawaii to pursue shaping and the life of a true waterman. He immediately fell in with a group of rowdy chargers known as the "Meade Hall Gang," dubbed after they transformed their North Shore Quonset hut into a medieval-looking dining hall.
Not only did he thrive in the lineup during this period (he's even credited with the naming of "Banzai Pipeline"), Diffenderfer soon became known as one of the best gun shapers in the islands. With Tony Channin working on the mainland and Diff in the islands, they carved out thousands of Diff/Channin boards throughout the '60s. By '71, only Dick Brewer's shapes were on par with Diffenderfer's sleek, down-rail gun designs. With hot Outer Island riders like Jimmy Lucas and Jackie Baxter on his boards, Diff's 8-foot Sunset boards were a prized possession for every Hawaiian surfer.
His influence spread well outside of Hawaii in the early- to mid-'70s when Diff spent extended periods in France and J-Bay. While his popularity and productivity peaked during this period, he never turned his back on the craft and claimed to have shaped 20-25,000 boards in his career.
Although he did move back to California for a stint and then to Costa Rica, he eventually moved back to Hawaii in the mid ‘90s after the discovery of his first brain tumor. Despite a number of major operations, the Surfing Hall of Fame member maintained his quality of life, and even competed on the golfing Senior Pro Tour. Last November, however, Diffenderfer suffered a stroke, which left his right side partially paralyzed. He was admitted to Kahuku hospital and remained there until his death. Before he passed, a number of "Meade Hall" members -- including Pat Curren -- visited the master shaper to pay their final respects.
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