Brad Gerlach (April 11, 1966-)

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The pro tour was in for a surprise when it stopped in Oceanside for the 1985 Stubbies Pro. A spontaneous, young trialist with fire in his eyes and no loss for words would wreak havoc through the ranks, upsetting Terry Richardson, Glen Winton and returning champ Shaun Tomson.

Most 19-year-olds, having already achieved the impossible, would have rolled over for the great Tom Carroll in the final. But this kid was a showman, and he found sustenance in the spotlight. Brad Gerlach tore into the north jetty like a madman, leaving two-time world champ Carroll eating dust. Ready or not, the Gerr had arrived.

Gerlach was born in Miami in 1966. He toured the carnival circuit with his dad, Jumpin' Joe Gerlach, a former Olympic high diver and stuntman. When off the road, his home was Encinitas, where Brad learned to surf at age 10.

Brad made a splash from day one as a cocky teenager on the NSSA National Team. At 15, his attitude conflicted with coach Ian Cairns -- who didn't bother inviting Gerlach back for a second year. The setback motivated Gerr to show the homogenous ranks what he could do, so he dove headfirst onto the pro tour fresh out of school.

With his performance at Oceanside the next year, Gerlach vaulted up the ratings and qualified as a seed for the 1986 ASP Tour. He soon rose into the top 10 in the competitive rankings, and well beyond that in the nightlife division. Never one to turn down a good time, Gerr led tour cohorts on all-nighters around the world. His storytelling and impersonations, from cartoon characters to top surfers, kept everyone in stitches.

Gerlach buckled down in 1991 and made a serious run at the world title, finding the winner's circle in Australia's Coke Classic and Durban's Gunston 500. Despite leading much of the year, he finished second to Damien Hardman after disappointing campaigns in Europe and Hawaii. Almost immediately, he lost interest in competition.

At 25, Gerlach quit the tour and became a surfing gypsy, citing a need for creativity beyond the confines of contests. For several years, he roamed the globe, somewhat out of the media's eye. But the spotlight proved irresistible. In the late '90s, he returned intent on requalifying for the world tour in his mid 30s.

Now based in Leucadia, not far from where he began his long journey as a surfer, Gerlach is keeping his dream alive. When he's not appearing in travel features in prominent surf magazines or working on the "Carveboard," a skateboard that he and his father designed to mimic the gyrations of surfing, Gerlach has reinvented himself as a big-wave charger, teaming with tow partner Mike Parsons to attack the best the West Coast has to offer. Of course, he still keeps everyone in tears as he continues to imitate life perfectly. -- Jason Borte, October 2000