AVAILABLE
NOW!
Where
to get it? Click here or SUBSCRIBE
TODAY!
Bonga Perkins Perpetuates Surf Culture
By Alyssa Navares
Legendary surfer, “Bonga” Perkins, never lives the same day more than once as he is constantly seeking new opportunities to spice up his life. After finishing college at the University of Hawaii, he had already been to almost every surf spot in the islands and around the world, so he moved to Japan in 1992 in search of new breaks. Bonga even ran in The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, during a surf trip to Spain.
After mastering the art of bodyboarding as a child, he made the transition into a professional longboarder. A decision where his natural talent emerged and created an individual who would represent classic longboarding forever.
“I like to be spontaneous, and am always looking for spur of the moment fun,” said Bonga, who also recently took up canoe paddling.
One day this past summer, Bonga he and his three year old son Tahitoa, entered a surf meet at Queens, rushed over to Hawaii Kai to start his first Hennessey's Paddleboard Festival race, Kaimana Beach in Waikiki. He won the Beachboy Stand-up division. Then, His day was not quite complete as he still had a canoe race, the “Hui Waa Championships” at Keehi Lagoon, with his canoe club-- Manu O Ke Kai,. They won their division for the one mile and a half race.
“That was a very productive day,” he said. “I felt physically beat but mentally accomplished.”
This state of mind holds true for every one of this Haleiwa local's endeavors. Bodyboarding for most of his childhood, he eventually decided to follow in his father's footsteps when he took an interest in longboarding.
“I was shocked that he turned out to be a longboarder,” said Bonga's father, Gregory Perkins, who always brought two boards to the beach, one of which Bonga usually surfed with by the end of the day.
Not only did he inspire his son to surf, but, he also nicknamed him “Bonga .“ Originally named Gregory, after his father, Bonga would often imitate his favorite wrestler, whose signature move was butting, or “bonging,” heads. From then on, the name Bonga stuck and eventually made itself known throughout the world. His own children are; sons Keoni, (12) , Tahitoa (3) & daughter, Tehani, (9).
“I remember running away to the beach with my dad early in the morning even after my mom told us we had to go somewhere that day,” he said. “We would push the car out to the road, so my mom wouldn't wake up. That was always the best part.”
Everyone, who knew Bonga as a child, knew he would always excel in the water. They watched him over the years grow from that little “Waikiki surf rat,” as Bonga referred to himself, to a world champion longboarder in 1996.
“I remember watching this tiny twelve-year-old boy in 15 foot surf,” said Classic Surfboards owner, Ginny Cabato, referring to Bonga's first amateur longboard contest. “After he caught his first wave and won the contest, I knew he wasn't going to be surfing at Waikiki for very long.” As twelve-year sponsors and close family friends, Ginny and her husband Cippy would often give Bonga a new surfboard for every contest he won.
Other sponsors include Converse, Destination, Quiksilver, Oakley, Steinlager, Local Motion, and Schaper Hawaii.
Carl Schaper, owner of Schaper Hawaii, has shaped hundreds of boards for Bonga over the past 10 years, including paddleboards. With customized dimensions to suit almost any type of wave, these boards have led Bonga to countless victories both at home and overseas.
“There's no doubt Bonga knows what he likes and knows what it takes to win,” said Carl. Both Carl and Bonga have worked closely to create a Bonga Perkins surfboard line four years ago. According to Bonga, these high performance boards are “more on the retro side” but still very “user-friendly.” The popularity of these B.P. boards spread throughout the surfing community as quickly as they were made. “I have customers come into the shop and ask for the exact board Bonga used,” said Carl, who shapes B.P replicas or even sells the original board.
Sometimes these originals may not make it home to Hawaii as Bonga may occasionally trade them with his competitors after the contest. His collection of over 30 boards, some of which are from Joel Tudor, Steven Slater, and Herbie Fletcher, “help him to reflect in later years.” “I have to ride the boards at least once,” he said. “I'm either like, ‘wow, this is why they beat me' or ‘how did they beat me with this?'”
While Bonga learns from the way their boards ride the wave, his competitors learn from the unique style he portrays in and out of the water. Longtime competitor and close friend, Kekoa Uemura, recalled Bonga being “one of those guys you look up to when you're little.” Over the years, surf trips around the world caused their relationship to strengthen as they became close travel companions. “We always try to experience every country, which is easy because Bonga knows where to go and knows a lot of people,” he said.
As a well-respected figure, Bonga continues to impact the surfing community and industry, giving each a positive image. He perpetuates the ways of our surfing ancestors through every wave he surfs. However, it is the power emitted through his classic style of surfing that is so strong, it has left an impression not only on his archrivals, but also on the surf culture, itself.