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Polar bear with carrot

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Mike Doyle, a life well lived.

Mike Doyle - 1963
I was sad to hear that Mike Doyle has passed away after a long battle with ALS. He was a world champion surfer, one of the very best to ever grace the water.

Mike and his mom, Mama Doyle, were old friends of mine and when she was alive he would often drop by my gallery or see the gang at the coffee shop. Early on I sold some of his old surf memorabilia off for him.

Mike was a pioneering waterman, a champion surfer and he developed the original prototype for modern snowboarding, the monoski. I am not sure if I ever met his wife but I believe that I did.

Mike was movie star handsome and always had a winsome lass on his arm prior to his marriage. Later in life he started painting and opened a gallery in Cabo.

Just a super nice guy and phenomenal athlete. Who once told me the spookiest ghost story I have ever heard. But I will only share it with you face to face.

He left one of his mom's paintings for me to sell in my shop. It's big. Any family member wants it, it's yours.

Great obit here.

4 comments:

Jerry HallJe said...

Respect. Consummate waterman, athlete and competitor. Wrapped in an artist's perspective influenced by the 60s and 70s surf culture that he helped shape. In the mid 70's (I was 14, 15 years old) I remember surfing with Mike at Cardiff Reef. Always had a big smile on his face and was thoroughly enjoying himself.
He was an ambassador of Aloha on a level with Duke Kahanumaoku.
Aloha nui loa Iron Man Mike Doyle

Anonymous said...

I used to windsurf with Mike in Baja. He was a super athlete. Beth Cobb

Blue Heron said...

Windsurfing in Baja, tooling around the gardens of Bordeaux. You live a charmed life, Beth.

Anonymous said...

Rest in surf, Mike D.

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