Catching up with Scott "Spides" Madison, founder of Atwater

On Lightning Bolt:
Pipeline in the 70s, Rory Russel and Gerry Lopez charging huge surf in Hawaii, classic timeless surf apparel. When I was a kid I would draw the Lightning Bolt on my notebook in class thinking about surfing. Gerry lopez was one of my favorite surfers growing up - I would ask my mom to buy me Lightning Bolt polo shirts and OP cords. That was my style in elementry school ha ha.

On soul surfing:
If I ever feel burnt-out or grumpy, I know that I can go catch a few waves to feel energized again. It's a natural high and my passion and I am so lucky to have met most of my friends through surfing.

On most influential person of surf:
When I was a kid it was Gerry Lopez and Buttons and I still do but now I think the most influential surfer today is Kelly Slater because of his competitiveness and drive to win so many world championships. His style, speed, power, wave knowledge and innovation has not slowed down and at 38 he is still at the top of his game.

On Jonathan Paskowitz, Lightning Bolt, USA president:
In the late 1990s when Jonathan was at Black Flys and I was working for either Billabong or Hurley I was in charge of the Snowboard Design department and we were on an industry trip for Transworld Snowboarding at Banff Canada. We had all finished a big sushi dinner and Jack Martinez and all of us went out on the town - all I had on was a sweat shirt and it was 20 below outside. I remember complaining about how cold it was and Jonathan grabs a big snow ball and stuffs it inside my shirt. I was so cold but we had so much fun that night I will never forget it. He is like a stand-up comic always laughing and cracking jokes. So fun to be around even in 20 below.

Joshua Hunter - Editor in Chief at Transworld Business - Encinitas, CA

"Surf lifestyle is impossible to encapsulate. That’s why companies and brands that don’t truly live a “surf lifestyle” can never get it right when they try and portray it in their marketing and products."


"At Surf Expo, I had on a Lightning Bolt tee on. Randomly out of nowhere Johnathan came over, slapped a one dollar bill in my hand, and said "thanks bud." I don’t think he had a clue who I was, but pretty funny either way."


On the most influential person on the world of surf:
"I’d say it’s a tie between Duke Kahanamoku and Bob McKnight. Each—in their own, very different ways—have introduced surfing to the world."

COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Every April, Coachella Music Festival attracts nearly 100,000 of grungy, beer-chugging concertgoers to California desert city, Indio. Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley was in attendance Saturday for headliners Muse and Tiesto. Unshaven, sans socks and full of style with his Lightning Bolt Pelican Boardshorts in awesome black, Penn fit right in — looking good!

Lightning Bolt featured in Sportswear International

Lightning Bolt "Mermaid Tee" featured in Sportswear International - April 2010 issue

lightning Strikes Twice...

"LIGHTNING
STRIKES TWICE"
by Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz
http://www.alohadoc.com

It was a chilly morning on the beach at "Zippers" in San Jose del Cabo, Baja Mexico. In the distance I saw a lone figure standing on the sand looking at the ocean. As I drew closer I recognized Gerry Lopez.

I walked up to him, put out my hand and he greeted me warmly, which pleased me very much. I'd known Gerry Lopez since he was a little boy, Maybe 9 or 10, when he was just learning to surf at "Baby Queens" in Waikiki. I knew his Mom who was a school teacher in Honolulu.

We stood there "talking story" for about half an hour, but all the while I was remembering those exciting days in the late sixties and seventies, when Gerry was known as "Mr. Pipeline" I recalled him riding with such grace and elegance on the wave considered to be the most dangerous surf spot in the world. Someone died at Pipeline every other year.

When we parted I kind of laughed to myself reminded of the time Jeff Hakman won the Pipeline Masters in 1971--the first Pipeline Masters. Gerry didn't even show up because that mongoose, Corky Carroll told him the contest was postponed.

Several special surfers had greatly influenced Lopez in the early days of his career: The "silky smooth" surfing of Paul Strauch and Jock Sutherland,deep tube rider who was the worlds greatest switch foot surfer. Sutherland had won the Duke Invitational in '67 and was known for having ridden big surf, Waimea at night. Jock Sutherland was also mentor to Gerrys' pal, the happy go lucky Rory Russell. Both had won the Pipeline Masters twice
in a row--Lopez '72 and '73, Russell, '76 and '77.

As Fate would have it, in 1968 when Rory was 15 and passionately in love with surfing his folks moved to the North Shore in a beach house right next to Jock Sutherland.

Jock informally guided Rory to become a master of the Pipeline, finishing in the championship, '73 to '78 third, second, second, first, first and second.

The symbol of the Pipeline in that decade was the Lightning Bolt. It became the symbol of the short board revolution ----the colorful emblem on the deck of goofy foot Gerry Lopez 6’-9” pin tail and goofy footer Rory Russells 6’-8” round tail. There was a Lightning Bolt logo on the boards of many of the North Shore champions: Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shawn Tomson and Lady Margo. And of course the great Jeff Hakman. As surfing historian, Matt Warshaw put it "...no board making label before or since has dominated the surf media the way Bolt did in the mid-70's.

NOW IN 2009 THE BOLT IS BACK Like his predecessor, Duke Boyd, the financial wizard of Lightning Bolt and Hang Ten, Jonathan Paskowitz, past marketing executive of the ultra successful Black Flys eye wear company is hoisting anew the ensign of the Lightning Bolt up the masthead of the present global surfing industry.

Aloha,
Doc

Authors
note : This article could not have been accurate without the help of
Matt Warshaw and his fascinating, "Encyclopedia of Surfing".