Anyone who knew Dugan had respect for him. He was a one of a kind sort of guy who was a living link to surfing's past. For the past 12 years that I have surfed Grandview I have been both inspired and humbled by him. On the days that I would wear a 4/3 he would trunk it. On the days that I was nervous to paddle out, he would be out at the crack of dawn (in trunks) taking off on the biggest sets. On the small days when the surf was flat he would entertain me with stories of the places he's been and the people he met along the way.
Dugan was a true waterman, a living legend, and a friend to all he surfed with. He lived life to the fullest and made a lot of friends along the way. Personally I will never forget him. This world and our little surf spot he called home were better places for having him.
Good bye Dugan. We will miss you.
Ed
Photos courtesy of John Costan. The story of them is below.
Dugan was always and will always be the master of his universe, the
ocean. I am thankful for the opportunity to know him. I had the good
fortune of many fun sessions with him in the water.
This was a Fall day in 2006, cold water and a big swell. Dugan
trunking it, of course... as usual!! I happily had these printed and
presented to them to Dugan at Grandview. We agreed on payment of a
good wave, or two!
There will be a Celebration of Dugan's life Memorial Paddle out Scheduled for Sunday January the 18th, 12:00 noon. Memorial will start at Ponto Beach and then be followed by a short walk to Grandview for the paddle out. Please pass this info on...For more information please contact 760-445-9839.
ocean. I am thankful for the opportunity to know him. I had the good
fortune of many fun sessions with him in the water.
This was a Fall day in 2006, cold water and a big swell. Dugan
trunking it, of course... as usual!! I happily had these printed and
presented to them to Dugan at Grandview. We agreed on payment of a
good wave, or two!
There will be a Celebration of Dugan's life Memorial Paddle out Scheduled for Sunday January the 18th, 12:00 noon. Memorial will start at Ponto Beach and then be followed by a short walk to Grandview for the paddle out. Please pass this info on...For more information please contact 760-445-9839.
Dugan was a great friend of mine. There will be a Celebration of Dugan's life Memorial Paddle out Scheduled for Sunday January the 18th, 12:00 noon. At Ponto Beach.Please pass this info on...
ReplyDeleteFor more information please contact 760-445-9839.
His presence in the lineup will be missed and never forgotten. He was an inspiration to us all.
Sad news to be sure. He was such a positive spirit and as you said a true waterman. One of my axioms on big days at Grandview was and has held true- "If you are out on a big day at Grandview and the only other guy out is Dugan, it is time to go in because it is just too big!"
ReplyDeleteI will think about him on big days to come...
Sad to read your post this morning. My biggest kick out of Dugan was
ReplyDeletethat he would take out his son? grandson? in any size surf and the kid would go. Now I see that boy is young man and still stoked on it. Not a bad legacy to leave behind. See you all on the 18th.
I was lucky enough to have take me under his wing if he had't, I doubt I would ever have learned to surf oops I mean start learning to surf, there seams tobe some question weather I've learned Dugans lessons. My life will be less without that Man. He was my friend
ReplyDeleteI knew Dugan only by seeing him in the water, and everyone talking about him. Your post makes it clear why he was so popular. The last time I saw him was a couple of months ago. I was headed up the stairs and he was just about to go out. He was very stoked and gave me a sincere wish for a nice rest of the day. And I thought damn, he's a tough bugger trunking it today!! Surf on Dugan.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to have known Dugan. It was always a pleasure to see him in the water. His attitude and stoke were infectious, his influence affected many people. I’ve seen him charge the best waves Grandview has to offer. He will be missed. I expect there will be a big turn out at his memorial on the 18th.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine Leucadia without Dugan. In 20+ years surfing Grandview, Avo's, etc. I've never seen anyone have more fun or be more fun to be out with than Dugan. He did it for all the right reasons and he did it so well. His grace & style will be missed by many of us.......
ReplyDeleteDugan will live on in all of us and his loving wife and children. I am honored to have known him and he will remain in my heart forever! I unfortunately will not be able to be with you all at the celebration and paddle out, but my son Mark will be there to represent me and my family. I will be there in spirit. We love you Dugan...ride on...
