Dale Webster, Who Surfed Every Day for 40 Years, Dies at 76

New York Times

20 hours ago

Dale Webster, a Californian who rode waves every day for more than 40 years, garnering the world record for most consecutive days surfed and the nickname Daily Wavester, died on Saturday in Rohnert Park, Calif. He was 76.
His death was confirmed by his younger brother, Randy Webster. He did not specify a cause but said that his brother's health had declined in recent years.
Mr. Webster grew up surfing in San Diego, and in 1973, he moved to the seaside community of Bodega Bay, Calif. It was there, during a week of 15-foot waves in September 1975, that he resolved to surf every day.
'I surfed all seven days, and then I thought, 'Let me see if I can keep this going,'' Mr. Webster told The New York Times in 2000, when at that time, he had been surfing every day for 25 years. Mr. Webster's streak eventually ended in October 2015, when he had to undergo surgery.
His requirement for a daily surf session was to ride at least three waves, regardless of height, though he normally surfed about 20 waves in two hours, he told The Times.
William Beal, a surfboard shaper based in Bodega Bay and a friend of Mr. Webster's, described the four-decade record as a 'mind boggling' feat that would likely never be surpassed. 'No one will ever beat that record,' he said.
At first, Mr. Webster aimed to surf every day for a year, but then he became fixated on continuing his streak, Mr. Beal said. 'He gave up everything else that you would ever want to do in life because he couldn't leave the beach,' he said.
In Bodega Bay, wet suits are required year-round to brave the frigid waters, also known for their dangerous conditions and shark attacks. But Mr. Webster, who said he once crossed paths with a 20-foot great white, was undeterred by the risks.
He paddled out in hurricane force winds and surfed even when he had the flu or an earache. Once, when a kidney stone left him barely able to walk, Mr. Webster entered the water, caught his three waves, and then went to the hospital, he told The Times. 'I had to crawl on the beach.'
For the first decade of his streak, Mr. Webster would ask witnesses to sign a log book, verifying that they had seen him surfing, and his wife, Kaye, a frequent surfing partner, also kept a diary. But storms and fog meant the beach was sometimes empty. At other times, people refused to sign, confused by the request.
Mr. Webster appeared in the 2003 surfing documentary 'Step into Liquid,' in which he said his goal was to surf until 2004, or when he reached 10,407 consecutive days.
'If I can reach that goal,' he said in the film, 'you can tell that dreams can come true.'
Mr. Webster was born on Nov. 25, 1948, in Alhambra, Calif., to John and Grace Webster. His father was a train engineer, and his mother was an accountant.
He grew up surfing and later supported his quest with dozens of different menial jobs, he told The Times, quitting them when they interfered with his surf sessions. He lived in the unincorporated community of Valley Ford, less than 10 miles from the ocean, and never took inland vacations or visited his in-laws, who lived in Utah.
In addition to his younger brother, Mr. Webster is survived by a daughter, Margo Webster, and two grandsons. Mr. Webster's wife died of cancer in 2008, and his elder brother, Jeffrey Webster, died in 2017.
In his interview with The Times, Mr. Webster reflected on all the sacrifices he had made to maintain his surfing streak, but maintained that it had been worth it.
'I think of all the things I'll have missed in life because of this,' he said. 'The only thing I'll have is the memory of riding all those waves. When I'm out there watching the seals and sea lions, and 30-inch salmon jumping, and I have all those waves to myself, it's like my own personal Disneyland.'
Alain Delaquérière contributed research.