Tandem Surfing presented by Steve & Barrie Boehne
Tandem surfing is one man and one woman on one surfboard on one wave.1
It was practiced by many surfers in the 1950’s and 1960’s, including world-class greats Walter Hoffman and Joan Jones, Barrie Boehne with Steve Boehne and Pete Peterson2,3, and Hobie Alter with Laurie Hoover, all well known in Dana Point.
“One couple became synonymous with the sport within a sport — Steve and Barrie Boehne. Steve, a tandem rider since 1961, and Barrie, a former champion of the Makaha International, when matched with Peterson, went on to win three world titles, six Makaha Internationals, one French and Four United States championships. They traveled the world promoting the sport as well as hosting contests and lessons nearer their (Dana Point) home.”4
Short boards in the 1970’s caused tandem surfing to all but disappear; however, it now “appears to be undergoing a renaissance ….”5
Tandem surfing is the recent subject of detail in the Surfer’s Journal, founded here in Dana Point by Steve Pezman.
[1] http://www.surfline.com/surfaz/tandem.cfm, Jason Borte
[2] http://www.infinitysurf.com/inf_story.htm
[3] http://www.infinitysurf.com/inf_history.htm
[4] http://www.surfline.com/surfaz/tandem.cfm, Jason Borte
[5] http://www.santabarbarasurfing.com/pix/tandem.html