After two surgeries giving Mike brand new hips and with a commitment to excercise that includes eating a better diet, which could make him a spokesurfer for Club Curves (although I witnessed him once eat yogurt topped with bananas, strawberry, and a nutritious scoop of chocolate ice cream for breakfast), Purpus is on the prowl hotdoggin’ with the best of them.
Lately, Purpus decided to dive into his trick library and pull from his 60s repertoire. Although he may being wearing a top-of-the-line modern Body Glove wetsuit and riding a Pat Ryan designed 2+1 longboard, Purpus might as well be riding his 60s Jacobs Surfboards model and wearing a Body Glove Beavertail dive suit. The coming-full-circle of his surfing also reflects his general attitude and vibe out in the line-up. Hooting and hollering, Purpus is the eternal gremmie as stoked as can be.
As one of the most innovating surfers of the transitional shortboard surf period and the 70s, Purpus evokes his performances and slips into radical form like in the surf movies, “Super Session,” “Five Summer Stories,” or “Salt Water Wine” daily out in the breakers in front of his house.
Watch Purpus this season as he takes on the legend’s division of the South Bay Boardrider’s contest circuit sponsored by local South Bay Surf Shops.
Eddie Solt, Jr. can be reached at ESolt@Easyreader.info ]. DZ
