Surf photography legend celebrates 90th birthday

By: PAUL EAKINS - Staff Writer | Sunday, August 12, 2007 7:44 PM PDT ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- At 90 years old, surf photography legend LeRoy "Granny" Grannis no longer rides the waves, but his birthday celebration Sunday proved he and the more than 150,000 photographs he has taken throughout his life won't be forgotten by his fellow surfers.

About 150 people, including many who themselves were surf legends, attended the party at the Oceanside Civic Center to celebrate with Grannis and honor his role in surfing history.

Grannis grew up in Hermosa Beach, began surfing at age 14 and continued hitting the waves throughout most of his life until he was 82, his friends said. While a respected surfer, Grannis gained fame within the surfing community for his photography during a time when many surfing greats were emerging off the coasts of Southern California.

"It's such a classic golden time that will never happen that way again," said Linda Benson of Solana Beach, who was the 1959 female world surfing champion and five-time U.S. champion in the 1960s. "The legends of today that he photographed started it all. He just captured that golden era."

Grannis began photographing surfers in 1959 and gained recognition in the 1960s at a time when surfing had its heyday with the rise of surf magazines, movies and musical groups such as the Beach Boys.

Many of Grannis's friends and fellow surfers at the party, sponsored by the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, said they had known him for years, some practically since their very first time on a surfboard.

Carlsbad resident Donald Takayama, a five-time U.S. surfing champion and renowned board designer, said he first met Grannis in his native Hawaii.

"LeRoy took a picture of me when I was a little kid surfing without any clothes on in Hawaii," Takayama said. "LeRoy's been an inspiration to me. (He is) one of the great surfers of yesteryear."

Grannis's love of the sport was passed on to his two sons and two daughters, said son John Grannis of Redondo Beach, who learned to surf at age 4.

"We'd go out early every morning. We'd go to Hawaii every year," the younger Grannis said. "He always loved surfing, almost as much as he loves my mom."

During Sunday's party, Grannis and his wife of almost 68 years, Katie, wore colorful flower leis and sat at a table often holding hands while they were swamped with fans, friends and cameras. On an outside patio, a band played Hawaiian music.

In a brief interview, Grannis said his choice to take up surf photography was natural for him, but he never expected to be so recognized for it.

"I was a surfer," he said. "If I knew anything about shooting anybody, it was surfing."

Through the years, Grannis was known up and down the coast, said Brad Hall of Carlsbad, who has been a friend of Grannis for more than 25 years and helped organize the party.

"When he gets up, that's his wave," Hall said. "Everybody stays off that wave. That's Granny's wave."

And even though Grannis no longer surfs, he has never lost interest in the sport, Hall said.

"Surfing's his life," Hall said. "His first question every day when you see him is, 'How's the surf?' "

Contact staff writer Paul Eakins at (760) 740-5420 or peakins@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.