Darrick Doerner

Darrick Doerner's initials D.D. are somehow strangely fitting.  Not only do they stand for his name, but think "Designated Driver. " He is probably the best in the business when it comes to towing a surfer into waves.  In many cases it is a matter of life or death.

A great surfer and all around waterman, Darrick's resume reads like an encyclopedia of surfing.  Growing up surfing Malibu in the late 60' and early 70's, he then moved to the Big Island of Hawaii for his senior year of High School.  He had the foundations of surfing.  I met D.D. that year and saw him as a good friend, but an average surfer.  I had no idea of where he would take the art of big wave surfing.

The moment we finished school, the move was obvious, the North Shore of Oahu.  Cutting his teeth and honing his skills in the center of the surfing world, his next step was to become a lifeguard.  His 20 + years working the North Shore has taught him water safety and given him some of the most important skills needed to negotiate big water safely.  He has set the basic protocol for dealing with a wipeout and the inevitable rescue in waves this large.  Believe me, if you go down on a wave over 25 or 30 feet, it is imperative that when you finally surface you don't have to deal with more of these monsters breaking on your head.  This is why D.D. is the preferred driver / partner of the greatest surfer today, Laird Hamilton.  Laird's monster wave in Tahiti would not have happened without D.D.'s wave knowledge and driving skill.  That wave was not only life and death for Laird but for D.D. as well.  A wipeout on a 1200c.c. watercraft is about as serious as it gets.  When I first saw the Tahiti wave, I saw Laird and was terrified.  Then after looking at it closer, I saw D.D. on the machine barely escaping going over the falls.

I talked with D.D last week and did some Q.and A. about where Tow-in is going as well as D.D.

DK:  How do you feel about the sport that you created along with Laird and Buzzy Kerbbox, and how far into the media limelight it has come?
DD:  When we first started, nobody wanted to come out to play.  We were all alone out there.  The reefs on Oahu are so far out there that we were invisible.  It wasn't until we hit Maui and did Peahi "Jaw's" that everybody took notice."

DK:  I remember when you guy's were towing around in the Zodiac, you know that was only about 9 or 10 years ago, and you did that for awhile before getting on a personal watercraft.  Then it took a year or two before anyone else "came out to play."  How has it come so far so fast?
DD:  "Well basically we opened up the territory that we only dreamed about as paddle in surfers.  You remember the stuff we used to ride on our Windsurfers.  It was great ,with power, we were riding the reefs that were out of bounds for paddling into.  But without the wind we were out of luck.  Plus we were all alone, that appeals to so many of the guys that ride big waves from their soul.  It awes the obvious choice for us.

What's the next step? D.D. " Right now we're working with the foil (airboard /hydrofoil) it's basically like the difference between skiing or boarding in powder as compared to the giving yourselves a very high success rate.  Taking on to many risks is just not very healthy.  So knowing your partners ability and likes and dislikes is important and having good communication will become instinct.  Driving out after takeoff is a matter of getting out of the zone and into a position to keep an eye on your partner and setting up for the recovery or rescue.  After that its like formula one."

DK:  How did you get the machine out of that wave of laird's in Tahiti?
DD:  "Well, on that one it was very important to sheer off that wave very carefully rather than turning.  That's probably why the photos made it look so close.  Turning out takes a more open faced wave to pull off, but realize that your concentrating the wake at that point possibly giving your partner a nice big corss bump to deal with." Remember, first rule, safety first."

DK:  So what is in your future?
DD:  I am doing surf camp with Camp of Champions which will be at different worldwide locations.  What you need to do in look at the website because it will give all the details.  It is really going to be exciting its that different.  And of course looking for that special day out there and putting ourselves "In Gods Hands."

- David Kahanamoku