Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

As some of you may know and for those of you who are just reading this for the first time, with much sadness I report that our friend Eric "Sprocky" Osland passed away on Friday the 27th of February.

I don't know all the details but he was suffering from pneumonia and other complications that worsened his condition.


Jim Richardson and I saw him in the hospital on Tuesday. He was fighting for breath but smiled and managed to reminisce about his favorite surf trips and favorite times with all of you kneeboard brethren.


Eric was one of the catalysts and key persons in rejuvenating and bringing back the stoke for the kneeboarding scene back to California. Helping organize trips to Baja, the Mentawai Islands and even represented the USA in 2002 for the World contest near the Sunshine Coast of Australia. (There was a great photo of Eric in one of the local Sunshine Coast newspapers while competing.)

For those of you that knew him, he loved going right. His beautiful surfing style was forged from his youth in the right point breaks of Santa Barbara County. Many of us marveled at his polite, kind and caring ways. He was always stoked to surf.

In earlier years, Eric was a highly successful fashion model. He worked consistently in Europe for the likes of many top designers and appeared in many distinguished fashion magazines. Always handsome and low key, he rarely talked about it and how prominent he was. (Google some of his images to get an idea.)

If anyone has any great photos or stories to add please do. I know he had a special place in everyone's heart.

God speed Eric, you will be missed so much. I wish we all could ride another wave with you.

MR-

Wow, what a shock. Very saddened, I surfed with him in 2011 down in Baja. I thought he was a nice guy, easy to get along with and he ripped on a kneeboard. I will miss him.

Holy $#!t How can this be? It can't possibly be Sprocky's time! Not from a treatable illness like pneumonia! The guy is younger and in better shape (...of better character, more charm, great charisma, more successful, on and on...) than me! I'm in shock.

I'm so sorry to hear about this loss for his family. My deepest sympathies for Ed, too. I know you two were best mates.

Thank you Mark for passing along the news to those to far away to know first hand.

Paul's feelings are very much mine--the great surprise of someone young and fit dying from pneumonia under modern medical care. I guess we must be ready to pass from this life at any time...nothing is guaranteed. Doesn't he also leave behind a family? Can someone tell me about this?

I'm glad I got to know him a bit.

RIP Sprocky

May peace be with you

Thank you Mark for a great post. I'm so glad that you and Jim were able to visit him on Tuesday, and I'm sure that you guys lifted his spirits. KSUSA allowed me to reconnect with friends from 25 years ago back in January, 2004 (or whenever that Blacks Gathering was)...and later in 2004 I met Sprocky. My love for kneeboarding is stoked by the wonderful people I know and respect in the kneeboarding world and I always loved it when I saw Sprocky! Over the years I loved seeing him at the Titles or other gatherings or contests. He surfed with great style, always drawing clean lines and putting himself in the pocket. Others knew him so much better but I'd probably be right to say he was creative, devoted, intelligent, humble, and a true friend. My heart and prayers go out to Eric's family, and to EQ. I know that going right will be a little different now.

Deepest condolences to family and friends. Eric was a such a nice guy and way too young to leave us. Rest in peace Sprocky.

Wow,
Like Scott said, very surprising and how we never know when it's going to be our time. Late condolences on the passing of your brother too Scott. I didn't really know what to say when it was first announced here.

RIP Eric and Mark

When I first met eric 10 or 12 years ago, he was visiting in Huntington, he was flipperless, ripping and so enthusiastic about kneeboarding it was hard not to get caught up in his enthusiasm! I believe he had a big hand in organizing and starting up this website which allowed a lot of us to rekindle old friendships. I knew eric as a humble, friendly, kinda quiet guy and a great kneeboarder. I will miss seeing him in the water when he visited the cove with ed and randy reed and at all the kneelo events. RIP eric

I first met Eric at the KSUSA championships in 2003 and had the pleasure visiting with him and surfing with him in contest heats over the years since. Although I didn't know him well, it was always evident from the get go that he was a kind man of good character, very humble and unassuming and his smile spoke volumes.
He'd smoke you in a heat and afterword have an encouraging word and slap on the back and just smile.
We have all become a family in a since, all unique, but share the common bond of our love of the ocean and sport.
We lost a brother way to young this week and it wieighs heavy on my heart today.
My sincere condolences and prayers go out to Erics family and friends he will be missed.
I'm quite sure heaven is enjoying Eric's smile as I write this, Gods speed Brother...

This tidepool day you inhabit contains more than you need.
It stirs now and then to bring faint news of old storms deeper than the earth.
From caves around you feelers and claws waive their greeting, then slowly withdraw and wait for tomorrow.

Sunlight is alive when it swims down to where you are,
and you stand still, alert to take in the sun.
You become a stone, then a ghost of a stone, then the gone waters brilliant memory of where a stone was.

Making the day expanded in your heart and return, you play a limited part in whatever life is, practicing for that great gift when enlightenment comes, that long instant when the tide calls your name.

~ William Stafford

There will be a paddle out Sunday March 29th at Rincon.
More details to follow

My sincerest condolences to Eric's family and friends.

Eric has always been a little amazing and enigmatic.
When we first met at UCSB he was the guy with the long hair that actually was a fellow kneeboarder and was checking out the crazy surf team there. "Hey, so you surf those points up the coast?" I asked. "Really? That's so cool!" I wondered also why I didn't see him at the bottom-feeder Isla Vista breaks around town. I soon found out that Eric worked graveyard full time at one of the local aerospace companies, in addition to going to UCSB full time. Again, "Really, Eric!?!? How can you pull that off?" He just laughed, like he had his own secret and had it all figured out. "Oh, I can grab a wink now and again before I head in." Nothing to it. He was so unassuming about that grueling schedule he must have kept, and was so laid back you'd never know just what a hard working guy he must have been at that point in life. And that hair! You knew he was a kneeboarder with that hair of his.
It was great to share some waves and some great times with you, Eric. All of us here will miss you......Chris

Eric's family and friends are in our prayers

It's hard to pinpoint exactly which KSUSA gathering we met, but I'm pretty sure it was Rosarito

There was an instant connection between kneeboarding and what we did for work, and he was so genuine and excited about every little aspect of both, and more

Every gathering and contest was a chance to catch up, and always a pleasure. To this day, I've never saw him boil over. Always a gentleman.

To the point about his modeling, one of those early events at Pleasure Point, I drew Eric, Ed and Randy in a heat. Let's see: World-wide model? check. Famous actor? check. Fit model? check. And, then there's me.

I don't recall the outcome, but closing my eyes I see us getting ready on the concrete rise by the bottom of the stairs, against the sun's glare. What I remember is how we in small numbers represent so many good things in life. Eric carried the light, and I will miss him. RIP my friend.

I can't believe that Sprocky passed away. My most sincere condolences to all his friends and family.