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RANDY
WRIGHT
Randy Wright grew up in the mean streets of Los
Angeles, spending the majority of his adolescence
in the rough and tumble sections of Venice Beach.
At the age of 14 he purchased his first board;
a 6 ft. 3 in. Wind and Sea single - fin. Surfing
Venice in the "Dogtown Era" was akin
to going to war. A hardened group of locals dominated
the line-up. Vicious brawls both in and out of
the water were commonplace. Breaking into the
ranks was no easy task but Randy was a natural
talent and with his quiet unassuming approach
he quickly won the respect of the locals. Always
on the quiet side, he let his surfing skills speak
for him.
Modeling his powerful surfstyle after Occy and
Tom Carrol it wasn't long before Quicksilver,
Victory, Style Eyes and Horizons West were knocking
on his door and offering full sponsorship. Randy
found some success competing on the PSA tour competing
against such notables as Shane Beschen, Jeff Booth,
Mike Lambresi, Ted Robinson and Chris Frohof.
To supplement his income, Randy worked at Horizons
West Surfshop in Santa Monica. At this point in
time Pro Surfers were grossly underpaid, so when
an opportunity arose for him to buy out the owner
of the shop, he jumped on it. Although this would
effectively put an end to his competitive career
he relished the chance to run his own business.
With a strong work ethic and a loyal local following
he's made Horizons West a success.
Randy, the only one out at huge El Porto
At the age of 37 Randy is always one of the top
surfers in the water. As a matter of fact he rips!
Both backside and frontside 360's, powerful snaps
and a host of high powered improvisational moves
are staples in his entertaining repertoire. Tricks
aside, he's most respected for his fearless approach
in large surf. He is first and foremost a barrel
rider. He regularly pulls into the sickest shacks
mother nature can dish up (much to the delight
of the parking lot onlookers afraid to make the
paddle). Although small in stature he's a giant
when the buoys are rocking and always a standout
in giant El Porto. When asked about his longest
tube he couldn't pinpoint one particular occasion
but upon further prodding he revealed (in his
humble fashion) that he's had more than his fair
share of 6 second plus in and outs. His advice
on riding big waves is to "Just remain calm"
when your pinned to the bottom and going through
the rinse cycle. If you can relax when taking
your beating you won't use up your oxygen as fast.
Content with running his shop, Randy remains a
bachelor. When not surfing or working he enjoys
tinkering with his 68 Firebird and 65 Mustang.
When he really feels like chilling, you'll find
him working in his garden. Horticulture projects
seem to put his mind at ease and give him time
to really unwind. If you ever see him in the water
taking off way behind the peak , don't drop in
because 9 times out of 10 he'll be wright on your
ass!
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