View this post on Instagram
Kolby Aipa, grandson of the influential surf shaper Ben Aipa, and son of Duke who continues to carry on the Aipa board-shaping legacy, tragically passed away on Tuesday, August 5, after succumbing to injuries sustained in an e-bike accident on Saturday, August 2.
The accident occurred on Saturday at 10:08 p.m. at the intersection of Seapoint Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, California. Kolby Aipa, 20, was reportedly being towed by a car while riding an e-bike and was hit by the same car that was towing him. He was taken to UCI Medical Center, where his family decided to take him off life support on Tuesday.
Kolby is survived by his father, Duke, his mother, Val, and his sister, Sky.
Kolby had recently been promoted to manager at Huntington Surf & Sport – a surf shop in Huntington Beach – and also worked weekend shifts at Sugar Shack Cafe. The Pai family, who owns Huntington Surf & Sport, started a crowdfunding campaign for the Aipa family, receiving more than $69,000 as of Wednesday morning.
Aipa Surf, the innovative surf brand started by Ben Aipa in 1970, and now run by his son Duke, shared the news of Kolby’s passing in a statement on Instagram.
“We are completely heartbroken,” the statement reads. “We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The HB community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way. Thank you for loving our boy.”
“Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met,” the statement continues. “His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this… pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way…In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha. And you too can be like Kolby. Remember him and tell the world that.”
Condolences poured in from the surf community. Surf culture figures, such as Barton Lynch, Brett Simpson, Selema Masekela, Kanoa Igarashi, Kai Lenny, Paige Alms, Coco Nogales, Taylor Knox, and Bob Hurley, all left comments on Aipa Surf’s Instagram post.
Aipa became a household name in the surfing world when Ben added his skillful, innovative design touch to the art of shaping surfboards. Hawaiian Fred Hemmings rode an Aipa board to win the world championships in 1968.
The Aipa boards became iconic in 1974 when Ben was inspired by the design of hydroplane speedboats that he had seen racing at Ala Moana. He mimicked the winged break in the outline of the boat and applied it to his surfboards, a model known as the Aipa Sting. Soon thereafter, Mark Lidell and Buttons Kaluhiokalani appeared on the cover of SURFER magazine with the emblematic boards.
Ben’s shaping legacy is carried on by his sons, Duke and Akila. Duke took over Aipa Surf, and Akila started Akila Aipa Surfboards.
Ben Aipa passed away at 78 years of age in 2021.
