Dale Webster

Last updated

Dale Webster, known as "The Daily Wavester", is a surfer who lives in Valley Ford, California. He is best known for setting the official Guinness Book of World Records record for the "most consecutive days spent surfing" (14,641) and his appearance in Step into Liquid . [1]

Contents

The record

For forty years, from September 3, 1975, to October 4, [2] 2015, Dale caught at least three waves to shore at Bodega Bay (in Northern California), though most days, he caught many more. He did this every day, despite the danger and inconvenience of hurricane-force winds, shark infestations, car breakdowns, and kidney stone complications, making him the record-setter for the "most consecutive days spent surfing", at 40 years. He also set the world record for most waves caught; 43,923 confirmed waves. [3] He finally chose not to paddle out on October 5, 2015, when Webster, at 66 years, went in for a kidney stone operation. He had surfed every day for 40 years, one month and one day (14,641 days in a row). [4]

According to Dale, he did this for a number of reasons: his wetsuit was damaged and he wanted to surf for a full year to force the manufacturer into replacing it (incorrectly interpreting the warranty) and that he attempted to beat what he thought was the record for the most consecutive days surfed (5280), but was actually the record (in feet) for the longest distance surfed to shore. [5]

Personal

While setting this record, Dale married his current wife, Kaye; raised his daughter, now a college student; and held several jobs. He went through thirty boards and twenty-eight wet suits. His daughter, Margo set a record of her own by being the first student in her school district to attend elementary through high school with perfect attendance. [6]

In the media

Webster was described in an article in Surfer magazine under the title "The Daily Wavester", as well as in various other newspaper stories. He was featured in a four-minute scene in Dana Brown's 2003 surf movie Step into Liquid ; a character in the movie is seen using a roll of stickers imprinted with the slogan "DALE WOULD GO". His narrow escape from a great white shark was described in an article in the local newspaper. [7] Dale has finally been invited to the prestigious Surfer Poll Awards, in Hawaii, on December 6, 2015.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfing</span> Sport of riding waves

Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found as standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or in wave pools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethany Hamilton</span> American surfer (born 1990)

Bethany Meilani Hamilton is an American professional surfer and writer. In 2003, she survived a shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off; ultimately, she returned to professional surfing and wrote about her experiences in the 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. The book was adapted into the 2011 feature film, Soul Surfer. Hamilton attributes her strength to her Christian faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Slater</span> American surfer (born 1972)

Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship Tour victories. He won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year four-times. Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League, winning his 8th Billabong Pipeline Masters title at age 49.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mavericks, California</span> Surfing location in California, US

Mavericks is a surfing location in northern California outside Pillar Point Harbor, just north of the town of Half Moon Bay at the village of Princeton-by-the-Sea. After a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean, waves can routinely crest at over 25 ft (8 m) and top out at over 60 ft (18 m). Routinely, waves that break can be recorded on seismometers. The break is caused by an unusually shaped underwater rock formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laird Hamilton</span> American big-wave surfer

Laird John Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model and actor. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a former professional volleyball player, television personality, and model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big wave surfing</span> Surfing waves at least 20 ft high

Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves which are at least 20 feet high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. Sizes of the board needed to successfully surf these waves vary by the size of the wave as well as the technique the surfer uses to reach the wave. A larger, longer board allows a rider to paddle fast enough to catch the wave and has the advantage of being more stable, but it also limits maneuverability and surfing speed.

Gerry Lopez, aka Mr. Pipeline, is an American surfer, shaper, journalist and film actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabbit Kekai</span> American surfer

Albert "Rabbit" Kekai was an American surfer and one of the original innovators of modern surfing. He was a dominant master of the sport in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, and was also a winner of the Peruvian and Makaha International titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Fanning</span> Australian surfer (born 1981)

Michael Eugene Fanning is an Australian professional surfer who was crowned champion of the Association of Surfing Professionals/World Surf League (ASP/WSL)'s World Tour in 2007, 2009 and 2013. In 2015, he survived a shark attack by what is suspected to be a great white shark during the J-Bay Open finals in Jeffreys Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Parsons (surfer)</span> American professional surfer and surfing coach

Mike Parsons is an American professional surfer and surfing coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Gabeira</span> Brazilian big wave surfer

Maya Reis Gabeira is a Brazilian big wave surfer. She surfed a 22.4 m (73 ft) high wave in Nazaré, Portugal in February 2020, recorded by Guinness World Records as the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman. She also held the previous record for biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, of 20.8 m (68 ft) established in January 2018.

Darrick Doerner is a big wave pioneer in the sport of tow-in surfing, in which personal water craft are used to tow surfers into large surf. Also known by the nickname, Double D, Doerner is an accomplished big wave surfer himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Shore (Oahu)</span> Coast of Oʻahu

The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oʻahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oʻahu between Kaʻena Point and Kahuku. The largest settlement is Haleʻiwa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrett McNamara</span> American Big Wave Surfer

Garrett "GMAC" McNamara is an American professional big wave surfer best known for setting the world record for largest wave ever surfed, as documented in the HBO series 100 Foot Wave. McNamara is also known for successfully negotiating a monstrous barrel at Jaws and being the first person ever to ride a wave formed from calving glaciers.

Gary Elkerton, known as Kong is an Australian surfer, three time world masters champion, three time world professional runner-up, twice Hawaiian Triple Crown champion and Australian amateur champion (1984). He is regarded as an iconic big-wave rider and is highly respected by his peers for his unique, powerful surfing style. In 2009, Gary was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame.

Donald Moke Takayama was an American professional surfer and surfboard shaper. Originally a longboard surfer, Takayama won the Master's division of the United States Surfing Champions in 1971, 1972 and 1973. Hawaiian born, Takayama learned to surf at Waikiki Beach and moved to California in the mid-1950s. Takayama died of complications from heart surgery; he is survived by his wife and four daughters.

Chris Christenson is an American surfboard shaper, craftsman, and outdoor enthusiast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Daly (captain)</span> Captain of the Indies Trader during its surf exploration trips

Martin Daly is an Australian Captain and surfer who is known for his surf discoveries aboard the M.V. Indies Trader and is known as "surfing's most iconic boat captain".

Tamayo Perry was an American professional surfer, lifeguard and actor. He was a regular fixture on Oahu's Banzai Pipeline, one of the world's most notable reef surf breaks, and was considered as one of the most prominent pipeline specialists of all time. His death was the first fatal shark attack on Oahu in over 20 years.

References

  1. ↑ Ryan-Herndon, Lisa (2007). Guinness World Records To The Extreme . Guinness Book of World Records. Scholastic Inc. ISBN   978-0-439-86562-3.
  2. ↑ erBB
  3. ↑ "Daily Dale in Guinness Book of World Records". Surfy Surfy. 2008-04-23. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  4. ↑ erBB
  5. ↑ Howard, Jake. "Daily Dale Webster Achieves Goal". SurferMAG.com. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  6. ↑ Ballard, Chris (2008-04-23). "Dale Webster's endless summer". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  7. ↑ Sports Illustrated Media Listings
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.