ReplyDeleteCouple weeks ago he was talking about his cancer, and about how his wife had had two bouts with breast cancer. "Guess its our turn" he was saying. Then I heard that he died of a heart attack. Sudden death? He was lucky, to die fast. Cancer deaths take too long, are ugly, painful, etc. You're lucky if you go fast. He wasn't quite seventy yet, so he lasted pretty long, but no one wants to go. I saw him about three weeks ago, walking up the stairs with his board, looked like he was about to cry. Maybe he had worse news about his cancer, getting his last few waves before the end of his life. Everyone's saying nice things about Dugan since he died, but all I can say is, good or bad, is that Dugan was one guy that I didn't want to get on the wrong side of, that's for sure. Bummer for Dugan he died. I'm sure the paddle out will be huge, I will be getting my lifeguard certification on Sunday 18, and can't miss that. I guess no one wants to postpone the paddle out another week on my account? Guess I'll have my own paddle out, solo.
ReplyDeleteps, Even though he rode a longboard, I never saw him use it to hog waves, unlike a lot of other longboarders out among the short boards. That is something to be said for Dugan.
ReplyDeleteDugan was, and will always be, the rock of one of the most amazing and inspirational families’ one could ever meet. His loss will truly be felt among all who had the pleasure. May his life’s message live on within all.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure going to miss Dugan. He was always a pleasure to be around, despite the fact that I knew competition for waves would be formidable with him in the water! His pure love for the sport and the lifestyle was enviable.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you Dugan...
A stranger to me he was...but a precious friend is very sad for his loss...G.
ReplyDeletehi it comes with great sadness that i must let you all know that our dear friend Dugan has passed away. he will always be remembered as Bridg e's grand dad... and that he was. i met Dugan several years ago through family ties and was immediatley attracted to his humor and nautical feats. even though i saw him infrequently over the past few years he always seemed to reach out to me, calling in on me after several long ocean trips, makeing sure i was ok and that things were safe and good. he had a keen sense of timing. every time we had one of these conversation he would always end it with an invite to surf or to accompany him on some crazy exotic ocean fishing/diving trip that he was planning or partaking. i missed the last great one that he had to the Guadalupe Islands off of Mexico......he was the salt of the earth and the spirit of the sea. i had so many great Dugan stories in me that i often recounted them over and over again in my head as i held the helm in check during the late nites at sea. he was always there. my favorite Dugan story which i have shared over and over again occured during one of our boys trips to Kona. Unknowing that we were all there, we ran into Dugan at magic sands beach. we were staying at a friends house and Dugan was staying next door. too funny, small world. we spent most early mornings together, as we both rose early before our respective crews, down at the beach before we seperated for our daliy events and adventures. about the third day we were on the beach and the surf was crazy with a winter storm. only the brave local talent went into the water, with the sharp overhead shore break and rip current to boogie board. they were obviously professionals. as Dugan and i stood there and watched, the life guard came by and looked at us and said,"you no go!" well before he could get to his chair Dugan handed me his white signiture tilley hat and ventured out into the surf. i am thinking to my self is he crazy.. no he is Dugan! with in minutes he had cleared the shore break and was headed out into the lineup to the amazement of the local talent. he then proceeded to body surf wave after wave , riding the barrel all the way to the end, exiting the wave each time just before the rocks and corral reef!! then swimiming effortlessly back out to the lineup, he would have made a dolphin proud. i then noticed that to my amazement that he was now the only one in the water, as everyone had exited either to watch him or to just get out of the charging bulls way. there we all were watching this 60+ year old kick the oceans ass! people were chearing him on.. in awe, of which he heard none due the crash of the waves. the life guard was now standing next to me. after he had his fill he exited the water as easily as he had entered it, he then walked up past myself and the life guard, never making eye contact with either of us. he went to his chair toweled off, put his hat on and sat down. the locals just shook their heads over the crazy "old man". i went over and sat down next to him, saying nothing but feeling proud to be with the King. after a few minutes he looked over at me and said "No Go My Ass" and smiled ear to ear!!. i smiled back and shook my head, "you are a crazy old man!!!" That Was Dugan...... the world is a sadder place without him, but i feel the ocean may be a little safer now....tip a beer for Dugan!
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to send Dugan's information and those great photos of him above at Grandview to surfline. Just put, "surfed at g-view 20 years, trunked in the winter on sunny days still, died of a heart attack last week" or something like that. But put the notice on surfline.
ReplyDeleteI knew Dugan and his family through the Automobile industry. I miss him already. He was a great friend to me. Dugan was a realist and he accepted me for who I was. We had many talks and I could always be myself around.
ReplyDeleteDugan had a great sense of humor too. I remember him telling me about the time he went skydiving and was not sure if the chute would work.
Dugan was a master at making people feel right at home. I bet hes in heaven right now eating lobster!!!!
