You may know Joe Roper as a San Diego surfing legend, but I first heard of him when he was a skateboarding for Gordon & Smith Skateboards. G&S is same company that also built the surfboards that became famous beneath his talented feet.
Roper, who grew up in a time when surfers patched their own dings, became so proficient at the craft that has earned his living throughout his adulthood and become one of the top board repair companies anywhere in the world.
As a young man, Roper made his biggest mark at Hawaii’s Banzai Pipeline. He began honing his tube riding skills on the shallow reefs in La Jolla before translating them to Hawaii’s main stage in the ’80s. It was then the world took notice as nothing but the nose of his rainbow stick was visible from the beach.
The North Shore of Oahu was then the epicenter of big surf and the Pipeline along with Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay were considered the most challenging waves in the world. Since then, big waves have been discovered in Tahiti, Mexico, Portugal, and Central and Northern California, and another surfer with the last name of Roper has been there to ride them.
Located in Half Moon Bay, at the northern tip of California’s Central Coast, is Mavericks, a cement mixer of a wave unloading massive amounts of frigid water on anyone daring enough to challenge it. To date, two surfers have died at Mavericks. The most stunning of these was Mark Foo, a Hawaiian-raised surfer known for having ridden some of the biggest waves in the world. Foo’s last ride was in 1994.
The waves at Mavericks come out of deep water before being condensed in a narrow canyon, something that increases both their height and thickness. While appearing vicious from the start, the wave quickly goes nearly vertical as it collides with the shallow reef. It is here that surfers throw themselves over the ledge, sometimes air dropping, and hoping, praying to get to the bottom and make a turn that will send them safely into the channel.
Joe Roper’s son Jojo is one of the best surfers ever to ride Mavericks. He is also among a small, elite fleet of big-wave riders who, at a moment’s notice, will fly halfway around the world to meet a massive swell.
In March 2024 that moment arrived and led him to Mavericks. With three hours sleep, he made his way into the lineup, never realizing that he was about to add his name to a short list of San Diego surfers including Pat Curren, Butch Van Artsdalen and JoJo’s father, Joe.
Each have distinguished themselves in big surf, but none of them have ever ridden a wave quite so big as what JoJo did recently. For his effort, he was recently awarded top spot in the paddle division of the Big Wave Challenge Awards.
But enough words. Perhaps the link below will give you a better idea of Roper’s feat. Try not to hold your breath.
