Grandson of SoCal surfing legend dies after e-bike accident
Huntington Beach resident Kolby Aipa, 20, died Tuesday. A spokesman for the city Police Department, Corbin Carson, said that Aipa was being towed by a car full of friends on Pacific Coast Highway on Saturday night when he lost control of his e-bike and was struck by the same car that had been towing him.
Aipa is the grandson of Ben Aipa, a member of the Surfing Walk of Fame and Surfers' Hall of Fame who died in 2021 at the age of 78. Ben Aipa was a competitive surfer who became famous for shaping boards, inventing the surfboard swallow tail and adding the 'sting,' a wing along the rail ahead of the tail, to make the board go faster.
Kolby Aipa had been on life support, but the family, which owns the Orange County company Aipa Surf, posted on social media Tuesday afternoon that he had died of his injuries.
'We are completely heartbroken,' read the statement posted to Aipa Surf. 'We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The H.B. community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way.
'Thank you for loving our boy. Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met. His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this ... pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way ...In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha. And you too can be like Kolby. Remember him and tell the world that #iamkolby.'
The accident occurred at 10:08 p.m. Saturday night, near the intersection of Seapoint Street and Pacific Coast Highway, Carson said. Aipa, critically injured, was taken to UCI Medical Center.
There have been no arrests but the investigation is ongoing, Carson said.
Police closed Pacific Coast Highway in both directions late Saturday night due to what they termed a 'major traffic collision investigation.' Northbound lanes were closed at Seapoint Street, with southbound lanes closed at Warner Avenue.
A GoFundMe to support the Aipa family was set up by the Pai family, owners of Huntington Surf and Sport. As of Tuesday evening it had raised more than $61,000.
Aipa Surf is a surf apparel, surfboards and accessories company. Ben Aipa founded the brand in 1970.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
14 hours ago
- New York Post
California police recover $30K worth of Labubu dolls after they were stolen from warehouse
Fourteen boxes of wildly popular Labubu dolls worth a staggering $30,000 were recovered by California police after they were stolen from a warehouse last week, authorities said. The pilfered plushies were found at a home in Chino, the city's police department announced on Monday. Police said evidence showed the suspect or suspects were planning to resell the collectables across the country. Fourteen boxes of Labubu dolls worth a staggering $30,000 were recovered from a home in California. City of Chino Police Department The dolls were returned to their rightful owners, cops said. Last week, a store in La Puente, Calif. had $30,000 of its own horde of Labubu dolls snatched by a group of thieves who passed right by cash and even electronics in favor of the demonic collectibles. The shop had its merchandise safely returned by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department last Friday, according to its Instagram. Labubus, a sharp-toothed cross between a Cabbage Patch Kid and an Angel Baby typically complete with bunny ears and a dead-eyed stare, shot up popularity over the summer. Prices were driven through the roof, with a single 'blind box' grab retailing for $27.99 and a six-pack for $167.94. The Labubu craze drove prices for the demonic dolls obscenely high. Some of the supposed rarest Labubu dolls can sell online for upwards of $500. One skateboarding Labubu part of the 2023 line sold for a jaw-dropping $10,500 last week. Even massive celebrities flocked to the booming collectible, including Rihanna and K-pop girl group Blackpink's dancer Lisa who were both seen with Labubu dolls on their handbags. More than 300 different Labubu dolls have been released since its launch in 2015. Others trying to capitalize on its popularity released a fake, dubbed a Lafufu, that some stores and arcades have opted to feature for the more reasonable prices.
Fox News
18 hours ago
- Fox News
DC police chief delivers baffling response when asked about 'chain of command'
The chief of the Metropolitan Police Department asked "what does that mean" when questioned about the "chain of command" with the department.
New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Suit Accuses N.Y.P.D. of Continued Aggression at Protests Over Gaza
In 2023, the City of New York settled a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general and others over the handling of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 by agreeing that the Police Department would no longer box in and arrest demonstrators, a tactic known as 'kettling.' But according to a lawsuit filed late Monday night, the oft-criticized practice of surrounding protesters and arresting them was nonetheless used more recently against pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan as a proposed class action, said that the police had subjected protesters to false arrest and used excessive force, violating First Amendment rights and retaliating against people who had exercised those rights. Members of the Police Department, the lawsuit said, had engaged in behavior that included 'trapping protesters into spaces where they could not escape, beating protesters with batons and fists, throwing protesters to the ground, using pepper spray indiscriminately and ultimately arresting many of the protesters without lawful justification and without fair warning.' In addition to unspecified damages, the suit asked that a judge issue orders stopping the police from 'violently disrupting' protests or engaging in the behavior described in the suit. Demonstrations over Israel and Palestine persist in New York. Thousands rallied in November before the Israeli prime minister's speech to the United Nations and smaller groups have gathered regularly in Times Square and other locations. This month, pro-Palestine protesters occupied senators' offices. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