David Bowie
BIG WAVES FOR THE PADDLE OUT, HERE'S THE SURFLINE SYNOPSIS:
ReplyDeleteNext up; we are currently tracking a big, deepening low that is moving across the North Pacific. At this point we are looking at a solid and more ‘westerly’ WNW (280-300+) groundswell that will be strongest over the weekend, the 18th and 19th. However we will start to see a rise in size through the afternoon/evening on Friday the 16th, especially for the deepwater focal points of South Ventura, North Orange County, South San Diego and a few select parts of the South Bay that can focus the long period energy. Then, on Saturday, as the swell continues to build more areas will really start to get in on the action as the period drops a bit and the more ‘westerly’ component of the swell moves in for lots of head high+ surf at spots with any kind of exposure, while good breaks see sets going a couple to a few feet overhead and the standout deepwater breaks of Ventura, South San Diego and select parts of the South Bay seeing sets potentially running in the double overhead range (8-10’ faces). Those waves then look to continue through the day on Sunday and before slowly starting to come down early next week. This swell/storm is still developing so stay tuned for further updates.
It is with tears in my eyes, sorrow in my heart but sometimes a proud grin on my face as I read the above comments. First of all, I must clear up one common misconception: Dugan did not die from a heart attack. His great heart and strong lungs kept beating long after he "coded." He suffered a pulmonary embolism probably brought on by his pancreatic cancer treatment. I told him he could "let go," that Velzy had a new board for him to ride with his brother, Kenny, and that the water was warm with ten foot waves, double over-head (like I even know what that means or that the surf report would be accurate). The doctors assured me that he suffered no pain, that the pain was ours in watching him go. For thirty-three years Dugan Yeakel was my rock, my husband, my partner, my friend and the father of my children. I hope to see you all on Sunday. Dorene Yeakel
ReplyDeleteI have tried to post this several times and can't seem to do it right so it may end up as anonymous.
Dorene,
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad that this has worked out the way it has. I feel honored that Dugan's memory lives on through my site. What better place to keep his memory then a site dedicated to the place he loved and viewed by the people who loved him. If you can, can you please contact me directly? edlewis@edlewisdesign.com.
Thanks,
Ed
Dugan and I hit the beach after breakfast in Manhattan Beach from 1948 on when he lived on the Strand by the pier. We would body surf, dive off the pier (next to the "No diving" sign), get caught in fishing lines, be taken to Hermosa Beach because we couldn't get out of the rip-tide and laugh the whole time. We should have been dead - his mother (my aunt) would watch us with binoculars. There were no life guards or people for that matter. We would go visit Velzy. No boards for kids back then. One day we were sent to the store to buy a watermelon and instead of us lugging it down the hill Dugan decided to roll it. It made a great splatter. Climbing Corona Del Mar cliffs a few years later - we jumped from cliff to cliff with no regard to the jagged rocks below. Dugan lost me in a cave in Malibu when we were diving for abalone and then had to find me. He was driving the boat when we were hit by another boat and I was thrown through the windshield into the water and then he had to rescue me. Never did remember that ambulance ride...Tandem skied from Newport to Catalina - saw lg. fin following us - Dugan said "dolphin but don't fall". He told me later it was a shark. We spent so much time in the water - never had skin on our noses or lips. No sun screen back then. He continued to have great adventures and I was in awe. He never forgot a name or incident. I will greatly miss him and am thankful he completed his magnificent journey.
ReplyDeleteGoddammit,
ReplyDeleteI just have to go....I got no way out of it. I have never gone to a funeral or memorial but I am going to this tomorrow. And I don't even know his first name...
This guy really was the real deal. He always knew your name...he wen't out of his way to say hi to you and he sure the blank would charge big waves.
I am committing to have a good vibe in the water for the next year in his memory..............................
Love you man. I grew up with Dugan teasing me and scaring me all the time, but I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. When I jokingly asked him how could you be so mean to a little kid he said "well if I was so mean to you all those years then why are you so happy to see me?"
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I got to tell you how much I love you and give you that big hug. Mom and Dad say you are such a huge Life Force. Your energy is always going to be here. We can all feel it.
Thank you everyone for the posts and remembrances at the ceremony. Although he was my cousin he was like a brother to me. How much luckier could I be than to have Dugan as my cousin. The hang gliding trips, Catalina and water skiing adventures, selling cars on South Street in Long Beach. One day Dugan shows up at my place in the canyon with two baby pigs and announces that WE are going to raise our own ham at my house and we did. Another time he borrows a trailer to get a race horse that some one has given him. When he shows up it is a pony and it has broken through the bottom of the trailer with one leg sticking down. Did Dugan know how to live or what?
