SUNDAY JOINT, 6-3-2018: JIM BANKS, EDDIE AIKAU, G-LAND, THE BOYUM BROTHERS
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/811e7de1d68dee345aa1a211cb856d7a0ac9c7cf-1600x900.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=65&auto=format)
Hey All,
“At Play in the Fields of Allah” is the latest History of Surfing chapter, and takes us into the shadowy half-crazed early years at Grajagan. There’s so much more to this tale than what I’ve posted. In fact, Jack McCoy earlier this week told me that the G-land origin story handed down over the years, involving the Boyum brothers and Mike Laverty, may not in fact be entirely bullshit-free, so I’ll need to dig around and see what comes up there. Although honestly, at this point, 40-something years on, it’d be nigh impossible to pin things down with any degree of certainty. The point being that surf history, like history in general, is always a work in progress.
This week I’ll be veering away from Indonesia, but before we leave I wanted to share this Jim Banks blog post. The text is from 2014, but the video was made last week—another one of those projected three-hour jobs that ended up taking two days. Enjoyable days, mind you. Banks is one of those people who make you feel good about having wasted your life chasing waves.
![Encyclopedia of Surfing](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/ce4927986a1faf980ac41ad97938a819bef947ce-900x506.jpg?w=1024&fit=clip&auto=format)
The beginnings of pro surfing are up next, and I’ll do my best to dance the subject around so it isn’t a total rehash. Let us start by burying forever the idea that pro surfing began in 1976 with the creation of the world tour. Corky Carroll made 40K as a surfer in 1967, at a time when the average US worker was pulling down just over $7,000. For comparison, here’s a list of pro contest prize money leaders compiled by Fred Hemmings and Randy Rarick at the end of 1975. Some of these guys were earning a bit more from sponsors, but most were not.
1. Shaun Tomson ($10,875)
2. Mark Richards ($7,673)
3. Jeff Hakman ($2,425)
4. Gerry Lopez ($1,850)
5. Mark Warren ($1,750)
6. Terry Fitzgerald ($1,678)
7. Michael Ho ($1,525)
8. Peter Townend ($1,385)
9. Barry Kanaiaupuni ($1,350)
10. Mike Esposito ($1,247)
11. Bruce Raymond ($868)
12. James Jones ($600)
13. Aaron Wright ($175)
14. Clyde Aikau ($100)
15. Eddie Aikau ($25)
That is not a typo. $25 for Eddie. Enough for two cases of Primo and a double-scoop rice plate lunch.
![Encyclopedia of Surfing](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/0d1f9e0ba85c364cc43b5eba6ef068bd4de91a9b-900x506.jpg?w=1024&fit=clip&auto=format)
Thanks everybody, and see you next week!
Matt