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| Greg Noll | |
|---|---|
| Name | Greg Noll |
| Birth date | April 24, 1937 |
| Birth place | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Death date | June 28, 2021 |
| Death place | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Surfer, surfboard shaper, photographer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Big-wave surfing at Waimea Bay, Mavericks, surfboard design |
Greg Noll Greg Noll was an American big-wave surfer, surfboard shaper, photographer, and entrepreneur prominent in the 1950s–1970s. He became renowned for pioneering tow-in and traditional paddle big-wave riding at locations such as Waimea Bay, Mavericks, and Banzai Pipeline, and for shaping influential boards that impacted shortboard revolution innovators and Hawaiian surf culture. Noll's life intersected with figures from Duke Kahanamoku to Gerry Lopez, and his story links to surf media, counterculture, and the commercial expansion of surfing.
Born in San Diego, California, Noll grew up amid Southern California surf communities that included contemporaries from La Jolla, Ocean Beach, and Mission Beach. His youth overlapped with the postwar rise of surf culture alongside figures like Duke Kahanamoku, Robby Naish, and Tom Blake. Noll's formative years brought him into contact with surf shops and craftsmen associated with Hawaiian surfboard shaping traditions and the nascent surf industries in California, Hawaii, and Australia. He traveled between Honolulu and the U.S. mainland, learning shaping techniques influenced by pioneers such as Al Merrick, Bob Simmons, and Wade Goodall.
Noll's competitive and free-surfing career placed him among contemporaries including Gregory "Da Bull" Noll peers like Butch Van Artsdalen, Phil Edwards, Mickey Dora, and Peter Cole. He rode and tested boards in iconic surf spots such as Waimea Bay, Jaws (Peahi), Mavericks, Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and Makaha; shared lineups with surfers like Donn Draeger and Rae Armenta; and appeared in surf films alongside Bruce Brown, Greg MacGillivray, and Jack Johnson. Noll contributed to surf magazines including Surfing (magazine), Surfer (magazine), Tracks (magazine), and worked with photographers and journalists such as Barton Lui, Art Brewer, and John Severson.
Noll gained fame for riding record-breaking waves at Waimea Bay during the 1950s and 1960s, a period that also featured notable rides by Duke Kahanamoku and Eddie Aikau. He was associated with innovations in surfboard design influenced by shapers like Bob Simmons and Phil Edwards, and his big-wave shapes influenced later tow-in pioneers such as Laird Hamilton, Drew Brophy, and Mark Foo. Noll's exploits at breaks including Peʻahi, Cortes Bank, Jaws (Peahi), and Mavericks connected him to maritime and safety developments involving organizations like United States Lifesaving Association and lifeguards from County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation and City and County of Honolulu. His approach inspired contemporaries and successors including Fred Van Dyke, Peter Townend, and Tom Carroll.
Beyond surfing, Noll established surfboard shaping and retail operations that interacted with companies and brands such as Rusty Surfboards, Channel Islands Surfboards, Town & Country Surf Designs, Hawaiian Island Creations, and retailers in Waikiki. He sold boards to surfers including Duke Kahanamoku aficionados and collaborated with shapers like Bing Copeland and Rick Surfboards (Rick Chudwin). Noll also photographed and was photographed by figures in surf media like John Severson, Bruce Brown, Greg MacGillivray, and Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz; his imagery appeared in periodicals such as Life (magazine), Time (magazine), and National Geographic (magazine), intersecting with photo editors and publishers tied to American Express-sponsored surf events and commercial sponsorships from companies including Quiksilver, Billabong, and Rip Curl.
Noll's personal network included relationships with surfers, shapers, photographers, and entrepreneurs such as Butch Van Artsdalen, Phil Edwards, Mickey Munoz, Gerry Lopez, and Bethany Hamilton. He lived for long periods on Oahu and in California, interacting with communities in Honolulu and Santa Cruz; his life intersected with Hawaiian cultural institutions like ʻAha Pūnana Leo and surf conservation groups such as Surfrider Foundation. Noll's family and associates included collaborators from Makaha and North Shore communities. He remained active in surf-related advocacy, safety dialogues with groups such as Hawaii County Ocean Safety and alumni events with entities like Hawaiian Surfing Hall of Fame.
Noll's legacy permeates surf history, film, literature, and museum collections; he is often mentioned alongside icons such as Duke Kahanamoku, Eddie Aikau, Gerry Lopez, Laird Hamilton, and Kelly Slater. His shaped boards and photographs have been exhibited in institutions like Hawai‘i State Art Museum, Polynesian Cultural Center, Museum of Modern Art, and surf archives associated with California State University, Long Beach and University of Hawaii at Manoa. Noll influenced commercial surf brands including Quiksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, and designers such as Al Merrick and Dick Brewer. His life and exploits are chronicled in books and films by authors and filmmakers like Matt Warshaw, Bruce Brown, Greg MacGillivray, and Tom Carroll, and continue to inform contemporary big-wave practice, safety protocols, and cultural narratives across Hawaii and global surf communities.
Category:American surfers Category:Surfboard shapers