Larry Bertlemann was unlike any surfer before or after him. Photo: Art Brewer
Legendary surfer Larry Bertlemann died on Saturday, October 10 after a heart attack. He was 71 years old.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of legendary professional surfer and local artist Larry Bertlemann,” the Bertlemann family wrote in a statement. “He passed away on October 10, 2026, at the age of 71, following complications from a heart attack at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Beyond his accomplishments in surfing and art, Larry was a beloved son, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his loving mother, five sisters, three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. His legacy, both in and out of the water, will continue to live on through his family, the surfing community, and the many lives he touched.”
Bertlemann’s impact on surfing cannot be understated. In the 1970s, “Rubberman” was one of the original pioneers of the shortboard movement. Generations before him surfed very differently than Bertlemann, and he showed how much more was possible on a surfboard. His style was distinct and almost polar opposite to how everyone else was surfing at the time. He attacked the wave in a top-to-bottom fashion that was rarely seen before, and it changed the way the world surfed. His cutback, lovingly called “The Bert,” was emulated by kids in the water, and on skateboards on land, for years.
Born in 1955 on Hawaii’s Big Island, Bertlemann was the son of an Air Force survival instructor. He didn’t start surfing until his teenage years, but after moving to Oahu, it soon became clear that Bertlemann, even at his young age, had something different. He became a standout at places like Ala Moana Bowls and tilled the soil of the garden that would grow what we now think of as “high-performance surfing” on the North Shore.
Bertlemann and iconic shaper Ben Aipa, who passed away in 2021, worked together to make surfboards that worked for Bertlemann’s different approach to riding waves. He surfed unlike anyone else, so he required surfboards unlike anyone else’s. Those Aipa stingers and swallowtails allowed Bertlemann to progress his surfing to heights unseen.
Although Bertlemann famously disliked competing, he officially became a professional surfer in the early 1970s. Despite his talent, he didn’t ever actually do all that well in front of judges (he did, however, win the 1974 Duke Classic), partly due to the fact that he was doing things no one else was doing.
Larry Bertlemann helped pave the road to modern surfing. Photo: Art Brewer
Contest results aside, though, Bertlemann was one of the most famous surfers of the time. He was all over the media, gracing cover after cover after cover. He paved the way for professional surfers to get sponsorships outside of surf brands. With corporate sponsors like Pepsi, Toyota, and United Airlines, Bertlemann became one of the highest paid professional surfers in his era.
Larry Bertlemann changed the game. Without him, we wouldn’t have surfing as we know it today. His contributions to surfing and. surf culture are indelible, and in that way, Bertlemann will never be forgotten. RIP, Larry. Thanks for everything you did.
