Greg Noll
Greg Noll
Greg Noll is a legendary American surfer who is famous for his ability to master the big waves and as one of the pioneers of longboard shapers. Noll was born on February 11 1937 in San Diego, California. Phil Edwards admiringly nicknamed him ‘Da Bull’ because of Noll’s fit physique and the way he takes charge of the big waves. He has also produced a number of surf movies.
Early Life
Noll began surfing in the South Bay when he was just 11 years old. His family moved to Manhattan Beach when he was 3 and gradually he showed interest in surfing. He became a member of Manhattan Beach Surf Club and there he learned a lot on surfing including how to shape the surf board by another member, Dale Velzy. He was also a member of Los Angeles County Lifeguards from where he completed his paddle boarding training. Noll started to surf the Californian huge waves in Palos Verdes at breaks like Lunada Bay. In 1954, he moved to Makaha, Hawaii after finishing his high school in California.
Master of the Big Waves
Noll gained recognition as a big wave surfer after his various daring feats in the Hawaiian waves on the North Shore of Oahu. In 
November 1957, he was the first person to surf the 30 feet wave at Waimea Bay which was deemed impossible to surf by the locals. He gained further reputation in 1964 when he surfed a reef break called Banzai Pipeline. In one of his interviews, he said, ‘The wave I caught at Outside Pipeline that day walled up twenty-five-feet high about half a mile in front of me. It broke to the left, so I was riding with my back to the wave, goofyfoot, and it was a god-awful uneasy feeling. Instead of getting smaller as I rode it, the sonofabitch grew on me. It got bigger and bigger, and I started going faster and faster, until I was absolutely locked into it. I felt like I was on a spaceship racing into a void. At first, I could hear my board chattering across the face of the wave in a constant rhythm. As my speed increased, the chattering noise became less frequent. Suddenly there was no noise. For about fifteen or twenty feet, I was airborne. Then I literally was blown off my board.’ Later in December 1969 at Makaha, he rode an enormous wave which is considered one of the largest waves ever. To this date, Noll is viewed as the most daring surfer of his generation.
Board Shaping
Noll learned to shape the surfboards by the help of Dale Velzy at Manhattan Beach Surf Club. He established his own surfboard business in 1950s and gained commercial success within a short time. Today, he is one of the most famous longboard shapers.
