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The history of Don Harris

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:03 pm
by Mike Fernandez
Please stick to historical facts about the person, or well founded rumors, but no opinions (IE:I think George Greenough is great because he invented the spoon.) This does no good in attaining the history of the person. :wink:

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:16 pm
by ScottMac
..

Hmmm... I should type somehting before this gets ugly... :-)

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:31 am
by Don
So you want a history lesson or something about a cutback?

Facts:

Caught my first wave at the HB Cliffs (The Gap) July 4th 1976 - US Bicentennial.

I live in Sausalito with my wife Bonnie and our 2 year old daughter Lana.

I've been surfing Ocean Beach as my local for 14 years now and each Fall when it comes back to life I ask myself if I'm REALLY ready.

Lived in Long Beach, HB, Cardiff, Leucadia, Pacific Beach, Carlsbad then moved to Sausalito to chase my heart-throb-now-wife Bonnie. I'm a native Califonian who mairred a southern Bell.

Most significant surf trips:

Australia / Bali in '84. Met David Parkes, Albert Whiteman, surfed Ulu with Bill Lerner, bonded with great people. Came home and surfed Trestles twice a day for 3 months, spent a couple months surfing baja malibu before getting a real job.

New Zealand World Titles in '99. Rag Tag team of Jack Beresford, Bob Schiff, Greg Little, Dave Weinbaum and Barry Baker. I was blown away by the event hosts - Murray Weir, Craig McDonald, and company. The 8 day event was stuffed full of good times, laughs, meeting legends and surfing great waves with just kneelos. Winning the Masters division was icing on the cake.

Mentawai's boat trip in 2000 initiated by Jim Richardson brought together a unique group of wave riders - Mark Robertson, Danny Robertson, Ed Quinn, Eric Osland, Jim Mitchell, Larry Lauman, Morgan (my cousin)...

Queensland, Australia World Titles in '02. A better formed team flying under the American Kneeboard Club with several more guys (can't recall all the names - sorry my memory got soaked on this trip!) Highlights were seeing Albert go to the final, Tom Linn taking home hardware and all the young surfers just ripping! Jamie McHugh organized a house (he's the ambassador) where Mark and I stayed with other Aussies for the week with families.

At the Annual General Meeting, Ken Stapleton asked if the US could host the World Titles in '04/'05... we said yes, but we just weren't quite ready ;-) We pushed it to '07.

Reason for starting a community website - KSUSA

After meeting so many people across the globe who have the kneeriding passion, it was clear to me that the internet was a way to tie them together. Sprocky had started a website which gave me a spark of an idea. I put together Kneelo.com which was hard to update and the requests were flowing in. I also thought a newsletter would be a good idea - Kneelo Knews Journal - and I still do, but again a one man content organizer / generator is simply too much work. Bob Schiff mentioned a forum and that started me looking into a tool to give "The Community" the ability to publish their own content. HAH! I can surf more if people post their own content, photos, stories, used boards, gathering dates, etc.

That's the technical journey to KSUSA but more significantly there was also a meeting after one of the first Gatherings at Mark Robertson's house where 12 or more got together, ate, drank, watched Nascar (Bob Welch was ahead of the curve) and talked about formally organizing ourselves.

The confluence of events all came together and KSUSA was born. I built the site, registered about 10 people and sent them a login and password. That was March 9, 2003. Since then YOU have hosted countless gatherings world-wide, YOU have posted the largest archive of photos imaginable 8000+, YOU have traveled to surf with new friends, YOU have hosted 3 US Titles and 1 World Title. YOU have until Nov 15th to register for the 4th US Title event. :D

KSUSA is guided by an executive committee meeting almost weekly via teleconference - Mark Robertson, Jack Beresofrd, Tom Linn and me.

I have mentioned some names above and by no means is this list complete for those who have inspired, mentored, pushed, pulled and helped to create KSUSA. Please take no offense if I have left someone out.

I'm simply an aging kneelo who races too far in front of the wave and races back to the pocket... something people call a cutback.

nice

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 10:06 am
by barry
Well said Don,
and Congrats on all your achievements in and out of the water.
Love and Appreciate all your efforts mate.
Stoked to have met you :!:

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:13 pm
by SFKneelo
Diamond Dave Kennedy did an interview of Don awhile back:

http://www.sydneykneeboardclub.com/

Go to the 'Down and Dirty,' then you'll see Don's interview

Read the others as well!

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:23 pm
by WayneK
Thanks for the autobiography, Don 8) We had to of crossed paths in the line-up sometime while you were in So. Cal. :D Your work is truly appreciated. Good on Ya, Wayne

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:23 pm
by mutiny
Don a big thanks from HB for everything youve done to get me/us all stoked about the art of kneeriding worldwide :D

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:27 pm
by C J Gagner
And we all thought that kneeboarding was dead. HA!!!!!!!!!!! :D