ReplyDeleteHow I can order one of the t-shirts? I was told that they were all sold on preorder but I could order one later. Fred Yeakel
I briefly met Dugan while I was staying with friends of his in Kona. When I heard that he passed on I was saddened and grieved as though I lost a good friend. My first and lasting impression of Dugan is that of respect and amazement. That man knew how to live. -KF
ReplyDeleteDugan wore the silver wings of a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, Aviation Battalion. We jumped together.In a jump school of 300 men, only 98 earned their wings and graduated. He was a outstanding soldier and I was proud to have served with him, in this elite unit of the Strategic Army Command.
ReplyDeleteFalling from the sky, flying through the water, racing over the ground, on some fairly crazy machines, Dugan lived life to its fullest. You
might say he died young late in life. I hope to rendezvous with him again, somewhere in this universe. My compadre , wait for me, there's white smoke on the drop zone.
Jack Johnstone
I just wanted to commend you on a cool site and great place to catch up on local happenings.
ReplyDeleteDugan was many things to me including an inspiration and hero to aspire to be. He is the most legendary surfer Ive ever known or read about and on big days I think of Dugan telling me "kid you need to be more stubborn then the waves if you want to get outside". I brag about Dugan all the time to my friends that surf all across the nation. His surfing goodwill in the water was incredible (after you earned his respect). I wanted to share a quick story that Ive shared many times with the locals at Grandview..... Of course Dugan was many more things then a surfer but as most of you know he was a auto mechanic. After bitching that the dealership had ripped me off many times in the past I told Dugan I needed some work done on my car and asked him if he knew a good mechanic?? Of course he recommended a local Vista mechanic but quickly added just swing by my house and lets have a look. After a quick tour of the Yeakle Ranch and Lake Resort he climbs under my car and finds the problem and says he needs to pick up a part at a local wholesaler. Of course he knows that guy too because he knows everybody and gets the part which I still dont know what it was because Im an idiot with cars. I think it was part of the front axle. Anyway he tells me to come back the next day and he will install it. So I show up the next day and hes happily=2 0paid for the part out of his own pocket and is ready to install it. He climbs under my car and spends two hours hammering around and all the while is telling me these unbelievable stories about hang gliding, central america in the 70s, Vietnam era military, dale velzy stuff etc. The most amazing part is he makes me drink cold beer out of his mini fridge in the garage while he's slaving away on my car and entertaining me with stories and wont let me help at all. I gladly pay him for the part and try..and try...and try to pay him for his time but he is so damn stubborn that I give up and smile as he makes me drink another beer. This man was a one of a kind and as hard as I try will never be able to be half the man he was. I've seriously had many relatives d ie in my life and was touched and saddened for a brief period of time. Every since Dugan passed I think of him every few hours trying hard not to shed a tear because I know he would laugh at me and tell me quit wasting my time being sad. He was one of those life is too short guys that meant every word of it. I believe him. If any of you know me which I know many of you do I never email and if I do its 5-10 words at best. This email is testament to how much I admired him and Im realizing just writting this letter how much I really do admire him . The paddle out was incredible. The fact that I skinned it was crazy because he made fun of me and my wetsuit most of the time.=2 0Yet I was strangely warm out there. The lone wave that rolled through the circle was mystical. The dolphins playing in the line up as if to welcome Dugans spirit was amazing. Looking around to see your faces in the circle as you reflected on Dugans life was unforgettable. When I paddled in to catch a ceremonial wave I was picked up by a wave as if to be warned. I turned around in surprise to see a second wave that was even bigger. This wave was too far out by my estimation to be cresting. If anyone knows Grandview they will surely know that most waves don't break in the deep channel between Sand Bags and Grandview unless its really big but this wave lifted me up and let me slide down easily all the way past the stairs going south. I was fortunate to be able to walk back up the beach watching most of you catch a wave some of which took a good beating. Sorry I laughed alot thinking Dugan was probably all grins watching that spectacle. I was truly blessed by Dugan in many ways and hope he continues to watch over us at Grandview. As I set out on the long trek hopefully that is the remainder of my life I will remember Dugan fondly and never take life for granted. One last Dugan quote..... I see Dugan paddling out with that big grin on his face and I tell him the surf isnt that good and he replies "when you get to be my age everyday above ground is a good day and every wave you catch is a bonus" Everyone of his quotes sticks in my head because they were spoken from the heart.
"Like the wind crying endlessly through the universe, Time carries away the names of conquerors and commoners alike. And all that we are, all that remains, is the memories of those who cared we came this way for a brief moment". Harlan Ellison
ReplyDelete