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Larry "Flame" Moore (June 17, 1948-) |
 The Largest Surfing EncyclopediaA-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Advertisement
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Larry Moore's obsession with perfect lighting has altered the course of surfing. His commitment to excellence is responsible for the careers of many top photographers, the pioneering of several world-class breaks and the success of Surfing magazine. Flame was the publication's first photo editor -- a position he held for some 26 years.
The son of an L.A. County fireman, Larry Owen Moore was born in Whittier, California. As a teen, his jobs included making lunch bags at the Crown Zellerback Corporation, sorting mail at Christmas and cutting fat at Kentucky Fried Chicken. He began surfing as a teenager in Huntington with Belmont Shores neighbor Steve Walden, now a successful shaper. Moore later rode for Harbour Surfboards out of Seal Beach, a team that won the Western Intercollegiate Surfing Council Championship. The shop's owner, Rich Harbour, served as a mentor and hired him for various jobs around the factory. A graduate of Pioneer High School, Moore attended Long Beach State in hopes of becoming a teacher. But with the county facing one of its most turbulent times in history, change was imminent. "A friend of mine came by late one night and said he may never see me again," recalls Moore. "He was on his way to Canada to avoid going to Vietnam and he owed me some money. He gave me this Pentax K 1000 with a Takumar 400 lens. Then all my friends wanted me to takes pictures of them surfing." He did, and it wasn't long before The Surf Guide published his first photo, a shot of John Van Ornum taken from atop the Huntington Pier. Harbour, who had a photo lab, suggested Moore take to the water and helped him construct a housing for his camera. By the time Moore graduated from college in 1970 (with a minor in photography), he was a regular contributor to Surfing magazine. Spared from Vietnam himself, thanks to surf bumps and other minor ailments, he took a position with the magazine shooting photos and working in the dark room. After quitting to embark on an around-the-world journey, he returned and soon became the magazine's first photo editor. At the time, Surfing was struggling for recognition after a short but tumultuous past, and Moore's work ethic offered the necessary stability. His fiery red hair landed him the nickname "Flame," soon to be one of the most recognizable names in surf photography. He moved to San Juan Capistrano and found the perfect studio at neighboring Salt Creek, a hollow closeout with perfect lighting and an endless stream of talented young pros. The wave allowed him to shoot cover shots all morning and still be in the office bright and early. Moore's abilities, along with those of his apprentices -- including Aaron Chang, Bob Barbour, Dick Meseroll and many others -- gave the magazine a reputation for photographic excellence. It may not have equaled rival Surfer in terms of editorial content, but it was visually superior and the kids loved it. Far from content to rest on his Salt Creek laurels, Moore scrutinized the coast in search of fresh waves to photograph. In the '80s, he played a key role in popularizing the left at Lower Trestles, the sand bottom barrels of Isla Natividad and the pre-Maverick's big-wave rush at Todos Santos. In his free time, he became something of a sailing fanatic, building his own 45-foot boat, which he finished in 1984. In studying nautical charts of the ocean off California, he set his aim on Cortes Bank, a mission that would become his crowning achievement. "I was always intrigued by Cortes," he says. "I'd heard tall tales from Flippy Hoffman and Phil Edwards, but no one had claimed to have surfed it. I was mesmerized by it, this thing sitting in the middle of the ocean, and thought, 'God, waves should break out there.'" In 1990, Moore led a recognizance mission during a big swell and returned with photographic proof of its potential. Eleven years and countless hours of research later, his dream was realized when all the elements finally came together on January 19, 2001. Moore led a team of photographers, video crews and tow-in surfers in a monumental session that opened the boundaries of big-wave surfing. Aside from the Cortes adventure, Moore spends most of his time on land. He resides in Dana Point with wife Candice and son Colin, born in 1987. He ended his legendary career at Surfing in 2000 to become photo editor at Swell.com, where he now lives vicariously through his team of shooters as the mastermind of photo expeditions. Most mornings, he can be found working at perfectly lit Salt Creek, capturing magical images from hopeless closeouts. He still surfs, but only when conditions are right, "Only when it's completely overcast." -- Jason Borte, April 2001 Sadly, after battling various brain tumors for over two and a half years, 30-year Surfing magazine photo editor Larry 'Flame' Moore passed away on Monday October 10th at the age of 57. -- Updated 2005 --
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