Paul Strauch Model Surfboard

Paul is half Hawaiian. His Hawaiian name is Kalakimau, meaning “the lucky one.” Paul’s dad was an excellent surfer and they lived near Waikiki. His dad got him surfing when he was just a little kid. His first board was an 8’6” solid balsawood made by Tom Blake. Under the guidance of his father and then George Downing he grew into a fine surfer at an early age. In 1959, at the age of 15, he won the Junior Men’s division at the Makaha International Surfing Championships. He capped off a credible competitive career ten years later taking the Men’s crown.
Surf legend Gerry Lopez tells stories of seeing Strauch in the early days at Sunset Beach. “He would fade so that he was almost going left, lying down all the way to the bottom and then just doing this huge bottom turn, and walking up. And this was on a terrible, heavy plank.”
Barry Kaniaupuni, other of the greats, has said, “He was the best surfer in the world. Nobody else even came close. His bottom turn was the most radical there was. He could make his board talk and play music.” That is heavy praise coming from a dude who had one of the most radical bottom turns in history.
Today Paul lives in San Clemente and surfs a lot in the south county area. He is active in the Hawaiian Surf Club and can be found carving big turns at San Onofre on any given afternoon. Still great, still cool and still smiling.

Dimensions

• Length Range: 9'0" to 10'0"
• Width: 22 3/4"
• Nose: 17 1/2"
• Tail: 14"

Skill Level
Beginner to Expert