I don't actually know for sure if Pop Proctor, vagabond surfer, heart and soul of Doheny State Beach, died that way. But I have a 

 magazine article on geezer surfers that says Proctor, in 1979, age 97, finally lost his driver's license, after which "he spent most of his time in the bathtub" until he died two years later. Proctor was born in Tynemouth, England, in 1881. Came to America with his folks, but got sent back from the Godless colonies at age 12 for a proper Catholic school education. From there, it was the usual—merchant marine, gold miner, ferryman, blacksmith, steamboat engineer, rum-runner. Proctor didn't start surfing until age 56, at which point he'd drive 200 miles from his home near Sacramento to San Onofre, and back again. Did it all the time.

Proctor bought a panel van when he retired, installed a bed, and parked at Doheny. Trawled the reefs for dinner, and every night had a glass of red wine and 7-Up. Did some lifeguarding, and held court in the afternoons with the local gremmies. Sometime after Halloween, he'd gas up the van and drive to Anza-Borrego, where he'd stay until May.

Proctor vowed that he would surf until 100, but everything depended on him keeping the van, and when the license went, so did the wheels. Not sure where Proctor spent his final two years, must have been some Orange Country seniors facility, but what I read into that 

 epitaph is that the bathtub was the closest thing he could find to the ocean. I like to think that, in the end, Pop lowered himself in for a nice soak, drained his wine-and-7-Up, closed his eyes and paddled into the hereafter with a giant lobster scrabbling on the deck of his board.

, the cheerful Aussie boardmaker who took the Ugg boot to the brink of global popularity, sold too early, missed out on millions in profit. And kept on smiling.

You may know him as the former big swinging dick at Billabong, and more recently Vissla. But did you also know that Naude took 3rd in the '76 Pipeline Masters? Just behind Russell and Lopez, just ahead of MR. Handy with a camera too. One of those guys who, everything he does, he does incredibly well.

Finally, and this was a fun one to piece together, we have the 

a one-year-only parallel-universe world tour that ran alongside the IPS in 1977. I more or less understand how the Grand Prix came to be, but am still unclear as to 

. Probably had something to do with the blood feud between Fred Hemmings and Ian Cairns, but I'll save that for another time. Meanwhile, we are left with this bright shiny button of trivia: there are actually, officially, 

 mens world rankings for 1977. Almost alike, but not exactly. Mark Richards is ranked 6th (IPS) and 5th (Grand Prix). Peter Townend is ranked 12th (IPS) and 14th (Grand Prix).

Surfing's small, delightful, ridiculous pleasures never end!

DEAD IN THE BATHTUB AT 99? YOU COULD DO WORSE

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