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New York Times
a day ago
- Climate
- New York Times
Dale Webster, Who Surfed Every Day for 40 Years, Dies at 76
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.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Dale Webster, surfer who rode waves for 14,642 consecutive days, dies aged 77
Dale Webster, the Northern California surfer who famously paddled out every day for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 77. News of his passing was shared on social media by friends and fellow surfers. No cause of death was given. Known as Daily Dale and Daily Wavester, Webster holds a Guinness World Record for the longest streak of consecutive days surfed: an extraordinary 14,642, a stretch that began in 1975 and ended in 2015. His feat required him to surf at least three waves a day, rain or shine, in sickness or in health, through frigid Pacific waters and the shark-rich lineup off Sonoma County. Born in Alhambra, California, in 1948, Webster began stand-up surfing in 1961 at the age of 13. In 1973, he moved to Bodega Bay, about 70 miles north of San Francisco. Two years later, a run of large swells known as the Monster from New Zealand sparked a personal challenge: surf every day for 100 consecutive days. This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. When he reached that milestone, a local newspaper wrote about it. 'That publicity gave me a little pat on the back to make it to a year,' Webster told Surfer magazine in 2015. 'So then the challenge became a year. And so forth.' From 3 September 1975 until 5 October 2015, Webster never missed a day in the water. Inspired by surfers like Doc Paskowitz and Phil Edwards, he followed Edwards' dictum that a wave wasn't truly ridden unless it was taken all the way to the beach, fin dragging in the sand. The streak was as much about grit as it was about waves. Year-round water temperatures on his stretch of coast hovered around 50F (10C), often dropping into the 40s in winter. Storms regularly battered the shore, and the surf could be fickle or outright dangerous. Webster endured kidney stones, thyroid problems and, on one searingly difficult day, still paddled out after his wife died of cancer. He built his life around the pursuit, never taking vacations inland and even quitting jobs that interfered with his sessions. 'The only thing I'll have is the memory of riding all those waves,' he told the New York Times in 2000. '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.' His streak ended in 2015 when he needed surgery for kidney stones. By then, Webster had ridden an estimated 43,923 waves. In 2003, his dedication was profiled in Dana Brown's surf documentary Step Into Liquid. Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater was among those who saluted him, writing: '#DaleWebster hasn't missed a day of surfing in #14641 days and I think he's awesome.' Webster reflected on his devotion in philosophical terms. 'Surfing is really a challenge,' he told Surfer. 'It may not be barreling, but the act of putting on a suit, going out there, and just being in the water feels wonderful.'
