"At Last: Tiger Espere" was published, uncredited, in the April 1970 issue of Petersen's Surfing magazine. Espere was 24.

Tiger, the North Shore is a dangerous place for pro and amateur surfers alike. There are signs posted everywhere, warning about rip tides and large waves. Last season, just in one day, there were nine helicopter rescues, and a number of people throughout the year are swept out to sea, never to make it back. You’ve been a North Shore surfer all your life, how do you feel about tourists and novice surfers who come out to ride it?

It’s only natural for people to want to surf out here, but it’s much more dangerous than it looks. They should all stay at Waikiki and leave the big ones out here for people who know what they’re doing. After all, it’s taken us years to learn how to ride these waves.

In the last two years the North Shore has become heavily populated. Before it appeared desolate, now there seems to be a migration to Hawaii with the surfers coming out to your side of the island. Other than the fact that tourism is Hawaii’s biggest source of income, why do you think young people are flocking to the North Shore?

The world’s values are changing back to natural things. Real things . . . nature! Out here we’re about as close to pure nature as any place I can think of: warm and green, with flowers everywhere. Of course, there’s surf enough for everyone. It’s not like California. It’s really quite different. We’re free here, getting it on . . . grooving in the nature that’s all around us. I don’t blame people for digging on Hawaii.

I'm sure you'll agree there’s an excitement in surfing. It’s captured the imagination of thousands through the media of television and magazines, but it always conies down to the individual. What excitement does surfing hold for you?

It’s like a different movie every time you take off on a wave. Nothing is the same. You’re never on the same track twice. This enables me to be constantly learning. As I see it, there will never be an end to my education when it involves surfing. Of course there are other important aspects to surfing besides excitement. There’s the area of creating, which is as much a part of surfing as anything. Creating comes naturally to me in surfing. I don’t sit on the bench and plan out an attack, I feel out the wave and do whatever comes into my mind.

There is always the chance that a surfer can get killed while surfing. How do you react to the death factor?

I can’t explain it, but I feel really safe for some reason. It could be the ocean surroundings. I’m used to it now. I'm kind of locked in to a point where the death factor doesn’t often come into my mind.

We never hear much about you in competition circles. Is there a reason for that?

Contests are just beyond my reach. Contests are just so different from regular surfing that I don’t put the two together. Perhaps I’m not a competition type surfer. I’ve been in a few contests and I kind of dig them until I find myself sitting in the water with a jersey on. It’s so different from what I’m used to. All these pressures. Maybe someday I’ll get behind the contest scene, but probably not for a while.

Let’s get into 1970 surfboard designs. Do you see any new concepts in the making?

Yes! Surfboards are always in a state of improvement. They've gotten better since I’ve begun surfing and I don’t see any reason for the changes to stop now, especially here in Hawaii. I’d say we have new ideas coming into being every three months over here; so many, so often, that I can’t keep up with it myself sometimes. Like last year we all tripped out on shortboards. How short could we ride them? How narrow could we go? It was an exploratory trip and a good one.

There are a lot of changes coming up in 1970 for surfing. Some of them are good and some of them may not be what everybody will want. Progress will have its effect. Do you think that the surfing world and its future will affect you in terms of the reclusive life you lead?

I hope not, because I’m grooving on what I’m doing right now. But if the surfing world changes, then it’s meant to happen.

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