Bruce Brown had a laugh at Conrad Canha's expense in 

, calling him "Willy Willhold," and mentioning that Canha weighed 200-pounds. (No way was it that much, maybe 180; Conrad was portly but short.) But everybody, Bruce included, loved and respected Canha, who died over the weekend at age 85. He is remembered both as one of surfing's original high performers, guiding his black-swirl balsa pig around at Makaha like a ballroom dancer, and as the sport's first best tuberider—Ala Moana was Canha's favorite break, and in the early- and mid-'60s he spent more time plugged into the barrel than anybody. "I’ve only been surfing Ala Moana five years," Canha said in 1967. "I should have started riding the place years ago. There is a bowl section there, and if your timing is right, you can get locked in. I mean, 

 locked in. People can’t see you from shore. When I’m making a ride like that, there is a feeling there that I’m all alone, just me and the wave, and nobody around me. All you can see is just a little hole in front of you. It’s fantastic!"

Conrad won a few events as well, most notably the 1956 Makaha International, but competition wasn't really his thing. "I try, but you know, you can’t do it all the time. It’s great I won it [Makaha] once." Surfing for Canha was a performance, a thrill, a joy. Even in his later years, when he wasn't board-riding, his appreciation for all that pleasure derived from surfing came through. He laughed and gestured and talked story, and in general gave the impression of a man who'd just raced and made a wave from the Honolulu shipping lanes all the way to the channel.

Aloha, Conrad. Thanks for showing us how!

CONRAD CANHA, 1932 - 2017

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