I started shaping in 1964.

I started surfing and shaping almost the same time.

What made me get into shaping was a friend of mine that owned a surf shop.

He invited me down.

He said, why don't I shape my own board?

I go, no, I don't do that.

He had a bunch of blanks that he bought really cheap, so it's no problem.

I tell you what, I'm going to get off in the next two days then I've come down.

So that was started me.

Now when I first did that board, it took me 12 hours.

But when I finish it to me it was like, wow.

Now coming from the guy that owned the surf shop, he was a glasser and he shaped

bodge too.

And he told me, you sure you never shaped buzz before?

So again, I'm watching surfing and the boss had to be tweaked.

The bot had to go where it's gotta go.

I've got a Hawaiian name and I'm proud of it and I wanted to get into the surfing world.

That's where I wanted.

This past Friday, January 15th, Ben Ipa passed away due to complications from a stroke

and Alzheimer's disease. He was 78 years old. Big Ben's exit coincided with a seismic swell

event on Oahu's North Shore, the venue of much of Ben's

influence. As if Heaven's embrace of Ben created a vacuum backdraft of energy that reigned

...